Drop-Dead Dapper

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Kunal Gupta

Let us un-cliché. Let us defy rules. Let the change – the only constant – Rule! Hashtag ‘Trends’ would never have evolved, had there been no urge to experiment. The choices millenial men make today, evince their acceptability towards metamorphosis in fashion. Afterall, when it comes to wardrobe, why should girls have all the fun. For the first time, Wedding Affair styles for the Best man & Bestmen.

If we rewind our memory till a few years back, people were reluctant to wear the bold looks of the runway. Fashion shows had an audience, but mostly passive and unconforming. Interestingly, it is not the case now. Today, there is a 0.1mm difference between how fashion is both – presumed and consumed. What you see on the runways and what you wear, is hardly different. Nowadays, fashion weeks have a very unfailing audience, who are active partakers. A huge chunk of credit goes to the sudden advent of this digital witchery – social media. One post or a share, casts its spell on hundreds, or thousands maybe, informing and enticing its target at the same time. A well-informed audience makes confident and adventurous choices. Sticking to the stereotypes is bland, thus, the fashion-forward men do not hesitate to experiment with their wardrobe.

A few of such looks recently ruling the social media and print circles are those of fashion-influencers Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, Ranbir Kapoor and Karan Johar. Celebs play an indispensable role when it comes to trends. Let’s take style cues from B-town celebs where there is no dearth of wardrobe inspiration.

Talking about men’s fashion, we couldn’t find a better person than stylist Isha Bhansali, to give a sneak peek into the new trends in men’s fashion. Providing exclusive inputs, the ace stylist, known to style the leading men of Bollywood says, “Men’s fashion is evolving into more experiments. More trend-based. More conscious of the right fit. And, far more cooler in general. For men, the top priority is always the fit which can make a huge difference in the appearance. Especially one that actually chisels the body. The shoulders, the sleeves should be tailor-made. Black is always more powerful in changing the appearance. Choose a classic achkan or a suit, the groom will always look dashing in that colour. There’s also a midnight or royal blue that can never go wrong in making the groom look like a million bucks. There’s a lot of florals this season for menswear in Indian fashion. There’s also predominance of metallics and lamé fabric.”

Ayushmann’s outfit (top left) is effortlessly uber-cool and casual. It can be noticed that a well-fitted jacket adds character to any outfit, transitioning it into a chic occasion wear. The second look of Ayushmann is layered up with organic handloom fabrics, worn at day-time wedding-related festivities. An ivory hue is perfect for such day-time occasions. They’re easy and breezy and suits Ayushmann’s free-spirited persona. While, for Rajkummar Rao’s style (below) for the Deep-Veer wedding reception, the stylist shared that she wanted something sleek and classy for the occasion. The slight asymmetry provided a much needed edge to the outfit. The textured fabric was tailored with a slight twist, to give it a perfect indo-western vibe.

She provides valuable insight into what men with different body structures can do, to style right. “A guy with a fuller body type, should opt for something tailored that tones down his curves, preferably in dark shades. But at the same time ensuring that the fabric is light and not bulked up with heavy padding. For a leaner body, you can always layer up with light summery fabrics as that will add to the character of your body. Go for heavy padding on the shoulders and chest. A taller guy can always break the colours – for example – a different coloured jacket and different coloured bottoms. Same applies to a kurta or sherwani. A guy with comparatively shorter height should not add too many colours. Go for one, or two at most, in an ensemble” shares Bhansali.

Men’s wardrobe is not restricted to matching tux and shoes or the familiar kurta pyjamas for get-togethers. Lads curate different looks for different occasions. Cotton harem pants, balloon trousers, polo pants lend a great stylish appeal to the wearer for day-time festivities. For such get togethers, softer colours, pastels impart a fresh and cool vibe. Long skirts, flared angrakhas, spezzato, floral blazers, athleisure  t-shirts with tuxedos, sneakers beneath the three-piece suit, the choices for grooms or bestmen are infinite.

Irrfan Khan, with a great height and a lean structure was able to pull off the pristine white circular kurta while promoting one of his films. The actor carried another traditional outfit with a twist. The designer lungi with a graphic of bold block stripes made it look distinctive yet traditional. The jacket helped in making the look more urban.

When it comes to dressing up for their specials, an urbane looks beyond the conventional and, adorns colours and prints that once symbolised woman’ territory. With rules of the game changed, pink is not ‘girl-ish’ anymore and florals are not confined to a woman’s closet. Shopping is not just a lady’s business. In fact, men are equally active shoppers now. Grooms have torrential clothing options for their pre to post

wedding ceremonies. One such big player in the league is Diwan Saheb. Thanks to them, the term ‘Wedding Trousseau’ is expansive now, and associating it purely with the nuptial ensemble will be paleolithic.

For lighter daytime festivities such as mehendi, haldi, opt for kurtas and jacket in vibrant hues. A more playful ensemble such as an angrakha, traditional lungi or dhoti for the groom or groomsmen amps your fashion quotient. A sherwani with definite and unique cuts is better suited for soirees. Mojdis, sandals, and kolhapuris as footwear complement the attire. Extra elements adds even more weight to the outfit, for all the wrong reasons. Hence, heavy work should be avoided.

Diwan Saheb

Neil Nitin Mukesh’s striped jacket is a good choice for day-time celebrations. The strikingly bright color is sure to attract attention. A unicoloured ensemble teamed with a bright contrasting jacket in different patterns, is also a rage.

Wedding and reception ceremonies call for a more formal dress-up — with an indo-western jacket — a classy fitted suit in dark colours. Shimmery fabric such as lurex, intricate metallic embroidery, embellishments and accessories like brooches can be added to accentuate the soiree ensemble.

And if you are the groom, you can always add an element to complement the bride’s attire, such as sterling silver buttons.

Sherwani or a bandhgala with a shawl are better suited for soirees. A cashmere shawl, if worn right, exudes a regal look. Layering also helps transform the look dramatically, as it makes one appear leaner and taller. Never add too many elements at the same time, as it distracts. So if one chooses to wear a heavily layered kurta, make sure not to use over-the-top accessories. The next time you’re heading for a party, you know what to read, and whom to refer to. And of course, your confidence can win any battle. When it comes to confidence, did we not mention Ranveer Singh?