Winter style check

Winter in Mumbai is almost as good as non-existent. Since a jacket or a heavy shawl might actually leave you in a pool of sweat, here's suggesting some nice alternatives. Your best bet is to go for a simple...

Winter in Mumbai is almost as good as non-existent. However, that does not mean you cannot indulge in some light warm clothes that have already started bombarding street markets. Since a jacket or a heavy shawl might actually leave you in a pool of sweat, your best bet is to go for a simple, light and, preferably, colourful stole.

If you are looking for moderately priced options, (which you ideally should, because they will be literally lying locked up in your closet for the rest of the year), Colaba Causeway is the first place you should head to. Here, you will not only find a great variety in the rows of shops but also get a chance of bargaining down the price to almost half. Hill Road and Linking Road markets in Bandra are also known for selling some pretty funky pieces. However, bargaining here might be a little tough. A stole at Causeway will cost you somewhere between R150 to 250 (less if you’re good at bargaining). Mohammed Rashid, a shopkeeper who owns a stall here, says, “With the onset of the season, sales have increased. Buyers prefer plain, bright-coloured pieces, as compared to the printed ones, probably because they go with all types of outfits.”

Twenty-three-year-old media professional Lakshmi Jayraj swears by stoles to pep up almost all her outfits. Though she admits to being a street-shopping junkie, she feels that if you are looking for a fancy or a durable stole, a good store might be a better option. “You won’t find silk or chiffon scarves at your regular street market, and even if you do, the prints are either not great or the stoles don’t match up in quality of material,” she says. Jayraj says Fabindia and Desi Weaves are her favourite haunts for stoles.

— Inputs by Fahad Khan, stylist

Cowgirl style:

Use a triangular stole. Wrap it around your neck so that one end of the triangle falls on the chest, and the other takes a turn and falls just next to the first one.

Take it up:

Place the scarf or stole on your neck, twist both ends over your head and tie a knot at the bottom. If the piece is long enough, you can also braid it into your hair.

Bow tie:

Place the scarf on your neck, letting both ends fall in the front. Tie a big bow to the left or the right, and leave the ends loose.

Hang in there:

Take a rectangular piece and wrap it around your neck once or twice, depending on its length. Then leave the two loose ends hanging in the front. You can also put one loose end at the back, and leave the other at the front, near your chest.

Keep it simple:

This is the most common way of wearing a stole: tie a simple knot at the neck, with both ends falling equal in front.