As the country’s biggest fashion event for men, Van Heusen India Men’s Fashion Week, is on in the Capital, one would expect the urbane Indian man to have an appreciation for smart styling. Sadly, a recce on men’s style found major fashion flubs. We get fashion experts to list five of the worst
faux pas Indian men seem to have mastered by now.
Tight Tees: “Men with bad bodies should be banned from wearing tight Tees,” says designer Falguni Peacock, adding, “It’s a sight so common among the new ‘metrosexual’ clan of Indian men. A clingy Tee worn over a protruding paunch or less than toned biceps looks abhorring.” Celebrity stylist Nisha Kundnani says, “Wear it only if it flatters your body.” Peacock adds, “In Bollywood only Ranbir Kapoor carries the look well. As for the rest, they need to enroll for style etiquette classes.”
Celeb offender: Sohail Khan
Unbuttoned shirt: Bollywood stylist Shayamali Arora says, “Indian men take pride in leaving more than desired number of shirt buttons undone, add to it a glimpse of chest hair and you have the most gauche sight.” She adds, “We don’t expect men to go the extreme waxing way but at least they should have the decency to cover it up.”
Celeb offender: Jackie Shroff
Accessories like gold chains: Designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh says, “Even at the most ‘fashionable’ gatherings in India you can often spot men wearing chunky gold chains. I would never even like talking to a man who looks as if he raided his wife’s jewellery box.”
Celeb offender: Sanjay Dutt
Ill-fitted trousers: Most men have no clue about trouser fittings. Stylist Arora says, “It’s a fashion crime if men can’t get the fit right for a wardrobe staple like trousers. Indian men still struggle with details like pleats or crotch fitting.” Designer Ghosh says, “A trouser if not sharply tailored is the epitome of frumpiness.”
Celeb offender: Govinda
Too-pointed shoes: “While pointed shoes,” says stylist Kundnani, “started from Italy, Indian men forgot where a pointy shoe should cut. It reflects a poor style understanding.”
Celeb offender: Tusshar Kapoor