It's a guy thing

It is a marked departure from the sassy millennial pink that was hot on the runway last year. Soft, subtle and lingering in its versions in lilac and lavender, ultraviolet gains a wicked sheen in patent leather and glossy textures and darts curiously through a melee of accessories in your closet. Get the look right...

Colour connotes

Says fashion designer, Raghavendra Rathore, "For me, ultraviolet is symbolic of all things luxurious and stately. The colour emulates a certain richness and lustre. It is perfect, for an evening out, with deeper tones." Of course, years ago the colour was brushed aside as pansyish, but the arrival of the metrosexual male redefined the sweepstakes for the dreamy hue. "In fact, the boldest rendition of UV would be in a purple, velvet jacket. Even a purple silk jacket worn over a handwoven shirt looks spiffy. The mildest version would be a breezy cotton men's English kurta in powdery lavender as a stylish addition to your wardrobe."

So the colour moves well beyond the lines of a casual T-shirt, distressed hoodies or a collared shirt. There are bursts of poppy in sneakers and silk neckties. But your biggest faux pas could be turning up clad in the colour from head to toe, turning off everyone as you would look like a well laid out table.

Singled out

"I find printed versions in short kurtas and waistcoats appealing, combine and contrast with other colours for a spiffy touch. Solids have a wider variety in silhouettes like bandhgala, breeches, formal kurtas or go with the impeccable bandhgala shirt," says Rathore. The colour reflects style, royalty and slickness, lending an edgy appeal to any ensemble. The idea is to accentuate expertly in novel ways. "Bring in a colour accent, through a pant or jacket; through accessories like purplish leather lace-ups or custom-printed pocket squares."

If casual ain't your thing, nail the formal look. "In blazers and suits, both solids and checks in aubergine can help create a lasting impression," says Rohan Khattar, founder, Minizmo. "A solid purple shirt can work well under a suit as well as casually on its own." Though it is wise to choose the correct shade of the colour to complement your skin tone.

"Always team the colour with beige, grey or with even shades of blue. Light shades of purple go well with dark bottoms and darker shades complement light-coloured bottoms. If you wish to bring in accents, go for pocket squares: these are similar to neckties in terms of decorative function but are far less widely-used. Include one in your outfits to add a spot of style. Pair up with a suit jacket or sports coat in much the same way that the necktie pairs with the shirt: either joining it in a similar colour scheme or contrasting it. Though while wearing both, make sure your necktie and pocket square never match as they are two separate accents!"

Fun & flirtatious

"A simple solid purple shirt, blue jeans, and white sports shoes make for a trendy casual outfit," suggests Rohan. You could skip the bright quotient in your shoes to avoid overkill. Monotones are popular on the fashion circuit and you could marry deeper purple prints with a light purple shirt for that zingy edge.

And remember, rival actor Ranveer Singh's choice of threads only if you have his gregarious personality to rock the hue!

Rock the look

Rathore shares three tips on how to look smashing in subtle accents...

Pin a purple pocket brooch on your jacket chest pocket

Slip on deep purple socks as a style statement, along with a bandhgala

Wear a neck cravat in purple, the perfect accessory for the bandhgala

All about belts

Do you feel the belt is just a boring accessory to hold your trousers up? A belt can make or break an outfit - whether it is a trendy pair of jeans, formal trousers or a fun pair of shorts.

Here are three secrets for picking the right belt:

* The 'Beltrouser' Affair: Belts have a distinct way of complementing your
trousers. Narrow belts are a great match with formal trousers, chinos, dark denims or shorts. Wide belts are the best accessory for light denims and cargos.

* The Shoe Rule: Gentlemen of style always match the colour of their belts with their footwear. Brightly-coloured or white shoes are best worn with an elegant black belt.

* Material matters: The belt material should match the material for your footwear. So, pair leather with leather, canvas with canvas and a suede belt with your suede shoes.

* Two must-haves: A narrow leather belt, to go with your formal attire and match your shoes, and a narrow canvas belt to style up your sneakers.  

Courtesy: William Penn

Colour codes

Every season comes with its own colour palette. Even though some colours never go out of fashion such as black and blue, there are a few others that don't trend for long.

To build a compact versatile capsule wardrobe, the individual colours in your palette should be as mixable as possible, to maximise the number of outfits you can build. Also, the number one thing you want to avoid is choosing a palette that's nice to look at but not wearable.

Here's  a line-up  of vibrant and playful tones with hints of subdued neutrals:

* Brown:  Adding a surprising level of sophistication to utilitarian classics,  this is a novel option for the season. All shades of brown  may  already be present in your wardrobe in some  - albeit small  - ways. Try upping your quotient with some tan corduroys or chinos, a chocolate brown leather jacket, dark camel merino crew neck jumper or even a simple pair of russet brogues or desert boots.

* Green:  It compliments all skin tones. While most of us are no strangers to moss or khaki hues, there are so many green tones that can be introduced to your wardrobe. Keep it simple yet classy with a couple of shades of green in your trunk. This colour with its liveliness and energy that speaks nature is sure to lift up your mood. You just need to pair them smartly with your basics.  

* Red: Popular celeb style icons such as Chris Evans and The Weeknd have been spotted head-to-toe in the scorching shade. Vermillion red stood out on the streets of fashion weeks and catwalks. Vivid red t-shirts can be a nice change to the classic white ones and  they a great accompaniment to dark denim. Red jackets, sneakers and hoodies as well, can upgrade your sporty looks.

 *  Grey: Worn  in statement pieces or as subtle tones in a more colourful look, grey is an essential colour and is super versatile. Whether you want to go all out and wear an all grey look or just want the subtle tones with a colourful outfit, it can really work for you. Layer up your grey blazer or jacket with some knitwear and it can look effortlessly casual.

 * Amber: Amber is notoriously difficult to wear and often avoided by men. Like orange and  purple, amber is a statement colour that needs to be used sparingly and anchored with neutrals. Always look to control use of the hue with surrounding pieces in white, blue, grey, beige and charcoal.

- Matteo Zara, creative director at Indian Terrain