Tailored for the uber cool male

Wondering what to keep in mind when shopping for ready-to-wear attire? Ketan Pishe lists out some helpful guidelines

The uber cool men prefer the tailored look.

Men’s fashion has changed multifold in recent times what with new designs, cuts and patterns making a beeline every season. Since the designs have been popularly received, it has created a new segment — ready-to-wear fashion, which is finding favour among uber cool men.

In the midst of innovative fashion that is ruling the roost, the ready-to-wear segment has carved a niche for itself. Many established and new fashion retail houses are catering to the vast community of fashion-conscious people who love to dress up in their best for various occasions that includes workplaces, too.

Ready-to-wear fashion is all about comfort wear, which is made in standard size that fits most people. Since it involves standard patterns, fit and size, it suits all body types. The biggest advantage of buying readymade fashion is that you could use it soon after your purchase. There was a misconception earlier that ready-to-wear was ideal for those who have no aspirations towards their look, but it is no longer the case. Times have changed, there is so much to choose from and it gets all the more exciting as customisation is available everywhere.

Talking of categories, ready-to-wear fashion can be broadly categorised into three types for different people depending on various occasions:

Business casuals

Business attire doesn’t always mean that one has to wear a full three-piece formal suit. To achieve the right formal look, all you need to do is revamp your wardrobe and replace it with a stylish and smart, office-ready wardrobe. People are not just looking at typical business suits anymore as they are more aware of the latest fashion in this space and are ready to experiment. This is when ‘smart business casual’ comes into the picture: suits in this category are shorter in length, fabrics used are lighter, and mix ‘n’ match is another added attraction that completes the look. Additionally, the mix ‘n’ match concept enables one to truly experiment with their fashion choices where you get to pair your jacket or a waistcoat with trousers for a different and striking combination. Since business fashion is majorly daywear, people usually go for light colours.

Ceremonial style

Festivities are big occasions in the Indian context and marriage is, arguably, the biggest occasion where people celebrate with more style and panache. For an Indian male, getting a truly royal look matters the most. Ceremonial wear has options ranging from kurtas, sherwanis, bandhgalas, tuxedo, and ther exciting varieties to choose from for everyday ceremonial wear. Not just that, they are available in different colours, styles and fabrics that will give one a royal look.

Tuxedo is extremely popular among people followed by bandhgala; it all comes down to the kind of fabric you choose, and how you pair it with other fashion accessories that would make your outfit fancier. Talking of style, two styles are making all the right noises under ceremony wear in recent times: draping and symmetry. Draping is most creative when it comes to designer drapes and is quite popular on the jackets. And asymmetry is being appreciated for its quirky and refreshing take on men’s fashion through some unique collections across categories. When it comes to colour, royal blue has been topping the charts for quite sometime now followed by bottle green and purple for this season.

Classic looks

Classic or business suits never go out of style; it is considered a quintessential fashion statement men have been sporting for decades. When you sport this fashion, neutral shades such as charcoal, black and navy, deep blue are the best options as they are more formal in colour. While one can look at choosing between 2- or 3-button suit according to the occasion, the two-button suit is more familiar to men and is in fashion for its classic look as well as is suitable to most body types.

Finally, the most important of all, once you have selected the fabric, style and design, is the fit. The right fit will make you stand out in the crowd. Slim fit gets a ‘thumbs up’ from everybody, while sharp fit is more suitable for business casual suits for they are much slimmer and gives one an edgy look when compared to slim fit. And, comfort fit is another variant that is preferred by a certain section of the society as it is available in large numbers.

(The author is partner, P N RAO)