If you’re about to step on the exciting carousel of lights, crackers and sweets that is Diwali, you want to look sharp and while the fairer sex tend to steal the spotlight, men too are turning out spiffy in their ethnic best. The look is firmly in the traditional place, with a wide ensemble of options you can’t go wrong with that include the safe bet kurta pyjama, sherwani, pathani suits and jodhpuri bangdalas with a waistcoat.
Vishal Mehra, lead designer for Vavci, a Dubai-based studio for men, says dressing up adds extra flamboyance to the fun and festivities. Here are some tips to nail the look.
• Jackets are all in this season and not just sedate versions — think vibrant prints in ornate florals, classical paisleys or funky abstracts.
• But if that’s too bold, you can’t go wrong with a well-fitted short kurta teamed with a crisp pair of jodhpuri pyjamas and accentuated with a classic Nehru.
• Don’t be afraid to play with colours and mix things up a little in terms of textures and contrasts. Combine and contrast colours along with good-quality natural fabrics.
• Having come a long way from being the garment of choice for temple priests, the dhoti has been adding that extra oomph to ethnic wear for both men and women — it’s time to get yourself a dhoti salwar and fun teaming it with a structured jacket or kurta.
• Or you could take a sartorial leaf out Manish Malhotra’s The Gentlemen’s Club, which is the designer’s first menswear collection that he debuted at the recent Lakme Fashion Week. The collection is a festive fusion of Indian and western couture, focusing on shades of emerald green and adorned with botanical motifs.
