With awards season starting, After Hrs asks style arbiters on their ultimate red carpet choice
Recently Kareena Kapoor Khan wore a three-piece pin-stripped Ashish N Soni pant suit and clearly knocked it out of the ball park. Glamazons like Sonam Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai have time and again caused a sartorial mayhem with their powerful tuxedo choices. But the question is does the pant suit stands a chance against the ultra-feminine gown. Androgyny may be the flavour of the season but the drama of a floor-length dress with a train cascading behind is unmatched. We asked our stylists and designers on what would they prefer on the red carpet.
Ami Patel
Stylist
It depends on the red carpet event actually. At international platforms, fans expect their fav actresses to see in Indian wear which works well. I would use a tuxedo sparingly - once in a while as a surprise element. However, gowns and evening dresses win hands down because they have a fairy tale vibe. Besides, gowns also hide/flatter problem areas. However to don a tux, you have to be between size 8 to 12. It depends on the cut and how you wear it.
Rick Roy
Stylist
I'm a completely gown person and gown is a red carpet classic. Having said that, I'd add that both offer many styling options - you can dress up or dress down a tux or make it more funky. With gowns, the options are so many and you pick the one suiting your body type. I feel a tux has a basic structure and you can alter it very minutely. The basic structure remains the same so it's less versatile. How many times do women get to wear a gown besides red carpet? So I'm biased towards gown.
Nikhil Thampi
Designer
It depends on the actor's personality if she has a quirky personality then tux works well. Gowns are too predictable. A tux defines power, elegance and a strong personality while a gown spells dainty and feminine style. When I think of tux, Aishwarya's power suits are the first thing that come to mind.
I am all for tuxedo as it's a major turn-on for men. Internationally designers are doing shirtless tuxes and tuxes with interesting cuffs. Gowns are like colour black and they'll always be in style. I also feel a tux tends to camouflage problem areas as opposed to a gown where the body's anatomy can be seen clearly. However, the gown is more versatile when it comes to styling.
Archana Walavalkar
Founder stylecracker.com
Floor length dresses are redundant, personally I am definitely feeling the tuxedo at the moment! It's smart, cool and urban and suits any and every body type. The trick to nailing the look is pairing it with the perfect trouser style.
For leaner body types, keep it sexy with a 70's classic double breasted style with no shirt or opt for a more androgynous look with a three piece tuxedo paired with cropped fitted pants, this works well for a petite frame!
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