Metallics and men

It’s raining metallics this time of the month — from Amit Agarwal’s fury of sparkly jumpers and holographic pantsuits to Abraham & Thakore’s gold foil churidaars to Rajesh Pratap’s handwoven copper satin bandis. Internationally, Balmain’s shine-on blazers and ASOS sequinned bombers are your fail-proof bet so are jewel-toned pieces from Seam by Mit A Shah. While sequinned pieces and sparkly shoes may seem like a cakewalk for the likes of Ranveer Singh and Ayushmann Khurrana, they aren’t up everyone’s alley. However, there are cool ways to mix them with your existing neutral wardrobe as our experts suggest. 

Let one element stand out 

Stylist Isha Bhansali, who recently styled Ayushmann Khurrana in a disco-inspired look for a film magazine says, “Sequinned pants are something which only a few men can pull off. I’d advise to wear the statement piece with either a linen kurta or a monochrome shirt and keep the rest of the ensemble minimal. Don’t go all out and let one element shout, for instance, Abraham & Thakore teamed a black lungi with a gold jacket.” If you want to steer clear of the metallic separates yet want to make a statement then invest in spiked Louboutin loafers or finish off the look with a metallic pocket square.

Embrace jacquard weaves

Bling is one element which is rooted in Indian culture. By looking at an individual’s silk kurta one can often tell about the person’s background. Designer Mit A Shah observes that rich silks and jacquard weaves have existed since Maharaja’s times and of late, the menswear space has seen a lot of experimentation with jacquard. “A jacquard sherwani with metallic buttons is a good investment with an off-centre cut. An asymmetric bandi paired with a pair of solid colour trousers is a comfortable pick.”