Fashion: Taking it easy

While One can’t quite explain what makes a man in a uniform sexy but we do know that the fetish is shared by millions of women worldwide. The story is quite the same when it comes to the three piece suit or even the tuxedo.

Be it a dinner, a board meeting or even a high-value social gathering — black and white suits in various textures and styles have always ruled the roost. After all, it spoke of the wearer’s status symbol and his affinity towards the exclusive. However, despite all the brouhaha over the suit and tux, fashion pundits are quite happy with the way the ensemble is lately being toned down to make it more approachable.

With a healthy dose of casual garments thrown in, an interesting mix is being put together to create an edgy twist. And as the world watches the tux get its makeover,  fashionistas are out putting their own ideas to work as well.

“The gentle change has created a very cool, classy look,” says fashion designer Paresh Lamba, adding, “We call it toning down of the formal look since it’s not possible to wear a suit or a jacket every day. Besides, this trend allows a very cool and elegant alternative. Nowadays you can even see men wearing tuxedo jackets with casual tees and jeans as opposed to the time when it was reserved for only black tie events.”

The soft or the relaxed tailoring trend emerged with the need for a sophisticated yet breathable formal wear. Contrary to the well-fitted style, even the suits and blazers are being made to look for comfortable. “The key is to make the suit act less like a suit. Soft tailoring has been around for a while now, inspired mostly by the Italians. There are no strict rules to fashion and this trend is just another stepping stone to a more relaxed approach to high end fashion. I can even see myself pairing a tux with jeans or even a jacket with shorts and tees,” says designer Lokessh Ahuja.

Incidentally, it is fabric that played a major role in putting the style in place — heavily gauged suit fabric was replaced by linen, which made for a smoother alternative and became more accessible across seasons.

Designer Ritu Pande is of the opinion that men too have become more experimental when it comes to formal wear and it is the consumer who’s contributed to making the transformation work. “Traditional tailoring and suits are taking a backseat when it comes to menswear. Soft tailoring with linen and even crushed linen are now being used for jackets. The fittings are slightly slouchy and more relaxed. And it’s not only for evening wear, even Friday dressing in the corporate world is seeing new changes with men and women both opting for unconventional office ensembles,” she says.

Fusion wear has always found its way into the wardrobes of a few women and this time around, even the men are willing to try their hands at something that was not really touched upon. Apart from wearing denims with a blazer, guys are also adding ties to their casual look. But of course, it’s restricted to only those who have the attitude to carry off something that’s totally avant garde.

Image consultant Manjusha Maheswari, however, feels a classy ensemble like the tuxedo should not be messed around with and prefers a more subtle approach to fusion. She says, “I prefer the casual smart look when it comes to combing formals with casuals where you take a really smart well-tailored regular jacket and pair it with a cool tee and classic denims. But as long as the jacket isn’t coming from deconstructing a tuxedo, it’s fine. Put together the ensemble properly and you get a stylish, cool and classic look without killing the tux.”

Comfortable, yet stylish is what model and fitness trainer Niran Ponnappa has to say when it comes to the casual-formal get-up. “Whether I am partying or lounging around, I am most comfortable in something that is half-way formal. The denim paired with a jacket is a classy mix of style and tradition and is better than wearing a full-blown formal attire anyday,” he says. The laid back approach to compiling this look is what makes it most interesting. Just throw in an interesting scarf or even some funky accessories like a hat, some chains and a really cool pair of sneakers and finish it off with a nice blazer. It’s as simple as that!