Dress Safe

The bullet-proofing lies in the tough inner material that lines the garments. Discreet Inners has tied up with Miguel Caballero,a Colombia-based company that customises bulletproof clothes for clients ranging from US President Barack Obama and Prince Felipe of Spain to Hollywood actor Steven Seagal. “Miguel Caballero is popular in the West and the company wanted to expand the business in the East. We’ve been in touch for the past two years and launched Discreet Inners in February,” says Nath,who credits her husband’s security service business for providing her an ample background into this business.

“We have received orders from politicians,Bollywood stars and police officials. Queries are pouring in from the North East. We’ve also been approached by women asking for bullet-proof business suits,” she says,adding that the client list was confidential. The bullet-proof clothes are priced between Rs 30,000 and Rs 3 lakh,depending on the styling and level of protection.

The category varies from silver and gold to top-of-the-line black collection. “The basic level of bullet-proofing protects the wearer against close range handgun shots and the advanced bullet-resistant clothing can deflect semi-automatic weapons,” he says. Most of these garments weight two or three kilos more than normal but a kurta-pyjama set can be a bit heavier. While Cabalerro has stuck to fancy pin-strip suits and smart leather jackets,for the Indian market,kurta-pyjamas and traditional vests are also being made.

Most people want instant delivery,but Nath cautions that the company needs three to four weeks time. “Once an order is placed,we send the measurements and the specifications,in terms of design and colour,to the company’s headquarters in Colombia where it is made. It takes us three to four weeks to deliver a consignment. We do keep an emergency stock though,” she explains. A background check on the client is carried out before accepting orders,and the outfits come with a five-year warranty.