‘I did wear something underneath the bathrobe’: Ileana D’Cruz opens the door to her wardrobe, shares her first date night look

“To be perfectly honest, on my first date, I wore a bathrobe. Yes, I did wear something underneath the bathrobe, don’t worry,” she laughs, talking about her now husband.

“I didn’t really dress up as much as I say you should dress up… pretty much shower, bathrobe, pizza — and I guess it worked out. Four years down the line, and I’m still together.”

But when Ileana does dress up, she does it with a style that’s bold yet practical. Pointing to a Nikhil Thampi power suit, she says, “I really like this one! If you want to wear a dress and you don’t want to worry about shaving, then wear pants.”

For her, confidence comes from knowing you’ve nailed the vibe. “I like the fact that it’s not a traditional sort of jacket. It’s got a little cold shoulder coming out there… kind of fun but at the same time very sexy and very confident.”

Her love for monochrome is no secret either. “I like to stick to the subtly sexy. And yes, monochrome is a big deal for me. I love black and white,” she says, highlighting a sleek Karan Malhotra look.

“I like the little belly showing and a little bit of leg showing, which is good. So if you want to dress sexy but also not give out too much of the wrong impression, I think this is nice.”

For Ileana, style isn’t just about clothes, it’s about effort and honesty, whether in fashion or relationships: “I prefer honesty. I prefer someone who will take the effort to dress up… and I do like it if you put on an amazing cologne for me. I do like men who smell good.”

Hot summer days? That calls for something light and whimsical, like a breezy Dior outfit.

“It’s actually perfect for this kind of really hot summer weather, especially the kind of summers we go through in Bombay… It’s beautiful, it’s white, it’s so whimsical, it’s girly,” she says of a crop top and shorts set that blends style with comfort.

But it’s her Dior gown, a piece loaded with sentimental value, that she holds closest.

“This is incredibly special because this is the first gown I wore for the first Bollywood awards show I went to. I absolutely love this! This is like the epitome of classic, elegant, beautiful.”

Even if it’s a bit too much for a regular date, sometimes, dressing up is its reward. “Maybe a little overdressed… but if you’re like me, you just want an excuse to dress up.”

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