Haute Line — Sandeep Soparkar

Off-duty hours are reserved for the clothes he loves most. “Tight jeans and tighter t-shirts in bright hues. Besides my favourite black and blue jeans I even have a paprika pair which I bought in one of my wilder moments.” Sandeep also admits to a particular fondness for sheer fabrics like lace and net. “I love to mix and match. For shock value, a black net shirt and leather trousers is great.”

Sandeep’s rather flamboyant approach to clothes can be seen in his recent acquisitions of gold crepe shirt and another one in silver stretch fabric. His electric black stretch velvet shirt is yet another one of his favourites. “I love the blue-black sheen that emanates from it.” Its the “formally informal” look that he loves, maybe a pair of jeans worn with a lace shirt and formal jacket. His personal signature is also seen in his exercise gear which comprises of body-suits, leg warmers and Nike shoes.

“Since I am an aerobics instructor, I like to dress the part. Not only does it infuse confidence in the minds of my students they also take their cue from me and dress appropriately for the gym,” he says.

Sandeep’s ethnic wardrobe is also rather extensive and he has quite a few bandhani, block-printed, batik and even khadi shirts. For weddings he loves raw silk churidar kurtas with detailed zardosi on them. “I also love dhotis in both cotton and pure silk. My favourite ones are these two that I have in the Ganga Jamuna and Paithani weaves.” For travelling Sandeep loves to wear Pathani suits, as he feels they are most comfortable.” His most coveted possession though, is the saffron pure cotton turban which former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao wore during the Pune festival.

What about accessories? Bracelets both in silver and gold and his grey and blue cosmetic contact lenses are his favourite accessories. Sandeep believes that its so much more fun being a man. “You can experiment with your look ever so often. One day it could be a French beard, the next day the clean-shaven look and on the third day perhaps a slight stubble.” Sandeep likes long side-burns but hates long hair and ear-rings. He does like to highlight his hair though and has experimented with blonde, tan and auburn, bright and beautiful seems to be his personal philosophy as his lounge-wear consists of fluorescent t-shirts and the briefest of shorts. His dream? “To have a walk-in wardrobe one day.”