Recession Chic

Zubair Kirmani
Mix and match items of clothing to get the perfect look. The ideal thing to do is to buy one designer item, like a pair of trousers or a skirt, and then team it up with everyday items from the wardrobe. Colours go a long way in defining your dressing sensibility. Invest in safer colours like charcoal, ivory and maroon which can hold its own beyond a single season. Focus more on visually rich looking accessories, like mufflers, caps, bangles, all of which can make you look classy, yet simple.

Varun Bahl
Even though recession might not affect trousseau expenses, you can exercise moderation in your everyday wardrobe. Go for basic clothing, which you can team up with a lot of other accents. Bring back black. Invest in a lot of blacks, since it is one colour that can be worn in a lot of different ways, for both casual and formal occasions. You can go in for bright accessories 8212; bright belts, colourful bags and shoes. It will lend warmth to the entire look.

David Abraham of Abraham and Thakore
The meltdown can actually lead to a better time. The optimistic thing to do now would be to go in for cheerful dressing, as if nothing has happened. Bring out the classy items and dress it up. For our Autumn-Winter collection, we have worked with baroque influences on a muted-colour palette. We have used colours like black, dull-gold, coffee and toffee with dull metallic glints to make the whole look rich and luxurious.