Indian men, till recently, were inconveniently-shaped objects to be shrouded from head-to-toe. Sartorial gourmets they were not. And buttons, vents, flaps, lapels, zipped-up flys, were complete French - left to effeminate dandies. Real men didn't dress up, they just donned whatever came their way and blended with the crowd.And then, some two years ago, the style police informs, something strange happened. A new deviant strain of slimmer, slicker boys, who primp and preen in front of their cheval glass before stepping out of their rooms, were seen everywhere. Clothes were no longer heaped up in one egalitarian pile of socks, shoes, formal, informal - clean and dirty. The wardrobe stopped sporting the entire rainbow of shades from black to brown and bellies didn't flop over belts anymore. The top hats of haute couture smiled a new fashion victim had been netted.This wedding season, Hemant Trivedi complains that he has as many nervous bridegrooms as brides on his hand, at the Sheetal Design Studio. "We have men coming in demanding a complete trousseau." A different attire for the mehendi, the reception, two cocktails and the actual wedding. A total of some 11 outfits for the bridegroom alone who insists that everything from the actual clothes to the morjaris and the safas must have the designer tag. Where have all these birds of paradise suddenly flown in from? "Men were always vain but now it has come out of the closet. They can do their little peacock thing out in the open," says Hemant.And their plumage is breaking all the rigid boundaries of the male fashion sense. The simple kurta has metamorphosed into the angarkha with intricate satin embroidery all over or a kurta with two long overcoats - one a sheer gold gauze number and the other laid out with spiral embroidery. As a topping you have yards of gold gauze for the stole. Though the shervanis are longer this season, it all depends on your height. While Hemant prefers white, tan and biscuit shades, there are a few more daring designs in purple. "The bridegroom no longer wants to look bland and faded next to the bride, he wants to complement her. As one of my clients said - `I don't want my guests to search for me'," he says.Arjun Khanna's Indian wear for men this season has a lot of black with turquoise, blue and purple embroidery running along the button line and collar. Exceptionally elegant are those with embroidered swords running the length of the shervani. You can check these out at Ensemble. For those who have the elan, he recommends bandgala jackets with jodhpurs and boots. "This time my influence was Turkish design and these shades look really elegant on black," he says.Both these designers advise against going overboard with colours for formal wear but a lot of damage has been done to Mumbai's nouveau riche fashion sense by the film industry. You have Louise Phillipe advertising suiting cloth in purple which Hemant assures is just a fad and true style doesn't acknowledge transient trends. So before you go shopping just remember that clothes are not like wine - if you pay more than a certain amount you know you will get good wine - but even if you shell out Rs two lakh you can end up looking like a spray-painted toad.Western formal wear has slimmer silhouettes this season. This demands that you have a fit body, but a little cheating can be done by widening the shoulders and tapering the waist for a sleeker look. Single-breasted blazers with three to four high buttons and peaked lapels are in and if you have a yen for the dashing man-about-town look - go in for shawl lapels, though these need height and a good physique.The most startling change is in the fabric being favoured these days. The rough polyester-wool that your father wore belongs to a fashion museum now. Italian fabrics which fall easily and are soft to touch is what the fashion conscious man is wearing today. Playing around a little bit with colours is fine. Arjun says a muted turquoise blazer with beige pants would look good but pinks and bright greens is inviting ridicule.If you are one of those men whose mothers still buy their clothes, there is little hope for you in the world of fashion. But Arjun and Hemant's five must-haves in the wardrobe might just give you the starting push. Both swear by clean well-cut underwear. So seconds from sales are out. Arjun insists on a classy pair of black leather shoes, an amazing cologne, a classic suit and contraceptive. Hemant, on the other hand, cannot do without his black 501's, clean white shirt, socks with an elastic that holds and a formal blazer.Getting ready for the D-dayCory Walia's guide to grooming:Men, according to Cory Walia, have the tougher job. "Like with every other species, they have to attract the mate so they need to preen more," he says. And here are his 10 not-so-quick steps for the big night out.And give yourself 45 minutes if you want that perfect look. Cory hopes that you have been visiting the gym quite often. If not, postpone the big night. Take a shower and while doing so use some soap and shampoo. Give yourself a close shave before going out and use only a mild aftershave lotion. A must is a non-perfumed moisturiser to get rid of the white mildewed look on the face because of dry skin. Overkill of gel or hair wax, specially on long hair, is a no-no. If you think Antonio Banderas is the perfect specimen, remember that compared to him you are probably genetic garbage. So, to be safe keep your hair short and clean. Cory suggests that you floss your teeth (besides brushing) before going out. He always does. Jeans or trousers must not have two creases. That's hideously tacky. Matching socks, matching underwear and no nostril hair. In this city, heavy anaesthetic perfumes will not do. Use light citrus-based notes like CK2 CKB or Eau Savage. No heavy gold chains or bracelets either. At the most, a classic understated ring - black onyx for instance.
