Where Linen is the New Khadi

Under the GlaresThe urge to splurge on Dolce Gabbana or Nautica has all the trendies from Govinda, Anuradha, even Siwan8217;s Shahbuddin,...

The Studs
Sandeep Dixit and Vijay Mallya can make Najma and Maya weep with their sparkle power. Who said diamonds are only a girl8217;s best friend? Mallya8217;s solitaires flash in Central Hall, Dixit8217;s flicker fitfully. Romi Chopra is not far behind with his sparklers. It8217;s the new, white, flash trend.

Angavastram Anxiety
Rahul Gandhi wore it, Mani Shankar Aiyer did too. But poor Sunil Dutt right! The Congress obsession for male accessories had the genial MP grab a rag for the swearing-in ceremony. The traditional angavastram is 2.3 metres long, has to hang below the waist, is rich in borders and embellishments, and is ceremonial gear. Dutt has to look beyond the party office shop, now that the angavastram is going to have a long fashion life.

Under the Glares
The urge to splurge on Dolce 038; Gabbana or Nautica has all the trendies from Govinda, Anuradha, even Siwan8217;s Shahbuddin, keeping cool with this popular tool. Thank God, the rimless Armani attack of the last regime is gone. Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitley are an ophthalmic dread.

Gadwals to Georgettes
Who cares for tie-and-dye and Gadwals, when there are cross-dyed georgettes, iridescent satins and jewel-tone chiffons? Ask Jayaprada, who has chucked cotton from Rayalseema for flirty Rani Pink and Peacock Blue from Deepam Silks.

Wrist Flicks
Men become boys when they toss out the avocado scrub for the Movado rub8212;whether it8217;s the jumbo classic, techno marine or multi-graph automatic, they all love their Tag Heuer, Omega, Rolex and Tissot. It is an urban swamp for the label conscious young MP like Sachin Pilot.

Friday Dressing
Omar Abdullah and Navjot Singh Sidhu left believe the unfinished, unbleached look is a bore8212;so it8217;s Gingham cotton in stripes, checks or plain. Dushyant Singh opts for it too, though he claims his patent leather shoes and racy stripes are bought in Agra, not in Milan.

Hindu Havana
Shrill Hindutva mouli religious thread is out, pure Hinduism and Rudraksha wonder beads are in. Indira Gandhi wore them, Ambika Soni above wears them, Subbirammi Reddy possesses them, for their mystical and divine properties. Rudraksha cleanses your vital chakras and the soul. It8217;s the new mantra to nirvana.

Barmer Bedlam
Manvendra Singh, former Indian Express correspondent and now MP, has reinvented native chic with Barmer-centric accessories8212;safa, shawl, kurta, dhoti, juthi. The tan is not fake, but the Tag Heuer is, he says. It8217;s a non-stop desert carnival, perhaps the turban can go?

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PP Design Cult
If linen is the new khadi, then devotees like Praful Patel, Milind Deora, Vinod Khanna are unabashed about its posh perfection. Civil Aviation Minister Patel above has taken it further8212;he has initials monogrammed on the kurta PP8212;it8217;s now khadi without the morality.

Amby Valley
Forget Amar8217;s excess in Lexus, or Sidhu8217;s Cruiser. The custom-made new Ambassador with its chrome fittings, silent cabin, bulletproof body, multi-focal mirrors, sputnik antennas, Isuzu engine, is the inverted snob8217;s throwback to the good old days. Comes in Thurton Grey or Crystal White. Sonia has it, Rahul sits in it, Somnath has opted for it.