Cool Fashion For Cold Winter!

So here’s the thing about the Winter… people either love it, or they loathe it. If you belong to the former category, the world is a charming place. Its the best time to dress up and look good, and to eat wonderful and piping hot food. If however you are part of the loathing set, God help you, because chances are that you will dress in layer upon layer (to protect yourself from the annoying and biting cold) and look like a homeless derelict in the process, and shut yourself off from the rest of the world. Irrespective of our views on winter, we must all stay warm. And why should that be at the cost of fashion?

So what do we do to ensure that our Indian winter is reasonably fashionable? Well, read on…

Men(y) Options!

To my mind, there are a couple of essentials that can ensure that the Indian man gets through the winter warm, and not looking like he put on 30 pounds.

The first of these items is a Woolen Polo Neck. Given the biting cold in several parts of the country, a woolen polo neck will keep the body warm, all the way up to and including the neck. Furthermore, it is a very versatile garment that is casual when teamed with a pair of jeans or khakhi trousers, and is imminently formal when work under a suit! Warmth, style, and diversity – that’s the polo neck promise. Get them at several leading brands including Color Plus, Benetton, and others. Pick one in a color depending on your age and usage. Brighter colors will work wonders for young guys, while slimmer, dark polo necks in richer wools like Cashmere will be the ultimate style statement for mature working professionals, endowing them with a stylish & classy edge.

The second men-specific item that makes for a great winter investment is a fashionable Silk Kurta. Given that it is festival & wedding season through the winter, men tend to freeze, and look rather placid in their regular work suits. Its a formal occasion, and a bit of pizzaz goes a long way. And who says men can’t be stylish as well?

So a designer silk kurta will keep you men extremely warm and well protected, at the same time, separate your from your herd of friends who’ll most likely, just blend in with the backdrop! More importantly, unlike your western suits, even if you like to dress a little conservatively, with a silk kurta, you can definitely opt for more color. Deep maroons, rich golds – the choice is virtually limitless, as are the patterns and embroidery! So the silk kurta becomes a winter essential that is perfect, because it is warm, stylish, colorful, formal, luxurious, and very Indian! Silk kurtas can be bought at leading indigenous boutiques like Lalit Jhalan (in Kolkata), or even at the good old Fab India (for those on a more modest budget).

Women Ways!

Women rarely face limitations when it comes to fashion and clothing. The choice is unimaginable. Having said that, the sometimes harsh Indian winter marks out sartorial boundaries even for the fairer sex. With the most heady collection of saaris, western outfits, dresses and more; there is still the imminent danger of exposing oneself to the cold, and falling ill. There are however, two winter essentials that can go a long way in protecting women – both their bodies, and their style!

First up, the Shawl/Wrap. This is then to women, what the Polo Neck is to men. Woolen shawls/wraps are available in a unending array of colors, patterns, weaves, fabrics. So whatever your budget, style preference, color pallete; you will be spoilt for choice. Like the Polo Neck, these wraps are extremely versatile. They can be worn at home while you enjoy a lazy, cold winter morning. They can be worn out to a lunch since they can be found in bright happy colors to mitigate the wintery blues. And they can also become the piece de resistance of your evening occasion formal wear, since they are available also, in very luxurious, intricately embroidered variations (shawls from Kashmir) and exotic fabric blends (wools & silks).

Bottom line, it almost seizes to matter what you wear underneath! If you have the correct wrap on top, you’ll be fun, stylish, fashionable, and warm! These shawls & wraps can be bought at countless places. Depending once again on your financial bandwidth & aesthetic leanings, you can get more ‘regional’ products at places like Delhi Haat (in New Delhi), buy your opulent shawls from the famous door-to-door ’shawl-walas’ (of J&K), walk into most branded stores and find slightly more fun & western wraps, and always also return to good old Fab India for a look-see.

The second winter must-have for women, is a good pair of Boots! Often times in India especially, women take care to protect all of themselves, and leave out their feet. Perhaps it is because in a lot of cases (if one is wearing a saari, or a salwar kameez), one really can’t wear footwear that will be too protective. However, it is the one part of our bodies that is very sensitive; left exposed, it will fall prey to the biting cold and cause illness.

Maybe 5 years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to suggest this remedy. But now, the market, at least in the country’s bigger cities, is flooded with boots of every kind, and of very good quality. The best bet for the winter, find a nice, at least ankle-high pair of warm boots. Available in a range of colors (not just the staid browns & blacks), you can even get really cool and funky boots in Pinks, Yellows and Greens. At least with jeans and western dresses then, you don’t have to compromise either on style, or warmth, in terms of your footwear. They are protective, comfortable, stylish; and make for the perfect accessory to a fashionable winter wardrobe. They are quite versatile in their usage as well. Wear them with a pair of stretch pants or denims and they are casual but classy. Team them with a slightly more formal dress and you are ready to rock that bonfire winter party! So pop into your local branded shoe stores just before the winter sets in, and invest in a pair or two of good boots. You won’t regret the splurge!

The Grand Finale

So now you know 2 winter essentials for each of the sexes. There is though one last item on the Winter Fashions list that remains. One that is arguably the most important of the lot. And since it is common to men and women, its appropriate to end with it. Enter, the Long Jacket.

A woolen jacket that’s in between a regular waist length and an overcoat, is the ideal winter essential. Preferably in a dark color (grey/black/navy), and you have a very stylish, very warm, and most versatile garment that can be worn through the winter, pretty much over anything. Yes, this is the one piece of clothing that will set your wallets back quite a bit. Having said that, there can hardly be a more sound investment as far as winter fashion goes.

For men, the jacket will serve faithfully, transforming their mundane jeans and top into a cool & hip attire. In the evening, the same jacket worn over a formal suit will cocoon you from the freezing mercury, at the same time, not seem sartorially out of place with what’s underneath.

For women, this garment is even more versatile and efficient. I must stress here – this is pertinent especially since we’re in India. Women in our country wear a lot of traditional Indian clothes in addition to the ‘regular’ jeans & western casual wear. So while the jacket will make for an ideal accompaniment to the jeans/pants/western wardrobe; it also does wonders for the saari-clad ladies. A good example of this can be seen in our school teachers. Retrace your memories to your school days and you will immediately recollect how your class teacher wore a jacket over her saari! Well, that’s the whole point. To a lot of ladies, saaris can be a hassle to wear and manage. Adding another layer to an already unmanageable garment is ridiculous. A jacket however endows the traditional wardrobe a nice, fun and stylish twist, at the same time, providing a wholesome shield from the cold; and to top it all, makes working very easy (since the saari is then contained within the jacket and the wearer does not have to constantly bother with it)!

There are jackets galore out there. Every brand from Wills Lifestyle, to Raymonds, to Color Plus; more casual and younger brands like Tommy, Benetton, Diesel – all make beautiful jackets as part of their respective winter collections. So if it boils down (no pun intended) to just picking up the lone Winter essential, get one of these!!

Be Warm, Look Cool

So its all down to these few neat tricks. The idea is to enjoy the winter by being warm and cozy, but not sacrificing style entirely.. fortunately, there is enough out there that can ensure you will be warm, but look cool. I hope some of my tips work for you. Here’s to a great winter, and Happy Shopping!!

[Kartik Bajoria, a regular contributor, runs his own creative agency called BOLD & is also involved in Films & Music as a force of habit!]

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