We get it, whipping up a statement-making outfit every time you step out (or not) is no mean feat and a little help from the experts in the industry always helps! So, armed with questions spanning, how to wing every dress code? What makes the secret ingredient for a fail-proof ensemble? What do their style staples consist of? And more, we reached out to four impactful fashion insiders and got them to share some valuable style insights you never knew you needed. Here’s what we found out…
“What you choose to wear is a reflection of your intellect; it is a product of your choice—it has to be defined by something more than a rule book or any style guide,” says Nonita Kalra, editor, Harper’s Bazaar India. She advocates repeating one’s clothes, and wearing pieces that are comfortable and fit well. “It is fashionable to be intelligent—I can’t emphasize that enough. This is what has driven Bazaar ever since the legendary editor Carmel Snow declared the magazine for ‘the well-dressed women with a well-dressed mind”, as far as back in the 1930s,” she adds. If there’s one characteristic feature of Kalra’s wardrobe, and personal style, it’s the color black. “The classic black dress is my style staple. As a teenager, I went through a predictable stage of rebellion that manifested in books by the existentialists and music by Pink Floyd. It also meant I decided to paint the walls of my room black and embrace Goth fashion. Strangely enough, I never grew out of it and I went from wearing black to only wearing black. It works for me because I can take it from day to night simply by changing my accessories. My favorite thing about wearing black is that I can repeat my clothes endlessly and no one really notices, making it a truly sustainable style statement,” says the editor. Her secret weapon for acing everyday style? “Ignore all dress codes. Wear what works for you. Because there is nothing more ‘on-trend’ than confidence, and nothing looks better than individuality with a hint of rebellion.”
For Amrita Singh, being stylish, timeless and transcending seasons begins with the understanding of her body shape and dressing it accordingly. “Once you have discovered exactly what works for your body, you could wear a jute sack in the right cut and it’ll look like couture,” says Singh, features editor, abouther.com. In fashion, she steers clear of playing by the rules. “I tend to ignore sizes- they’re a bunch of numbers and letters that you should look at as “guidelines” and only that. If you like the fit of something that isn’t your usual size, buy it. If it looks good on you – the sizing label is irrelevant,” she adds. Billowing blazers act as the building blocks of her closet, veering her personal style lightly towards androgyny. “I find a good blazer can be rather empowering and I love giving anything too seemingly feminine, a masculine edge. Plus they look great with almost everything – I swear by my formula of pairing a basic t-shirt (usually borrowed from my husband) with denims, leather trousers or shorts, and a blazer that fits my mood. It is such a versatile piece of clothing – you can belt an oversized blazer to make it a dress, or just drape it over your shoulders for that “street style fashion girl” vibe – there are endless ways to style a blazer and they’re always a statement without being too loud!” she says. Her style advice in a sentence is “be yourself, find your formula and stick to it.”
“‘Less is more’ as Coco Chanel sagely put it, is the one adage that’s stood the test of time for me,” says Divyak D’Souza, celebrity stylist. “Especially in the times we live in, we all need to evaluate how much we consume and the sustainability of what we consume,” he adds. Speaking of which, are the contents of his own closet carefully and ethically composed? “I’ve always cherished custom made clothing – designed to fit my body and my taste, crafted from locally sourced textiles and stitched by a skilled tailor,” says D’Souza. If he could wear only three classics from his collection for the rest of his life, they would be, “a white mulmul kurta set, a navy cotton-linen unlined blazer and a pair of black high-waisted trousers,” he says. Personality and perspective, according to him, are the two key ingredients of a fail-safe outfit. “Unfortunately, no fashion editors, influencers or brands, can teach you style. They can only help you articulate your own self-expression. When you know who you are, and what you stand for, clothes just become an extension of that self-expression,” says D’Souza.
“Trends are superficial but style is eternal,” says Divya Saini, fashion consultant and curator. Her work days mostly comprise of collecting coveted-vintage finds from Parisian thrift shops for her store, Bodements. “I think vintage is timeless and can never go out of style” she says. It comes as no surprise then, that when she’s not by the beach in her bikinis, Saini can be spotted sporting a chic 80’s blouse or blazer with high-waisted trousers for every occasion under the sun. “I’m tall with a lean frame so anything high-waisted cuts and shapes my body in the most flattering manner. High- waist-hugging pants are also effortlessly easy to take from desk to dinner” she adds. Saini further finds that fun finishing touches forge the foundation of a fashion-forward wardrobe. “The right accessories and shoes are what make or break an outfit. I oscillate between elegant and classic and colorful and funky add-ons, depending on my mood,” says Saini. With that said, a distinctive fragrance will always remain her favorite final touch. “I believe that a signature scent can make you stand out in a crowd on days when picking out the right outfit seems challenging,” she says.
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1 comment
Very nice