Style philosophy
Fashion is for followers. Style is for leaders. Fashion changes every season. Style is inherent. For me, it’s never about the trend. It’s about finding timeless pieces. One should dress in such a way that the look seems timeless. It should belong to the past as well as to the future. That’s my goal. 20 years down the line I don’t want to look at my photographs and cringe. I still rag my parents about the bell-bottoms they wore 30 years ago. That was the fashion back then. This is why I don’t follow fashion blindly.
Male Sonam Kapoor
One of my friends joked that I am the male version of Sonam Kapoor. Probably, because she’s a fashionista and also because I was being honoured with many awards for being best dressed those days. I like what Sonam does with her clothes. If you’re getting out of the house and forcing people to look at you, then at least make the effort to dress well. Otherwise stay at home.
Suited for winning
It takes no time to put on suits. If you have the right fit, you’re good to go and it seems you have made an effort to dress up. The beauty of a good suit is that it makes men look better. It makes your chest and shoulders look broader. It makes your waist look leaner. What a sari is to a woman, a suit is to a man. I am amazed why people don’t wear them more often. It enhances what should be enhanced and hides the imperfections. But the fit is very important. Without the right fit, the suit falls flat. The best compliment someone once gave me was that I wear my suits like James Bond. I believe everyone should do that.
Customised clothes
All my suits are custom-made from Zegna and Tom Ford. I never pick up a suit off the rack. In fact, most of my stuff is custom-made – trousers, shirts, casual pants, chinos, etc. Style and lifestyle guru Govinda Mehta makes most of my stuff. If I can get custom-made trousers at the same price as Zara’s clothes, why should I buy something readymade? Also, that way, I can select my fabric, colour, etc.
When I’m abroad, I love going to vintage stores and buying one off pieces. I pick up sunglasses and watches. I only shop for unique stuff otherwise I buy most things online. Sometimes Avantika (wife) gets me something when she goes abroad. In ondon, there is this place called The Vintage Showroom, it has great clothes. During World War II, there was this company called North Sea Clothing. They were commissioned by the Navy to make sweaters. For submarines, there was one kind of sweater, for engineers, there was another and for the marines, there was yet another type. They designed it in navy blue and cream. It was a small company, so it got defunct. The Vintage Showroom has a lot of their dead stock – things that were made but not sold and are still brand new.
Ultimate style icon
Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Michael Caine, John Lennon, James Dean … Most of my personal style is inspired by these guys. If you look back at their pictures, you’ll see how stylish they still seem even after 30 to 40 years.
Signature look
Trousers are comfortable and stylish and look smart with t-shirts. One thing I need to have in my wardrobe are light-coloured pants. Beige and white to be precise. Also, I own quite a few brogues because they go with everything.
Mistakes men make
Men assume that jeans work with anything. That is a fallacy. Also, guys assume that shoes are irrelevant. So you go to office wearing a pair of shoes, come home and change your shirt but continue wearing the same shoes and jeans. You can’t wear the same stuff with everything just because you like it. It has to go with your shirt and your entire ensemble.
Top tip for men
Men shouldn’t overdo it because then it looks like they are trying too hard. Wear the clothes, don’t let the clothes wear you. You can’t wear a cap, put a feather on it and wear a scarf, a pocket square, a funky belt and a bracelet. You’ll end up looking like you’re wearing a costume. You should look like you are in charge of your clothes and not vice versa.
Past bloopers
My baggy pants phase was the weirdest phase I went through. I guess quite a few teenagers go through that phase. I used to wear comic character boxers underneath. So when my boxers would show, I thought it looked cool. I even had orange hair at one point. I had coloured my hair like flames. Once, I shaved my head in stripes. I looked like a squirrel back then. By the time I was 20, these phases passed. Thank God!
Most stylish film of all-time
The Brother’s Bloom has got some of the best styling I have seen in a film. All the characters are wearing well-fitted clothes. Also, The Talented Mr Ripley is a very stylish film. It has got that Mediterranean-Italian touch. The film shows tailored clothes worn in a casual, don’t-care way. The stuff doesn’t look done up, which is so cool.
