PARDES
fashion
&
STYLE
JUST mEN‘S
Cool, Slim, Bright, Bold
formals Are In
A
s far as men’s corporate attire is concerned, the days of black suits and red ties
seem to be gone, at least for now. These
days executives seem to have turned to
vibrant ‘cool’ formals that are tailored to fit
closely. In fact, the extra-slim fit is in.
Popular apparel brands such as Vimal,
Grasim, Wills Lifestyle, Raymond, Jade Blue,
and Louis Phillipe are promoting such a
look. Advertising campaigns are also being
designed around this new look.
Vimal, Reliance Industries’ textile brand,
recently celebrated a “no tie day” that
featured tie-burning parties. ITC, the owner
of Wills Lifestyle, is carrying out a campaign
called “Inspire to Change” that encourages
stylish attire at work. Amit Gugnani, from
the retail and management consultancy
Technopark, has stated that men’s formals
customers are going through a transitional
phase in which they are switching from
a set and defined look to a more fun and
exciting one.
Aditya Birla Group, which has the
Van Heusen license and is the owner of
Louis Phillipe in India, introduced a range
of exciting formals in 2012. Van Heusen
boasts of selling 45% of the men’s formals
in India. The brand head of Van Heusen,
40 PARDES MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2014
Vinay Bhopkar, has said that the gennext customers are more inclined to
making a style statement at work rather
than opting for a boring suit. They tend
to choose exciting colors and fits rather
than the regular, serious-looking appearance.
Nowadays color is no longer restricted to pocket squares and ties; it has
extended to the main attire as well. Excitement is generated by the infusion of
bold stripes, checks, inner detailing and
closer fits within men’s business wear.
Indian men are becoming increasingly
conscious of the way they look at work.
The president of the textile division
at RIL, Anand Parekh, has said that ever
since the launch of Vimal’s “Unformal”
campaign, all other brands have started
to present formals in a different way.
The executives have placed comfort
as the topmost criteria for good office
wear. They are excited that vibrant colors
are coming in to provide the basis for
contemporary designs.
Considering such a mindset, apparel
companies are trying to bring about
changes in the way they design their
products. They understand that their
customers are people who serve as the
ambassadors of the organizations they
work for; hence, their attire should reflect the culture of the concern in which
they are employed.
Raymond’s range of “Complete Man”
showcases a range of men’s formals
that reflect youth, if not in age, then in
attitude and mindset.
PARDESMAGAZINE.COM