Photos by Rane Ashish

Shoot done with: Asif Azim

So you think you know all the rules for men's dressing. But there are always some you've missed or don't follow. Dressing right is not so tough if you know the basic rules. Narinder Kaur, head of fashion and textile design for Turtle Ltd, tells you 20 must-know tips for men who care about stepping out in style — to work and to chill. Asif Azim, who is well-known in the modelling circuit, goes a step further to show us how. 

Know your body type
It's a challenge to look your best at
all times. There are three body types - tall, short and stocky (or the heavy-set man).
If you are tall: Avoid vertical stripes as they accentuate your height further, especially so if you are also thin. Instead, choose Scottish hounds, tooth textiles, windowpane plaids. These are very British and classic textiles and will give you width. In trousers, bell bottoms don't look nice, straight fits work.

If you are short: Wear a lot of pin-stripe shirts. This adds to the length of the body. Solid colours like dark chocolate, navy, maroon will optically or visually lengthen the body. Avoid cuffed and pleated trousers.  Pleated trousers are out.

If you are Stocky or heavyset: Avoid bold or large prints. Solid colours and pin-stripes look good. For those required to wear suits, avoid tweed fabric suits. Instead, opt for gabardines or softer wool suits. You can wear these with suspenders. However, no cuffed trousers, only basic ones with a hem. Straight fits work. Cargos are out.

Suits
A way to make sure the jacket/suit sleeve length is correct is: the sleeve of the shirt you wear within should be visible by a quarter or half-an-inch (See inset picture). For casual wear, a half or an inch of your shirt collar can be seen above your jacket. Also, for most men, owning a suit is a rarity, so opt for common colours like black, navy or charcoal grey as these colours never go out of fashion and can be worn for years.

Ties
The kind of tie you wear depends on your profession. For corporates, medium or narrow ties work. Broad ties are totally out for now. But then again, narrow ties may not look good on all personalities, especially on men beyond 45 years. But men in the age group of 30-35 years can carry it off.

Colour for the ties
With solid or classic diagonal stripes, you won't go wrong. If you are wearing a striped shirt, wear a tie with solid prints like small checks or florals. With plain coloured shirts, wear diagonal or horizontal patterns. Just ensure that the colour of the tie attracts appreciative attention but doesn't shock the observer.

Tiepins and cuff links
These two need to be coordinated. And is obviously worn by a person of stature. But that shouldn't stop office-goers from trying it out once in a while for an important meeting. Tie knots should be narrow for hefty or short men. However, a tall guy may be able to carry off a broader knot. Though, small knots are in.

Footwear
For formal wear, opt for leather. It's the safest bet. For jeans and khakis, you can wear leather sandals. In fact, you can even wear striped leather sandals for Friday dressing. However, open toed sandals are a big no. For Indian attire like kurta-pyjama, you can wear striped sandals too, else Kolhapuris or mojdis.

Belts
Belts should match your shoes. Formal leather shoes mean a leather belt in a matching colour. You can't wear brown belts on black shoes. An easy way out is to buy reversible belts. Also, short men should go for narrow belts. As for buckles, small and simple ones for formal, but experiment with bigger and bolder buckles for casual wear.

Shorts/three-fourths
You can wear three-fourths for a film but you can't wear the same to a restaurant, unless it's in Goa. If you opt for Bermudas, opt for narrow cut ones as these can be worn outside too for a casual outing or picnic.


Handbags and wallets
Sure, you can't match your bags with your shoes and belts so choose a regular black or brown bag. For dressy occasions use a deep brown or rust coloured one. Same applies for the wallet, only be sure not to overstuff it as a swollen wallet in the back pocket looks really bad. Also, when you try a new trouser, try it
with your wallet. Only remember
to remove it later!

Shirts for your skin tone
For the fair skinned: These guys can wear most colours. Peach, pink, lilac and blue look nice. But avoid very dark colours like navy blue as contrasts will make you look startling and stark. Also avoid baby pinks as this colour mixes with your skin tone.
For the dark skinned: Wear earth colours. Try shades of light blue, green, lilac. Don't wear dark coloured shirt or T-shirts that will give you a dull appearance. Basic neutral colours like khaki and beige shirts with bright ties will accentuate your skin tone.
For the wheatish skinned: Wear bright dual toned shirts/T-shirts like emerald green, ruby red, bright orange and rust. Avoid pastels. Basic black and white will also suit you.

Vested interests
You're told to wear vests within a shirt since childhood, perhaps. But it's not a compulsion. If you have the luxury of travelling in a car to office and not sweating it out, you can avoid a vest. Also, if you are wearing light coloured shirts like white, cream or beige, one can see the outline of the vest through these shirts. Avoid.

Accessories
Watches: Have at least two watches — one formal and one sporty. Wear the leather-strapped watch with leather shoes and belts. Metal straps should be used sparingly, though once in a while you can wear it to work. Try sporty ones for casual dressing. Golden watches should be saved for parties.
Rings and bracelets: Keep these minimal for formal dressing. Experiment on casual wear.

T-shirts
You can wear T-shirts with collars to the office on weekends. Team it up with a khaki cargo, jeans or linen pants which have narrow legs. Flared ones tend to look like a pyjama. Classic colours or striped T-shirts can be worn to work.

Socks and trouser length
Not many pay attention to which colour socks they wear to work. But there are some rules. First, socks should match your trouser and not your shirt (See picture). Second, socks should be visible when you stand and only two inches of it should be while you sit. Here's the simple trick to get that right: When you stand, your trouser should have a single bent (slight fold) at the ankle. If that happens, it means you are wearing the right length. Two-three folds mean it's too long and no fold means it's too short. Also, your socks in formal wears should be calf length. Only when you wear your running shoes can the socks be till your ankle. Never wear socks with sandals. It's so not in.

Wear one bold colour: It's important your outfit be confined to one colour as far as possible. It should have a touch of fluidity for the onlooker — by that we mean that if you are wearing a rust coloured T-shirt, don't wear a dark chocolate pant. Opt for a beige or khaki cargo so that visually you aren't out of place.

Hairstyle
Hairstyle reflects your personality. And a lot of professions allow scope for experimentation. However, a corporate executive can't have long, unruly hair. Short cropped hair (not crew cut) works. Middle parting is out for executives. Opt for side parting, gelled look. If you are the experimental kinds, try out spikes. But don't go overboard with the gel.

Smell nice
Carry a deodorant in your office bag. No one wants to smell your BO, and if you smell fresh, it will automatically give you self-confidence. Use a perfume before you leave home — whether for office or an outing with friends. If perfumes irritate your skin, use one that can be sprayed on the fabric. They also last long.

Grooming
It's a must these days to go in for a facial once a month for those over 30 years. And keep your nails trimmed and clean. A pedicure and manicure isn't a bad idea. It doesn't make you feminine by any stretch of imagination.

Ear hair
Only two words, "Trim it!"

Rainy footwear
It's advisable to wear your rainy footwear to work, and once in office, change it to your regular footwear. Make sure to keep a fresh pair of socks at work too as wet socks emit a bad, damp odour. You don't want your female colleagues crinkling their noses.
Location courtesy: Wrangler and Arrow stores at Phoenix Mills
Brands: Arrow, Wrangler, Lacoste and Panerai watch