Style Filter: The Fashion Juice With None of the Pips
Our heroes of style, the big looks for your mop, watches worth your salt, the European seaside as this summer’s hottest style resource and 12 watches so expensive they refuse to give the price.
Heroes of style
The Indian man isn’t renowned for his style choices, certainly not in the way his ex masters are. And yet, looking back at popular culture, there is an abundance of impeccably dressed men who still influence what we wear today. Nehru made the bundgala look effortlessly elegant; and now a slew of new saviours are stepping in. SRK with his keffiyeh kick started a mad trend, but it’s the new breed of Harvard politicians who’ve brought Indian power dressing into the spotlight. Rahul Gandhi made trainers and kurtas cool while designers played their own part in making the Nehru jacket and Jodhpurs a sartorial favourite. They are our heroes of style. And this is FHM Collections.
Good sir, you need more than just a good suit
Though the brand makes fabulously cut suits, Boggi Milano’s S/S 2011 threatens to completely re-do your wardrobe. This season the collection moves towards casual, jovial dressing in pastels, blues and greens - easy formals that should be just about tailor made for the Indian summers. There are of course their regular Blue and Black level collections. But, it’s their thin cut Italian fits and their rather fabulous cutting, that have made fans out of the FHM team. Boggi is one of the few places where you can pick a fabulous suit off the rack. Also fabulous are their linen kerchiefs, a blue one was sitting snugly in the pocket of our Nehru jacket till this production schedule went hay-wire.
The big looks for your mop…
Style: Dishevelled Dad (poster boy: Robert Downey Jr). You need to know: This ’50s-style quiff works best with medium to thick hair. Styling tip: Apply a cricket ball-sized pile of mousse through the mid lengths and ends, use a hairdryer and fingers to create a quiff.
Style: New Romantic Curls (poster boy: Kunal Kapoor). You need to know: The key is making sure that your curls are defined and not frizzy. Styling tip: Again use a cricket ball-sized amount of mousse through your hair then twist small sections. Eliminate frizz with a little putty.
Style: The Wide Boy (poster boy: Ranbir Kapoor). You need to know: It’s an out-grown crew cut, better known as a ‘suedehead’. It needs to be scissored short and tapered at the back. Styling tip: Wash it, towel dry it, add a little wax and run your fingers through it.
Style: Overgrown (poster boy: Hritik Roshan). You need to know: Avoid a short back and sides in favour of a similar length all over. Ask to keep the hairline around the neck unfinished as it will grow out better. Styling tip: Apply finishing wax to towel-dried hair
Watches worth your salt
Edifice from Casio, Rs 12,995 (www.casioindiacompany.com)
Spy Game from Diesel, Rs 5,995 and up (www.diesel.com)
Tissot Touch Series, Rs 37,000 and up (www.tissot.ch)
Globetrotter
When Globetrotter was introduced to us last year, we wished that people still travelled by steam engine so that we had a suitable place to carry one of its handsome cases. Whilst that hasn’t happened, we are pleased to report that it has met us half way and created leather luggage more than suitable for use on a daily basis. globe-trotterltd.com
Shaded view of the world
There was a time when the world was going the wayfarer way, that time has passed. Oh really? Then what is Abhishek doing on the cover wearing a pair of wayfarers? He owns a bag of sunglasses, do you? If you own one that you have a habit of leaving them behind in cabs, trains, restaurants and other people’s cars make sure your one pair is a pair of Aviators. Fossil has a good range of them out and thankfully none of them look like the Indian army issue golden framed aviators everyone and their grandfather has one of.
Hail the sea power
Break out the sunscreen, the European seaside is this summer’s hottest style resource.
Dressing like you own a yacht has always been big the only problem is in India you might come off as a little bit of a douche even if you are talking loudly about the lack of marinas. But there’s always the rest of the world to sail to. And you need to keep yourself updated on what the men with the yachts are wearing. Flash blazers are giving way to more casual threads such as wind breakers and cotton canvas jackets. Why? Because this summer, fashion has stepped back onto dry land and is celebrating the seaside - some have even been ambitious enough to say it’s celebrating the British Seaside. So while, blue jeans, white trainers and polo shirts are all still allowed. Looking like a Duran Duran promo is not. Here’s our pick of the clothes, places and surrounding culture to keep you on trend and make sure they still let you in, into those sea-side clubs.
The windcheater: A wind cheater epitomises the seaside vibe. It’ll keep the rain off your back, but won’t leave you sweating in the muggy heat. Also useful if the missus (yours or anyone else’s) begin to catch the chills.
The sweater: A jersey sweater like this blue one will be just about the most versatile item you’ll need near the seaside. Smart enough to wear with proper trousers on a night out, it’ll serve you just as well on the beach.
T-shirt: A round-necked, striped T-shirt or one with stripes that look like Galliano’s jail stripes. Hang on but isn’t he the racist guy? Nah that’s Gaultier genius.
Lace-up espadrilles: Traditionally a slip-on shoe, this hybrid is light enough to wear all day, but it won’t fall off if you chase an ice-cream van. It is however, dandy as hell - if hell was pink.
Bag: Something a bit special to keep your lunch in from Zegna and then, come the high summer, carry around your towel around the French Riviera.
Watch: Brighton Rock – The re-imagining of the classic 1947 film adaptation of Graham Greene’s murderous seaside novel.
Listen to: Sailing – (The Rod Stewart Song): Beautiful and glum in equal measure.
Wear: Hackett – Navy double-breasted blazers and jersey T-shirts which represent great value for money.
Visit: Galapagos – There are those who want to sit by the shore and not move a muscle and those who’ve seen Galapagos before the ecosystem is destroyed which one are you?
Get off, get out
There are two kinds of men in the world - the arm-chair adventurers and those who actually get up and get something done and then there are the members of the FHM team-somewhere between the two. Timberland has come out with a range perfect for those like us - the weekend or month-end adventurers.
Apart from the staple yellow boot, in the boot rack which refuses to retire, this season they’re launching. Plus then there is the new range they’re calling Canvas Reinvented which is made from organic cotton wrapped around a recycled PET core. Basically crocs minus all that ugly big foot effect. Plus there is the new Formentor Boat Shoe provides superior performance with some posh patented Gripstick technology for the days out on the dinghy.
Coloured sole
The newest trend amongst cordwainers (that’s shoe makers to you) is to include a coloured sole on the bottom of classic ‘lasts’ such as the brogue. It started on the catwalk of the German designer Jil Sander before filtering down to the high street - we suggest get a pair if only for the time you put up your feet on your desk - it’s bound to make you smile. Plus let’s face it, it looks bloody cool - at least till the time you are out walking on the street three times and everything will look the same-brown.
Nerdy chic... almost
Provogue’s new Spring Summer Collection is just about perfect for the man looking to dominate things other than the board-room. There’s the standard fare-shirts in checks and stripes, with some quirky contrast detailing, shoulder epaulettes, roll up loops and smaller plackets. Plus of course, you can throw on a bow tie if you think you can carry it off at work - though you probably can’t. Sorry Bud. www.provogue.com
Beach-side
Since just about everything else in Filter is about you, your boat and the sea side, Paul and Shark’s new luxury collection should be just about tailor made for that day at sea. The line has some fabulous cotton shirts, jackets and trousers. Plus where there is a nautical theme crests can’t be too far behind now can they? There’s also some technical jackets for the serious sailors -bloody shame not many of them exist in India. Blame the lack of marina. www.paulshark.com
Top 12 picks: watches so expensive they refuse to give the price
1. Chopard Classic Racing Superfast Chrono – price on request (www.chopard.com)
2. Mikrotimer from Tag Heuer – price on request (www.tagheuer.com)
3. Vacheron Constantin Historiques Aronde 1954 – price on request
4. Ulysse Nardin Quadrato – price on request (www.ulysse-nardin.ch)
5. Romain Jerome – price on request (www.swisstime.ch)
6. Raymond Weil Maestro – price on request (www.raymond-weil.com)
7. Raymond Weil Pensiero (www.raymond-weil.com)
8. L.U.C Quattro from Chopard – price on request (www.chopard.com)
9. Harry Winston ‘Opus X’ – price on request (www.harrywinston.com)
10. Piaget Ultra-Thin Automatic Tourbillon watch – price on request (www.piaget.com)
11. Patrimony Traditionnelle World Time – price on request (vacheron-constantin.com)
12. ALS Moonphase – £175 (alange-soehne.com)
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