Farhan Akhtar in Govinda Mehta and Adhuna Akhtar in Victoria Beckham

His casual wear can be, erm, imperfect more often than not, but when it comes to formal wear, Farhan Akhtar triumphs. Every. Single. Time. Proof: here, here, here, here, here, and now, we have got this.

Farhan Akhtar

Right from his coif to those slate grey Derbys, that blue-grey Govinda Mehta wing-lapelled, two-button suit and the slate grey Grenadine weave tie, everything about this look was near perfect [I’ll let you figure why it wasn’t perfect ;-)]. I love how his suits snugly hug his torso and that his trousers are always the right length — I suppose that’s what you get for going the made-to-measure way, right? THE best dressed man at the Grey Goose and Vogue Awards.

Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan in Troy Costa (Photo courtesy | Akshay Tyagi)

When it comes to suits, the fit is paramount — it makes or breaks your look. And in case of Hrithik Roshan at that event, I’m afraid it was the latter. I like that he opted for an olive green number in place of the usual black, navy or charcoal grey, but the fit of the Troy Costa dinner suit left a lot to be desired. Better luck next time, I suppose.

Ali Zafar

Ali Zafar would’ve tied with Farhan had he not gone for an accessory overkill. Just the knitted tie and the pocket square (done up in a puff) would have sufficed here — the tie bar and the boutonnière (whilst a gorgeous one!) were not needed.

Ali Zafar

Aargghh… what a waste of a beautiful lapel pin. Next time, Ali, before you step out, do what we do, look in the mirror and take one item off.

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini 

Posted on MissMalini.com.

Imran Khan in Ermenegildo Zegna at the GQ Men of the Year Awards 2014 (Photo courtesy | Zegna)

I know, I know, it’s a little late in the day to be posting this, but I’m all about celebrating excellent menswear choices and had I not, it’d have been one epic waste. Just look at the dinner suit on Imran Khan! From the cut to the fit, and the fabric in between, everything about the Ermenegildo Zegna number was purr-fect.

Nargis Fakhri & Imran Khan

Moving on, I also loved how he loosened up the strict black-tie dress code by tossing in an über luxe cashmere polka-dotted scarf (also by Zegna) in place of a bow-tie and pairing those gorgeous monk-straps with pink socks.

Virr Das and Imran Khan

This was masterly, Imran, masterly…

Posted on MissMalini.com.

Ayushmann Khurrana (Photo courtesy | Shreeja Rajgopal and GQ India)

Guys, if you always thought that you needed to break the bank to look the part, you might want to check out Ayushmann Khurrana’s get-up to the GQ Bar Night recently. Clad in all high street labels, he was THE most dapper hombre of the night.

Noose & Monkey x Topman Floral Blazer (Photo courtesy | Topman)

Dune Black ‘Aldershot’ Laser Etched Wingtip formal shoe in tan (Photo courtesy | Dune London)

Where Ranveer Singh failed with his Louis Vuitton x Chapman Brothers jacket, Ayushmann triumphed with its high-street iteration — and the credit, I suppose, lies with his stylist, Shreeja Rajgopal. I loved that she exercised restraint and kept the rest of the look basic to let the floral print Noose & Monkey x Topman blazer shine.

Ayushmann Khurrana at the GQ Bar Night (Photo courtesy | GQ India)

But, if it were I, I’d have omitted the pocket square even — for maximum visual impact of the print. Still, this look was a masterclass on how to have fun with the smart casual look — without dropping a bomb in your bank account, of course.

P.S. The Dune shoes that Ayushmann wore is now on sale!

Posted on MissMalini.com.

Saqib Saleem (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

Grrr… I loathe playing catch-up! Other than Fawad Khan’s stellar sartorial run during Khoobsurat promotions, I also failed to document the snappy appearances that Saqib Saleem made during that time.I promise I’ll get round to doing a post on Fawad soon-ish, but until then let’s check out Saqib’s looks, shall we?

Saqib Saleem in Sisley suit and Zara shirt at the 2014 GQ Men of the Year Awards (Photo courtesy | Shreeja Rajgopal)

While Imran Khan’s deconstructed black-tie ensemble at this year’s GQ Men of the Year Awards had me purr-ing emphatically, Saqib’s look at the event had me mouthing Oof! His stylist, Shreeja Rajgopal, did ever so well in narrowing down to this rakish suit from Sisley for him, but, frustratingly, left the trouser hem undone. Such a shame, as this checked number in shades of burgundy was just so age-appropriate and fashion forward. Yep, it had the goods to give Imran’s look some stiff competition.

Saqib Saleem in SS HOMME dinner suit, Kenneth Cole shirt and Louis Philippe tie at an Absolute India event (Photo courtesy | SS HOMME)

But, I have no such complaints with the navy SS HOMME dinner suit that he wore to the Absolute India party. Immaculately cut and styled, this look was.

Saqib Saleem in Kenneth Cole pants and Jack & Jones pants at the Vero Moda x Marquee launch (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

His smart casual game was bang on too! And that pop of Valentino red was such a masterly stroke.

Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem in Kunal Anil Tanna suit and Varun Bahl waistcoat and pocket square at Ekta Kapoor’s Diwali party (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

All very well, but when it came to desi looks his stylist he simply smashed it! While he looked ridiculously elegant at Ekta Kapoor’s Diwali party in a Kunal Anil Tanna kurta suit and Varun Bahl waistcoat and pocket square, it’s his outfit for Sachiin Joshi’s Diwali party that was my absolute fave of the five. That Raghuvendra Rathore suit had me with its colour!

Saqib Saleem in Raghuvendra Rathore kurta suit at Sachiin Joshi’s Diwali party (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

Posted on MissMalini.com.

Salman Khan and family during Salma Khan’’s 72nd birthday celebrations (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

Well, here’s a confession: I never put Salman Khan down as someone to be conscious of labels or have sleepless nights over the inadequacy of his wardrobe. But boy, did he stump me during his mum’s 72nd birthday celebrations! He was sporting Christian Louboutin, and not just ordinary Loubs they were but rather fetching ones.

Christian Louboutin Louis Flat Spikes (Photo courtesy | Christian Louboutin)

Salman Khan in Christian Louboutin in Louis Flat Spikes (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani/Christian Louboutin)

Called the Louis Flat Spikes, this blingy high-top has been the footwear of choice of many a hip-hop artistes, including Diddy. You like?

Posted on MissMalini.com.

Fawad Khan and Shahid Kapoor

It was the Oscars of Bollywood the other night and would you believe, there was some smashing menswear on display at the event? Yep, from Sidharth Malhotra’s risky take on formalwear to Tiger Shroff’s snazzy dinner jacket, Shahid Kapoor’s classic take on black-tie dressing to Darshan Kumaar’s tropical rejig, there were plenty of style tips for men to take away from the 2015 Filmfare Awards…

Mohit Marwah

Mohit Marwah

Yeah, I’m one of the few hundred Boardwalk Empire fans around, so I’m totally digging the 1920s throwback in Mohit Marwah’s ensemble by way of the club collar shirt (by Armani, FYI) and the lapel chain, which, by the way, got a decidedly novel spin here. It was pinned to the tie! The immaculate fit of the suit and the Ferragamo double-monks helped the case here too. He was styled by Antara Motiwala.

Ferragamo ‘Derby’ shoes (Photo courtesy | Salvatore Ferragamo)

Style lesson: If you’re bored with the regular shirts, get a club-collar shirt — it’ll add an element of visual intrigue to your look. And oh, you can spruce up your dad’s solid black tie by pinning a lapel chain or some hunky brooch to it.

Tiger Shroff

Ayesha Shroff and Tiger Shroff

What a way to get out of his décolleté-baring funk! Clad in a black floral velvet cocktail jacket from Tom Ford’s Autumn/Winter’14 collection, Tiger Shroff was in the right side of flashy by keeping the rest of the look spare. He was styled by The Vainglorious.

Style lesson: Throw in a patterned jacket and keep the rest of your look in monochrome and you’re guaranteed to turn heads.

Manish Malhotra

Manish Malhotra

Elegance personified — need I say anything more?

Style lesson: if in doubt, just refer to this photo of Manish Malhotra and copy everything!

Darshan Kumar

Darshan Kumaar

A white dinner jacket during winter months is always a no-no, but Darshan Kumar pulled it off by punctuating the outfit with enough black.

Style lesson: If you’re not Jared Leto, do not try the all-white look, at all. But if you’re itching to take that white dinner suit out for a spin, follow Darshan’s lead here.

Sidharth Malhotra

Sidharth Malhotra in Dior Homme A/W’14 and Christian Louboutin

He bent the rules, but made it work by not going overboard. Like Tiger Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra too kept the rest of his look minimal to let that dizzyingly graphic jumper, from Dior Homme’s Autumn/Winter’14 collection, be the star. Also note the tasselled Christian Louboutin patent slippers – very, very rakish. The folks over at Studio K Styling are responsible for this look, FYI.

Style lesson: If you need to spend money on a pair of shoes to wear with your black tie, it’s always good to go for something you can also wear on your downtime — and, having seen many dandies wear these on countless occasions now, I can assure you that this pair does just that. Also, if you want to go for an eye-catching print, let it be the centrepiece — do not overcrowd it.

Shahid Kapoor

Shahid Kapoor in Kunal Rawal

Right, Shahid Kapoor dressed like he knew he was going to win. Everything about this Kunal Rawal-styled outfit was on point — the epitome of sophistication and yet fresh and modern.

Style lesson: Your blueprint for the next black-tie outing. Yes.

Fawad Khan

Fawad Khan with wife Sadaf

Fawad Khan is now at the next level of stylish — super-stylish, as in Superman-like stylish. Clad in a Dior Homme suit with pinstriped waistcoat, Armani shirt, Louis Philippe tie, Akshata Bhojania pocket square, Dolce & Gabbana patent lace-ups and Tag Heuer gold and steel watch, he was dapper extraordinaire. With everything slim and tailored to perfection, this is exactly what you want to see a dashing leading man to be wearing.  My fave look of the night — sublime stuff, Abhilasha Devnani!

Style lesson: Monochrome done to perfection. And pay careful attention to the fit and cut of the suit — this is how it is done.

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini

First posted on MissMalini.

Anil Kapoor

Is there a more dashing sight than a man in a well-cut sherwani? There is… ? You think so? In that case, I present to you… Messrs Anil Kapoor at Sanjay Hinduja’s pre-wedding bash. Clad in a midnight blue sherwani with white churidaars, he looked preposterously elegant that night.

Anil Kapoor

As impressive as his decision was to go down the sherwani route — and not the suit way — and that too in such a lush hue, it was his judgment to punctuate the sea of blue with a contrasting pocket square that elevated the look to otherworldly level. Mr Kapoor, my hat is well and truly off. Soz, Sonam, Rhea and Sunita, try as you may but it’s your old man/better half that takes the mantle of the most stylish Kapoor :-)

PS. How cute is it that he and Sunita were all matchy-matchy?

Anil and Sunita Kapoor

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini

First posted on MissMalini.

Shahid Kapoor

Erm, I’m not going to lie: I never put Shahid Kapoor down as someone to be one in-the-know when it comes to designer labels and such, but his sneaker choices in the past fortnight has made me go back on my words. Boy, did he impress or what?!

Shahid Kapoor in Rick Owens ‘Geobasket’ sneakers (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani/LuisaViaRoma)

First up were the super-fly Rick Owens ‘Geobasket’ hi-tops, which he had on for his meeting with the architect for his new flat a couple of weeks ago. If my memory serves me right, this is the first time that I’ve seen someone from Bollywood don Rick Owens, a label for those in-the-know and not at all mainstream. (Okay, we’ve seen Mozez Singh wear these trainers for the Nobel Faith launch some time ago, but he’s not from Bollywood, is he?)

Shahid Kapoor in Givenchy ‘Tyson’ hi-top sneakers (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani/Farfetch)

Then, over the weekend, for the NDTV-Fortis Cancerthon and the success bash for Queen, he wore the navy Givenchy ‘Tyson’ hi-tops, which is an icon amongst sneakerheads. May I add that I loved both of Shahid’s laidback getups over the weekend — he looked just so effortlessly cool.

Shahid Kapoor at the NDTV-Fortis Cancerthon (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

First posted on MissMalini.

Saqib Saleem

Keeping up with his sister’s chic appearance at the Nykaa Femina Beauty Awards was Saqib Saleem, who gave us a quirkily dapper look that night, courtesy of his stylist, Shreeja Rajgopal. While his outfit had me at its tone (blue has been my favourite colour since… forever!), it was the accessories that had me purring.

Saqib Saleem in TM Lewin shirt, Sahil Aneja pocket square, SS HOMME lapel pin and Alberto Torresi shoes (Photo courtesy | SS HOMME)

Like Anil Kapoor the other night, he too broke up all that blue with a bold pocket square — and a delightful lapel pin from SS HOMME. The navy accent, by way of the shoelaces, was another deft touch.

Alberto Torresi ‘Darwy’ patent leather lace-ups (Photo courtesy | Alberto Torresi)

Speaking of which, friends, pay special attention to the shoes. Gorgeous, aren’t they? Would you believe that they are from a high-street label and cost just Rs 3,995? Yep.

All very well, but I do wish the Sahil Aneja suit a better fitted: both the trousers and jacket sleeves needed to go up at least an inch.

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini

First posted on MissMalini.

Kunal Rawal

Oh, I love men in desiwear, and more so, when they step out looking as hip as Kunal Rawal at the launch of his menswear corner at Aza last Friday.

Kunal Rawal

His pairing of creepers with the silk kurta suit was an inspired move, one that announced him as a bona fide trendsetter. And you bet I loved the pop of pink amidst all that navy! Do I have any quibble about this look? Yeah, I wish the kurta was pressed before he left the house.

Also present at the event were Varun Dhawan (in head-to-toe Kunal Rawal!) and Gautam Gulati — and both were looking mighty fine as well.

Varun Dhawan in Kunal Rawal

Gautam Gulati

Kunal Rawal and Varun Dhawan

Photos: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini

First posted on MissMalini.

Ranbir Kapoor (Photo courtesy | Star Sports)

It is often said that shoes are the first thing a person notices about your outfit, either subconsciously or consciously — and that is exactly what I did with Ranbir Kapoor’s look for the Bombay Velvet trailer launch at the Star Sports studio on Thursday. And boy, was I impressed.

Ranbir Kapoor in Zegna leather slip-on sneakers (Photo courtesy | Star Sports/Ermenegildo Zegna)

I totally loved this Zegna number’s novel take on the classic slip-ons. Those are not shoelaces above the tongue, but crisscross elastic straps — yep, the perfect blend of form and function.

Zegna leather slip-on sneakers

Guys, if you’re in the market for some new sneakers, I couldn’t recommend either of these two pairs (this or this) enough — they will lend your footwear roster some street wear cool.

Ranbir Kapoor in SS HOMME (Photo courtesy | SS HOMME/Star Sports)

Unfortunately, the rest of his outfit left me feeling rather meh!. I see what his stylists at StudioK Styling were trying to do (which is something like this), but to achieve that look, the suit (by SS HOMME) needed to be skinnier, the trousers more tapered and the shirt and pocket square done away with. The grey suit had some graphic element going on with a charcoal accent on the left lapel, but that detailing was somewhat lost because of the black shirt (by Thomas Pink). A sky-blue (or any light shade, for that matter) tee would not only have brought out that detailing but furthered the sports luxe theme as well. And the polka dot pocket square (by The Bro Code), although snazzy, didn’t really bring anything to the table. Soz, guys!

Ranbir Kapoor

But, I completely and utterly loved his outfit that he had on to tape his ‘Mauka, Mauka’ ad for Star Sports. Don’t know if it’s David Beckham‘s shilling of Belstaff wares or if it’s something else, but I’m digging the biker chic look nowadays and Ranbir’s one was done just right.

First posted here: If You Only Buy One Pair Of Shoes This Season, Let It Be The One Ranbir Kapoor Is Wearing!

Emraan Hashmi (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious)

There’s such good design on every level nowadays that you can be the chicest thing in the world in inexpensive clothes, said THE Kaiser Karl Lagerfeld recently. And that is exactly what Messrs Emraan Hashmi is proving (with help from the sartorially clued-up twosome of The Vainglorious) as he goes about with his Mr X promotions: clad in predominantly high-street labels, he’s looking positively stylish! Yeah, guys, it’s true, you can look fabulously turned-out without breaking the bank — hop on, if you want evidence ;-)

Emraan Hashmi in Zara and Jack & Jones for the trailer launch of Mr X (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

First up was the launch of the Mr X trailer, for which he turned up in a light grey cut-work bomber jacket with a striped lightweight knitwear underneath, paint-splattered distressed jeans and black hi-top sneakers.

Emraan Hashmi in Zara at the trailer launch of Mr X (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani/Zara)

Would you believe it if I told that the lush jacket was from good ol’ Zara? Yeah, and so was the knitwear and hi-tops. I simply loved how the stripes of the sweater were playing off the dark grey accents of the bomber — it made for nice visuals.

Emraan Hashmi in Zara (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani/Zara)

And the hi-tops, they niftily lent the essentially biker look a shot of modern sportswear cool.

Emraan Hashmi in Jack & Jones, GAS Jeans and Zara for the music launch of Mr X at Radio City (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious)

It was a skull-print T-shirt — in a nod to the theme of Mr X — from Jack & Jones, dark denims from GAS Jeans and white hi-tops with gold detailing from Zara, for the music launch of the film at Radio City.

Emraan Hashmi in Jack & Jones and Zara (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious/Jack & Jones/Zara)

I’m not gonna lie, this outfit had me at the trainers — proper bad-ass they are!

Emraan Hashmi in Diesel, GAS Jeans and Steve Madden at the Comedy Nights with Kapil (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious)

Next up was his jolly little jaunt to the Comedy Nights with Kapil studio, in which he took the biker theme further. He bloody turned up in a leather shirt (from Diesel) — how bad-ass! And the distressed combat boots (by Steve Madden) simply gave more gravitas to the get-up.

Emraan Hashmi in GAS Jeans and Steve Madden for Farah Ki Dawat (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious)

But my favourite ensemble of his, yet, was the one for Farah Ki Dawat. It simply screamed: you can take the boy out of the bike but not the biker out of the boy. The whole thing seemed so effortless, as if he instinctively put on that printed denim shirt and those biker pants (both from GAS Jeans) and got into those black boots (from Steve Madden). Muy jefe!

Emraan Hashmi in Tom Tailor, Diesel and Zara (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious/Zara/Jabong.com)

Emraan Hashmi in River Island, Diesel and Zara (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious/Jabong.com/Zara)

Emraan Hashmi in G-Star Raw, Jack & Jones and Zara (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious/Jabong.com/Zara)

I LOVED these three looks too, but the one with the hazmat suit tee (from G-Star Raw) a little more so. What they show you is that you can never underestimate the power of a graphic tee (the other tee is by Tom Tailor) or a statement jacket (the one here is by River Island); throw one in with some nice denims and cool (but non-clashing!) sneakers, and you have got yourself one hell of a casual look. FYI, those über cool trainers Emraan had on in all three looks are from Zara — they can be yours too for just Rs 4,990 :-p

To sum it up, I simply loved how all of the get-ups were centred around his personality (none of these high-fashion tosh for him — bol diya nah!), not-at-all-try-hard and yet stylish. And the best bit is, they are easily replicable — and affordable!

All very well, but he can also scrub up well nice (and swan around in high-end clobber), if he can be arsed to, proof being his look for the Femina Miss India party.

Emraan Hashmi in Corneliani and Tom Ford at the Femina Miss India 2015 party (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious)

Clad in a navy notch lapel blazer with tab detailing, grey sweater (both by Corneliani), stonewashed denims and a pair of swoonsome Tom Ford double-monks, he was as dapper as it comes. And special mention for the nicely puffed-up lilac pocket square: it gave foppish touch to the outfit and in so doing, brought credibility to the chic look.

Emraan Hashmi in Tom Ford cap-toe double-monk straps (Photo courtesy | The Vainglorious)

First posted here: Emraan Hashmi Shows You How To Look Cool In High-Street Labels

Imran Khan and Sidharth Malhotra

While most of us were caught up mourning over India’s exit from the World Cup/shaming, Times Now/throwing brickbats at Anushka Sharma, Bollywood folks and their ilk were dolling/suiting up for HT’s Mumbai’s Most Stylish Awards 2015. I suppose it was to show solidarity to the Indian team, ‘cos I can’t remember a red carpet peppered with this much blue before. Anyway, here are the hits and misses — and superhits!!! — from the do, which, by the way, was a proper formal affair.

Super Hit

Imran Khan in Zegna, Tom Ford and Herring

When it comes to black-tie dressing/formalwear, this guy is on a whole other level altogether. He knows how a suit should fit, how to accessorise it and the etiquettes for wearing it.

So no wonder then, that he was THE best dressed person at the event — by a country mile. When there’s a made-to-measure Zegna dinner suit in a lush midnight blue hue, crisp white shirt, self-fastened bow-tie (both by Tom Ford), impossibly shiny black patent cap-toe balmorals (by Herring), you just can’t nitpick. Also, special mention to the Presidential style white pocket square, which added the final flourish to this incredible look. If the James Bond series was ever made in India, if…

Imran Khan at the 2015 HT’s Mumbai’s Most Stylish Awards (Photo courtesy | Viral Bhayani)

Hello guys, may I have your complete attention for the next 30 seconds or so? If you’ve finally decided to take the plunge and get yourself a dinner suit, you should print this picture of Imran Khan as reference for the fit. The sleeves of the dinner jacket should be short enough to flash half an inch of your shirt calf, and the closure shouldn’t expose any window of white shirt or the waistband of your trousers.

Hits

Sidharth Malhotra in SS HOMME, Christian Louboutin, The Bro Code and Paul Smith

Yep, Sidharth Malhotra was his dandyish best that night, in a navy SS HOMME jacket, flower pin and cuff links from The Bro Code, and Louboutin ‘Dandelion’ pumps. There was a Paul Smith pocket square in there too but it sunk in, never to be missed again. Oh, I just wish he had done up the top button of his jacket — it would have made his already elegant silhouette even more so. Still, it was a commendable job by the guys over at StudioK Styling.

Manoj Bajpayee

Just how distinguished does Manoj Bajpayee look in that get-up? And oh, what an expert use of pocket square it was: it provided just the requisite pop of colour that this monochrome look sought.

Neil Bhoopalam

A tad casual for this event but Neil Bhoopalam’s owning the look so well that I too was sold on it.

Abhishek Bachchan in Shantanu & Nikhil and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Abhishek Bachchan’s outfit had me at the lush colour of the Shantanu & Nikhil bandhgala. So much that I’m willing to overlook the slight fit issues with the sleeves.

Amitabh Bachchan

He might be 72 years of age but there’s no sign of his style taking a back seat, which just goes to prove: once a dandy, always a dandy. Watch and learn, kids, watch and learn.

Ayushmann Khurrana in Paul Smith and Thomas Pink

Were it not for the excellent fit of the Paul Smith suit, Ayushmann Khurrana would have been in the next section. The suit itself was in a stand-out shade of blue, so the rest of the outfit needed to be muted for it to have the maximum impact. But nope, his stylist had to pile on this gorgeous number with a printed blue shirt (from Thomas Pink) and garish pocket square and bow-tie. Sometimes, less is more.

Misses

Ali Fazal

He might have missed the dress-code part of the invite, entirely.

Ali Zafar in SS HOMME

His namesake too didn’t fare any better in his SS HOMME suit. The jacket was SO ill-fitted but it was made worse by him leaving it hanging like that. And don’t get me started on the mismatched trouser leg lengths. What a lazy job by his stylist. *tut*tut*

Irrfan Khan

In that suit and with those shades, nope, no chance of mercy.

Neil Nitin Mukesh

Think Neil Nitin Mukesh accidentally slathered on some Fevicol on himself and to shake it off he rolled around his grandma’s sofa, only to end up with all the upholstery. He then realised he was running late for this do, so, got up and left, just like that.

Kunal Rawal

Right, don’t get me wrong here. I totally love how Kunal Rawal is livening up the ordinary kurta set by pairing them with creepers or infusing some ska elements in his designs — and two thumbs-up to him for that. But the reason he’s here is, as cool as the get-up was, it was a little too casual for the event. And the creased-up silk kurta is not helping his case here.

Shahid Kapoor in Kunal Rawal

That’s the same problem with Shahid Kapoor’s look. Just not event appropriate. And that jacket (by Kunal Rawal), erm, let’s just say it’s no oil painting.

Karan Tacker

A well-meaning effort but ended up on the tacky side, thanks to the belt and the trousers. I don’t have problems with printed trousers but this particular pair was just meh!.

Varun Dhawan in Kunal Rawal, Antar Agni and Adidas

Leather trousers and jacket in this Bombay heat?? You gotta be kidding me! And don’t get me started on that barely-buttoned silk shirt (by Antar Agni). Soz, Varun Dhawan fans, but this is downright tacky.

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini

First posted here: The Menswear Hits and Misses from the HT Mumbai’s Most Stylish Awards 2015

Rahul Khanna

Soz Rahul Khanna fangirls fans for this delayed piece of fantastic news (my waking hours from March 29 to May 18 are monopolised by Mad Men :-p): our fave boutique Bollywood actor was conferred the ‘International Actor of the Year’ award for his work with The Americans at the ANOKHI 12^th Anniversary Gala and Media Awards.

ANOKHI is a Toronto-based media house that celebrates and promotes South Asian talents in North America, and for the past twelve years, it has been hosting this award show. This year’s event took place on March 28 at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, and was attended by Vinay Virmani, Karen David (Layla from Scorpion 2: the Rise of the Warrior), Raghav, Manj Musik, Rishi Rich, among others.

Rahul Khanna

Is a post by me ever complete without some animadverting on the sartorial decisions? Yes, friends, like always, he smashed it out of the park. From that immaculately tailored bandhgala through to those beauteous double-monks, everything about this look screamed perfection.

Rahul Khanna

And the pocket square, it brought just the right dose of cheeriness to the authoritative proceedings. Guys, watch and learn — this is how it’s done.

PS. Are you guys catching him on The Americans?

First posted here: Rahul Khanna Won An Award & Of Course, He Looks Hotter Than Ever!

Angelina Jolie in Saint Laurent at the 2014 BAFTA (Photo courtesy | Zimbio)

Whisper it, ladies: don’t we all pray to the (fashion) Gods every night to leave us looking like smouldering mavericks in mannish clothes à la Angelina Jolie at last year’s BAFTA Awards one of these days? I guess our (collective) calls reached the great beyond, ‘cos we now have a blueprint by way of Neha Sharma.

Neha Sharma

Clad in a pinstriped blazer from the Danish brand ONLY, a crisp white shirt (from Vero Moda), black cigarette pants and nude croc-effect pointy pumps (from Zara), she was the queen of androgyny during an event at Aster Medical Centre in Dubai recently.

Neha Sharma in Zara

The girly girl in me was hoping the shoes were hot pink to play off the boyish undertones, but I suppose the pussy bow served that purpose.

Neha Sharma

Still, major love — and more so, seeing how easily replicable it is. *Now hares off to score a pinstriped blazer like that… ;-)*

First posted here: Neha Sharma’s Androgynous Outfit Is Driving Us Crazy!

Ayushmann Khurrana, Karan Tacker, Arjun Kapoor and Anil Kapoor

You’ve seen the ladies, now here’s our edit of the hombres who showed sound sartorial judgment at the IIFA Rocks green carpet…

Hit

Karan Tacker

Super spiffy, but wished Karan Tacker ditched the sunnies and the pocket square.

R Madhavan

It’s the shoes and the Armani shirt collar, silly! Bless, R Madhavan tried, and we need to acknowledge him for that.

Sonu Sood

A balmy outfit in this scorching heat — what’s not to love about this get-up of Sonu Sood, aye?

Riteish Deshmukh in Raghavendra Rathore

SO dapper! I loved that Riteish Deshmukh went for a quirky printed shirt and not a solid black/white underneath the bandhgala to lighten the mood. Were the sleeve length of the Raghavendhra Rathore bandhgala a touch shorter and the pocket square not sitting so high up the breast pocket, he would have been in the next section.

Ayushmann Khurrana in Rohit Gandhi + Rahul Khanna, BroCode and Gucci

I’m on the fence about the need for a waistcoat in this outfit but that wing-collar shirt had no business being here. Perhaps Ayushmann Khurrana could’ve relied on the efficacy of a printed pocket square to bring some merriment to the proceedings. As things stand, it’s good but not WOWSER.

Arjun Kapoor in Raghavendra Rathore

Oh, Arjun Kapoor, why, just why, did you not do up the buttons? Otherwise, you’d have been in the next section with your chachu. Afsos.

Super Hit

Sahil Sangha in Raghavendra Rathore

Impossibly elegant — no two ways about it. But wish he opted for black shoes as well.

Anil Kapoor in Hugo Boss and Thomas Pink

Muy jefe! How spiffy is that navy windowpane suit by Hugo Boss? And like a boss Anil Kapoor’s owning it.

On an aside, what a fab run he’s having, first during the Dil Dhadakne Do promotion trail, and now the IIFA weekend. Can’t wait to see what he turns up in for the main event!

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini.com

First posted here: The Best Dressed Men at the #IIFARocks Green Carpet…

Farhan Akhtar, Ayushmann Khurrana, Anil Kapoor and Rahul Bose

Day 2 of the IIFA Weekend in Kuala Lumpur saw the international premiere of Dil Dhadakne Do and a fashion extravaganza and boy, did it throw us some ah-may-zing menswear to drool over. Let’s get to it, shall we, without further delay…

Hit

Sahil Sangha

Ah, Dia Mirza’s other half seems to be a quietly confident dresser, I’ve just come to realise. After his winning turn at the IIFA Rocks green carpet the previous night, he gave us this neat look, one which telegraphed his confidence that he didn’t need to telegraph much at all!

Karan Tacker

Spiffy like the previous night, but just wish he didn’t put the collar up and roll up the sleeves like that. Nice use of the pocket square there, by the way — it went a long way towards creating an overall effect.

Ayushmann Khurrana in Tarun Tahiliani and Bro Code

Very, very dapper! Were the pocket square (by Bro Code) not sticking out like that, he would have been in the next section for this sharp Tarun Tahiliani number.

Super Hit

Rahul Bose

Dapper as always, but are we surprised, at all?

Anil Kapoor

Anil Kapoor in SS HOMME, Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabbana

This Anil Kapoor, what a boss he is!  From that three-piece suit (by SS HOMME) to those orange socks and the little print-clashing exercise in between, I looooved everything about this look. It spoke of a man with a flair for the visuals — and is on TOP of his game.

Blockbuster

Farhan Akhtar in Govinda Mehta

Farhan Akhtar

But my fave look of the night came courtesy of Farhan Akhtar, which was an exhibition of taste, restraint and flair. He had polka dots, micro checks and stripes on at once and none of it looked out of place. Guys, this is how you do print-on-print without looking like a clown. Simply outstanding, this Govinda Mehta outfit!

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini.com

First posted here: These Guys SMASHED It At The IIFA 2015 Dil Dhadakne Do Screening!

Anil Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff and Shahid Kapoor

After the fab menswear exhibition we have had on Day 2 of the IIFA Weekend for the Dil Dhadakne Do premiere, the main event the following evening turned out to be a bit anti-climactic. Still, there were some standout performers…

Hit

Karan Tacker

Such a shame that Karan Tacker ruined an otherwise rakish suit by throwing in one-too-many accessories and doing up both the buttons.

Shahid Kapoor

Shahid Kapoor’s outfit made me snooze, but credit where credit is due: the nicely fitted suit and the graphic shirt. A pop of colour from somewhere, by way of a pocket square or a lapel pin (which everyone seems to be sporting nowadays, btw!), would have elevated the look so much more.

Anil Kapoor in Hackett and Bro Code

Dapper as always, but the less-than-perfect fit of the dinner suit (by Hackett) was so uncharacteristic of him, as he is THE boss when it comes to suiting up.

Tiger Shroff in Giorgio Armani

From the exaggerated peak lapels to the nipped-in waist of the Giorgio Armani dinner jacket and the cowlick in between, Tiger Shroff’s get-up was high on old world charm. Had there been a pop of colour by way of a boutonnière (not lapel pin!), this look would have been simply out-of-this-world. Still, it was very charming.

Super Hit

Hrithik Roshan in Troy Costa

Oh, Hrithik Roshan, why did you have to throw in a red bow-tie, why, why, why??? Could you not make-do with a regular black one? The velvet dinner jacket was quite the handful on its own and the addition of the red bow tie was a little too much. Still, he gets brownie points for the immaculate fit of the jacket and… the cummerbund!

Farhan Akhtar in Govinda Mehta

Ah, trust Farhan Akhtar and Govinda Mehta to always throw us a curveball! Guys, this is how you do quirky without seeming like you’ve been let out from a circus.

Blockbuster

Riteish Deshmukh in Raghavendra Rathore

Riteish Deshmukh’s best look to date — no two ways about it. The dinner jacket was tailored to perfection and so were the trousers (both by Raghavendra Rathore), and I loved that he threw in the navy shoes to give the traditional outfit a contemporary touch. Major, major love!

Rahul Bose

We expect nothing but perfection from Rahul Bose every time he suits up and this time was no different. Simply masterful.

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini.com

First posted here: Our List Of The Best Dressed Men From The IIFA 2015 Green Carpet Is Here!

Imran Khan and Akshay Oberoi

You can always trust GQ’s annual Best-Dressed party to throw us some swoonsome menswear like this, this, this and this, but this year, unfortunately, was bit of a letdown. Still, we’ve sifted out the good from the not-so-good ones, so hop on…

Misses

Akshay Kumar

Some tweaks and GQ’s June cover star would’ve been in our next section. Namely, a less cleavage-baring tee, less flashier footwear and no shades.

Anil Kapoor in Hugo Boss, Thomas Pink and Brooks Brothers

It pains me to put THE sartorial jefe here but the shirt and tie combo (by Thomas Pink) is leaving us dizzy.

Ali Fazal in Troy Costa

Rajkummar Rao in Paul Smith

Arjun Kapoor in Hugo Boss, Burberry, Zegna and Prada

Ah, such a shame that the sloppy trouser hems left the three messrs’ stellar work undone. Btw, totes loving Arjun Kapoor’s shirt (by Burberry) and the frames (by Prada), and Rajkummar Rao’s (Paul Smith) suit material.

Hits

Ranveer Brar

Shaana Levy-Bahl and Uraaz Bahl

Very neat, very elegant, both Ranveer Brar and Uraaz Bahl. Btw, have you guys checked out the video of the fairytale wedding that Shaana and Uraaz had? If not, drop everything and do it now — you will not regret it.

Troy Costa

A nicely tailored quirky suit, topped off with a gorgeous pocket square by Troy Costa on Troy Costa — what’s not to like, aye? But I do wish there was no window of white flashing through the jacket.

Sunil Sethi

The FDCI president, Sunil Sethi, is schooling us on how to do quirky here — and my, what a fine dandy he is. My hat is well and truly off, sir.

Akshay Oberoi in John Varvatos and Louis Leeman

While I’m digging Akshay Oberoi‘s fashion forward get-up, I have some quibbles with it: I wish he opted for a regular tee instead of henleys and a crisp white pocket square done up in a presidential fold (or none at all). The one he had on was too close in hue to the henleys, so it didn’t add to the look. Those gold cap-toe hi-tops (by Louis Leeman) though were proper show-stoppers!

Dino Morea in Sahil Aneja

This is outstanding. And brownie points for the Alexander McQueen (?) slippers, Dino Morea.

Imran Khan in Tom Ford, Zegna, Charles Tyrwhitt and Cheaney

Clad in Tom Ford suit separates, Zegna shirt, Charles Tyrwhitt repp tie and Cheaney shoes, Imran Khan was impossibly dapper — as always. Never change, Imran, never.

Who was your favorite?

Pix: Viral Bhayani for MissMalini.com

First posted here: Hot Or Not: See All The Style From GQ’s Best-Dressed Awards!

Imran Khan in Tom Ford, Zegna, Kent Wang and Church’s

One to never pass on an opportunity to give a reverential nod to the elegant dressing of a bygone age, Imran Khan was no different at the Katti Batti trailer launch. Clad in a Tom Ford suit, Zegna shirt, Kent Wang tie and Church’s shoes, he looked like he walked straight out of a Cary Grant mise en scène. But friends, I’m not going to leave it at that today — please allow me to spell it out to you why this is such a masterful look.

Imran Khan

The blue-and-white stripes and the maroon played nicely off one another. That coupled with the subtle texture of the grenadine tie provided enough visual intrigue to the look. For the uninitiated, grenadine ties are woven from a high-twist silk yarn, so they have a slight texture as opposed to the regular silk ties. They typically come in solid colours, banking on their distinct texture to make the wearer stand out, perhaps.

Imran Khan

Note also how the broad tie balances the wide lapels of the suit jacket. Yeah guys, the pesky logic of proportion comes into play when it comes to choosing a tie to go with your suit. If your suit has slim lapels, you go for a svelte tie. If it has wide lapels like Imran’s here, you go for something more substantial than the skinny tie.

Imran Khan in Church’s co-respondent shoes

All very well, but what took this look to stratospheric levels were the shoes. Friends, pay special attention to his footwear — they are not just ordinary brogues but ones with an interesting backstory. Wanna know?

Imran Khan

They are called co-respondent shoes, and in the 1930s, a pair of these would be left outside a hotel room as a signal that adultery was being committed inside. At that time, a divorce required one partner to have been unfaithful, so hanging out those two-tone semi-brogues meant the person was gagging to be caught in the act. The term “co-respondent” was used to describe the third party in the ensuing divorce case — and that’s how those shoes got their name. And the flashy nature of the brogues made it easy to convince the court the wearer was an utter bounder!

Imran Khan

But nowadays, the co-respondent shoes speak of the wearer’s style quotient, that he is a man of good taste and unparalleled knowledge of all things sartorial. Guys, I can’t recommend a pair of these enough. Throw them on with your sedate ensembles and they would decidedly perk up your look.

PS. Geeky tidbit: those shoes that Imran is wearing are a limited edition replica of a model Church’s had originally made in the 1930s.

PPS. Have you caught the Katti Batti trailer yet? Just how good is it looking, non?

First posted here: Here’s A Crash Course In Imran Khan’s Jazzy Shoes That Have Left Us Drooling!