Connoisseur of style he is in the way Ajay chooses to wear his clothes and accessories. He wears a 80's Levi's inspired coloured and bleached washed Denim trucker jacket over a classic white v-neck T.

He pairs it up with a pair of mid blue coloured distress washed denim in a carrot fit with rolled-up bottoms that draws your attention to his light brown leather dress shoes, worn without socks.

With a leather bracelet and a watch, aviators tucked in his T, and a fabulous Hawaiian-floral printed pocket square, the connoisseur is good to go!

Ajay Kumar

Facial hair for men has seen a resurgence in the fashion world and face-scaping or taking care of your mo-beard has become almost an Art form that men all over the world are re-discovering and taking crash courses in. It totally depends on you, your face cut and the gift of facial hair you have grown up with, to figure out what you can do with it. It takes a whole lot of confidence to wear a full grown-neatly trimmed beard and the carefully tended mustaches the way Ajay does, the connoisseur style!

 

Street Style Diaries Mumbai - Jagvir Matharoo

Brace yourself

Style is spontaneous, true but spontaneity is something a few are blessed with.

Suspenders, the elastic bands originally meant to hold up a gentleman's trousers before belts came into existence, have though lost on the purpose, have gained their fashion appeal and are a great choice when you can't decide on a belt to wear. They are a must-have fashion accessory for your wardrobe and it works equally well for both sexes. 

Jagvir Matharoo uses his pair in black with a double clasp in leather, to spruce-up his otherwise casual monochrome white shirt-beige pair of chinos. Choosing to go sans belt he uses the braces, a formal jacket slung casually on his sling bag and a pair of black leather oxford dress shoes to transition from casual to formal setting. This is the spontaneity I am talking about, I totally dig what he has done with a printed scarf worn as a turban, adding so much color and character to his personality!

Jagvir Matharoo

The fairer sex have always indulged in a bit of role play where elements from Menswear have inspired fashion movements and led to emergence of terms like Power -Dressing! Suspenders are an ideal item to include when you want to indulge in a bit of Androgyny in your dressing. A very feminine lace edged camisole top is paired with a pair of black skinnies and a pair of ballet flats in black edged with red. A pair of braces in Camel color bring in the masculine association to the ensemble and make the look Woman Power! 

The dark kohl in the eyes just makes it more fierce!

Street Style Diaries Mumbai- Esha Agarwal

Your smile is the best accessory on you!

There is a freshness to this comfortable look, that makes you long for relaxing walk in the park/by the sea on wet sand or simply lounging by the pool or catching up with a friend over coffee.

Achieved by a simple mix of three different pieces, a heavy washed denim shirt casually worn open over a horizontal stripe patterned T paired with a pair of paisley printed lounge pants in turquoise and ocher. Adore the comfort with which she has mixed patterns in her cool casual style.

Slippers are the best footwear when you just want to feel the green grass under your feet or dip them in the water.

Esha Agarwal- Graphic Artist

Street Style Diaries Mumbai -San D

Shy at first, San D agreed to pose for me and let me capture her interesting street style. 

She wears a white sleeveless T over a pair of black jeggings and a comfortable pair of black oxford shoes. The most interesting piece in the ensemble is however the draped-knotted asymmetric top that she wears  over her white T. The print on the hem catches your attention, almost animated calligraphic cats, in black, in various charming positions.

Her accessories are minimal and understated and she carries a tote with a jute base and canvas body with blanket stitched edged.

Much like the cats, shy, charming and sophisticated San D cuts an elegant figure.

San D

Street Style Diaries Mumbai - Nikhil

Nikhil caught my attention amidst a friendly banter, chilling out with a group of his friends, enjoying every sip of his cutting chai. 

He wears this singlet in a grey melange with an over-sized shirt over a pair of multi-pocket drop crotch pants. The orange Dastar (turban), thick rimmed black frames on his eyes, a horn earring. The camouflage patterned waist-pouch and a pair of aged high-top red converse add color to his appearance.

There is something quite Rastafarian about Nikhil's personality, think reggae music and Bob Marley, and its not too hard to imagine dreadlocks under the uniquely tied orange turban. 

I have always admired cultural uniqueness in attire that every part of this country brings and appreciate it when someone balances tradition and modernity, Nikhil does that!

 

Nikhil  runs a small Kitchen called "Parronthe" off Carter road.

Street Style Diaries Mumbai- Anushree

I noticed Anushree for the way she mixed her pieces an styled herself. She wears this washed denim shirt paired with a Grecian maxi skirt with high slit on one side, in black. This combination works perfectly for a casual day with friends or to be out on the streets, or perhaps shopping. She chooses a comfortable pair of footwear with an ethnic pattern that adds some more color. The mix of her neck pieces and a bracelet, I'm guessing her own given that she is a jewelry designer, is interesting and just the right thing to do. The accessories lift her whole look and make it casual-chic.

Dark kohl outlines her beautiful eyes.  

Anushree-Jewelry Designer

Street Style Diaries Mumbai

There is something about the preppy look that has an air of smugness that comes from a privileged life of a legacy kid, an Ivy league education, at the same time is representative of a refined taste, casual, sporty and stylish way of life.

Popularised by designers such as Ralph Lauren in both his namesake label and Polo by Ralph Lauren and by Michael Bastian for GANT and brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, this heritage American/English preppy look is revised and updated with regularity for the modern man.

The white oxford shirt is paired with a sporty white and blue plaids for a casual pair of flat front trousers. The  perfectly matched aged brown leather belt, watch strap and shoes are accessories add the much required vintage element. The spectacles complete the updated classic look.   

Street Style Diaries Mumbai- Ashita Misquita

Bold New Look

There is a bold NEW LOOK in town, the casual pant suit seen on Ashita Misquita. 

Slated as the hottest colour this season, Tangerine is a color that spells danger and aggression, coming from the family of reds, and specially for an entire ensemble in it; you have to give it away to Ashita for totally making it work. 

She wears this single button suit, yet everything about this suit is unconventional. It is tailored in crisp cotton, that almost works like a summer top-pants pairing. The sleeves are casually folded up like you would a shirt sleeve. Even though it functions like a top, it comes with all the details of a jacket, the lapels, the welt pockets on the waist and not-to-miss the ticket pocket. She chooses to pair it with mid-calf-length Culotte pants, another of her sartorial choices that make this look stand out. Normally one would wear a suit with fitted tailored pants, and even ankle grazing lengths quite popular, but this new cut and length is leg elongating and flattering. Culottes demand to be worn with heels and Ashita does that with a pair in ecru, only other color on her along with a watch wrap bracelet to match.

  

The mid-parted dark locks, the nose-pin and the single anklet add the feminine touch to this sans-makeup-glowing-skin look that is powerful, extroverted and uninhibited.

Much like the fruit, what a refreshing look this is!

Ashita Misquita

Style Diaries Mumbai- Devyani Singh

It was contextual in the Julia Roberts movie Runaway Bride in 1999, but since then, combining dresses with sneakers has been increasingly acceptable pairing. Effortlessly cool and propagated by the singer Lily Allen, a British recording artist and endorsed by many-a-celebrity,like Rihanna, Alexa Chung, Kristen Stewart and Diane Kruger, they are universally trendy. Devyani follows the mantra of 'Comfort is Cool' and wears a textured cotton maxi dress in a lavender-ash with lace inserts in white and combines it with high-top black sneakers. 

She finishes her look with a tonal silk scarf with baroque motif on it. With minimal day make-up, a pendant and a bracelet, Devyani is perfect example of casual-chic.  

Devyani Singh

Street Style Diaries Mumbai- Prasad Ramamurthy

I have known Prasad Ramamurthy for a while now. He is one of the few men with an inherent style, in my opinion, understated and elegant, indigenous and yet global.

Running into each other, at times planned and others unplanned, I've always found him impeccably dressed up or dressed down for the occasion. 

Indian culture and ethos is something that he wears with pride, and that gives a unique flavor to his personality. 

Here he is seen wearing a Churidaar and Kurta. The unusual DOG print is what I noticed on the shortish Kurta on an equally unusual yet complementary hemline and it totally works!

Prasad opts to wear the quintessentially Indian footwear, the Mojris.  A glimpse of the royal Rajasthan is what i see with those chunky silver kundals in his ears and his attire.......he is a traveller.

You would soon be a seeing a whole feature on him in my series of 5 days 5 looks 1 Pal.

Prasad Ramamurthy

As we celebrate Diwali, light up your hearts and let your close-ones bask in the glow.

Be sensitive to nature and your environment.......share light, curb the noise and pollution.

Let the fireworks be in the hearts....brighten up the world......Happy Diwali!