When it comes to attending evening dos, I have realised one thing - women in India are more appropriately dressed than men ever are. I always thought that men can never be termed ‘complete' when it comes to their sartorial sensibilities, but women surely can. Case in point?
Take, for instance, the evening wear for both men and women. In an Indian woman's closet, there are saris, salwar kameezes, pant suits, dresses and in most cases cocktail gowns. Every single bit of these garments is fit for an evening function. And one gets to see in a gathering a fair sprinkling of each of these outfits under one roof at any given point in time. The incomplete man
And what about the guy often termed as the ‘Complete Man'. Well, he has his regular two or three button jackets (these days one hardly gets to see doublebreasted jackets on men) and a few bandhgalas. That's it. No tux please, we are Indians! Tucked away
Perhaps the demand for tuxedos is so less that one doesn't get to see them even at the most well known brand outlets. Tuxedos are the smartest and the most impressive style statements for formal evenings when it comes to a man's western attire. Tuxedos basically come in three lapel styles - Notch, Peak and Shawl lapels. On a detailed note
In a Notch lapel, a triangular indentation is cut where the lapel joins the collar whereas in a Peak lapel, a broad, V-shaped lapel is seen pointed upwards and just out under the collars. A Shawl lapel, on the other hand, is a smooth rounded lapel with no cuts. All tux lapels come in satin and most jackets come with no vents. Fabrics used to make tuxedos are in Premium Super 100s. One can wear pleated (tucks) shirts with self top collars or normal collars with a bow tie. A Cummerbund is not always an absolute must. The point is just that a man's wardrobe is not complete without a tux. This is certainly not to say that those who don't have tuxedos (er... I don't have one either) should have a reason to feel a notch below the one who has it, and flaunts it when the occasion demands it. Centre of attention
It was only a couple of days ago that I attended a dinner at The Imperial hotel hosted by Chanel. Every single one came dressed for the occasion and the dress code for the evening was ‘Elegant' Saris, dresses, tweed jackets, salwar kameezes and many men in many different suit styles - three buttons, two buttons, narrow lapels, classic lapels, neckties, open collars and one in a tux. He surely stood out in the crowd. Yes, tux makes you stand out!
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