Grey is the new black

CHENNAI: We live in a society where, traditionally, it’s only the women who are expected to take time to groom themselves, put on makeup and look good. Men are not expected to take care and are even known to be judged if they did take a little extra care of themselves. But this is a culture that is well on its way out, making image consultant, stylist and fashion columnist Yatan Ahluwalia a happy man.While here in the city to give the staff at the Apollo Group of Hospitals a grooming and styling session, he says in near disbelief, “You won’t believe it, but some of the men I work with haven’t even heard of a deodorant.” Ahluwalia insists that grooming is especially important for men because they cannot camouflage their flaws with makeup. “This is why skin care is so important. What you see is what you get when it comes to men,” points out Yatan, who is the director of Mumbai-based Y&E Style Media Pvt Ltd.And being well groomed is what will open doors at the work place, he promises. “People judge you by what you wear. The minute you walk into a board room or a meeting, they look at what you’re wearing,” he explains. Without worrying about sounding shallow, he adds with confidence, “Even at job interviews, you have a better shot at getting the job if you’re well dressed and groomed.” But when he says well dressed, he doesn’t necessarily mean uncomfortable suits. “Men don’t have to wear suits to work all the time to look neat and well dressed. Linen shirts with trousers are perfect, especially for summer,” he says. “Light fabrics and shades are in this season. Grey (anything from light grey to charcoal) is definitely the new black. Men are beginning to wear more pastels this season.” With Facebook and Apple founders Mark Zuckerburg and Steve Jobs creating a revolution with their informal work wear (Zuckerburg wears only flip flops, even to meetings!), Yatan says there is no harm in wearing a good pair of jeans with a nice shirt to work. “It also depends on the kind of work you are in and if you can pull it off,” he says. “The jeans can’t be ripped or worn out,” he points out. The biggest mistake that Indian men make is buying clothes that are a size too big for them, says Yatan. “Clothes won’t look good on you unless they fit right. I ask people to buy clothes that are either a size smaller or their actual size,” he says before adding, “You don’t have to have the body of a model to pull it off. When I say well-fit, I don’t mean uncomfortably tight.”