Suit up this Diwali with Kunal Rawal's tips: Opt for metallic shades, try layering of outfits

Rawal suggests men should experiment with layering or tone-on-tone combinations.

By Shannon Tellis, ET Bureau | Oct 24, 2019, 07.09 PM IST

Layering and tone-on tone are two trends that men should experiment with this season, says leading menswear designer Kunal Rawal.

Ill-fitted garments or silhouettes, metallic shine and over-accessorizing are some popular festive trends that designer Kunal Rawal cautions men to stay away from this Diwali.

“During any celebration time, whether it’s a party or a puja, comfort is very important and ill-fitted clothes or silhouettes don’t really cater to that thought,” said Rawal. “Men should also stay away from outfits with a lot of metallic shine. Just because it’s Diwali doesn’t mean you should dress completely out of personality.”

Instead, Rawal suggests men should experiment with layering or tone-on-tone combinations.

Layer it up
“Layering is a trend that most men don’t experiment with and it’s such a smart way to multitask with your wardrobe. Today, with the kind of life we live, we try to pack lot of social outings and events into a single day. So it’s important to have a versatile wardrobe where you can create multiple looks with the same garments.”

Aside from being easier on the pocket, Rawal believes that layering and experimenting with different individual pieces can offer exciting new silhouettes. “When you experiment with your own individual pieces and explore different ways to wear it, I think the outfit turns out a lot more like you.”

Keep it clean and tonal
For those unsure about experimenting with layers, Rawal recommends keeping it clean and simple i.e, keep your kurta hems not too flashy and stick to one colour scheme. “I prefer my inner kurtas a little shorter than the outer so that the inside kurta doesn’t look like an outer and so that the layering comes together.”

Another way to pull the layering look together is to keep it tonal, especially if one of the pieces is bright.

“Don’t let any individual kurta or any individual piece stand out too strong unless you’re planning it as a look. A good way to do a layered look is to keep them in the same colour but have different tones or use tones that complement each other. For example, if you’re going for a really bright colour like teal or red, then let the outer kurta be red and clean up the rest of your look. Let your inner kurta be black, your churidaar or slim pants be black and so on so forth.”

The long and short of it

Another trend that’s in vogue according to Rawal is shorter hems. “It’s something that works wells for the world we live in. It modernizes traditional wear and also works for our body type. So kurtas and jackets with shorter hems. I foresee nothing below the knee. I think mid-thigh is a length that works a lot.”

Style files
One trend that men should experiment with is tone-on-tone and a bit more threadwork rather than a metallic sheen or glitter.

A Diwali outfit that goes easily from day to night is a mid-thigh kurta shirt and pant with a layer on top for the night like a bandi or a jacket. When accessorizing for Diwali, remember to not overdo it. Let one garment / element / accessory in your look stand out and clean up the rest.

Diwali Gifting 101: Gourmet Hampers That Will Brighten Up Your Diwali

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Diwali is just around the corner and shiny, glossy gift options are crowding markets.

However, the horde of options can often leave you confused about which one to pick and which one to skip.

Festive gifts often end up in a pile of boxes to be passed on, entering a never-ending cycle of regifting.

How then do you pick something that promises to impress?

Well, this Diwali, ditch the age-old chocolate box and common, done-to-death gifts. We’ve rounded up our choice of offbeat, gourmet hampers that are so good, that no one would even think about regifting them.