So, you have an official meeting or a formal party...what do you wear? A suit... thats the answer. Men dont seem to have any other option. But speaking from an Indian point of view and taking into consideration the tropical kind of climate here...why would anybody want to wear an extra layer of clothing when its already hot out there. Rationality says you shouldnt but still I see people wearing coats in summer despite the 40 something temperature. Enough to prove that humans are not rational minds after all.
The worst to bear this brunt are the corporate guys and lawyers. Unki rag rag men coat(read suit) basa hota hai. I feel wearing a coat in summer is the height of stupidity. Thats the reason I have always looked down at people wearing coats in peak summer (winter its still ok).
I have always preferred to wear a kurta pyjama as a formal attire but there was a time when I was to be interviewed by some top notch corporate guy and on the suggestion of a friend...wore a suit for the interview. Obviously I had to tell everybody around...could you put on the a/c ...its hot!.
But do we have an option. There is no other way to look formal. A simple formal shirt isnt considered formal enough in many scenarios.
Thats why millions of Indians go that way. The neck tie is another such story by the way...extremely irrelevant for India...but yet the easiest way to be formal is to wear a tie. I am glad some progressive schools have now banned it.
One thing that has gone in favour of the suit is that the usage of air conditioners in India has increased and thus you could afford to wear a suit in you air conditioned office or car. But still for God sake...its summer.
I had at some time contemplated putting a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) to stop this inhumanity. Imagine a sales guy wearing a tie and suit...running after a bus. All lawyers are subject to this humanity by wearing neck ties or something similar right in the Supreme Court.
Anyhow, I was travelling in the metro the other day and saw a gentleman wearing the safari suit. Now thats something hard to find these days. Its probably left to some old government clerks or business people to wear. I can remember the scene from the film Bunti and Babli, where Abhishek Bacchan wears the safari suit and sells the Taj Mahal.
Reading up about the Safari suit on the net was joy. With origins in Asia, perhaps Australia, designed to go on a safari and with multiple pockets, it became a city thing and had become a rage in the 1970's and 80's in India. As an article said:
The worst to bear this brunt are the corporate guys and lawyers. Unki rag rag men coat(read suit) basa hota hai. I feel wearing a coat in summer is the height of stupidity. Thats the reason I have always looked down at people wearing coats in peak summer (winter its still ok).I have always preferred to wear a kurta pyjama as a formal attire but there was a time when I was to be interviewed by some top notch corporate guy and on the suggestion of a friend...wore a suit for the interview. Obviously I had to tell everybody around...could you put on the a/c ...its hot!.
But do we have an option. There is no other way to look formal. A simple formal shirt isnt considered formal enough in many scenarios.
Thats why millions of Indians go that way. The neck tie is another such story by the way...extremely irrelevant for India...but yet the easiest way to be formal is to wear a tie. I am glad some progressive schools have now banned it.
One thing that has gone in favour of the suit is that the usage of air conditioners in India has increased and thus you could afford to wear a suit in you air conditioned office or car. But still for God sake...its summer.
I had at some time contemplated putting a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) to stop this inhumanity. Imagine a sales guy wearing a tie and suit...running after a bus. All lawyers are subject to this humanity by wearing neck ties or something similar right in the Supreme Court.Anyhow, I was travelling in the metro the other day and saw a gentleman wearing the safari suit. Now thats something hard to find these days. Its probably left to some old government clerks or business people to wear. I can remember the scene from the film Bunti and Babli, where Abhishek Bacchan wears the safari suit and sells the Taj Mahal.
Reading up about the Safari suit on the net was joy. With origins in Asia, perhaps Australia, designed to go on a safari and with multiple pockets, it became a city thing and had become a rage in the 1970's and 80's in India. As an article said:
"The 70s and 80s saw the reign of the safari. In fact, one would see both a clerk and his managing director wearing a safari." - http://www.dnaindia.com/speak-up/report-rise-and-fall-of-the-safari-suit-1072575
Another remarkable must read article on the safari suit is here - http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/south-asia/hail-the-safari-suit-vanished-symbol-of-modern-india
Though I also don't look at it as something fashionable these days but I think it was perhaps the best way to look formal or something like that for a country with a climate like India. At least you wear only a single layer and over that its a half sleeve suit.
May be our designers need to reinvent the safari suit and give an option to the 'slaves' we are to the Western fashion with origins in cold climate countries. I know there are numerous designers from India doing great on the fashion scene. Kuch to karo bhai.
I saw this interesting website which sells safari suits...exclusively. Check out http://safarisuits.biz/ I am putting an image from their website...Doesnt it look cool.
