Arjun Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan and Mohit Marwah on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
The boys!

The ladies might have underwhelmed on Day 1 of this year’s Chivas Studio, but the menfolk…! Anything but uninteresting they were with their sartorial choices. Wanna know how they fared?

Imaad Shah on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Imaad Shah

My favourite look of the night came courtesy of Naseeruddin & Ratna Pathak Shah’s eldest, Imaad, who came to catch his lady, Saba Azaad, in Strangers in the Night. The dreadlocks… those windowpane trousers… that waistcoat… those battered shoes… the eyewear… The boy’s got swagger like Jagger! FYI, Imaad will soon be seen in Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist; and I’d totally recommend this wonderfully wacky indie film called Little Zizou that he’s in 🙂

Kunal Rawal on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Kunal Rawal

Another outfit I really, really liked, was of costume designer/stylist Kunal Rawal. He stood out – and in a jaunty way! – in his black kurta suit complete with waistcoat and… blue hybradrilles (hybrid espadrille, i.e. :-p). How cool’s the kurta-hybradrille combo??? Guys, try it sometime!

Imran Khan on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Imran Khan

And then there was Imran Khan. Looking at him is exhausting me out. Just how long did he take to put that look together… So much going on out there… The contrast club collar shirt with micro-gingham print (custom-made, apparently)… seersucker jacket with elbow patches (from Zara)… burgundy repp tie… the pocket square… the suede double monks (from Santoni)… and the ugly belt that doesn’t even match with his shoes, and hence is a sartorial faux-pas. Guys, this is what happens when you obsess over your clothes and is servile to fashion − just don’t! Yeah, Imran’s sartorial choices are just so contrived and age-inappropriate; gotta say, he’s Sonam Kapoor’s male counterpart. Okay, I take it that Imaad and Kunal’s ensemble need a certain personality to pull off, but there was…

Varun Dhawan & Sana Saeed on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Varun Dhawan (& Sana Saeed, FYI)

Varun Dhawan, who’s in the same age group as Imran − and looked so crisp and sprightly at once. Don’t be fooled by the classic ensemble; it’s very hip, in fact. The slim lapels continue to be trendy, and I loved that he kept the proportions in mind and opted for a slim tie. The snug fit of the suit was very age-appropriate, and the pocket square neatly folded in the Presidential-style gave the look the requisite formal touch. It’s a well thought-out outfit, actually – but manages the tricky feat of coming across as effortless. Very impressed I’m with Varun… or his stylist :-p

Shruti Seth & Danish Aslam on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Shruti Seth & Danish Aslam

Actually, Imran could take a style tip − or ten! – from his mate, director Danish Aslam, on how to get that hip, insouciant put-together look. Yeah, I liked what Danish’s wearing; he looks cool in that trainers-waistcoat-tartan get-up.

Sidharth Malhotra on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Sidharth Malhotra

Sidharth Malhotra scrubbed up well, too! The contrast collar shirt added some intrigue to the classic ensemble. And those shoes… swoonsome! And oh, special mention for his deft pocket square-folding skills 😉 Nice one, Sidharth. The peak lapel dinner suit, could’ve been a tad better fitted, though – but that’s me playing hard.

Boman Irani & family on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Boman Irani & family

Boman Irani was oh-so-dapper! Such a shame about the trouser length, which needed to go up an inch, ‘cos he’s done a jolly good job with the pocket square, which many fail to. Not to take away from Boman’s efforts, but no stylish gentleman should be seen in light suits after sunset.

Karan Johar & Shakun Batra on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Karan Johar & Shakun Batra

K.Jo! When will you learn to get your trouser hems right? And oh, we need to be BFFs pronto, so that I can stop you from buying tacky stuff, like this belt you have on, and to smack you every time you pout like a queen. Spiffy dinner jacket, btw 😉

Mohit Marwah on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Mohit Marwah

Oh, how I wished Mohit Marwah kept the top button of his two-button suit done-up. It would’ve concealed the fit issues of the suit and given him a sharp silhouette. Guys, I can’t stress enough how big a difference doing up the top button does to your appearance. #neverleaveitundone

Arjun Kapoor on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Arjun Kapoor

I gotta take major points off Arjun Kapoor for those hideous shoes! Also, the fit of the suit could’ve been snugger. Yeah, he should’ve done way better: it’s not catastrophically bad, but it’s not great either.

Rohit Bal & Rahul Dev on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Rohit Bal & Rahul Dev

Someone needed to hand Rohit Bal a trumpet so he could join the rest of his band baaja gang! Okay, the jacket is not all that bad, it just needed to be paired with trousers which were anything but shiny. And Rahul Dev, keep up your eclectic sense of style – it’s very distinct and I like it! #anotherstylishrahul

Punit Malhotra on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Punit Malhotra
Sanjay Kapoor & Arshad Warsi on Day 1 of Chivas Studio 2012
Sanjay Kapoor & Arshad Warsi

Punit Malhotra, why those sloppy jeans? Thank your marbles that Sanjay Kapoor and Arshad Warsi were there, wearing those revolting pointy-toe boots, or else you’d have been the worst dressed male of the night!

SO, friends, whose style you liked the best? Do let us know!

Pix: Yogen Shah for MissMalini.