Modi to SRK: Why fashion matters a little more than you think

Fashion is not just a personal whim or idiosyncrasy. It is a marker of economic and social status as well as aspirations. It does not tell us who you are, but who you think you are and who you want to be. Public dressing over ages has been a marker of proficiency and conformity and etches an image in time nurturing credibility, creating a "brand" which, actually, is not a modern phenomenon. A popular style or practice goes a long way in making a social and cultural impact. Public figures also communicate through the way they dress and some have been quite successful.

A look at few public figures who managed to win us over with their style:

Narendra Modi

"Clothes maketh the man". Atleast, in Modi’s case, it’s true. Even his bitterest opponents will concede that our PM has a distinct sense of style. Though the signature pinstriped suit was a spectacular disaster, the half-sleeve Modi Kurta is a famous choice among all age groups like the Nehru jacket.

Modi chooses his headgear and scarves very carefully and that works as a competent communication device in the public domain. He likes watches and is quite a brand maniac, mostly seen doning Bvlgari shades and a Movado watch. For a man who is so good at branding, he sports a look that vouches for that strategy. His kurtas, jackets and scarves are very chic and individualistic - like he projects himself. His dressing sense carries his "campaign" attitude. He dresses to have followers. His choice of colour palattes, decorative turbans, and the traditional blend with a pinch of modern suave style pleases all and projects his new found love for being neutral - neither left nor right. He keeps everyone happy.

Shobhaa De

Like they say, "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety". Shobhaa De is the perfect visual bookmarker for this thought. She isn’t scared to make youthful choices while ageing on the other front.

She is uninhibited in what she wears, be it a sari or a western dress. Her contours appear as a character. She carries the feet of being contemporary. Her sense of freedom reflects in her dressing and makes her public self very approachable. She is the evergreen cosmopolitan woman who refuses to give up on age. Her sense of style, like her work, protests against the usual and popular. She may not please all but she dares to write and wear what she wants.

With the dramatic drapes in silk and chiffons, the bold jewellery and the quick switch to up the glamorous quotient, she keeps you thinking. She refuses to age.

Chetan Bhagat

Chetan Bhagat is a youth icon for many fortunate and unfortunate reasons. The colours, ties and sneakers cultivate a persona carefully crafted.

He tries to say, “I am one of you!”, or even better, “I am you!” He constantly tries to ensure the reader identifies with him. His growth reflects in the way he dresses and conducts himself. He seems to be fitting in the youthful bracket with his constantly evolving image and personality. He wears what’s in vogue and fits the celebrity chart. We might soon come across a fashion column from the over-enthusiastic writer. His latest work, Half Girlfriend, inspired designer Masaba Gupta’s collection of sarees. From the effortless casual dresser, he has become quite a party-poser dresser. His style evolution from the regular t-shirts to velvet bandhgalas has done wonders for his gullible writer’s image.

Smriti Irani

Smriti Irani never gave up the "ideal Indian bahu, Tulsi" image. Her public and private styles seem to be nuanced and different.

The oversized persona is well pulled by her unlike some others who really avoid the "keep it easy" look she must project. The classic librarian look seems to work for her. The saris, the bangles, the colours, everything works well for what she wants to be and takes her ahead of others. No handbags. She is the modern Indian woman who doesn’t care about the curves. All said and done, Fab India adores her. The self-made look, the big dial watches, the big easy drapes make her very approachable and sorted. The traditional mangalsutra, the bindi, all work for her image and secure a strong identity - she intimidates and influences the onlookers. Smriti Irani is the emerging Indian middle-class woman, the protected beauty.

Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan is generally never over-dressed or underdressed.

The actor, who was mostly spotted wearing his black suit, seems to be getting very conscious of him as a brand and that reflects in his dressing. Though he was earlier unable to create this distinctive sense of style, he dresses keeping his upcoming films in mind and that sells very well - just like his films. He celebrates his looks and roles in what he wears and promotes his characters in the public domain. Shah Rukh Khan isn’t unpredictable and that works for him, which is very unlikely in fashion. His persona precedes his style as it is independent. Style doesn’t alter him, he becomes the style. We have to give this one to King Khan.