The first day in college is always the best and also the hardest. After roughly 14 years of toiling through school in the same old uniform, with the same old people, college is like a breath of fresh air. New people, a new environment, and most importantly a new you. Nobody knows you here as of yet and this sets the stage for you to redefine yourself, your person and also make a mark, because like they say, the first impression is more often than not the last!

But women and men in their college years, find this to be quite a challenge. If they do intend to make a mark, they more often than not have to shed a fortune. Or so it seems. But having grouped the said problem on similar grounds, the problem of being able to stand out is more apparent in men than women. This is because men’s clothing and what they can wear to college is limited to t-shirts, jeans, chinos and shirts, whereas women have a wider array to choose from. Now with this limitation, men find it much more difficult to look their best.

Now, here is where ingenuity coupled economics came into play.

In India, men cannot hope to be comfortable following European fashion, meant for a colder climate, nor are they very economical. So, what can an Indian man do? He can improvise on what he has, and that is use his climate to his advantage.
Two of the most primary trends among men now is experimenting with hair and beard styles.

• The hair has gone through a series of style changes, the latest being the man bun and the overgrown, but also well groomed beard. A range of grooming products are available in the market, rather economically priced, giving men the liberty to groom their mane with ease, simplicity and also economically. Now one does not have to run to the barber and spend a sum, every time he has to fix his beard. He can do that from the comfort of his home. And then to suit his face structure and beard, there is an array of hairstyles to choose from. The aforementioned man bun being the latest, the other styles such as the undercut, the faux hawk and the like are still in vogue.
• Now that being the first stage of a “mantastic” look, the second is what to wear. Now when it comes to the rich, brands are what define them. Or so the less fortunate believe. But no matter where you fall on the monetary strata, a sense of choice and style is what sets the eye turners apart from the disasters, no matter how expensive your clothes are.
• To elucidate further on that, let me relate a story. I once attended a party quite some time back. There I was reacquainted with two old school friends. Now, both of them came dressed for the occasion. One had a beautiful blue shirt with simple floral prints and black trousers on, which he coupled with a pair of sober boots.
• The other guy contrastingly wore a pair of black trousers and white shoes, which he coupled with a shirt which made him look more like a party decoration, rather than a guest.
• But the difference to be noticed here is that, the neatly dressed man, bought all that he was wearing on a sale off the internet, whereas the decorative human Rudolf bought his prized shirt from a famous luxury designer store. One turned eyes while the other attracted awkward stares.
• The basic point to be noticed here is simple. Clothes do not always have to be expensive to make a mark. One needs to couple what he is wearing to his own self and have a sense of fashion. He must be able to carry himself and be comfortable in what he wears, and that is when he attracts attention and looks desirable.

But as a rough guide, what is the trend followed by “fashionistas” is India nowadays?

Now being more of a tropical country, with most of the sub-continent, feeling the heat almost all year long, men look best in sober colours. Light colours, pastels, floral prints, flamingo prints,checks and so on. Couple a sober, solid coloured t-shirt with a pair of mid-rise, well fit jeans, simple coloured chinos or shorts, and a pair of matching shoes and walk out with sunglasses as according to one’s face structure, although rounds are quite in vogue.

On your wrist wear a watch with a big dial and do not forget to sprinkle some decent cologne on you (do not overdo it) before you set out. They say a man is complete if he smells as good as he looks. Your shoes and the cologne you wear will make you quite a trendsetter, but the ground rule stays the same. Never overdo it.

This has been the driving rule of all fashion conscious Indian men, to dress according to the weather and to dress simple, be comfortable and be sure make it sober. Solid whites, blacks and blues, peach and darker shades of green and lighter shades of brown are some of the most preferred colours when it comes to the upper body, and blue, blacks, whites and many more lighter sober colours for the bottom.

And also when winter comes knocking, be sure to not follow Hollywood. It snows at places in the west and that is the reason they wear fur or mink. Unless you live high up in the mountains, try not to dress up like an eskimo. It isn’t the brightest idea. Simple jackets, sweatshirts and if it gets really chilly, a padded jacket, but then, just leave it at that, unless you’d like Ripley’s to cover you.

Fashion trends change frequently in this day and age, given the tremendous development in the fashion industry. But with all new fashion comes cheaper alternatives allowing one and all to reap the harvest. All one needs to do is keep his beard groomed, his hair kempt and his eyes open for simple, sober clothes which will enrich one’s personality, and make you look your best.