These fashion designers look effortlessly stylish. How?

Masaba Gupta

I have a clear division between day and night dressing. At work, I dress for a calm mind so that I can concentrate. So, no fitted, body-hugging clothes. I have 10 shirts with different cuts, cuffs and collars that I dress up and down, depending on my mood. For evenings, I try to get out of my comfort zone. I would wear a blazer with a veshti (dhoti) or a satin dress with a boxy blazer. I will do a bodysuit with parachute pants and boots. My style is a mix of sporty and androgynous but never uber feminine. Even when I travel, I pack three white shirts and a trench coat. They are such classic garments that can be played up and down to create that effortless look.

Divya Mishra

Effortless style is all about maintaining a balance. I would wear, for example, a plain turtleneck with a colourful pencil skirt when I am in Paris to give that chic Parisian look that’s also comfortable and weather-friendly. When I’m with my karigars at the factory, you will find me in chikan kurtas, jeans and Birkenstocks. If I’m at a formal event, I will wear statement jewellery with a plain dress. Or if my sari is, say, a tissue gold one, then I will go for small studs or nothing at all. When you work in an industry where everyone is decked up, it’s easy to get swayed into looking a certain way. But I stick to my guns, because that’s how you stand apart.
 

Raghavendra Rathore

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I have a strong boarding school hangover. We would be pulled up for not having a garter, so that classic way of dressing has remained with me. You will never find me without a waistcoat in summer and a bandhgala in winter—it’s a certain discipline I follow when it comes to styling myself. At office, it’s mostly a plain T-shirt with comfy pants from, maybe, Uniqlo. Outside it’s either a white or coloured shirt with a complementary colourful waistcoat, since it’s warm right now. I don’t wear oversized clothes because I like garments that fit closer to my body. A good, effortless look has to come from how an outfit is cut, rather than the embellishment.

Jatin Malik

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My approach can be best described as method in madness. I will have a hero piece in my outfit—it can be ballerinas, a sleeveless trench, a handcuff or a pendant. Like the other day, I was wearing a simple white T-shirt and then pasted a fun sticker on it which I found somewhere. Sometimes when I want to highlight my dress watch (a Cartier with a black leather strap), I will ensure the cuff of my sleeve complements the timepiece. So, the fold of the cuff will be, say, a maroon and the sleeve will be rolled just above the watch. Comfort is, of course, highly important to me. About 70% of my clothes are from the women’s section because I find the cuts of the lowers much cleaner.

Shweta Kapur

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You can do effortless styling only when you are super comfortable with how you look. It has taken me years to realise this. I am a person who doesn’t like too much attention, so, I tend to wear a lot of neutral shades. At work I’m already surrounded by every colour and every kind of embroidery possible. I even wear my Lulus (Lululemon leggings) to work. Later, I am heading to the gym, I will just change my T-shirt. Or if I am going to a formal event, I will wear a jacket or a blazer over the day shirt. I do colour sometimes but then it’s one colour, like a red sari or an electric blue shirt with blue jeans. For me, effortless fashion is really about working with what you have.