Feeling a little Beachy

A couple of weeks ago, The Beach Company launched in India with some interesting women’s beach and swimwear. Reading the online store’s reviews in newspapers, blogs and magazines, there’s one thing that came to our mind – why not men’s beach and swimwear? Well, to an extent The Beach Company has read By The Collar’s mind and is here to provide a solution to every man’s beach wardrobe dilemma.

To start with, the store is here with the basics of beach and swimwear for men. What they have on offer are two international brands for now – Nabaiji and Tribord – with a range that will cater to both the bold and confident men, and the conservative and shy. The collection is a mix of swim shorts, board shorts, briefs, trunks, accessories etc. Here’s what we recommend:

1. If you have a good body (we don’t mean mannequin-type six packs but obviously no hanging belly) then definitely get yourself the briefs. They’re very sober and safe and a good way to let the world know that you have the confidence and the style to sport a brief. Yes, this will trigger many discussions revolving around, “Should men wear briefs or not” but there are two schools of thought – the American alpha male and the European fashionable man. We at By The Collar believe in the latter and promote the idea of ‘flaunting it if you have it’.

2. Okay fine, understandable that our first pick has caused quite a furore and you are almost shutting this webpage. So, here’s what we have for the so called ‘men don’t reveal anything’ breed. Swim shorts that are young and happy (not to forget beachy as well). 

3. Surf boarding anyone? You will need this solar protection top to ensure that you don’t burn yourself from the strong sun. Yes, when you’re in the water, chances of getting sun-burnt are higher.

Now that’s a good start to a website that focuses on beach and swimwear. We are told that there are many more products coming soon. Hmmm, we’re keeping ourselves logged on to www.thebeachcompany.in to be the first ones to know about them. And when we do, By The Collar will tell its readers too!

Colour Blocking

Colour blocking is the biggest trend of this season. But it is very important to understand the right way of doing it. When done correctly, it will make you look stylish and preppy, but on the other hand, if gone wrong, you will end being nothing but a two-year old child's painting experiment.

How to get it right:

• Be experimental and stretch yourself a little beyond the usual. But do look at yourself in the mirror after you are completely dressed. 
• Ensure that you are comfortable and will be able to carry it off. There is no looking back once you have stepped out of the house. 
• Do not overdo it. It's a good idea to concentrate on an area and keep everything else fairly neutral. Blocking the whole outfit might get you into trouble, unless you are "the expert".
• Be confident of yourself. Everyone is looking at you because you've done a good job and are looking better than the rest!

Three ways to do it:

Start with the basics. Block the shoes and trousers. This is probably the simplest and the easiest. All you have to do is ensure that you wear a white top with this and the focus will automatically go to your work of art.

Styled by By The Collar at hm.com

Block your look. No other blingy accessories, no blingy shoes, no blingy anything. Not even a peeping underwear! Notice how in the first two looks, when the jacket is blocked with the trousers, the shirt is white. Also, the shoes match with the outfit by either being neutral or a colour from your clothes.

Styled by By The Collar at hm.com

Do it in the boardroom. Who says you cannot show a little bit of your fashion sense at work. Keep your suit very basic and boardroom-ish and play with your tie and shirt. Ensure that you try and stay away from neon here. This is after all a place where deals are made.