Dressed to the nines
Being the boss means dressing the part. Nine corporate leaders take us through their wardrobe choices to walk the talk (Coordinated by Mexy Xavier)
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Sonal Dabral, Group Chief Creative Officer & Vice Chairman, Ogilvy India
“In fashion, as in life, change is the only constant. My sartorial philosophy and my look keeps evolving. From painting my jeans to wearing all-white linen and then going through a ‘monochromatic’ phase where I wore only blacks, I’ve been through various phases. I’m in a colour phase now. For me, it’s important to be like a sponge—open-minded about trends, looks and influences. It keeps you creatively alive. Having said that, more than the right fit, the fitness of your body should be of importance. Take care of that, and everything will look good on you! Anand Mahindra is always sharply dressed, looks comfortable, accessible and yet in total control.”
As told to Anjan Das
3/18
4/18
“Attire should be a reflection of personality, style and mood. Power dressing needs to be situation, body and culture appropriate. Don’t have any hard and fast rules, though. For instance, I switched from formal to semi-formal attire a few years ago. But for very formal meetings with the government, I still wear formals. What you wear can influence the quality of interaction with other people, especially with those outside the organisation. Basic hygiene in terms of colour of shoes, socks, belts, well-pressed clothes, state/age of fabric and fit is important to adhere to and I often see it missing. Roger Federer has a wardrobe as impressive as his performance on the court.”
As told to Harichandan Arakali
5/18
6/18
“The clothes I wear are a reflection of the state of my mind. But being appropriately dressed for the occasion is more important to me. I prefer a more classic, understated style of dressing. It comes naturally to me. Former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata has an elegant and a much understated style of dressing. The dignity with which he carries himself is something that has always inspired me. I look up to him, both personally and professionally. Being a gentleman never goes out of style.”
As told to Samar Srivastava
7/18
8/18
“My job is to make our customers look good. For me, dressing well is about looking good and therefore feeling good. Fashion is about being comfortable with who you are and hence, for me, power dressing is about being comfortable and feeling confident.”
As told to Sayan Chakraborty
9/18
10/18
“I believe the clothes you wear and the way you groom yourself speak a lot about you. I carefully consider the audience to decide an outfit. If I’m meeting a high-level executive, I prefer a tailored suit in dark colours. My personal style, however, is comfort dressing. I prefer smart semi-casuals when there are no meetings. It could be chinos with a shirt and a blazer in pastel. We live in a world where packaging is as important as the content. It’s important to dress well and smell good because the impressions we create play a huge role in the corporate world. My style icon is George Clooney.”
As told to Neeraj Gangal
11/18
12/18
“Dressing well means being comfortable in your own skin and being true to who you are. It should all look effortless but demonstrate a sharp yet smart sensibility. I prefer easy dressing—a fitted shirt with denim on most work days, adding on a blazer for more formal occasions. I don a suit occasionally, when I’m absolutely required to. Otherwise, it’s mostly no-fuss dressing. My mantra is very representative of this quote— ‘No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up’.”
As told to Harichandan Arakali
13/18
14/18
“Being a good human being is more important than being well dressed. After that, it is about what you are comfortable in. Dress sense is extremely personal and subjective. But the world isn’t blind so you must turn up well. It’s important not to get so carried away dressing up that you forget who you are as a person. My father was very well dressed. He was the epitome of someone who knew how to best take care of himself. Apart from that, Humphrey Bogart, Steve McQueen, James Dean, Daniel Craig, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau, Narendra Modi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan are all style icons.”
As told to Neeraj Gangal
15/18
16/18
“My mother always says ‘khao mann bhata, pehno jag bhata’. Eat what appeals to you and dress the way it appeals to others. Dressing well is about carrying the right attitude; it’s about comfort and style, not just the latest trends. Dressing sense and style can speak louder than words about a person’s attitude, behaviour and other personality traits. Personally, I am conservative in my clothing, and it has evolved with age. People may say that age is just a number, but I try and dress age- and occasion-appropriate.”
As told to Neeraj Gangal
17/18
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“For me, clothing is essentially a characterisation of my roots and values. They are reflective of my personality, the legacy I carry and the culture I believe in. My attire should reflect strength, composure and confidence. Dressing right is also about creating a balance between standing out from the crowd and yet belonging to the society. I am inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style, which is reflective of the Indian culture and exudes a subtle confidence. His clothes are always apt for the occasion.”
As told to Neeraj Gangal
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