Weddings tend to focus heavily on the bride, but lest we forget, it’s a big day not just for her, but for ‘him’ as well! A big fat Indian wedding will see nearly a fortune and many months spent on the bride’s extravagant trousseau. What about the man by her side? For long now, the groom has been relegated to simply making sure his outfit dully complemented the bride’s — often, just a sherwani in a shade that matched her dupatta. Introducing you then, to bespoke ‘man-trousseau’, an idea which is long overdue.

Couturier Tarun Tahiliani decodes this trend for grooms for the upcoming wedding season. “Men were the real peacocks in India till perhaps a little over a century ago. The last two decades, however, saw the emergence of a toned-down groom. He was spotted arriving in a single-breasted suit on a horse and then sat cross-legged on the floor. Today, most grooms take their dress and styling as seriously as the bride. Albeit, they may spend much less time in the process,” he says.

There’s a refreshing change in the outlook for groom wear, which even designers are happy to entertain. “Grooms are very critical in this day and age. They have realised the importance of looking exceptional and maybe even compete with the wife-to-be! When there is an urge to look good, it helps designers innovate,” says Nikhil Mehra of design duo Shantanu and Nikhil.

Conventionally, the Bridezilla spends hours with her designer to choose the right embroidery, while the groom might spend the same amount of time playing Nintendo, assuming a quick trip to a ready-to-wear sherwani store will be sufficient to find the right outfit. But not anymore!

“The groom has awakened and gone from pared-down refinement to a style inspired by costumes of Royal India. He is fit, involved and ready to dance, as a consequence of morphing into the new-age metro sexual Indian male — this is the new India after all,” says Tahiliani.

Therefore designers are now paying keen attention to what the groom wants. Tahiliani’s latest wedding collection allows the groom to experiment with different looks throughout the spread of wedding events.

Choose between a grey mohair Sherwani with a charmeuse satin pleated collar and silver buttons or a single-button cotton velvet bundi for a perfect union of Western tailoring and Indian draping. For the groom looking to experiment, there’s also the monochromatic tuxedo in grey, aubergine and midnight blue whose jackets have elaborate lining of charmeuse satin, clubbed with a Mughal-inspired motif of a procession of elephants.

“The latest menswear range is an exploration of form and function. With a keen emphasis on sharp tailoring and strong silhouettes, the mood board is a dexterous mix of majestic modernity,” explains Tahiliani, who is celebrated for his attention to artistic details.

Mehra suggests that grooms should try out newer shades that make them stand out in that “ baaraat of beige”!

New techniques and fabrics are used to produce pieces in fresh colours for men who, for far too long, had to choose from monotonous palettes.

Mehra elaborates, “We do a lot of greys, dusty rose and aqua blue, too! We like offering newer shades. We don’t do too many types of beige, because it makes men look bigger. We do more vintage tones. In terms of style, we prefer not to do embroidery. Instead, we focus on our textiles and ensure a good fit.”

Grooms-to-be, you now know what’s in store for you and there’s plenty more where that came from. Don’t settle for outfits that match with your better half or a readymade buy when you can tap into your inner fashion god and give the bride some competition. It’s your special day too!

Shilpa Dhamijais the Editor of LuxuryVolt.com

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