androgyny
noun; the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics into an ambiguous form
Basically, Ranveer Singh.
Okay, so if you’ve not been living under a rock, you’ll know that this man is single-handedly responsible for showing the finger to fey masculinity in Indian fashion, exactly like the nonchalant boss that he is offscreen. He doesn’t do subtle. Terms like neutral colors, minimal prints, or fitted silhouettes do not exist in his vocabulary. Sure, the fashion critics of the world are divided on how they feel about his ‘more is more’ way of life but we’re Team Ranveer.
But hold on, this story isn’t about how flashy his fashion sense is. We’re rooting for this hot-to-the-touch man because he is, arguably, the ultimate gender bender that the country has or will ever witness. From floral couture to embellished t-shirts, from flowy tunics to neon overalls, from extravagant red-carpet appearances to funky street style, Singh has been blurring lines between genders since seven straight years. Call him flamboyant, call him eclectic, laude him or troll him, there’s no looking away from his inclusive fashion looks.
In the words of the woman behind this fashion revolution, Nitasha Gaurav, “When I am styling him, I don’t think of him as man or woman. It’s absolute free reign of creativity.” While she agrees that the likes of Prince and David Bowie are her reference leads when styling her muse, in all honesty, it’s Ranveer Singh’s dressing style that sets the trend and the rest follow it. Nitasha also adds that it’s very rare to find men who voluntarily venture into androgynous dressing and have zero qualms about it. In fact, Singh hasn’t regretted a single style experiment in all these years, nope, not even one!
Sure, some of them may laugh it off as a ‘Ranveer thing’ but we, as a generation of the most body-conscious people, certainly need to take lessons from the actor on how to throw the fear of societal judgement to the dogs. On that note, we’ve scoured through pages and pages of his style files to create a crash course on gender-fluid dressing. Open your books, children.
Androgynous Fashion Looks from Ranveer Singh
Chapter 1: Gender Neutral Drapes
Can’t stop fantasizing about structured tuxedos from your favorite high-end designer? You’re losing at this game, kid. Chuck the crisp tux trend because ambiguous, non-binary cuts are the shiz in Singh’s wardrobe. Cue to recall the digital storm caused by his first ever manskirt. Soon after, he wore a smouldering kilt with a blazer to an award show and showed the world how he has zilch concerns about waking up as the butt of ruthless memes the next morning. All hail, the Lady Gaga of B-town.
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Image Credits: DSquared2/GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2016, Arjun Saluja/Dubai International Film Festival 2016, Anju Modi/At Bajirao Mastani Promotions
Chapter 2: Print On Print
While most of the female population still shudders at the mere mention of print on print, here’s a man who’s been unabashedly smashing this fashion stereotype since forever. Whether it’s a single print from head to toe or teaming up three different prints in a single ensemble, this man’s done it all. He recently stepped out in a LOUD co-ord set by Versace with all the 26 alphabets of the English language printed on it and still oozed unbridled charm. Whatta guy!
Top It Up With: Since it can get insanely eyeball-grabbing in here, you don’t want peeps to be distracted by the pimple, do you? Maybelline New York Fit Me Concealer
Image Credits: Instagram/@ranveersingh, Instagram/@nitashagaurav, Instagram/@ranveersingh
Chapter 3: An All-Inclusive Color Palette
Ah, this guy sure does love his pantsuits. Coming back to his super distinctive choice of colors, now we’re not saying that you go AWOL on your black and browns and greys but take the risk of being a vibrant canvas sometimes. The shoes of our mahn here might be too big to fill but there’s no harm in throwing an occasional neon sweatshirt or a pair of purple sneakers into the mix, right? One step at a time is all it takes to get there, honey.
Top It Up With: Sprinkle a skosh of edge to your poppy persona by neatly parting greasy hair. TIGI Bed Head For Men Matte Separation Workable Wax
Image Credits: Instagram/@nitashagaurav, Instagram/@ranveersingh, Instagram/@ranveersingh
Chapter 4: No Such Thing As Too Much Bling
Mama told you to tone the bling down ‘cause you’re a boy, uh? Well, Ranveer here doesn’t quite agree. Our pacesetter turned a blind eye to gender norms by walking the ramp in a rainbow-hued bomber jacket once. In a more recent case of fashion poetry, he graced the cover of Vogue dressed in a massively sequined jogger set. Here again, remember that a little glitter takes you a long way. Oh, and those bangin’ heels are a tight slap on the face of gender conventions. Hehe.
Top It Up With: You sure your cheekbones aren’t feeling left out of the shimmer party? Think again. Nykaa Strobe & Glow Liquid Highlighter
Image Credits: Vogue India, Vogue India, Manish Arora/LFW 2017
