Fashion and wellness conundrums, deciphered and explained, by celebrity stylists Pranay Jaitly and Shounak Amonkar.

I really want to experiment with metallic shades when it comes to traditional outfits. Could you share three ways to style them?

Styling metallic outfits can be tricky. The best way is to keep it structured and monotoned. If you are wearing a metallic blazer, you could possibly have a monotone shirt-pant or a kurta-pant under it, so the metallic piece of your clothing is the key, and the rest of the outfit is subtle. If your entire outfit is metallic such as kurta-pyjama or a kurta- sharara or a shirt-pant, you can understate your accessories. The third way is to just add a pop of colour, be it your make-up or accessories or shoes.

What are your favourite homegrown brands that are perfect for kurtas?

Antar-Agni, Line Outline, Tisa, and Countrymade. They do really nice kurtas.

Keeping Indian winters in mind, what outerwear can be added to wardrobes?

India is one of those places that does not get hit by extreme winters. Yes, the north and the northeast see a couple of months of winter. I feel a lovely cashmere sweater or a jumper is a fantastic add-on. Having a nice jacket in texture is lovely because it adds more to your outfit and works well, so a houndstooth or a pinstripe blazer would be a fantastic layering option.

What is the most underrated menswear winter accessory? How should it be styled?

That would be a scarf. There are so many ways to style it and it is a versatile piece of accessory. You could always wear it in an old school way of a cravat, or tie it around as a tie, or leave it open, or just wrap it around your neck as a shawl. It’s time for men to experiment a little more with scarves.

I love wearing loose tees but at times, the look is ruined because of excessive bagginess. How should I style them?

Styling loose T-shirts can be tricky. We would advise French tuck, as it works very well and does wonders. It takes away from the bagginess and excessive fabric that gives the illusion of you being a bigger person. That’s the key to losing the excess fabric.

What shoes should I opt for with ethnic wear? Something that can be worn throughout the year but is festive enough as well. Where should I get them from?

Loafers are something that you could wear with your traditional outfits. However, we recommend sticking to a Kolhapuri as it completes the outfit in a classic way. Having said that, loafers are something that would work well with all of your Indian outfits and can be used throughout the day with a suit or formal evening wear as well. Tod’s and Trumpet have a fantastic collection of loafers.

I love to wear a combination of sneakers and ethnic wear. In what ways should I style them?

We always feel sneakers are the key to any outfit. When your ethnic outfit is paired with a sneaker, it should be simple and clean so that your sneakers can stand out. Do not mix it up with a heavily embellished outfit, and then wear pop colour sneakers.

Apart from basic kurtas, I wish to experiment with layering in festive outfits. How can I add that extra flair to my outfits?

You should check brands like Kunal Anil Tanna and Line Outline because they have textures and layers that they add to a basic look. You can always have a longer jacket on top of your kurta, possibly a shorter one. To layer it further, you can have a textured scarf around your neck, or a shorter scrub jacket on top of your kurta. You can always experiment with different sorts of textures and layers, but these brands would give you a great idea of what you can do.