The guy in the 20's ought to look more trendy than stylish. The jacket should be cut really slim, the shirts should fit close to the body. Like Upen Patel, he should be willing to experiment.

Upen Patel does not walk. He swaggers. See him walk on the ramp, his shirt open right down to the last button; his strut sure; his eyes fixed on the cameras turned towards him. MTV's Style Icon for three years in a row, the 26-year-old model-turned-actor and one of the hottest properties on the Indian ramp, believes he is born to be a famous and rich movie star.
"Upen mania will soon take over this nation," he predicts. And the man dresses to play the part of the hot model, and movie star-in-the-making. He also dresses his age: flamboyant and in-vogue, complete with body hugging tees and skin tight jeans. A lover of fine things, brands are the mainstay in his wardrobe, and cover everything from Armani and Prada, to Indian designers like Aashish Soni and Wendell Rodricks.
The face of several high-end fashion and haute couture brands like Hugo Boss, Tuscan Verve, Paul Smith, Zegna, Provogue, Wendell Rodricks, D'damas and Vikram Phadnis, the model has also starred in director-producer Subhash Ghai's 36 China Town. He essayed the role of a playboy (that quite matched his real persona), who is one of the characters suspected of a murder.
Upen was picked out of a crowd by a fashion photographer in London, where he grew up, about three years ago. His next step was Bollywood. "I'm lucky. Subhash Ghai decided to launch me. People said that the role was too small, but I got noticed. I know a million men would die to be in my shoes! And look at me today, I am doing twelve films with the biggest banners. I don't have dates till December 2007," he says.
He obviously loves the good life. "I am young, single and I make my own money, lots of it, and pay my own bills." The glamour linked to showbiz turns him on like nothing else, Upen adds. A metrosexual to the hilt, he loves to splurge. "I spend a lot on myself."
He owns over 21 suits and 150 pairs of shoes. He points his well-manicured fingers to the diamond studs in his ears and grins, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend, so I keep them close." His watches have to be either Breitling or Rolex. "Right now, I am wearing a Breitling Eagle watch, which has the company's logo - a capital 'B' - combined with a sea anchor and framed by an eagle's wings."
The man - who counts well-dressed actor Sanjay Dutt and English footballer David Beckham among his style icons - is arguably one of the most stylish people to walk the Indian ramp. His persona as a stylish 26-year old guy also stems from the fact that he is completely comfortable in his own skin, almost always plays to the gallery, and is clued-in to the international fashion scene.
Having grown up in London, where musicians often influence style statements, he draws inspiration from the way they dress. "Music, to me, is fashion. Different music styles and genres influence me. Every music style has its own form of dressing. Artists make a statement not only through their music, but also their style. Most R&B artists have a Gothic style of dressing, which includes, say, a lot of black and white suits, while Hip hop musicians are very suave and brand conscious."
Like his favourite hip hop musicians, Upen often can be found in branded jeans, ganjis and loads of accessories - chains, watches, big buckle belts, et al. His favourite pair of jeans is a ripped-everywhere Armani. He also wears H&M, a jeans brand that's cheap but fits well.
There are no fixed style rules for Upen. "I own a Ranna Gill kaftan, which looks absolutely fantastic because of the way it fits and hugs my body." Only an Upen can carry off a kaftan, in which most men would look ridiculous. Being a top-bracket model helps. "I wear anything till I can carry it off and not look bad." Although dressed casually at most times, he loves the formal attire. "I own suits by international labels like Armani, Cavalli and Prada. I also wear Narendra Kumar Ahmed because his suits fit so well. But my favourite is Zegna."
Go through his wardrobe and you will find loads of accessories - chains, watches, rings, besides all those pairs of shoes, some of which he hasn't worn even once. "One day, I am going to own a separate shoe wardrobe. The pair I really like is by Patrick Cox, a London-based shoe designer. It's flat and I don't need to wear socks with it."
Then, there are the perfumes. When Upen walks into a room, he is usually preceded by a masculine fragrance, which doesn't overpower. "My current favourite is Aqua, by Herrera." And apart from being a confirmed gadget freak, our man is also sold on big bikes. His current steed is the humungous 1800 cc Suzuki Boulevard.
Like other actors and models, he has a personal make-up man, who has been with him for the past four years. As Upen waxes eloquent about the necessity of luxuries in his life, the make-up artist, Harry, rubs some moisturiser on his feet. Incidentally, his favourite brand of moisturisers is
Clinique.
Upen is, perhaps, a rare metrosexual who declares himself to be one quite readily. He looks comfortable wearing bling. "I like platinum or white gold, because it looks elegant and stylish. I think I spend the most on shoes and diamonds. I own several pieces of diamond jewellery from Tiffany, D'dmas and Glitterati."
For him, style goes beyond clothes and acquisitions. It reflects in the way he lives. Some time ago, he brought a home in Mumbai's tony suburb, Bandra, which he did up himself. An open kitchen-cum-breakfast bar, a seven-inch long fishing tank in the bedroom with 12 kinds of sea fishes, an acrylic wardrobe, and wooden flooring makes for a perfect bachelor's pad. The bachelor, though, is planning to get a bigger home, this time for his mom.
There are no fixed rules of style as far as Upen is concerned. "Style, to me, is all about confidence, comfort and co-ordination. Today, I wear a lot of bling and dress really young. Tomorrow, my taste may mature."

OFFICE	EVENING	WEEKEND
Grey suit Rs 11675 by Gant. Pinstriped white shirt Rs 2095 and Navy blue striped silk tie Rs 1195 by Wills Lifestyle. Dark blue V- neck sweater with monogram on breast Rs 2950 By Gant. Formal brown leather shoes Rs 2995 by Franco Leone.	Red pure silk shirt Rs 2699 by Park Avenue. Brown corduroy pants Rs 1695 by Wills Lifestyle. Black Italian leather belt with Vintage inspired buckle Rs 7500 from the Orange collection by Boss Hugo Boss. Grey patent leather shoes with steel stud detailing Rs 2275 by Marco Ricci.	Dark blue jeans Rs 1295 by Ragz Genes. Orange Tee with print Rs 599 by Parx. Off white cap Rs 845 by Nautica. Olive green bomber jacket Rs 23600 by Boss Hugo Boss from their Orange collection. Yellow and black sneaker Rs 2990 by Puma from Metro. Olive green canvas tote Rs 1500 by Tent.

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