Plain White T's

In a world dominated by tees pasted with lame messages, a plain coloured one that fits well is truly hard to find. Here to (ad)dress the issue is FreeCultr, a new online apparel store for men and women that aims to specialise in basics - solid hued tees, sweater vests and pants – made with quality fabric.  

We got an offline peek at the first collection yesterday, and though our initial reaction was to doze off, we kept ourselves awake long enough to discover that the tees were in fact incredibly soft, fit well and made fine December dates for the busy prints in our closet.

WETHEPPL along with sister design brand NorBlack NorWhite are staging a pop-up store at Bombay Electric this week, which they kicked off with a fun party on Sunday. In attendance were drinks, interesting guests including a fair, tall gentleman this Scouter hadn’t seen since high school (hello, Simon!) a photo booth and of course, the clothes.

Occupying two large racks, these were made from floaty chiffon and nubby cotton, slinky or stiff or slouchy, radically different yet wearable. We found lots of Indian influences, from ikat  and durrie-embroidery to zardozi and batik, all re-imagined in fun ways.

Take for instance little sheath tops with cotton-ikat fronts and sheer chiffon backs in a riot of colour, or slim merlot-coloured velvet pants with patches of zardozi. Also nice were batik frocks sewn from thin silk, which came in delish hues of green and blue as well as ochre long-shorts.

We tried and bought a black and white dress with a deep neck and full skirt – super sexy – and a pretty kurta in thick white cotton with bright detailing for our mum. We’re also plotting ways to raise the funds for the coolest dress we’ve seen this season, spun from a thousand handmade tassles (preview piece from their new collection, available by order only, Rs 20,000). Current options include selling the bpb office or moonlighting as cab drivers. Or both.

Sizes are pretty limited and although they alter and even take orders for new pieces, this proves to be a bummer for instant-gratification junkies like us. Also, almost half the pieces we tried looked much better on the rack than on wearing – fittings are a little off, but that’s part of what makes the line unusual. Also, at Rs 7,800 for a printed silk dress (or Rs 20,000 for the coolest dress of the season), WETHEPPL can wreak havoc on your bank balance.

Nonetheless, we suggest you plan a visit – and start thinking up ways to supplement your income, just in case.

Getting there: Bombay Electric, 1 Reay House, opposite Taj Mahal Palace & Hotel, Colaba, Rs 7,800 for a silk dress.

What: Bianca Sun Hat and other shady items at www.3closets.com, call (080)26487705 or order online, shipping takes about two weeks, Rs 1,750.

Why: Illustrated with shoes that hang from peach trees and multi-plumed hummingbirds, the user interface of this new fashion e-store immediately puts you in the mood to shop – a site to see! Although they’re still stocking up, we heart their collection of accessories, including super cute hats in juicy orange and periwinkle blue, perfect for the upcoming derby season. Accessorise with a white mare.

When: You want to be under your bonnet.

December’s all about the pants, isn’t it? When he needs a sharp pair for a friend’s wedding reception, she’s resolving to fit into a smaller size come January and he thinks, it’ll be even harder to get into her pants now. Damn those skinny jeans!

Whether it’s a preoccupation with or an occupation of pants you’re plotting, you could cover the trouser trail bpb followed last week. Some of them are no longer on sale but that’s what you get for leaving all the leg work for us.

Rabble Trousers

Red Jeans: We spotted a table full of brightly hued jeans at Zara for Rs 2,500 and then, we found similar ones (with better fits) at export surplus store Mesh for Rs 900! Available in tomato red and light purple. Also see electric blue suede loafers.

Mesh, 16th Road, opposite Hawaiian Shack, Bandra (W), call 65074745.

Cobalt Blue Pants: Braving Mango’s three-day weekend sale led to loot for a lot less (buy 3 or more items and get 50% off on the bill). In our acquisition pile lies a yummy pair of fit-like-a-dream leathery cobalt blue pants (originally for Rs 2,200), just the kind that everyone will want to get into – girls and boys.  The sale has ended, but they still have a few pairs left over at the outlets

Mango outlets at Santacruz, Worli and Lower Parel.

What: The Collective women’s wear and accessory sale, Palladium mall, High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, up to 70% off.

Why: At the last Collective sale, we scored True Religion jeans, Kenneth Cole cardigans and a mad pretty Alice and Olivia sequin dress at a steal. This time around featured brands include Moschino Cheap and Chic, Juicy Couture and Vivienne Westwood. Need we say more?

When: Cut-offs on Saturday, November 26 from 11 am to 9 pm.

Medal Pushers

Think you deserve a prize for being good this year?  Celebrity milliner and stylist Shilpa Chavan - that's Little Shilpa to you - does as well.

That's why she's strung together mini shields and tri-striped bows, name tags and brocade fabric, gold stars and silver chains into jewellery that will make you want to conquer the world - after all, you're a decorated soldier now.

March Madness

Called Battle Royale, Chavan describes this collection as "An amalgamation of power drilled with a sense of vintage mannerism.... you feel a sense of princely patriotism."

We recently spied the impossibly cool necklaces, badges and brooches at Bombay Electric and immediately wanted an unusual set of shoulder epaulets connected with thin silver chains, a plastic set of aviation wings and a medallion featuring a pale, pretty lady. It's the perfect accessory for all the jackets you're going to bring out this winter.

View that and other pieces from the collection in our slideshow.

Military Timing

Strictly speaking, the Battle Royale is Shilpa's collection from Autumn - Winter 2010. "But I always send my stuff to stores two years  after I show it," she explains. "It takes that long for customers to actually understand and appreciate it."

Getting there: Available at Bombay Electric, 1 Reay House, Colaba or visit www.littleshilpa.com, Rs 7,600 for an epaulet.

Top Trimmer

It’s one of her favourite things to do – walk around Bandra dressed like a boy, hair cropped, drop crotch black pants, men’s shoes and a fake moustache. It’s no wonder then, that celebrity hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani (founder of Mad O Wot salon)’s new line of clothing is largely indifferent to sex but not to style. Titled SoFake, “because everyone in fashion is”, this androgynous label for men and women also includes the handy work of designer-stylist Sukriti Grover, who met Sapna over a gold sequined blazer. The SoFake collection hits Attic (Santacruz) and Bliss (Versova) on Friday, November 25 and will soon find a space at the Mad O Wot salons as well.

Weather You’re a Boy or Girl

The colour palette of SoFake’s Fall/Winter Collection 2011 ranges from snow to storm to total blackout, but its strong structures keep it resistant to the weather and gender. There are asymmetric tops, high waist trousers, skirt-pants and culottes crafted out of comfy jerseys, livable linens and cotton.  Our favourite bit about the collection - sported by Airport singer Arijit Dutta on SoFake’s Facebook page -  is the christening of each garment. They come with fun name tags like ‘Pants to Live In’ and ‘The Ooh-la-la-la Jacket” and are reasonably priced at Rs 690 going up to Rs 2,500.

1Q84 vs. 400050

En route to a Tokyo with two moons – this Scouter acquired a copy of Murakami’s new novel 1Q84 yesterday - a stop had to be made in Bandra to check out Bohemian Rock Star, a new men’s fashion store. We imagined ourselves hurrying through a pedestrian lot of jeans, tees and ties all the while thinking about a bizarre bounty of talking cats, vanishing women and enchanted sleepers we could be browsing instead.But we stayed longer, perhaps fascinated by a white gas mask on the mannequin that suddenly seemed to admit this Hill Road store into Murakami’s cloudy world (Remember Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack?). Surely, stranger things have happened at Hill Road.

The Asia Tour

This mask, along with other interesting but not-for-sale products - mini slot machines and guitars, Elvis paraphernalia and a red couch shaped like a palm- can be found at this store whose stock comes from all over Asia. While the PVC jackets, Hendrix tees and skinny black ties live up to the ‘Rock Star’ in its moniker, the ‘Bohemian’ bit is coming soon, we were told, as is the upstairs ladies section.  View product slideshow here.

What: Nakashi, Gazdar Apartments, Juhu Tara Road, near JW Marriott, Vile Parle, call 26152140, start at Rs 750.

Why:  With marble benches, clusters of white flowers and ornate grills that look like they’ve been embroidered by karigars, this new Lucknowi store’s space is prettier than its stock. That’s not to say we didn’t find ourselves some lovelies – nude Benarasi chiffon and yellow Maheshwari cotton kurtas. The collection for men is small, but they have bales of fabric and tailor to size.

When:  You need a new conversation thread.

What: Floral bags by JoyStreet, to order call 9892096656, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 1,200, introductory 10% off and free home delivery in three weeks.

Why: NIFT educated accessory designer Sudhir Arora plucks the darling buds of May and plants them in rows on faux leather bags coloured in red, army green and deep blue. Hannibal nectar! His sister Bhavya is in charge of marketing these, aims to have them in stores by end of year and is dreaming up a men’s collection as we speak.

When: You’re interested in stem cell research.