Summer chic

Summer’s here and while we hate so many things about the season (the heat and dust and the power cuts that affect even the richest of Indians; well, after a fashion)—it’s also the time when fashion gets cooler and bright colours make an appearance everywhere, from the office to the cocktail party.

The cover package this time, therefore, deals with all that’s cool in the world of style this summer. Find out why you should be sporting linen jackets when you attend a meeting and which dress shirts to have in your wardrobe. Researching the stories for the cover section made us work closely with some of the finest names in clothes and accessories now available in India. So, the stories on shirts, sneakers, flip-flops, shorts or trousers are not just about which styles suit you best but also which brands you should aspire to buy.

Summer is also about great food, evenings spent sipping wine, trying out excellent single malts and taking a few days off to get away to cooler climes. As usual, we have them all for you in this issue. And when we do a story we make sure we do it well. So, not only did we get India’s foremost single malt expert to tell you about the best single malts under Rs 4,000 that your home bar must have, but we did the entire photo-shoot at the Orient Express at The Taj Palace in Delhi—a restaurant that has just received the Whisky Magazine’s prestigious “Whisky Restaurant of the World” award.

Also, read one of India’s most influential wine journalists talking about the best wines from New Zealand as you learn more about oysters from an American executive chef who has spent the last 12 years learning how to prepare the best oyster dishes.

There’s a lot more in this issue from the world of travel, music, fitness and books. Get ready for a scorcher of an issue as summer heralds its arrival.

Beat the heat

The heat is on and even your air-conditioned home, car and office can’t really take that away. So, how do you still look relaxed and cool as you sip your cocktail and exchange pleasantries at a social do? More importantly, what do you wear that is suitable for the occasion when you want to don summer casuals? Will a linen jacket look great when teamed with a T-shirt? Are flat-front trousers best for you or pleated ones? Where can you wear flip-flops and where are they a strict no-no? There are so many questions when it comes to summer wear, specially when one wants to be relaxed and comfortable and yet not look sloppy. The next few pages attempt to unravel these questions and in doing so, also tell you the kind of clothes and accessories your wardrobe must have this summer. Take our advice and blow away the competition.