Whether he be tricked out in daura-surwal and Nepali topi in the middle hills, in down-jacket and leggings leading a trekking group in the higher climes or urbanely attired for the city, the average Nepali male is a snazzy dresser. Fashions catch on fast in the cities and towns where access to cinema and in more recent times, TV, is easily available. Aficionados of the Indian filmi-duniya, whether in the local cinema or off the idiot-box, garner ideas straight off the screen. Hence, a plethora of black-n-white shirts currently to be seen on male backs, at least in the cities and towns.

So what makes a dapper dresser now that the age of grunge is outr??

Let's define what is meant by the terms 'casua&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;', 'smart-casua&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'&#'216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;216;', 'informal' and 'formal'.


'Casual' generally means comfortably dressed for lounging about. This could mean a pair of shorts, pair of jeans or old trousers, a sarong or pajamas worn with a loose t-shirt, any old shirt be it bush or otherwise worn hanging loosely over the pants and a pair of sandals. It's the kind of gear one might wear on a picnic, on a hike or just hanging about the house.

'Smart-casual' means you attend someone's bash attired a little more smartly, yet casually. Shorts, therefore, of any length are out. So are chappals and track shoes for, goodness knows, like the blue denims, these are here to stay. Bush and even t-shirts are acceptable though short or full-sleeved shirts tucked into regular trousers would be more expected. And a pair of neatly socked and shod feet if not in shoes, at least in smart sandals.

'Informal' does not mean come-as-you-are. No, no, no, no. It means 'wear-a-suit-and-tie' and is the expected formula for things like weddings, engagements, business meetings in the upper echelons of management or if you're employed in one of the classier hotels or restaurants.

And then there's 'formal' wear. That really means a tuxedo or at the very least, a black suit with frilly shirt and a black or white tie or a cravat. These occasions are rare in Kathmandu but appear to be gaining some popularity in the wealthier or aspiring echelons of society. If you don't have these gew-gaws you can always get away wearing your national dress.

For casual and smart-casual wear there is nothing worthier than blue jeans. Denims have been around for a long, long time and it looks like they're here to stay. Everyone has to have a pair or two...or three, and just about anything goes with them. T-shirts, body-fit for those with the youth and pecs to go with them, the concealing 'bush' variety for those of us over-the-hill, so to speak.

The casual cut of the blue jeans has extended not only to copies in all shades of denim but to other fabrics with satin and velvet finish and rather popularly, to the 'camouflage' in a variety of combinations that go way beyond the greens and browns of the forest! One can even buy t-shirts in similar camouflage to go with the pants. The jean-jacket is still around though the style surfaces more in brushed velvet or coloured cottons than in the traditional blue denim. I know a friend who tried to get around the no-no of 'informal' norms by constructing a coat of denim and managed to get away with it!

The most eye-catching item of wear appears to be the shirt. Lighter complexioned men have a wider range of colour choice than those of a darker hue. The latter should avoid wearing certain shades of red because it tends to turn one's complexion to a rather unhealthy shade of purple. Pastel shades best become the majority of us who subscribe to the olive or wheatish skin tones. Black and white or combinations of both are clean, always in fashion and tend to make the larger specimens among us look somewhat slimmer.

Having selected your shirt, you don't need a wide range of trousers. Black will go with just about any colour under the sun including brown. Brown, depending on the particular shade, has its limitations to pastel shades and derivatives of brown, yellows, creams, greens and the like. Gray trousers go well with shades of blue and match well with shirts in various hues of pink. Blue goes well with lighter shades of the same, some pinks and daringly with yellow. Avoid the dowdy mismatching of browns with grays or reds. It's good to refer to a colour chart even if you're not the arty sort.

Socks, unless they're white sports types and worn with jeans or casual trousers and track shoes, should match the colour of the trousers and though there is a range of coloured shoes now available to us men, most of us still hang on to the standard of black and brown, the former being the far more versatile inasmuch as going with just about any choice of clothing you choose to wear, except for brown. If you're wearing brown trousers or anything in the variety that tends towards that shade, use a pair of brown shoes. I have a pair of fancy blue shoes I picked up on recent travels but unless I'm wearing a pair of blue or gray pants, they sit on a shelf collecting dust. And yes, one last thing: match your belt to your shoes.

Virgo Black is the pseudonym of a longtime denizen of Kathmandu with a lot of international and domestic travel underneath his voluminous belt.