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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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Colombo's cocktail circuit : Who's hot and who's not? by Umangi de Mel
Who's hot and who's not? In Colombo's social scene being fashionable, glamourous and stylish are major preoccupations. Not just clothes and accessories, but hair, grooming, deportment and the works ... they all go in to "cutting a figure" around town. Auburn hair, straight and slick or curly and healthy.... From sweet halters to sexy string tops and micro-minis to high thigh slits ...? Is the serious business of dressing up tastefully, just a 'piece of cake'...or is it not?! The Sunday Observer Magazine got the run down on some of Colombo's "best dressed" folks by checking out the opinions of a few gurus (fewer than we would have liked to consult, though ... sorry guys, space didn't permit!) However all these polite people declined to name any "worst dressed." Nominations, anyone? Yasmin Cader, Director Marketing & Communication, Colombo Hilton "All these people who are featured in fashion pages look quite elegant. Among them Padma Maharaja dresses very well." Yasmin thinks that Sri Lankan women are very clothes conscious, They take a lot of trouble when they dress, which is nice. "You don't have to wear expensive ones to look good." Talking about men, she thinks Gamini Fernando was always immaculately dressed. With men she says it's not only the clothes that count. "It's the whole works, the person has to be well groomed. That is when the whole personality stands out. It's pointless wearing a nice suit if your hair is scruffy. There are people who dress simple yet manage to look extremely smart. I think fashion should be what suits the person and not what they think is fashion. Then you're just imitating the west, says Yasmin. "For example take the mini skirt. It's not everybody that can wear the minis. The wearer should see if it suits them or not. What puts me off is ill-fitting clothes and stuff that don't go with the age of the person or unmatching colours, she continues, "The saree is quite becoming for anybody. You are never over-dressed or under dressed in a saree especially in Sri Lanka. But it depends on your career as well. It could not be a good idea if you've running around. It should be suited to our weather. And the fabric should be taken into consideration as well." Jerome de Silva, Theatre director, actor, media person Padma Maharaja is one of the best dressed women in town still.
Among the younger girls, who have great bodies to go with the clothes, Chul Padmeadra stands out. She looks fabulous and elegant," he continues. "The other person is Maria Kolambage who is a model. Among men who dress well, Keerthisri Karunaratna is still one of the smart looking men around the town. He's got nice taste in clothes. Michael Wijesooriya is another person who has a fabulous lot of clothes and he dresses really well. He wears a variety of clothes, looking different each time but they're elegant and lovely fabrics. I believe the fabric should be of good quality, the better the fabric is, the better it stays on you. "Pia Hatch is another smartly dressed person in town since she has a very theatrical background. These people make a real fashion statement. Actually lots of people dress nicely, including myself, although fairly conventional in dressing." Jerome feels that most of the trends are stuck in grunge, "I think anything that suits a person, irrespective of it being 'the trend' would do. Men wearing their trousers way down and all gathered at the bottom, is terrible. They look silly in shirts and T-shirts that are so over-sized. Where is a nice pair of trousers which just covers the shoe and socks to match the trousers, shoes to match the colour of the belt and smartly tailored shirts or T-shirts would be just fine. That's as far as men should go. A formal outfit would be a double breast ed shirt or three buttoned shirt with a smart self-coloured tie. And the tie knot should have a dimple on it. For women, the eternal fashion statement is the 'saree'. You should let the fall touch the floor without pinning it up on the shoulder. Even the Shalwar Kameez is still in. Ramani Fernando, Hairdresser & Beutician The person I admire is Otara Chandiram. Among the many well-dressed women in town, she stands out just being simple. For me she looks out of a magazine," she continues, "Among the lot of men that dress well, Shan Fernando stands out. He dresses very nice and smart. They are an inspiration to me." Speaking of trends, the feminine look is what's in vogue, she says.
"The '60s and '80s influence is back, especially hair with a modern touch to it. Glossy lips and strong eyes stand out where make up's concerned. Even hair colouring enhances the hair and gives textures to it." Talking about clothes, she says that linen is in, 'cotton look' rules and it suits the climate as well. Prominent accessories would be long chunky earrings' Ramani says that she doesn't fancy men being in hip, fancy clothes. "A man should look a man. But where girls are concerned, they can go to the extremes of being fashionable. Men look nice in linen clothing. And as for girls, if they have a figure to carry it off, the hipsters are nice and it adds personality as well." She says that the Sri Lanka youth have a very good sense of fashion. "Lots of young people who are really with it. |
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