Shah Rukh Khan lives life king size. His wardrobe has a line-up of the most expensive and exclusive brands. But he chooses to wear only two pairs of shoes and few jeans from that. In showbiz, where fashion is all about getting adventurous, King Khan sticks to the basics. He can't understand why men play with too much colour or opt for skinny jeans. And while his fashion fundas may be old school, you can't deny his impeccable dressing. The style is the man. Read on to know his take on fashion...
What's your fashion statement?
White t-shirt, blue jeans, sneakers. This is my regular look. I'm particular about my shoes. They should be comfortable, half a size bigger than my feet. I haven't bought new jeans in the past five years. So when you see my torn jeans, they aren't designer wear, they've just worn off. My style is basic. I don't find tight t-shirts on men attractive. Guys should be like moving hangers. I wear a humble attitude and cologne - Diptyque. Actually, I mix three colognes. I have a huge collection of colognes. That is the only luxury I indulge in. But I buy them from duty free shops. My favourite colognes are Diptyque, Armani, Tuscany and Azzaro. Oudh is another cologne I've taken to recently. People usually gift me new ones because they know I like colognes. I mix them all.
Who is your fashion icon?
Rick Springfield and Bruce Springsteen! Because they wear white t-shirts and blue jeans. Anyone who wears this combination is a fashion icon. If you just wear a loose t-shirt, jeans and good innerwear, that's it. I am specific about my innerwear. I wear Dolce and Gabbana.
Fashion wise SRK looks up to Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar
How important is fashion for a star?
I've been made to understand that it is. My stylist, Deanne Sethna and Naresh from Masculine, who have been dressing me up for years now, believe they do it differently. Maybe I am old-fashioned but when I see men overly dressed, I consider it wrong. I believe men should be basic. But people highlight fashion. Like guys wearing dhoti pants with a jacket and mojris. It's brave if you can carry it off. I'd wear it for a show or for a film but not otherwise. According to me, Dilip saab (Kumar) is well-dressed. Mr Bachchan is normally well turned out. But there's no one I'll look at and say I should dress up like this.
Are you a shopaholic? Do you have a favourite fashion destination?
I shop only in London because it is easier to shop there. There are two-three shops, which are my favourites like Dolce and Gabbana and Armani. They know my size. Sometimes they call me up me to say they've got a suit for me. I visit them in the summers. I go by their choice. Only jeans are a problem. I search for the right ones. There's this friend who gets me sneakers. Paciotti and Louis Vuitton are the brands I prefer.
Malfunction? Or a fashion disaster?
I would not know it. But sometimes I do read things like why he is wearing a T-shirt with a waistcoat or why he is wearing the same shoes on different occasions. I don't believe there is anything wrong in wearing the same shoes. I like to collect shoes but I wear only two pairs regularly. If I wish I can wear new shoes on 300 days. But I don't do that. I wear the same ones till they die. If I like a pair of jeans or shoes, I buy two or three of the same kind. I have a basic way of dressing. At night it's a black suit. If it's a shirt change, it is white or black. On days when I feel happy, I wear white. On days when I feel sexy and cool, I wear black.
Do you look at the price tag of clothes?
No. Being truly rich is walking into a shop and not being able to decide which shirt you like better and ending up taking both of them. And not wearing any one of them ever. That richness every human being should enjoy.
What is the cheapest thing in your wardrobe?
I pick up whatever I like but I don't look at the price. I get huge discounts. There are t-shirts in my wardrobe, which might be cheap in comparison to what other actors wear. But I always ask will this outfit shrink after a wash. I'm cheap that way. So they laugh at me as they find it odd. I guess those days are gone when clothes would shrink after a wash.
Any fetish when it comes to clothes?
I have a fetish about the fit of my jeans and the clothes I sleep in. They have to be of a certain material. I wear shorts or track pants and a t-shirt. But they have to be clean. Also, as soon as I have worn my jeans after a bath, I wear my shoes and socks. I don't take them off till I am in bed. I never wear slippers. My feet should always be covered. Sometimes even when I am lying on the bed, I wear shoes.
SRK frequents the grey blazer and denims look
Is there something you'd never wear?
I can wear anything for a film. In Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, the jeans were uncomfortable. I used to take it off and wear my own after the shot was over. With all due respect to men, I'm judgmental about guys who wear skinny jeans. Jeans have to be loose. I get put off by ill-fitting jeans. I never wear a churidar pyjama. It's difficult to wear and remove. I wear a salwar instead.
You were once called metrosexual and the fashion in your films was talked about.
Whatever I wore in my movies was Karan's (Johar) doing. That was the time when India wanted to become metrosexual. Karan thought I looked cool like that. Jaimal Odedra did a fantastic job in Don 2. I don't like wearing pants but he made it of a thick material. So I was comfortable in them. The clothes made me feel like a Don.
Any reference points for fashion?
I don't go through fashion magazines. When I was growing up, I had copied Rishi Kapoor's red suit from Bobby. I believe denim jackets are an epitome of fashion. But people say they are outdated. I have the coolest collection of denim and leather jackets. I know I'll never wear them but I still buy. I want to do a film with one denim jacket with things stuck on it. For me, Josh was the high point of fashion. I like cargos. They don't make good cargos now.
Is fitness a part of fashion?
I don't gain or lose weight. I just gain a little stomach sometimes. I don't want to have a paunch. To tell you the truth when I work out and wear clothes, I feel nice. Clothes then hang well.
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