Charagh Din - the right choice for the fashionable man

Sometime back a certain degree of gender bias existed towards dressing . Dressing up was considered to be the forte of the fairer sex. But times have changed, with men becoming adventurous and open to experimenting with new trends.

Despite the numerous brands and outlets flooding the market, one often faces the problem of finding the right fit - and this is especially true in the case of men. One has to be really fortunate to be able to pick a shirt of the right size and perfect shade at a single store. However such things are not a problem if one visits Charagh Din, at Colaba, the one-stop shop for men's wear. The four levels of the store are adorned with chrome, glass, granite and wood. Paintings by M.F. Hussain and Ansel Adams cover the walls of the store. With a dedicated customer service team, shopping at Charagh Din is a pleasure.

Started in 1956, Charagh Din has come a long way. Arjan Daswani bought over Charagh Din & Brothers, a loss-making departmental store, and converted it into an exclusive shirt shop. Charagh Din's clientele include celebrities such as Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar. In 1974, Charagh Din emerged as the market leader in shirts. The ready-made range launched under the brand name Charagh Din was a big hit. Arjan Daswani said, "I specialise in nothing. Life is a great teacher. Not only did we learn how clothes were made, but we also studied the Indian male form closely, because this was necessary for a proper fit."

A couple of years ago, under Raju Daswani, the Charagh Din store was converted into a four level shop with separate sections, making available under one roof the entire range of men's wear, from apparels and accessories to undergarments. According to Raju Daswani, "the space constraint prevented the customers from looking around. Now they can move around and shop freely." One is amazed at the range of shirts on display at the store. Shirts of every conceivable size, shade and colour can be found. Each floor is exclusively dedicated to a particular size. In-house designers churn out one hundred and fifty designs daily, of which only four to five receive final approval. Way before designs hit the international market, they are on display at Charagh Din. Attention is given to the most minute detail.

Though the fastest-selling shirts are the formals, the partywear shirts are also a big hit at Charagh Din. Shirts with printed cartoons on them are popular. In 1999, the Ditto range of casual wear was introduced. The range was introduced keeping in mind the fashion trends of the year 2000. An unisex partywear, it is available in a wide range of fabrics.

Author: Sharmistha Chatterjee

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