Trends

Sport your green and red in style!

Sheemtana Shameem

courtesy: Sheemtana Shameem

Oh yes, the ICC World Cup is in full swing! Have you seen the lights and décor around the city? It is breathtaking! I am sure all of you are just overwhelmed and excited that an event of such magnitude is taking place in our beloved country. And the fans are absolutely wow! I think they are the ones who portray how much we actually love the game as they sport around in all imaginable attires of green and red. This piece is dedicated to the different ways in which you can wear red and green and how, especially the girls can be 'match ready' as you sit in the galleries cheering for your favourite players.

Photo : Armeen Musa

Let's say you are one of the lucky ones who are going to the stadium. Make sure you start way early and get there comfortably as the roads are seriously crowded. Wake up early and shampoo your hair. Don't forget to put on loads of moisturiser immediately if you have dry/normal skin. You don't want to have wet hair or creamed up skin when you go to the match since it's going to be dry and dusty over there. So make sure you dry your hair out with a hairdryer if you are running late, otherwise let it air-dry. If you are wearing a kameez, choose one in cotton or other breathable materials, keeping in mind that you will have to spend your entire day in it. If it's red and green then all the more reason for you to choose a comfortable material, as these colours absorbs a lot of heat. Also, when everyone is wearing the same particular colours, it gets very difficult for you to stand out and look trendy, hence get creative with your outfit. For example, you could wear different prints instead of solid colours, keeping true to the colour theme and at the same time looking different. If you decide to wear t-shirt and jeans, then please give your skinny jeans a rest and wear loose comfortable trousers instead. To add a twist, wear a red t-shirt with a green scarf since the majority of people go for the opposite combination. Or you could go green and black with red accessories like cuffs or bangles. Black and white is the 'colour breakers' that you can use to improvise your look. Black trousers go best with the brightly coloured supporter's jersey, next to a good pair of jeans in medium hues of blue, and you can use white t-shirts/tanktops underneath. I would ask you not to wear heels or slinky sandals as they restrict mobility which you will constantly require to find seats or cheer for the team. Also, do not over-accessorise your outfit with big earrings or necklaces. Stick to little studs for your ears or maybe a few beads for your wrist.

In the makeup department, ideally go without makeup. However, a completely non-makeup might make you look wearied as you may feel tired soon. What you could do is put a single coat of soft talc on your face after it has been moisturised deeply. This will create a barrier for dirt and grime. Afterwards, just apply a single coat of black eyeliner, waterproof would be better for this purpose, and transparent mascara to seal the look. If you want to wear green eyeliner or a little bit of green eyeshadow underneath your eyes then make sure you pick one from the high end brands and most importantly, that your outfit is not overtly green, otherwise it would be a major colour disaster. The only thing that you can go all bright and crazy with without having to worry about going overboard are your nails. Paint them bold red, paint them bright green, put patterns on them. You will not go wrong whatever you do!

Make sure you carry a shoulder bag and fill it with all the essentials like wet tissues to keep you refreshed, a bottle of emergency water when you get too tired to buy a coke, little snack/candy bars, your camera and other such things that you would need to spend an entire day out there.

Guys, well same kind of advice for you as well, dress up with comfort in mind. Stick to comfortable denims or dry fit trousers with your jerseys. If you are not wearing a jersey, then try out chequered shirts or striped t-shirts in red, green, black or white. I really like the striped polo t-shirts in red and white or green and white. One thing I will request you to do is to wash your face before leaving and after coming back, and preferably get a shave. Trust me you are going to bless yourself that you did when you go and get the 'lal-shobuj' painted on your cheeks. Wear sneakers and not sandals and have a t-shirt underneath the jersey, just to absorb the sweat and also to keep warm if it gets a little breezy during the latter half of the match. Wear a watch that is shock resistant, and don't carry any bags. If you want to carry your camera then take the little ones and not the funky SLR cameras to the game.

All of you should have the cool plastic and perspex shades in different styles to take along. I would suggest you not to take metal based frames as they are a bit too sleek. Do not forget to take your shades as they are the most essential thing, otherwise you will have a real tough time watching the the match. And please get those cool hats in funny shapes both to protect yourself against the sun and thus get totally into the spirit of the game!

You are welcome to do all of the above even if you are not going to the stadium, and instead to your friend's house or to one of the cool cafes for the match. Get into the spirit no matter where you are and have fun. Remember this is a once in a lifetime event!

Go Tigers!