Some people let astrologers decide what colour to wear on certain days of the week –others depend on fashion forecasts. But it’s best to be what you wanna be

Have you often wondered what to wear to make the best impression? Are you often indecisive about what to wear, watching time go by and remain confused about your best and most favourable colour schemes?

Well, one may not always have to make a decision as planetary positions come in handy for those who believe in them. To be able to style oneself is one thing but using an astrologer’s help to get the exact colour that will help us own the day is for formalists who plan to keep the cosmic forces in their favour.

While astrology gives people an excuse for their less than positive traits or actions, it being a hit, especially among millennials, may lead them to go an extra mile to dress right. Jasroop Grewal, a brand manager at a Gurgaon based digital agency, is a firm believer in astrology. “A daily horoscope gets emailed to me every day. It is a good morning read while I am in my office.”

Grewal, who lives in Saket with her twin sister, recently shopped for clothes on her mother’s instructions. “She wanted me to dress in a certain way as she wanted me to meet some potential partners here in Delhi. She wants me to get married soon.” The diktat that came from her mother who lives in the border town of Fazilka in a joint family, went beyond what to buy. “She wanted me to go for some specific colours as that’s what the local priest suggested to her. I don’t want to go that far with astrology.”

Jasroop, who studied fashion, has her own sense of dressing. Her sense of style comes more from the fashion forecasts developed by fashion agencies than what priests derive from her horoscope. You would see her in feminine shirts paired with canvas shoes on most days. Her lean and tall figure make most things look good on her. She adds a pair of earrings and a pop of colour on the mouth for days she things she needs to stand out. “Well, that is really my fashion appetite. Sometimes I do come across fashion suggestions based on astrology but that is more of a fun read than anything else.”

What is interesting to note is her inclination towards home-grown fabrics like cotton, linen and jute in earthy colours which is a suggestion for Virgos like her. However, she is quick to state that she loves such materials because she has worked with designers in the past who use similar textiles. “Cotton and linen are just in these days,” affirms the 25-year-old.

Vinod K Sharma, a professor at NIFT, agrees that for him the colour yellow gets preference on Thursday. A day of Vishnu, who was known to wear the colour, inspires him to do so. According to him, it is a typical belief among Hindus and some Sikh families.

While forecast remains an entirely different thing, religious cultures have people follow an entirely different routine when it comes to their daily fashion decisions. According to Hindu tradition, there is a colour suggested for each of the week’s days in relation to the god the day is for — Starting with Monday when it is auspicious to wear yellow or white to please lord Shiva to wearing red on Sunday to pay obeisance to Surya, the sun god.

Namita Sharma (name changed), a mother in her early 50s, is a firm believer in astrology and regularly visits her astrologer for all kinds of tensions and issues within her family. “To ensure peace within our minds, I do not mind adopting simple things in our lives. Wearing certain things is one of them,” she adds.

For Sharma, who conducts daily prayer in the morning in a small temple within her household, wearing certain colours on specific days is a part of her devotion. “There are no hard and fast rules but I try to wear warmer colours as suggested by my astrologer.” Black is a forbidden colour, according to what is advised to her.

“It is difficult to maintain colours for everyday wear, especially for my children who are young and have their own ideas about clothes. I do not force them,” says Sharma, who believes that such measures help her keep calm more than anything else.

For Varun Murli, in his late 20s, has been based in Delhi for the most part of his life. He points out that his mood is what dictates what he is going to wear every day. “I am not that much into astrology and it is difficult for me to believe that some people wear clothes according to their daily horoscopes,” he says. Murli has recently started working at Ralph Lauren’s design studio in India so dressing crisp is essential for him that keeps him on his toes. “I think in their clothing choices, people must go all out and do what they feel like.”