Commute, but make it cute: Mumbaikars reveal how to travel by local trains and still look good

Borivali-based Shreeya Namjoshi is very particular about looking professional when she reaches work. This means dressing to not only be fashionable but also formal in the workplace. Being a city-based publicist, her job entails spending time in the office setting as well as travelling to meet clients in and around the city. But there is one big challenge: the 26-year-old travels from Borivali to Andheri by a crowded Mumbai local train - which usually arrives packed from Vasai or Virar - every day.

Looking fashionable is a task if you are travelling by train, especially in a city like Mumbai which is infamous for its overcrowded trains with people packed like sardines. With the summer here and the trains operating in full swing, that means crumpled shirts, creased coats and hair all over the place. However, Namjoshi is one of many in the city, who have had to figure out ways around this and use inventive techniques to maintain their style quotient while commuting.

Scarf to the rescue
Since Namjoshi prefers to wear her hair loose at work, she has to go the extra mile to manage her tresses. "Since I like to look professional when I reach work, I tie my hair in a bun in the train," she explains, "I not only wrap a scarf around my head but also my face from the start to the end of my journey." This practice helps protect her from the sweat, dirt and stickiness. She notices that many women in the ladies' compartment do this. Once she reaches her workplace, all she has to do is add a touch of lipstick and powder to her face. She has bought at least six to seven scarfs and always has a spare one with her at all times for her hair.

Shreeya Namjoshi (left) likes to dress professional every day to work; Vishaka Chakrapani (right) always covers her hair while travelling in the Mumbai local train. Photo Courtesy: Shreeya Namjoshi/Vishaka Chakrapani

Thane-based Vishaka Chakrapani is another commuter who swears by the scarf method. She learnt this from experience. "I used to straighten my hair sometimes during my college days, for special events." On one such occasion, while travelling in the train, Chakrapani was standing near the door with a lot of wind and that didn't end well. "By the time I reached college, my straightened hair actually looked like I had got out of a cat fight," shares the 29-year-old content writer, who used to travel daily from Bhandup to her college in Churchgate.

A step ahead
Once she started working, the city-based content writer realised that reaching the office the same way wasn't an option. Echoing Namjoshi's sentiment, she says, "I cultivated my scarf habit during my office travel years to look good when I enter the workplace and also to feel good about myself."

Chakrapani, who used to travel to her workplace in Goregaon, says she has another hack which has proved useful over the years. She also carries a pair of footwear like heels or shoes to wear once she reaches her location. "Travelling by the second class coach promises zero luxury. After a few stamps on some of my precious shoes, I decided that if I'm travelling by train, I'm going to wear flip flops and carry my heels or fancy shoes in a bag. This way, the flip flops are also thin enough to keep in my handbag the rest of the day," she explains. Plus, she always kept an extra pair of shoes at her workplace just in case her footwear snapped while travelling in the train, which is always highly likely.

Over the years, Namjoshi has also figured out other hacks to look spiffy once she reaches her workplace. She dresses up in a shirt and trousers and packs her jacket away. "Travelling in packed trains leads to creases on my blazer. So, I pack it in my bag and put it on once I reach work." This is a handy trick, she says, especially when one has meetings.

Like Namjoshi and Chakrapani, Jogeshwari-based Aysha also ties her hair and uses a scarf when needed. However, the city-based teacher also has a few fashion hacks of her own, which she began using while first going to work in 2016. Travelling in one of the most crowded suburban train networks in the world, Aysha realised that looking presentable was impossible unless you get creative.

The Mumbaikar started wearing a shrug (external cardigan-like garment) over her clothes, which has helped her since then. While this is a good option during the summer, she simply uses a hoodie or jacket for the winter. The practice, which she used to follow more often earlier when travelling by train to and from Jogeshwari to Santacruz, has reduced now because she takes an autorickshaw to her destination. "Using the shrug has saved my clothes from a lot of creasing, unexpected stains or just simple dullness due to the dust settling on them," shares the 27-year-old. The owner of quite a few shrugs says wearing a light scarf between her collared shirt and neck is another hack to avoid getting the collar dirty. It is one that can work wonders especially if looking your best is very important on a particular day.