Men’s style hacks: How to look stylish at work even after travelling by crowded Mumbai local train

How many times have we travelled by the Mumbai local train and been disappointed by how we look when we get off at our destination railway station? Commuting by the suburban train is a rollercoaster ride in Mumbai and one that involves navigating through a sea of people who are often clumsy and don't care about people around them. It is not only the people but also the cleanliness in the trains, breeze through open windows and doors and the blast of the AC overhead that can often play spoilsport.

While that is inside the train, one is often met with nightmarish results when they get out for a meeting or to simply go to the office. The crowd results in a broken button, torn or stained garments, and shoes -- that are white when you go in but are black when you get out. Between travellers, women seemed to have aced the game and are known to have many tricks up their sleeve because they are generally known to be more fashionably conscious than men. Interestingly, it is also a lingering trend among men who want to look fashionable even after they step out of the train at the different city rail junctions.

"There's no way you can look fashionable when you get off a Mumbai local," says Shivam Damohe, a Malad-based media professional, continuing, "During the peak hours, you're in the middle of chaos!" Damohe echoes the sentiment of every Mumbaikar who takes the train every day on the Western, Central and Harbour railway line. While the first two face the challenge of crowds, the latter has the challenge of cleanliness, as many in the city admit. However, with a few tricks in the bag, he has managed to navigate it really well and believes other men can also ace it if they only take the extra effort. Simply because the average Mumbaikar can't avoid Mumbai locals if they are travelling long distances and have simply adapted and evolved to find hacks that can work in their favour over the years, and, Damohe is one of them.

Plan your travel time
Even though the Malad local doesn't travel anymore to work due to his work-from-home setup after the Covid-19 pandemic, he has learned many hacks over the years and practices them every time he takes the train even today. He explains, "It doesn't matter if you're going to college or office. You can't just stop being fashionable. Earlier, since I boarded the train from Malad, I'd pick a time that was suitable for me. Since there is a surge in crowds between 8:30-10:30 am, the city-based professional used to pick a train before the time to not only look fashionable but also fresh when he reached work. While this did wonders for him, he warns that it does change one's daily schedule, and one should be prepared for that. While this helped in the morning, in the evening, he simply took the train to Churchgate and came back on the return to avoid the rush, and for that one needs to know the train network properly.

As many have already figured some easy tips, others who still suffer have simply given up. However, Damohe gives them hope in hacks. "To still look fashionable during rush hour, find a place to stand next to the seats or near the windows, preferably. The fan is literally above your head and all you have to do is wait for someone to get up. By doing this, you also avoid a barrage of crowd coming your way," he explains.

Fabrics and fashion
Travel hacks are only one aspect, and it doesn't end there. Damohe is one of those who does consider himself to be fashionable and so he has a curated kit that helps maintain the look. While the mask is a new addition to the attire, he says it is important to carry a face wash, beard wash and deodorant as the basics, along with other essentials. He adds, "I have genuinely not come across men who carry these essentials to work. I would also suggest that people pack another T-shirt/shirt if the commute time is longer than an hour. They can probably change it later." The Mumbaikar talks from experience because he says back in the day when he did travel regularly, he used to apply hair wax to his hair to stay in one place. Now, he simply ties a top knot bun to avoid making a mess of his long hair.

Elsewhere in Bandra, Barry Rodgers is another Mumbaikar like Damohe who loves to look fashionable and has managed to find hacks over the years that allow him to navigate the Mumbai local trains. While he doesn't work out of an office anymore, Rodgers has several tricks that he has put to good use over the years. He explains, "I don't travel anymore but when I did my usual route used to be Bandra to CSMT, I had to travel by the Harbour line. Since I used to surprisingly wear a lot of whites, I used to be hyper-vigilant about the dust or space I am sitting in."

Luckily, Rodgers says he used to travel in the first class compartment, which is a tad bit cleaner but still followed some personal measures to keep his linens from getting soiled. He explains, "I would sometimes choose to sit in the back row of the first class which had eight seats. I also sit upright and away from the backrest especially if I was wearing pastels because I didn't want dust or stains to gather." Being very particular, the city-based media professional would get off the train and head to the washroom just to check if there were any stains, and even though he doesn't have to travel anymore, it is a practice he follows till date.

Interestingly, the change came after the Covid-19 pandemic, Rodgers says, because his style had evolved. "I became a little more aware after the pandemic because I had lost a lot of weight and my fashion sense had evolved and I had started investing in a lot more linen compared to pre-pandemic when I had denims, because they are much more comforting and easier to maintain, and it just looks chic." Before the pandemic, the Mumbaikar used to wear a lot of printed shirts but now he likes mixing it up with different kinds of T-shirts or shirts and basics, that definitely deserve a lot more attention.

"Be mindful when you are wearing light colours. Given that my job requires me to attend events, I don't want to necessarily get my clothes stained because I don't have the time to come back and change. So, what I wear to work is what I wear to an event. I do avoid wearing white on the days I have events because if it's hot, the sweat can really cause a few stains or look nasty." So, Rodgers says men should definitely avoid wearing white if they are travelling by train, especially on the Western line, which is really crowded; a luxury he could afford on the Harbour line as it is comparatively emptier. Sticking to darker colours during summer and monsoon is also a good option on the Western and Central line so that they don't get stained.

Is men's fashion underrated?
Visibly Rodgers and Damohe are really particular about the way they look; and have also aced their hacks. However, one must admit that while women have a variety of looks to experiment with, men are often faced with the challenge of only choosing between colour combinations for their shirts and pants and may often get lazy with it. So is men's fashion underrated, especially because of the hurdle they face with the local trains? Damohe observes that most men don't put efforts into accepting fashion trends or something new, He opines, "Men's fashion is underrated because men are still apprehensive about looking fashionable on a daily basis. These constraints can be tackled with a bunch of well-known tips. Formals and traditional wear can be fashionable too with a few add-ons and with the way you carry it."

On the other hand, Rodgers sees the brighter side. "Men looking fashionable is underrated but I think a lot of men I see on the trains do invest in dressing up in formal attire like shirts and pants, their shoes are immaculately kept, and that shows men are concerned about their upkeep. Given that so much time is spent on trains, sometimes it is validation, and it is always nice to receive compliments and I have also received them myself," he concludes.

Easy tips for men to follow in the Mumbai local trains

Plan your travel time to avoid crowd
Planning their travel time to avoid the crowd is something that most Mumbaikars may have already aced but it is never too late for a reminder, especially if you are part of a flexible work environment.

Carry face wash, beard wash and deodorants
Invest in a face wash, beard wash and deodorants and make it a routine to use them once you get to work. While some may not fancy the first two, the latter is definitely a must especially because you are travelling in a different weather in a crowd.

Carry an extra T-shirt or Shirt
If possible, it is always advisable to carry an extra T-shirt or shirt in case you are travelling during peak hours and there is a possibility of your clothes getting spoiled. This can also work well if you are travelling for an event.

Carry hair bands or hair wax
If you have long hair, it is advisable to always have hair bands handy to use just before you enter the train to avoid it becoming a mess or getting pulled in the crowd. Tying a top knot can not only avoid it from getting spoiled but also unnecessary chatter from fellow travellers in the gent's compartment. Hair wax simply makes life easier by keeping the hair in place.

Avoid leaning against seats in less crowded locals
If you have an event to go to and cannot afford to have stained shirts, avoid leaning against the seats in a less crowded train.

Avoid wearing white, wear dark colours
In crowded trains or summer and monsoon, it is advisable to wear darker colours to avoid your white clothes from getting dirty. Even if the darker colours get dirty, they won't show stains easily.

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