Fashion does not always require a completely new wardrobe. Sometimes, the difference between an ordinary outfit and a polished one comes down to better proportions, good tailoring and knowing how to style what you already own.
Mohit Rai is among India’s influential celebrity stylists turned fashion designers. A NIFT graduate, Rai has spent more than 15 years shaping the public image of stars including Paris Hilton, Sonam Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Disha Patani and Vaani Kapoor. In 2019, he co-founded craft-first fashion label ITRH with his college friend Ridhi Bansal, bringing his styling expertise into the world of fashion design.
As ITRH brings its collection to Curato for an upcoming pop-up, Rai shared his approach to shopping smarter, styling everyday basics and choosing fashion pieces that can work well beyond a single occasion.
For Rai, building a stylish wardrobe is less about constantly buying something new and more about understanding what makes a piece work. From the five fashion staples he believes can instantly make a wardrobe look more polished to the trends he thinks shoppers should think twice about buying, his advice focuses on fit, versatility and personal style.
Mohit Rai says these five fashion pieces can instantly make a wardrobe look more polished
According to Rai, a few well-chosen wardrobe staples can make a noticeable difference to how an outfit comes together.
His list includes a great white shirt, beautifully cut trousers, a jacket with strong shoulders, an interesting pair of shoes and one piece of jewellery that you never take off.
But there is another item he considers just as important: a good tailor.
“A fairly ordinary garment that fits beautifully will almost always look better than an expensive garment that doesn’t,” Rai says.
That makes tailoring worth considering when shopping for wardrobe staples. Instead of automatically spending more on a designer piece, shoppers can also look at whether an existing garment can be altered to improve its fit and proportions.
Stop buying clothes just because they are trending
For Rai, the idea of investing in fashion trends is less important than investing in good fashion fundamentals.
He recommends looking for strong tailoring, considered proportions, beautiful fabrics, interesting textures and pieces that can be styled in multiple ways.
“If you love a very specific trend, experiment with it but don’t build your wardrobe around it,” he says.
His approach is particularly useful for shoppers who find themselves buying something because it is suddenly everywhere online. A trend can be fun to try, but it does not necessarily need to become a major part of your wardrobe.
Rai’s rule is simple: if a trend becomes louder than your personality, it may be better treated as a temporary experiment.
How to make a white shirt, jeans or a simple kurta look more stylish
Basic clothes do not have to result in basic outfits. Rai believes the styling around a garment can completely change how it looks.
A white shirt, for instance, can be worn oversized, partially tucked, belted, layered or even styled almost like a jacket. Jeans can also look completely different depending on the pieces worn with them.
For a simple kurta, Rai suggests playing with proportion rather than automatically pairing it with the most predictable traditional combination.
“Styling is where personal style actually begins,” he says.
This is also a useful way to refresh your wardrobe without constantly shopping. Instead of buying another new outfit, experiment with different layers, accessories, proportions and footwear around clothes you already own.
Shopping for a wedding? Look beyond the typical wedding outfit
For shoppers with weddings on their calendar, Rai recommends resisting the temptation to buy something that can only be worn to one event.
His advice is to look for statement silhouettes, interesting separates and pieces with distinctive surface details or drape.
The ideal purchase, according to Rai, should work with jewellery and heels for a wedding but also be easy to break apart and style differently later.
The goal is not necessarily to wear the most heavily embellished outfit in the room. Instead, look for something memorable that still has enough versatility to work beyond the wedding season.
What to spend more on and where you can save
Not every fashion purchase needs to come with a high price tag.
Rai recommends spending more on items that touch the body or define the silhouette. His examples include footwear, tailoring, outerwear and well-made occasion pieces, where construction and fit can make a visible difference.
On the other hand, he believes shoppers can save on trend-led pieces, basic layering separates and accessories.
His broader shopping rule is worth keeping in mind: if you are going to spend more, choose something you can imagine wearing 30 times rather than something you will photograph once.
The biggest mistake people make when copying celebrity fashion
Celebrity outfits can be tempting to recreate, but Rai says copying an entire look is not necessarily the best way to bring celebrity fashion into your own wardrobe.
A celebrity look often works because of several elements working together, including proportion, styling, posture, grooming and the work of a professional fashion team.
Instead of copying everything, Rai suggests identifying the one element that attracted you to the outfit.
It could be an oversized silhouette, a monochrome colour palette or an unexpected accessory. Take that element and translate it into your own wardrobe.
That approach can make the look feel personal rather than like a costume.
How to shop for clothes online when you cannot try them on
Online fashion shopping comes with one obvious limitation: you cannot physically feel the fabric or check the fit before placing the order.
Rai recommends looking beyond the main product photograph.
Check the fabric composition, garment measurements and construction details. Zoom into product images and look for movement shots if the retailer provides them.
The return policy is another important detail to check before buying.
Most importantly, know your own measurements.
“Your size on one website means very little, your measurements mean everything,” Rai says.
For shoppers buying clothes online, this can be especially useful when comparing sizing across different brands. Rather than automatically selecting the same size every time, compare your measurements with the individual product’s size chart.
Ask yourself this before buying the trend of the moment
Rai’s approach to trends comes down to one question: do you actually like the piece, or do you like seeing everyone else wear it?
He does not suggest avoiding trends altogether. Fashion should be fun, he says. But shoppers should be careful about allowing every viral aesthetic to dictate what enters their wardrobes.
If a piece genuinely appeals to you and works with your existing clothes, it can be worth experimenting with. But buying something simply because it is dominating social media can quickly leave your wardrobe looking like a timeline of everything that went viral.
The three-outfit rule for building a better wardrobe
One of Rai’s most practical pieces of advice is to think about versatility before buying.
His rule is to avoid purchasing a piece unless you can already imagine at least three versions of yourself wearing it.
That does not mean every garment needs to be a basic. Rai believes in buying pieces with personality, but they should still leave room for reinterpretation.
A statement shirt could work with tailored trousers, jeans and a skirt. An occasion blouse could potentially be dressed up with jewellery and heels or styled more casually with denim and flats.
The idea is to build a wardrobe where individual pieces have multiple styling possibilities rather than buying clothes for one specific occasion.
As Rai puts it, fashion should evolve with you. Your wardrobe should not need replacing every time your mood changes.
Mohit Rai’s fashion shopping rules at a glance
- Prioritise fit and tailoring over a high price tag.
- Invest more in footwear, outerwear, tailoring and well-made occasion pieces.
- Experiment with trends instead of building your entire wardrobe around them.
- Look for clothes that can be styled in at least three different ways.
- Use accessories and proportions to make basics feel different.
- For weddings, choose pieces that can be worn again rather than one-time outfits.
- When shopping online, check measurements, fabric composition, construction and return policies.
- Before buying a viral trend, ask whether you genuinely like it or simply like seeing it everywhere.
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