You’re probably wondering what this strange title is all about. Well, it’s simple really. I’ve just discovered the joy of wearing brown instead of the safe and trusted black.

Ever since black became stylishly haute, every one slips effortlessly into black – black dress, black jacket, black trousers, black suit even a black bathing suit. And it is black in every conceivable shade – jet black, pure black, smoky black – JUST BLACK.

Now to my way of thinking, it’s all very well to wear black in a cold country but in a tropical country like mine, black is more hot than haute.

But black is undeniably a fashion trick to look slimmer, more elegant and somehow dressed up. Its severity lends stature to the person. It reminds you of school principals and head masters, CEO’s of companies and people who matter.

But surely there’s an alternative to black? How about brown?

Brown has an undefinable warmth to it, reminding me of hot chocolate, cold coffee and more. It conjures up the softness of a dog’s coat and the comfort of a brownie. It is less stark and less dark than the austerity of black.

So I decided to put together a brown look

The difference between the kurti and the kurta is more than the ‘i’ at the end – the kurta is the traditional loose fitted garment which is cut in panels – one each for the front and back main body, two panels for the sleeves and four side panels to bring the whole garment together.

The kurti on the other hand is more stylised and is often a lose shift, with more detailing like pin-tucks, shaped hemlines or whatever is the trend of the season.

This lose garment is ideal for our climate and even better for women with generous middles. As it falls gently over your trousers, covering all the bulges, it also allows you to eat a good meal without holding in your stomach!

So, I teamed this predominantly brown voile kurti with a pair of brown knit harem pants. I rounded off the brown look with chestnut brown wedge heels and a deep wine hand bag to match the purple flowers on the kurti.

Now, isn’t this a better alternative to the standard black?