December’s all about the pants, isn’t it? When he needs a sharp pair for a friend’s wedding reception, she’s resolving to fit into a smaller size come January and he thinks, it’ll be even harder to get into her pants now. Damn those skinny jeans!

Whether it’s a preoccupation with or an occupation of pants you’re plotting, you could cover the trouser trail bpb followed last week. Some of them are no longer on sale but that’s what you get for leaving all the leg work for us.

Rabble Trousers

Red Jeans: We spotted a table full of brightly hued jeans at Zara for Rs 2,500 and then, we found similar ones (with better fits) at export surplus store Mesh for Rs 900! Available in tomato red and light purple. Also see electric blue suede loafers.

Mesh, 16th Road, opposite Hawaiian Shack, Bandra (W), call 65074745.

Cobalt Blue Pants: Braving Mango’s three-day weekend sale led to loot for a lot less (buy 3 or more items and get 50% off on the bill). In our acquisition pile lies a yummy pair of fit-like-a-dream leathery cobalt blue pants (originally for Rs 2,200), just the kind that everyone will want to get into – girls and boys.  The sale has ended, but they still have a few pairs left over at the outlets

Mango outlets at Santacruz, Worli and Lower Parel.

What: The Collective women’s wear and accessory sale, Palladium mall, High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, up to 70% off.

Why: At the last Collective sale, we scored True Religion jeans, Kenneth Cole cardigans and a mad pretty Alice and Olivia sequin dress at a steal. This time around featured brands include Moschino Cheap and Chic, Juicy Couture and Vivienne Westwood. Need we say more?

When: Cut-offs on Saturday, November 26 from 11 am to 9 pm.

Medal Pushers

Think you deserve a prize for being good this year?  Celebrity milliner and stylist Shilpa Chavan - that's Little Shilpa to you - does as well.

That's why she's strung together mini shields and tri-striped bows, name tags and brocade fabric, gold stars and silver chains into jewellery that will make you want to conquer the world - after all, you're a decorated soldier now.

March Madness

Called Battle Royale, Chavan describes this collection as "An amalgamation of power drilled with a sense of vintage mannerism.... you feel a sense of princely patriotism."

We recently spied the impossibly cool necklaces, badges and brooches at Bombay Electric and immediately wanted an unusual set of shoulder epaulets connected with thin silver chains, a plastic set of aviation wings and a medallion featuring a pale, pretty lady. It's the perfect accessory for all the jackets you're going to bring out this winter.

View that and other pieces from the collection in our slideshow.

Military Timing

Strictly speaking, the Battle Royale is Shilpa's collection from Autumn - Winter 2010. "But I always send my stuff to stores two years  after I show it," she explains. "It takes that long for customers to actually understand and appreciate it."

Getting there: Available at Bombay Electric, 1 Reay House, Colaba or visit www.littleshilpa.com, Rs 7,600 for an epaulet.

Top Trimmer

It’s one of her favourite things to do – walk around Bandra dressed like a boy, hair cropped, drop crotch black pants, men’s shoes and a fake moustache. It’s no wonder then, that celebrity hairstylist Sapna Bhavnani (founder of Mad O Wot salon)’s new line of clothing is largely indifferent to sex but not to style. Titled SoFake, “because everyone in fashion is”, this androgynous label for men and women also includes the handy work of designer-stylist Sukriti Grover, who met Sapna over a gold sequined blazer. The SoFake collection hits Attic (Santacruz) and Bliss (Versova) on Friday, November 25 and will soon find a space at the Mad O Wot salons as well.

Weather You’re a Boy or Girl

The colour palette of SoFake’s Fall/Winter Collection 2011 ranges from snow to storm to total blackout, but its strong structures keep it resistant to the weather and gender. There are asymmetric tops, high waist trousers, skirt-pants and culottes crafted out of comfy jerseys, livable linens and cotton.  Our favourite bit about the collection - sported by Airport singer Arijit Dutta on SoFake’s Facebook page -  is the christening of each garment. They come with fun name tags like ‘Pants to Live In’ and ‘The Ooh-la-la-la Jacket” and are reasonably priced at Rs 690 going up to Rs 2,500.

1Q84 vs. 400050

En route to a Tokyo with two moons – this Scouter acquired a copy of Murakami’s new novel 1Q84 yesterday - a stop had to be made in Bandra to check out Bohemian Rock Star, a new men’s fashion store. We imagined ourselves hurrying through a pedestrian lot of jeans, tees and ties all the while thinking about a bizarre bounty of talking cats, vanishing women and enchanted sleepers we could be browsing instead.But we stayed longer, perhaps fascinated by a white gas mask on the mannequin that suddenly seemed to admit this Hill Road store into Murakami’s cloudy world (Remember Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack?). Surely, stranger things have happened at Hill Road.

The Asia Tour

This mask, along with other interesting but not-for-sale products - mini slot machines and guitars, Elvis paraphernalia and a red couch shaped like a palm- can be found at this store whose stock comes from all over Asia. While the PVC jackets, Hendrix tees and skinny black ties live up to the ‘Rock Star’ in its moniker, the ‘Bohemian’ bit is coming soon, we were told, as is the upstairs ladies section.  View product slideshow here.

What: Nakashi, Gazdar Apartments, Juhu Tara Road, near JW Marriott, Vile Parle, call 26152140, start at Rs 750.

Why:  With marble benches, clusters of white flowers and ornate grills that look like they’ve been embroidered by karigars, this new Lucknowi store’s space is prettier than its stock. That’s not to say we didn’t find ourselves some lovelies – nude Benarasi chiffon and yellow Maheshwari cotton kurtas. The collection for men is small, but they have bales of fabric and tailor to size.

When:  You need a new conversation thread.

What: Floral bags by JoyStreet, to order call 9892096656, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or view the Facebook group here, start at Rs 1,200, introductory 10% off and free home delivery in three weeks.

Why: NIFT educated accessory designer Sudhir Arora plucks the darling buds of May and plants them in rows on faux leather bags coloured in red, army green and deep blue. Hannibal nectar! His sister Bhavya is in charge of marketing these, aims to have them in stores by end of year and is dreaming up a men’s collection as we speak.

When: You’re interested in stem cell research. 

  New at Label by Ritu Kumar

Not much has changed at Label by Ritu Kumar in the last couple of years - she's still making ill-fitting jersey dresses in a riot of floral prints, patterned  with beads and the same old embossed leather handbags.

But amidst all the dated merchandise, we did spot something new during a recent visit - fun neck pieces made from beaten metal, gunmetal chains and even ping-pong balls of cloth. Our  favorite was the necklace pictured above, nicely finished and gratifyingly heavy, with an adjustable string chain and leaves of copper and silver.

The best part? Even though it sheds the Label's customary mustiness, the jewellery retains the reasonable price (Rs 1,800), making it the perfect impulse buy. 

PS: The Nariman Point store had only a couple of more pieces after we snapped this one up, so go soon!

Getting there: F-52 Shopping Arcade, The Hilton towers, Nariman point, call 22846995, Rs 1,800.

Family Guy

Everyone has one – that drunk uncle who has one too many at the family dinner and talks to you like you're stone deaf. It's time to hide your alcohol-loving, mildly-annoying extended family in a closet for Wasted Fish opens in Bandra today, a store whose paraphernalia encourages inebriation and isn’t responsible for the behaviour that comes with. Here you’ll find everything your bar (and uncle) need to last through the season – glassware, booze accessories, ashtrays and drinking games imported from Ireland, Germany and beyond. How much should you buy? That’s all relative(s).

The Fins Behind The Sins

Wasted Fish was started this summer as a home delivery-only service by Chandni Shahani and Imran Rizvi, for whom getting high out of boring glasses was a big downer. That’s when the two boozy bums decided to sober up, “only momentarily”, to import all kinds of glorious glasses – tilted whisky tumblers, frosted wine goblets, steel champagne flutes and a bunch of long-stemmed shot glasses that look like tulips.  

What: Bibhu Mohapatra at Le Mill, by appointment only, call 23742415, 17-25 Nandlal Jani Road, next to new railway bridge, Wadi Bunder, price on request.

Why: The Orissa-born designer who took New York by storm (he’s dressed the likes of Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett and Sienna Miller) returns to the motherland this week, with a trunk show at the lovely Le Mill. He’ll be showing a good chunk of his Spring/Summer 2012 collection, as well as favorites from older lines. You can pick your outfit, and Mohapatra will have a new piece made to your measurements and shipped in from New York. Fancy that?

When: All day today, Friday, November 11.