I keep reading about man bags in fashion magazines. Is that just a fancy way of saying briefcase? What can one wear them with and where can they be carried?

A man bag is a hipper, easier and more fashionable way of carrying things around. Briefcases became outdated when the era of papers and files ended. The modern version is a bag that has been designed to carry a laptop. These bags go with all kinds of work attire, so it doesn’t matter if you dress formally or casually to work. Sophisticated pieces should be used while travelling on business, while sporty versions can be used for the workplace and evenings out. Of course, when you’re CEO of a bank, your definition of sporty should be Hugo Boss, not Reebok.

I’d like to update my evening wardrobe with a few contemporary shirts and jackets. Could you help me with styles that are popular right now, as well as what to wear them with?

Shirts with high collars and contrast stitching are very popular at the moment. For the evening, look for shirts which have self-on-self embroidery (that means a shirt with embroidery in the same colour).

Jackets are now worn shorter with jeans, T-shirts or printed shirts. For formal wear, a narrow-cut, two-button suit is the trend, which can be pepped up with a coloured shirt.

Write to Narendra at boardroombootcamp@livemint.com