New Delhi, May 30 -- A few months back, an assignment to interview the CEO of a multinational company sent me spiralling with the question of what to wear. The outfit had to look sharp but also be comfortable enough to see me through the day. I scoured through the "seemingly formal" shirts and trousers I owned and did some last-minute mixing and matching. All that effort ended with me falling back on an extremely safe combination of a semi-formal black top with fitted jeggings. That tiny exercise, however, got me thinking about how shopping for smart corporate wear is not as easy as it seems. Career women in their 30s and 40s who I spoke to had the same refrain: find me good formal western wear that fits and doesn't cost a bomb.

For Nidh...