Who's Frumpier?

Delhi or Mumbai
Being a Lucknowite, I always looked up to Delhi as the place "to be in"-for everything-from career to fashion...the whole enchilada! I always enjoyed my visits to Delhi-visiting sprawling and hallowed campuses of Jamia Millia Islamia and Indian Institute Of Mass Communication. It used to give me a big high- as "hep" dudes and dudettes with kewlest goaties and g-strings (visible under the low waist jeans). I enjoyed my binging sessions at the paratha gali in chandni chowk or window shopping at CP. But when i saw the sordid face of delhi during my summer internship, I was aghast. Zee Delhi office had an editing suite where term used for editing was "kaatna" or "story kaat di?" eeeks! It was hell!
The crude Punju/Jat accent, choicest of expletives and a general air of hostility-everything about Delhi felt very belligerent and inimical.
Luckily I landed a job in Mumbai-a city that adopted me like it adopts so many starry eyed youths looking at hitting the jackpot. Now when I draw comparisions between Delhi and Mumbai, it makes for a great synopsis.
If you speak to a die-hard dilli walla, he'll call a mumbaiker-"chalu and filmi" while a mumbaiker would call a delhite-"political thug".
With so many of our Delhi designers looking down upon their Mumbai counterpart with disdain and disregard-there is always a cold war brewing between the denizens of both cities.
Mumbai feels that all Delhites have is loads of money and you see that money when they walk into a party with Dolce and Gabbana stuck like a glue from top to bottom. While Mumbaikars who think they are more "sober and subtle" in their dressing are mocked for their filmi bollywoodised looks and lack of understanding of couture.
This is a never ending debate!
But I feel that both cities' fashion sensibilties have their own appeals. When it comes to troussoue, no one can point fingers at a delhite who'll match her Ritu Kumar lehenga with Jimmy Choo. When you are talking about a club wear, you just can't take your eyes off a boho-chic South Mumbai dudette who'll wear a Sabyasachi and tuck a flower in her hair.
The fact that Delhi is seen as a "show-off" city is also thanks to its architecture. If you are in Delhi and have loads of money, you can flaunt it too-Vandana Luthra's farm house being a case in point, while In Mumbai you'll have to stay cramped in luxury flats only.
Mumbai is more of mix and match-while Delhi is high on bling.
I think that has got more to do with Mumbai's commuting culture. When you catch a train at 7 in morning to reach your office, you can't kill your Satya Paul sari! Or can you?
While in Delhi where ppl prefer cars for commuting, a well-starched sari would be perfect!
As a kid I have seen my mom(a working lady)dressing up- in her dhakais, bandhej and lucknawi chikan and to me she has always appeared uber-stylish. Though she discourages any talk about "mindless fashion"(as she puts it), but it's difficult to spot anyone in an elegant sari at a Mumbai shindig.
Last time it was Shobhaa De who had launched her "cocktail sari" collection in Mumbai, which I felt was terrible! Sigh! Though it was good to see our Mumbai socialites turning up in 9 yrd couture wonder for a change!