Trends flicker and fade faster than a camera flash. Even if one form of styling is working out for the youth today, it may be completely discarded the next second. Say, for example, the polka-dot trend. It makes a comeback every season, but does not quite stay permanently. The trend, which was a hit in the 1920s, managed to stay afloat till the 1950s, returned in the later part of the ’60s and stayed with us till the ’80s (for most parts). Now, the polka-dot trend is almost invisible, except if you are looking for clothes that scream vintage luxe. Even for styles that our celebrities pull off, some of it is obsolete the very next day. In the constantly changing world of celebrity styling, few stars have managed to align confidence and couture. But Shah Rukh Khan, the popular Badshah of Bollywood, remains the one constant. He is a symbol of timelessness and his kind of presence makes even couture seem secondary.

Over three decades, SRK has done more than rule the Box Office. He has ruled red carpets, film frames and front rows with a kind of confidence that has turned him into a living language of refinement. He has defined what it means to look like a star. His fashion sensibility, on or off screen, has been well-appreciated by fans. Think of Shah Rukh Khan in the 2000s, making public appearances in a white V-neck T-shirt and dark blue denim. Those were the days! He has transcended trends and generations, establishing himself as a permanent fixture in India’s style lexicon.

He defined the hero’s wardrobe

When Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge premiered in 1995, India met not just Raj, the romantic hero audiences were looking for, but a new idea of how a leading man could look. Yes, leather jacket slung effortlessly over denim, hair tousled, eyes disarming – the kind we cannot help but hopelessly fall for. It was rebellion softened by romance and it was safe to assume that fashion had found its new muse.

In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Shah Rukh Khan embodied the quintessential ‘90s college boy. He was casual, confident and playful. His character, Rahul Khanna, became a fashion icon for the youth of that era. The IT boy of Bollywood defined his styling with a ‘COOL’ necklace, polo shirts, oversized sweatshirts, denim jackets, baggy jeans, and sports caps.

From there, SRK’s style trajectory became a popular topic of conversation. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham gave us luxury in motion. The long trench coats, black rollnecks and tailored trousers spoke of sophistication, a look that Manish Malhotra and his team, comprising Shabina Khan and Rocky S, designed to perfection. Later, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla transformed Shah Rukh Khan into a doomed romantic hero for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas. The film’s lavish aesthetic demanded grandeur with rich silk kurtas, intricately embroidered sherwanis and dhotis in muted creams, maroons and golds.

Sleek gangster suits and crisp shirts in Don cannot be forgotten. Costume designer Aki Narula experimented with modern masculinity and brought out a bold and brooding SRK.

By the time of Raees, Shah Rukh Khan had moved into more mature and intense roles. His character, Raees Alam was a bootlegger with a moral code. He had a gritty style that was local and authoritative. Pathani suits and shirts in deep and earthy tones with rolled-up sleeves and open collars became the character’s go-to. Fans couldn’t keep calm when seeing SRK in stubble beard, tousled hair and kohl-lined eyes.

Then came Pathaan – the reinvention nobody saw coming. Shoulder-length hair, combat gear and a larger-than-life energy, Shah Rukh proved that 30 years into superstardom, he could still set the fashion agenda and GenZs’ hearts on fire. His Greg Lauren cargo pants with nothing on top wasn’t just a wardrobe choice, it was a crash course on fashion. It showed how Shah Rukh always understood the assignment. He is now gearing up for Siddharth Anand’s King with an intense salt-and-pepper look and defiant personality.

But out of all the movies, SRK’s physical transformation for Om Shanti Om cannot be missed out on. For the iconic Dard-E-Disco track, he teamed up with celebrity trainer Prashant Sawant to build his six pack abs. That was fashion that didn’t need fabric to make a statement.

Red carpets and runways

At Red Sea International Film Festival in 2022, he stunned in a custom Sabyasachi Mukherjee tuxedo, cut close to the frame and styled with a silk shirt and minimal accessories. It was pure Shah Rukh.

At Mannat’s Diwali celebrations, he frequently chooses Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla or Manish Malhotra’s creations, comprising chikankari kurtas, ivory bandhgalas or muted gold sherwanis that define luxurious traditional menswear.