CM Vijay’s signature suit: Has Tamil Nadu’s new Chief Minister sparked a blazer trend?
When actor-turned-politician C Joseph Vijay took oath as the Chief Minister on May 10, all eyes were on his black-and-white suit. In a state where politicians have long preferred the classic white shirt and vestido, the blazer stood out.
Weeks later, Vijay wore this uniform in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, standing out in the sea of whites. According to sources, the price of his suits was around ₹1-1.25 lakh. Inspired by a viral shopping offer advertising the ‘CM Vijay Look’ for ₹3,999, I set out to find out how many people were switching to blazers inspired by his style and whether I could recreate the look on a budget.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) Chief C.Joseph Vijay speaks after the swearing-in ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday (May 10). | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
The poster, which reportedly belonged to a popular clothing brand and upon investigation, distinguished itself from the ad, featured a combo offer called ‘CM Vijay Look’, offering a black suit, black trousers, white shirt, black leather belt and black shoes for ₹3,999. On a sweltering day, I start searching in T Nagar, hoping to find out whether the blazer section of popular brands like Pothys Hyper, Saravana Stores, Jeyachandran and Saravana Selvarathnam also offers similar competitive deals.
How much do suits cost in these stores?
Apparently, despite the noise on social media, there is no ‘Vijay look’ available for purchase. But I realize I can repeat this after a casual walk.
At Jeyachandran on North Usman Road, looks cost between 3,000 and 9,000 Indian rupees, including Linen Valley blazers made from an Italian cotton blend, starting at around 2,000 Indian rupees. At the higher end, I see a five-piece suit set consisting of blazer, shirt, vest, tie and trousers selling for between ₹6,900 and ₹8,200. At The Legend Saravana Stores, where the fourth floor has a wide range of blazer collections from brands such as Rameez Ethnics, Suit Studio and Uvaam, a basic blazer costs around INR 1,600, but I suggest you check out their five-piece suit sets ranging in price from INR 8,000 to INR 16,000.
While the Saravana Selvarathnam store offers Royal Wood, where the cheapest combination includes a blazer made from a Mumbai-sourced cotton blend for around INR 2,300, the Royal Wood five-piece set is priced at ₹5,000.
Fair warning: Saravana Stores can be challenging with its slow elevators and packed crowds, while Selvarathnam’s air conditioning falters in the afternoon heat. After a few stops, I realized that although the prices were higher, Pothys Hyper offered the most comfortable shopping experience. Otto’s five-piece suit, made in Mumbai and featuring a satin blend for a more polished look, costs ₹8,000. You may see a fellow shopper paying ₹17,000 for a suit set from Hallmark HMK, while the same price of Siddham Ethnic is ₹9,500.It comes from Jammu and Kashmir. Most of the suits available at Pothys are made of viscose, satin and matte fabrics.
You can tailor your own suits at Raymond Shop outlets in Panagal Park and Pondy Bazaar, starting from ₹ 10,000. You can choose from a range of polywools, priced at ₹600 per meter in some stores, ₹1,500 per meter in others, with the most expensive fabric priced at ₹15,000 per meter. Although black remains the best-selling color, shopkeepers say many customers also prefer blue, burgundy and gray blazers for special occasions.
Most affordable ‘CM Vijay View’
The most affordable combination of Vijay’s black-and-white suit in T Nagar includes: a black jacket costing INR 1,600, a white shirt costing INR 300, and black trousers costing INR 500.
Blazer wearing trend
Nagoor Meeran, owner of wedding suit design studio Meeran Designz, says the demand for suits has increased after the release of Vijay’s 2022 movie Monster. “Since then, there have been requests from people referencing his look. Just a few days ago, a groom wanted his suit to be as minimal as what Vijay is wearing now,” he adds.
A still from Vijay’s ‘Monster’ | Photo Credit: Sun Pictures
Most tailors I meet say that more people are wearing blazers now. While legacy brands like Syed Bawkher & Co (since 1904) and PN Rao have been in the business of tailoring suits for decades, they are generally in the price range of Rs one lakh and above. It is only relatively recently that the increasing demand for suits will create a more democratic mass market.
Mohammed Ghouse, owner of Rangoon Tailor in Purasaiwalkam, says that a few decades ago, at a wedding attended by 1,500 people, only the groom would wear a suit. “Nowadays it has become just another piece of clothing, like a shirt and trousers. Now you can buy a blazer from INR 1,500 onwards,” he says. Ghouse’s store carries ready-made blazers starting from ₹2,500. “But if you were to stitch your own jacket, you would have to spend around INR 5,000 on the material and INR 5,000 on stitching. On the other hand, ready-made garments will not give you the look you expect from tailoring,” he adds.
Meeran’s store specializes in wedding attire and the price of blazer suits ranges from ₹10,000 to ₹14,500. “We also have blazers priced around 35,000 Indian rupees, but locals do not prefer this because there is too much wool and it is not suitable for the weather conditions here,” says Meeran.
Shahul Hameed’s Men’s Park Custom Tailors has been in business for over 40 years. “Earlier, people were renting blazers. To break this, we started offering a blazer and trouser set for ₹7,900,” he says. This is cheaper than making your own suit. “We realized that many students wanted to wear suits in meetings but could not afford to spend around ₹20,000. So, we minimized the cost of fabric as much as possible.” Shahul says most of the fabric used to make suits is polywool from Italy or Mumbai. “Western countries use 100% pure wool, but this is not suitable for India’s climatic conditions,” he adds.
While I didn’t find what was promised, the ₹3,999 CM look promoted by social media, I did discover an intriguing new wave of people embracing blazers, undaunted by the Chennai heat. From boardrooms to weddings, the suit is evolving from an exotic luxury into an accessible, aspirational outfit. And although Chief Minister Vijay may not have triggered this change, he has become its most visible ambassador, making the black jacket one of the most discussed looks in Tamil Nadu right now.
