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According to some of the best rom-coms out there, the answer to the age-old “Do opposites attract?” debate is a resounding yes. Unlikely pairings—a bookish introvert falling for the popular, social butterfly; the bubbly optimist drawn to the mysteriously brooding realist—make for some of the most swoon-worthy stories. But the real question is, do these types of matches actually last?

There’s something undeniably exciting about being with a person who’s, well, nothing like you. “The novelty is a huge part of the ‘opposites attract’ appeal,” says Chris Gonzalez, PhD, LMFT, professor and founding director of Lipscomb University’s Marriage and Family Therapy masters program in Nashville. “It’s like, ‘There’s something in you I don’t see in myself, and that’s what makes this dynamic so unfamiliar yet electric.”

But will that early chemistry translate into a happily ever after? According to Dr. Gonzalez, not necessarily: “There’s a difference between attraction, that initial spark, and compatibility, which refers to whether the relationship is built to last.” Some opposites can successfully challenge and complement each other in a way that strengthens their bond, he explains, while other times, competing personalities can be impossible to overcome. Below, we asked experts what makes some opposites click—and why others clash.

So why do opposites attract?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer as to why we may gravitate toward our polar opposites. Again, the unknown can be a big draw. But there are a few reasons why ending up with someone quite different might work in your favour, too, according to Molly Burrets, PhD, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and adjunct professor at the University of Southern California’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy.

For starters, you probably don’t want to be with a carbon copy of yourself, says Dr. Burrets. There’s not much room to grow if you’re both always on the same page and never disagreeing or challenging each other. Plus things can get boring when you’re too similar—without any contrast, it’s easy to feel stagnant. In some cases, too many commonalities can also breed more conflict, Dr. Gonzalez points out—like if both of you are too stubborn to apologise during fights or so conflict-avoidant that important issues never get addressed.

We might not all like Valentine’s Day celebrations, but perhaps some cute Valentine’s Day nail art designs could put us in the mood for love? An at-home manicure is that little self-care moment that we all deserve—plus, there are so many ideas out there that your nails can very well become your canvas. To help inform your decision, we’ve put together an edit of the most beautiful nail ideas that work equally well across acrylic nails, gel nails and every different nail shape. There are options for everything, from long coffin nails to short and natural shapes.

Want something a little more themed? Red for Valentine’s Day may not be groundbreaking, but it’s an undeniable classic. We’ve come across some stunning manis that remix traditional pinks and reds in a modern, covetable way, whether it’s across the whole nail, ombréd out, or making a guest appearance as an accent, like a French tip or retro swirls (which are proving very popular). So get your nail polish collection out and create something you can truly crush on.

Glitter hearts

Heart tips

Chrome pink with dinky red heart

Chrome aura

Kisses

Karisma Kapoor’s style is a lesson in “how not to try too hard”, especially when it comes to beachwear. She clearly enjoys spending time by the ocean and is often serving up delicious resort wear looks. Earlier, we had witnessed her in an all-black beach outfit, perfect for those with a penchant for dark neutrals. Her recent pick? A printed hand-draped kaftan dress from Verandah, a conscious luxury brand founded by Anjali Patel Mehta.

Inspired by the laid-back Goan susegaad life, Kapoor’s kaftan, from Verandah’s Parra collection, features diaphanous motifs around the borders, alluding to the azulejos tiles found across colonial Portuguese houses in the state. Wearing her hair in a sleek bun and keeping her makeup clean, Karisma Kapoor proved that beach style can be both chic and comfortable. She stayed true to the monochromatic feel of the look, adding a statement only with a stack of zebra-printed resin cuffs.

As seen on international runways, such as Saint-Laurent and Chloé’s coveted spring summer ’25 shows, stacking cuffs set against bohemian, billowing silhouettes seems to be the next big trend. Case in point, Tripti Dimri‘s stack with an ivory Iqbal Hussain lehenga, Kareena Kapoor Khan’s more disco-esque rendition of the trend, or Sobhita Dhulipala‘s sequinned version paired with archival Sabyasachi – bohemian, easy-going offerings that stray away from overdone minimalism.

History, by default, has been a male dominion. Tucked inside school textbooks are tales of valour and conquests, wars and spoils, almost always performed by men. Reading about fearless souls striding onto the battlefield or flouting societal expectations, be it Akbar the Great, Bhagat Singh or Kabir, has always felt manly.

After all, who has ever got their blood pumping over Mirabai’s Sita-like devotion or Sarojini Naidu’s role in the freedom struggle with her docile title, the ‘Nightingale of India’? Women of the past have been considered exceptional only as saints and celebrated in monochrome shades, even if it is the warrior queen of Jhansi.

It’s why contemporary female historians in India are enlisting their words to rescue women like the Sufi poet-spy Noor Inayat Khan, who fought to defeat Nazi tyranny, from the blank page, and shining a new light on figures like Mirabai, who audaciously left behind her husband, his family and dominion to stray alone in the wild.

Sophia Duleep Singh (fourth from left) fought for causes like women’s suffrage and better treatment of Indian soldiers in World War I, enraging the British government.

Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

At the recently concluded Jaipur Literature Festival (January 30 to February 3, 2025), Vogue India invited three leading Indian female historians to discuss whether heroism truly lies in the eyes of the beholder. British historian and TV presenter Anita Anand discussed how Sophia Duleep Singh, a Punjabi-Indian suffragette, saved her sanity while Shrabani Basu, an Indian historian and journalist, shared that even 20 years after writing about the legacy of Noor Inayat Khan, a British secret agent and Tipu Sultan’s descendant, she is haunted by the spy extraordinaire. Leading Indian historian Ira Mukhoty, who has penned audacious biographical accounts of Mirabai, Lakshmibai, Draupadi and several Mughal women, divulged how her quest to redefine womanhood happened by chance. All of them agreed that it is not only the future that is female, but also the past.

Ira Mukhoty (IR): I want to start by saying that I am a trained scientist. Writing happened by accident. When my girls were small and growing up in Delhi, I looked for Indian language stories to counter the pervasive influence of Western culture. Looking at our mythology, I thought about how Indian womanhood had been homogenised through popular culture, like the image of Sita. Men have been writing all the stories and records, especially those concerning men. Barely anything had been written about the women of the Mughal Empire. Trusted male academics told me I was wasting my time. It’s just that I approached writing with a certain point of view, looking for certain details, which I knew I would find. It’s not impossible, but you have to have that gaze.

When guests arrive at the 2025 Met Gala for “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”—the spring 2025 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute—they’ll do so having considered the dress code, announced today as “Tailored for You.” Per the Met, the dress code is a nod to the exhibition’s focus on menswear and is “purposefully designed to provide guidance and invite creative interpretation.”

“Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” will explore the role of sartorial style in forming Black identities, focusing on the emergence, significance, and proliferation of the Black dandy. Composed of clothing, photographs, fine art, historical texts, and artifacts, it’s the first Costume Institute exhibit to focus on menswear since 2003’s “Men in Skirts,” and was inspired by Guest Curator Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.

“Dandyism can seem frivolous, but it often poses a challenge to or a transcendence of social and cultural hierarchies,” Miller said in today’s statement. “It asks questions about identity, representation, and mobility in relation to race, class, gender, sexuality, and power. This exhibition explores dandyism as both a pronouncement and a provocation.”

The show also reflects The Met’s ongoing commitment to authentically diversifying its exhibitions. “What makes it possible to translate Monica’s book Slaves to Fashion into an exhibition,” said Costume Institute Curator in Charge Andrew Bolton, “is our collection of high-style menswear, which serves as a foundation for imagining and realizing a sartorial history of Black dandyism.”

André Leon Talley 5th Avenue, Arthur Elgort (American, born 1940), 1986; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library.

Suit, Morty Sills (American, active mid-to-late 19th century), 1986; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Alfred Z. Solomon-Janet A. Sloane Endowment Fund, 2023 (2023.784a–c). Photo © Tyler Mitchell 2025

Now, about the dress code: “Tailored for You” can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, but mostly means embracing looks reflective of one’s personal style. We can surely expect inspired takes on suiting—from versions of the zoot silhouette popularized by jazz musicians in the 1940s, to the bold, colourful styles worn by Congolese sapeurs—though other menswear staples, such as hats, ties, and perhaps canes, brooches, and pocket squares, are likely to have a strong showing, too.

Indeed, attendees might look to Met Gala co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams—along with honorary chair LeBron James—for inspiration. Think Domingo, arriving at the 2024 Critic’s Choice Awards in a mustard yellow Valentino suit and textured gold coat, or Hamilton en route to the Miami Grand Prix paddock in a diamanté tank top and sleek black shades. We’ve also seen Rocky adorn his braided hair with silk scarves and beaded clips; Williams in Billionaire Boys Club graphic tees and Louis Vuitton leather flares of his own design; and James in custom Thom Browne during the 2018 NBA Finals.

Beyond the world of luxury, performance-wear brands like Patagonia and North Face have in-house repair services, while trainer brand Veja even offers to fix shoes from other brands in many of its stores, including in London. As well as being the right thing to do from a sustainability perspective, Save Your Wardrobe’s co-founder Hasna Kourda–whose aftercare platform connects a global network of vetted repair service providers for brands like Loro Piana and Maje Paris–points out that when “customers feel they can repair their items through the brand, it strengthens loyalty and trust.”

At the start of my self-imposed challenge, the goal of repairing and restoring my wardrobe felt like uncharted territory. I wasn’t even confident in my ability to sew on a button or stitch a hem–I’ve since learned to do both, but generally speaking, that once commonplace skill hasn’t been passed down. For many of us, it just seems easier to buy new.

An initial audit of my wardrobe revealed a surprising number of items that I had either forgotten about, no longer suited me, or I’d left to repair. These totalled over 20 items, including four pairs of trousers with torn hems and a beige dress with two loose buttons. Plus, there were countless tiny, moth-eaten holes requiring invisible mending by my tailor.

The Chanel flats before.

Courtesy of Emily Zak

The shoes after they were cleaned and re-dyed.

Courtesy of Emily Zak

I also sent four pairs of shoes to the 60-year-old specialist service, including a pair of Chanel ballet flats that were cleaned and re-dyed, Chanel suede boots in need of a clean and a new satin toe, and Aeyde ankle boots that needed re-heeling. Then there were my much-loved Jimmy Choo boots. The cost of repairing the inner lining (arranged via the brand’s aftercare service) was ₹26,000–expensive due to the nature of the damage and the need to unstitch them, but with a retail price of ₹1,40,729, 10 years of hard wear, and hopefully more to come, this seemed fair. I don’t think twice about paying for dry cleaning, so I decided to think of these repair costs as a kind of fashion MOT.

When it came to alterations, I rediscovered my Stella McCartney tweed trench coat, which I had bought eight years before, but was too long for me, and got it altered. Another focus was several of my late father’s Richard James suits, which I had never planned on wearing. They sat mostly untouched in my wardrobe as nostalgic reminders of him; I’d occasionally drape one of the blazers over my shoulders, as it made me feel close to him. As part of this challenge, I decided to alter the trousers, which were several sizes too big, to wear the ensemble as a suit. My usual tailor at my local dry cleaners (top tip: they are often very good) altered the trousers for much less than the cost of a new Richard James suit. And though I often wear the jacket on its own, when I wear the full suit, it feels like a lived memory.

The Jimmy Choo boots before.

Courtesy of Emily Zak

The same boots after being repaired.

Courtesy of Emily Zak

In many ways, working out how to extend the life of a pre-existing item in our wardrobe requires more imagination than buying something new. Fellow industry insider Tiffanie Darke, who has pledged to buy only five new items of clothing a year, has also found joy in repairing old pieces in her wardrobe. “Being more intentional about what we buy, and how we take care of our clothes can be incredibly creative,” she tells me over the phone, recalling how she sent a ripped pair of jeans for repair via Save Your Wardrobe, using the Japanese embroidery technique of sashiko.

While Bollywood celebrities including Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone usually prefer tamping down their baby hair for a more put-together look, many Hollywood stars–from Bella Hadid to Tyla–are known for being more experimental with styling their baby hair, creating swirls and intricate designs. In fact, singer FKA Twigs’ album covers–from LP1 to M3LI55X–are characterised by their complicated, serpentine styling of baby hair to make the musician appear more otherworldly.

An easy trick

“If you want to be adventurous, you can follow up by applying hair gel, using a fine-toothed tail comb to create some baby hair swirls,” suggests Shell. For those who would rather stick to the basics, the hairstylist has another hack: “There’s plenty of brands that make clear gel-based mascaras. The mascara wand will help you with an even application of the product.”

For those with sensitive scalps or skin, however, Mehta suggests being cautious about the products you use. “Find hair gels that don’t have fragrances or harsh chemicals,” the makeup artist recommends, “If you don’t know how your skin will react to a product, make sure you do a patch test near the hairline and keep an eye out for any skin reactions. It’s the simplest way to avoid more major issues.”

If the skin is sensitive, so is baby hair, Shell reminds me.

She advises against using any heat to tame the frizz. “Baby hair is fragile and needs to be handled with care. You will only end up breaking it with constant heat use.” She explains that it is best to stick to gel-based products when styling this fine hair. “Oil and serums will only make your life tough because they have no hold,” she concludes.

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In addition to the pieces inside the Library, Chiuri and Swali, in collaboration with Italian musician Jovanotti, created three torans that hang at its entrance, welcoming visitors. The central toran is inspired by the musician’s global travels through 31 countries, while the two torans on either side draw inspiration from ancient musical notations preserved in the Vatican Library. “For us, the toran has always been a way of welcoming people into our homes,” states Swali. “In India, it is not only a symbol of hospitality but also an integral part of our architectural heritage. Through this prestigious exhibition at the Vatican Library, we wanted to celebrate this cultural bridge between the past, present and the future.”

En Route. © BIBLIOTECA APOSTOLICA VATICANA

Do the karigars working in the tree-filled compound in Byculla that houses the Chanakya School of Craft know how far their art has travelled—beyond Dior runways and into cultural spaces where Indian art has seldom gone? They do—and it means everything to them. “One of our artisans told me, ‘I may never leave India, but my hands will travel the world.’ I think that really encapsulates everything because for us, for them, craft is a movement, sure, but it’s also a passport to stories beyond borders and time.”

En Route opens to the public on February 15^th 2025 at Cortile del Belvedere, Città del Vaticano, and will be on view until December 20^th 2025.

Khushi Kapoor may have just coined a new fashion term–’dramatic elegance’, given her latest streak of thematic looks that are statement-worthy but also wearable. Leaning into the more couture side of themes, Kapoor’s latest little black dress is far from ordinary. Usually, an LBD is a sign of wardrobe exhaustion, worn to slowly self-startle out of a creative block of sorts. Kapoor, styled by Tanya Ghavri, exhibited otherwise through a sleek LBD from Vietnamese brand Montsand.

The dress is from the brand’s ‘La Pureza’ collection, centred around a narrative of ephemerality as well as the mythical udumbara flower said to bloom once every 3,000 years. The design ethos is one of the fleeting nature of beauty and how it can only be enjoyed momentarily before its transcendence. Beyond the esoteric vibe of the look, the main inspiration comes from Ghavri’s caption alluding to the Black Swan, further playing into the trope of transience.

The simple peplum-style dress was paired with tulle gloves featuring long dangling florals meant to be swayed and twirled around. Dainty diamond studs, and Louboutin pumps, along with a bouffant-style French knot, completed the trimmed-down classic appeal and made for an ideal soirée ensemble.

From Vogue‘s fashion desk:

“Khushi Kapoor’s Montsand black corset LBD, with its sculpted design and artistic gloves, is quite the statement. But to truly make it your own, take the sculptural elegance and twist it to fit your personality. The LBD gives you structure, so lean into that—add a piece that feels equally sharp, like a metallic or matte leather jacket with interesting lapels. Ditch the typical sleek pumps for something with more drama like a strappy metallic studded heel or boots. Let’s not forget the gloves, so opt for embroidered transparent black gloves that peek under your jacket to tie your look together,” says Vogue India’s Associate Fashion Editor, Divya Balakrishnan.