Way to go from bottom to top in style (4)

I believe the answer is:

elan

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'style' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'way to go from bottom to top in' is the wordplay.
'way' becomes 'e' (Compass direction - East).
'to go from bottom' becomes 'la' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'to top' means to remove the first letter.
'in' with its initial letter removed is 'n'.
'e'+'la'+'n'='ELAN'

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(Other definitions for elan that I've seen before include "Stylish enthusiasm" , "Dash in French lane" , "Flamboyance" , "Style and liveliness" , "Vitality" .)

I've seen this clue in The Hindu.

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