The Dearth Of Maternity Clothes In Delhi

For the last few days, I have gone through some ups and downs as I enter my 16th week of pregnancy. I don't really blog about my personal life or anything apart from luxury fashion, but sometimes I need to talk about things that are important to me. Even if it may be slightly personal.

As someone who has maintained a certain level of fitness in the last 5 years or so, it has been a little challenging accepting the weight gain that comes with pregnancy. I have had a bit of a downer the past week because I went through my closet to find clothes that fit, and, well, there were probably three items I could put on. Jeans are tight, fat jeans (one size bigger ) are tight, dresses which were also a size bigger are tight. Nothing fits, which is inevitable. So I told myself very reluctantly it is time to buy maternity clothes. Period.

Now, I wouldn't have been all hyper about going maternity shopping if I wasn't heading off for a babymoon with the husband on Monday. As someone who generally likes to dress well, when I go on a holiday, I have to look good too. I love dressing up (even if its casual dressing) to head out to explore a new city. I love looking back at those photos and telling myself "damn, I looked good". However, this time things seemed a little bleak. I didn't have any clothes! I could manage a few frumpy tops here and there but what about my jeans. There was nothing for my bottoms other than tights. And lets face it, I cant wear tights everyday!

So I decided I had to go maternity shopping. I googled some stuff online, but in vain. I then decided to take a round of Select City Walk and the DLF mall next to it to find some maternity shops. I came home extremely sad and disheartened. In a city where malls are springing up at the speed of light, with all sorts of international brands (high street and luxury) it is extremely dreary that there isn't a single decent maternity shop. There is Mothercare. Yes, with probably 5 pairs of jeans, 3 ugly as hell tops, sac like culottes and some maternity bras here and there. I kept looking out for a shop called Mom & Me which I heard might have decent stuff. Turns out, that store has shut down forever in Select City Walk. The other branches were way off the map for me to look out for. Can you imagine, with the number of malls we have in this city, I couldn't find half decent clothes to wear during pregnancy.

Another aspect I would like to add is that Delhi gets fairly cold in the winter.  Where do women get maternity winter jackets from? By December I would be 7 months and pretty big. Exactly what do I wear to shield myself from the cold? Should I start shopping at Zara Man? Considering the fall lines are all inspired my masculine clothing, it doesn't sound so bad. Still, I'd like to have some options. Should I freeze my backside off? Should I wear those old ugly woollen sweaters that would not only make me look like a cow, but also feel hideous?

Is there a message the city is giving out to me that I'm not being able to decipher? Are pregnant women supposed to dress like sacs and garbage bags? Thank you GOD for Zara where I found those stretchy skinny pants with the elastic waist band that I can finally wear till I get a little bigger. Speaking of Zara, you will not believe what I did at Zara yesterday. I was browsing some clothes there, when a pregnant woman (about 6 months or so) came in and started browsing too. I, with all my frustration ran up to her and asked her "please dear god tell me where I can buy maternity clothes" and she looks at me and tilts her head and says "nowhere in Delhi!". Apparently one has to travel abroad to be able to buy decent clothes. Is it that hard to find a decent pair of jeans, a nice silk blouse or a cute dress to wear??? The only other place I managed to find some solace was jabong.com. They had some Dorothy Perkins jeggings which I ordered.

I am lucky enough that I travel to Dubai on a monthly and can shop from there. But what If I didn't travel so much? What if I, like most others travelled every six months or so? I can't tell you how frustrated I was to not find anything remotely nice to wear right now. Thankfully I have a day in Dubai before heading for my holiday. I have discovered plenty of maternity shops there. What's more is that there's a fancy shop selling 7 For All Mankind and Citizens Of Humanity maternity jeans too along with some lovely dresses made from non synthetic fabrics that I can wear on a night out.

Seriously, this is just really sad. I wish people here felt that we pregnant women were worthy of wearing nice clothes and someone opens a classy boutique with fun stuff for us.

Pure! Brutal! Glamour!.. - Fendi's Latest Fashion Film By Loic Prigent

From Karl Lagerfeld walking around holding the ever so sought after Karlito bag charm to Cara Delevingne jumping around during rehearsals, to a round table discussion with the team to prep before the show, Fendi's latest film teaser will have any fashion buff lusting for more. A super cool flick directed by the renowned Loic Prigent (known for his famous The Day Before series) will showcase all the frenzy before the Fendi FW 14/15 show. Watch how Karl talks about the inspiration behind pinning orchids on fur coats as Loic gives you an as real as it can get preview of what exactly goes on behind the scenes. Watch how the drones, in collaboration with Google flew over the show to give you an aerial view of the show like you've never seen before. Check out snippets of Charlotte Stockdale styling the models before the show. All of this packed in one fabulous fashion film; Pure! Brutal! Glamour!

Have a look at the teaser trailer below. Starting 3rd September the 2' film will go live on fendi.com whilst the full version ( 16' ) will be showcased on youtube.com/fendichannel

 

 

Bag Review: Fendi By The Way Bag - Good Things Come In Small Packages

Fendi Tri-Colour By The Way Bag

Season after season it gets more and more evident that Fendi has derived some secret formula when it comes to handbags. From their iconic Baguette to the 2Jours, 3Jours and their Peek-a-Boo; each one of these bags have become instant hits and developed some sort of a cult following. For the Fall, it is no different. The By The Way bag has become an immediate must have.

As I sit here, with the tri-colour runway version in front of me, and the heat pressed Fendi Roma logo staring at me, I secretly plan a strategy on how to convince the husband to get me one. I can't get over its compact size and its unique shape. I really like the extended zipper (which comes in the from of a crocodile tail too sometimes) and the rivets that add a bit of detailing. Even the optional shoulder strap isn't the usual kinds. It has these nice round old fashioned metal buttons that you can easily pull apart or push it shut to adjust it. And the ID tag that dangles off the top handle just makes the bag more fun.

In terms of size, 7'x12.5'x6 (HxWxD), I think this is one of the few bags that is small enough to be held as an oversized clutch yet big enough to hold your daily requirements. No, not the big ipad, but an ipad mini perhaps, along with the usual wallet, keys etc. I've realised I've suffered enough shoulder aches from lugging around all my big bags and just don't need that kind of pain anymore. Honestly, the bigger the day bag, the harder it is to edit what goes into it! You just sort of think you NEED everything and keep dumping it all in there. Not with this one you won't.

The coolest part is that there are three ways to carry it. Sling it as a purse or cross body if you want, or hold it with the petite top handles or even take the shoulder strap off and slide your hand into the top handles and hold it as a big clutch.

A mini bag that packs plenty and looks AWESOME; the By The Way is hands down one of my most favourite bags from the Fall. Check it out at the Fendi boutique in DLF Emporio if you haven't already done so!

Tri-Colour on the runway held as a clutch (Image via style.com)

Image Courtesy: Fendi

Anju Modi - India Couture Week 2014

Out of the three days of India Couture Week, Anju Modi was one show that I was truly bowled over. I heard Manish Arora's show was spectacular but that was invite only so I couldn't attend it. Anyways, for the longest time, I always felt her clothes leaned more towards the mature side. I wouldn't even step into the boutique to check out her clothes! Pretty silly of me to stereotype her creations because after seeing her couture week collection, whenever I am in need of new Indian clothes, I will probably go to her.

Whilst the traditional silhouettes with exquisite embroidery were great, it was really the outfits with dhotis that stole my attention. I loved how dhotis had lovely gold borders and  were cropped to a couple of inches above the calf. Paired with either a bandh gala, or flowy jacket style tunics, it is interesting to see how androgyny has made its way into Indian couture. The best part is that both the garments can be worn separately giving you more value for money spent on buying couture which is a concept I talked about in a previous post and swear by.

With respect to the colour palette, the blues were just outstanding. Be it a dark blue silk lehenga with white thread embroidery on it or a grey blue bandh gala jacket style choli worn over an ivory sari. Furthermore, there were a few slightly edgy blouses that caught my eye. Case in point being the very armour like looking pyazi coloured blouse paired with a matching lehenga and a maroon shawl or the very heavily embellished V-neck, full sleeved blouse worn over the grey blue lehenga. Speaking of embroidery, with this being couture, there was plenty of it. Inspired by the Ajanta-Ellora caves, there was a lot of beautiful white thread work and zardozi on almost every silhouette.

Whenever I thought couture, I thought Sabyasachi or Anamika Khanna. Anju Modi has either turned things around by thinking out of the box the last few years or I've just been a blind bat all these years. Either ways, I'm impressed.

Dhotis Galore

Magnificent Blues

Image Courtesy: The Fashion Design Council Of India

How To Style A Dhoti

During the India Bridal Fashion Week, as always I was going through the dilemma of what to wear. Especially now, since a lot of clothes are quite snug on me, it was a bit of a challenge. Going through my closet I discovered my beloved pair of dhotis and decided to style them a little differently this time. Now I know most of you have already seen me wear my Nehru jacket and dhoti ensemble and my friend Rasna insisted that it had been seen and I should avoid it, I genuinely didn't have a choice as it was one of the few things that still fit. So what do you do if you've already pulled off the Indian politician? Try a little Indo-Western perhaps? That is exactly what I did and the results were great. I put on a silk tank and tried pairing it with two jackets. A short denim jacket and a formal black blazer. Unfortunately the black blazer was just too snug. As in snug to the point where if I move my arms too much there would be a nice rip in the lining!

Another reason for this quick post was to also tell you that for the rest of this awful Delhi summer, you too should invest in a pair of dhotis. I've realised they are so versatile and can be paired with such fun tops and footwear. Tank top, tube top, a fitted shirt or blingy flats, mojris, and high heels; there are numerous combinations. I bought this one from Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla because I just love the way it is draped. It's perfection. So please ensure that your pair is also draped well, else it'll just look like too much fabric hanging!

Here are some random photos of me. Unfortunately they are just pictures I take from my iPhone because I would feel too conscious getting someone to photograph me with a professional camera.

Look 1 - With a snug black blazer

Look 2 - With a fun, short denim jacket

Look 3 - The original neta jee combination! With my deadly Nehru jacket

 

Bag Review - Gucci Bright Diamante Top Handle Leather Tote

My last review from the pre-fall Gucci Bright Diamante bags is this top handle tote. This model boasts a very classic shape and a sleek design guaranteed to last you many seasons to come. The bag's silhouette brings the image of a power broker or a super chic investment banker to mind for some reason. I get all girl powered up when I see this tote!

Moving on, the bag is virtually hardware free making it very lightweight and easy to carry. Believe me, hardware can make all the difference. My Gucci hobo weighs 2.5 kilos because of all the gold stuff on it and sometimes it makes my back hurt. This only hardware on this tote is the zipper. It is also a very organised kind of bag with numerous internal zippers and pockets to keep all your belongings safe. One aspect I found extremely appealing was the magnetic closure that is also covered in leather. What immaculate attention to detail. Besides, who doesn't love a little extra leather here and there.

With respect to space, it is pretty roomy and can pack plenty. However, because it is a structured tote, try and not fill it with super bulky items because they will jut out and poke you or, well, just make the bag look unattractive! It comes with protective metal feet so feel free to let it rest on the floor without worrying about getting the leather dirty.

The only drawback with the bag was that there isn't an optional shoulder strap. It's just a nice option to have because rolled handles don't always sit well on the shoulder. However, that is just my personal take. Most people don't really care about a shoulder strap if the bag is that pretty! Aishwarya Rai Bachchan certainly doesn't care about a shoulder strap whilst travelling with it in Nice! I have to admit, it really looks good out and about.

The bag is also available in white at Gucci boutiques in India for INR 151,500.

Product Image Courtesy: Gucci
Aishwarya Rai Image Courtesy: Gucci/Getty Images

Bag Review: Gucci Bright Diamante Bucket Bag - Shine Bright Like A Diamond

As I plan my babymoon with the husband at some point next month, I seem to be struggling to find the right bags from my bag closet to take with me. All of them just seem too big (well they are actually really big) or too small. Considering I will be touching my fifth month on my babymoon I don't want to have the extra baggage of a giant handbag in tow.

Enter this Gucci Bright Diamante Bucket Bag. I could not have discovered this bag at a better time. Its 9.2"W X 11"H makes it a great size for everyday use and for travelling. I love the fact that it's roomy enough for all the basic essentials yet slightly compact to prevent over packing (guilty as charged!). Leave the drawstrings open if you have too much stuff or close it, it will still retain its pretty bucket shape. The shoulder strap (with a 20" drop) comes with five holes which means there's plenty of room for adjustment.

I also like how versatile the design is. I can pair it with a mini dress for a girly look, or a bohemian maxi to go all boho chic or maybe even a biker jacket to add a bit of punk. In addition, the compact size means the bag can easily accompany me to dinner. I am sadly one of those who actually changes my bags to go out at night even if it's a casual dinner.

The beautiful and iconic diamante pattern on the dark blue leather dates all the way back to the 1930's and is a welcoming change from the house's other motifs we are so accustomed to. The bag has a natural linen Gucci jacquard lining and comes with an interior zip and two extra pockets. Of course the hand painted edges just add to the luxury factor.

Finally, the price, at INR 101,000 I think it's excellent value for money. Considering nowadays it is next to impossible to find a luxury handbag for under 2000 dollars! I am genuinely considering this bag to take on my upcoming getaway. After all, a mommy-to-be does need her comfort (and luxury!). Also available in black, teal, white, yellow and fuchsia.

Image Courtesy: Gucci