Bye Bye Jeans, Hello Culottes

Since the temperatures have been soaring (mid to high forties) I cannot bear the thought of putting on my skinny jeans. This presents quite a conundrum as that's what I wear on most days. Enter culottes! A solid investment, not only to beat the heat, it's an extremely versatile garment. Wear them to work with a pair of pumps and a white shirt, or throw on a motorcycle jacket if you're headed to a social gathering, or pair them with sneakers if you want. The options are plenty making it an absolute must have. I prefer getting them from Indian labels such as Rara Avis by Sonal Verma or Bodice by Ruchika Sachdeva as opposed to high street brands due to the natural textiles most designers use. Fast fashion brands don't always use pure fabrics so the quality is inferior. Plus, I love supporting Indian talent and we have so many amazing designers that are making some stunning clothes.

Moving on, as I had mentioned in my previous post, I am on a mission to recycle my closet and have been trying to use every single white shirt of mine in a new look. Therefore, it was only natural for me to lean towards the one I'm wearing to pair with these lovely green pants. I draped a distressed white motorcycle jacket to give you an idea as to how this look can easily transform by just adding another layer! Knowing me, I almost always have to add a statement accessory which in this case was this lovely necklace which had a lovely suede tassel attached to the oversized pendant. I love to colour block so a pair of purple shoes and a gold bag did the trick for me.

Culottes, Belt & Necklace: Rara Avis by Sonal Verma
Leather Jacket: 431-88 by Shweta Kapur
Sunglasses & Handbag: Dior
Shoes: Yves Saint Laurent
Bracelet: Bulgari

Recycling My Closet

More often than not, I find myself constantly feeling the need to buy new clothes despite bursting closets (I've now started stuffing things in the husband's and the baby's wardrobes). A couple of days ago, I realised that I need to start finding new ways to pair my old clothes. I went hunting inside my cupboard and was determined to succeed in this new project of mine. My first stop: the million white shirts in all shapes and lengths I own. A white shirt is like a blank slate. It works with almost every bottom: skirts, jeans, trousers, etc. You get where I'm going. In addition, since it's a neutral, all colours can be worn with it. The boyfriend shirt I chose for this look had always been paired with jeans. And the denim mini I'm wearing would always be worn with super high heels. This time, I decided to combine these two and throw in a pair of sneakers since I'm all about the comfort these days.

Since it was a relatively simple look, my accessories had to make a statement. I've been all gung ho about these Diorama Sunglasses that have recently hit the boutiques. I love how the frame has a cat eye shape outlining the square lenses. Furthermore, the metallic pink really makes them stand out and so does the signature Dior cannage detailing on the sides. It's a real must have piece for the summer. I used a Dior collar and layered it with their Number 8 necklace to add a little bit of excess and used a plum cross body purse. Hand embroidered sneakers completed my look.

Any thoughts?

Bag, Sunglasses, Collar, Necklace & Sneakers: Dior
Shirt: River Island
Skirt: Zara
Earrings: HnM

Louis Vuitton Cruise 2017 Review

Nicolas Ghesquière gave a new meaning to luxury sportswear with his cruise collection for Louis Vuitton last week. Held at The Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum in Rio De Janeiro, where models came down a giant and curvy ramp (now you know why the models walked in flats) the clothes were spectacular.

The show opened with a series of colour blocked, scuba diving suit inspired maxi dresses featuring thigh baring slits and abstract cut outs. Some had buttons on the slits and some came with a ruffled mini dress overlay (the khaki one was a favourite). There were car racing motifs on most of the clothes and I loved how the iconic Damier checks were reinvented in monochrome to look like a NASCAR flag. There were cool basketball shorts and even a pair of slit track pants bearing the LV monogram on the sides. However, the most interesting part of the collection to me were the colourful windcheater jackets and dresses made from parachute fabric. I can't imagine how tricky it would have been to make such sporty elements look so fabulous. Light as air and easy to move around in, these babies are without a doubt going to grace most of the high fashion magazine covers when resort season kicks in. Ghesquière infused a feminine touch through the use of sequins as was seen from the shimmery short skirts and the shiny skinny scarves casually adorning the models' necks.

Amongst the mini dresses, the sexy A-line ones in suede with the bra shaped cut outs and leather detailing on the pockets and the flirty ruffled dresses with embroidered soccer player illustrations were to die for. And then there were jackets, especially a short black number boasting oversized metal hardware as buttons that stood out beautifully from the outerwear. Accessories, which are the bread and butter for most luxury brands were plenty at Louis Vuitton. A Keepall and Petite Malle bags with NASCAR graphics, multiple versions of the Twist, a new fringed half moon shaped bag and the most talked about Boom Box bags will leave bag lovers spoilt for choice. The ankle length, gladiator style flip flops are going to be a sure shot hit and so will the belts.

Making luxurious, yet comfortable sportswear inspired clothing is an art very few can master. And Ghesquière is one of them. This was a collection that will stay in my mind for seasons to come.

 

Gucci X Net-A-Porter

For a while now, I had been getting push notifications on my phone from the net-a-porter app about a special, 20 piece capsule collection Gucci was doing for the popular online shopping portal. Today, I sat down and finally checked it out. Albeit a little late in the day (it went live on the 12th of May) as most of the stuff is sold out especially the bags,  I still got a glimpse of what this special collection was all about. And it is exquisite. Alessandro Michele played around with floral motifs inspired from vintage tapestries, and released some fresh reinterpretations of the Dionysus bag, Ace sneakers along with some super fun ready to wear. If you have been converted into a Gucci girl in the last one year like I have, then a piece of this collection is a must have for your closet. Here are some of my favourites.

1. Floral Appliqued Wool Blend Skirt - Ever since I saw Kangana Ranaut wearing one of their pleated mini skirts, I was instantly a fan. Very kilt like in appearance, with flirty pleats, this blue piece is too pretty not to have. The little embroidered flower and the striped waist band add the perfect finishing touch. Click here to purchase.

2. Adonis Floral Print Silk Twill Scarf - If your savings account is on the lower side and you still want a piece of the action, then this scarf is exactly what you need. Featuring beautiful romantic florals and the signature stripes on the border, the scarf will be the focal point of any outfit. Pair it with a simple silhouette so it can stand out. Click here to purchase.

3. Horsebit Detailed Floral Print Canvas Slippers - The Princetown slippers have been quite the rage since they were launched. Especially in the fur variation. Comfortable, stylish and easy to slip on, at least one pair of these are an important addition to your closet for those days where heels aren't your friends. However, more than the fur ones, I like this pair the most! The vintage tapestry inspired roses, the horsebit and the quirky mouth printed on the inside of the shoe all make this a serious MUST HAVE! Click here to purchase.

4. Embellished Wool Sweater - There's nothing better than a well fitted, statement sweater that can be paired with virtually anything. Click here to be added to the wish list.

 

Pantsuit & Sneakers

I had been wanting to experiment with wearing sneakers under a skinny pantsuit for a while. But for some reason, my inhibitions had been holding me back. However, ever since I started personal style shoots for the blog, I have slowly been stepping out of my comfort zone and started to have fun with trying on various looks. For a predictable person like me, who almost always sticks to a set personal style mantra, it wasn't easy. Because I don't have the perfect body type, I'm always a bit conscious.

But that day, I said to hell with it! Lets do this. Especially since it was such an easy look to put together. I fished out my go to and extremely flattering black formal jacket, my skinny trousers and my favourite sneakers. Because a suit is on the masculine side, I wanted to add a feminine touch to it. I didn't want to wear a boring tank top so I used a twenty year old pale pink slip blouse (a hand me down from my mother) with lace detailing near the bust to wear under the jacket. I loved the sheer lace on it as it felt really sexy and the black bra I wore under worked just perfectly. In addition, slip tops and dresses are trending majorly so I didn't feel too off track.

The best part about this outfit was that I didn't have to buy a single thing. Most of the separates are wardrobe essentials, so they're probably in your closet already! All you have to do is pull them out.

Do you think I pulled off the outfit?


Blazer & Pants - Zara
Sneakers - Longchamp
Clutch - Victoria Beckham
Earrings (on my sister) - Pankaj & Nidhi
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
Location - Grand Hyatt, New Delhi
 

An Organza Jacket For The Summer, Why Not??

As you have seen from my previous shoots, I have a strong obsession with jackets. Even in Delhi's 46 degrees, I can manage to find an appropriate piece to wear over an outfit. This shoot was quite hectic as Surbhi (from headtilt.in) and I had literally two hours of daylight left to photograph each other. I rushed home from the airport, lay all the clothes on the bed and scratched my head in confusion as to what to wear. Luckily, Surbhi, who is a pro at layering helped me out a bit. We selected a boxy bi-colour mini dress with little pleats on the bust and rust coloured jacket. The problem for me is because of my body type, boxy silhouettes make me look slightly bigger. So to give the look a little bit of a shape, we added this gorgeous, sheer organza trench with oversized pockets and lovely detailing on the lapels. Instead of tying the belt around my body, we tied it up at the back so the dress doesn't stay hidden.  We didn't want to accessorise too much so I chose a simple gold cuff on my wrist and nothing else.

So instead of avoiding layering all together this summer, try hunting for lightweight pieces. The best part about this jacket was that it was so thin, I didn't feel the heat at all. It was almost like I was wearing nothing! Also, it's something I can wear through the summer and also during the fall.


Dress - Selvage by Chandini Mohan
Jacket - Quo by Ishita Mangal (Click here to purchase)
Shoes - Balenciaga by Nicholas Ghesquière
Sunglasses - Tom Ford
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
 

Minimalist Handbags You Need Right Now

There's something about minimalist handbags that never goes out of style. Clean cut and simple designs, paired with classic shapes and masterful craftsmanship make these purses eye catching without screaming 'look at me' in an obvious way. Here are my current favourites.


1. Mansur Gavriel Circle Leather Tote - Rachel and Floriana are always ahead of the minimalist game. Their design aesthetic has been highly successful resulting in sold out bags since they started their brand. Currently, I am absolutely in love with this circular bag. This piece is so contemporary but also takes you back in time reminding you of those hat boxes ladies would travel with. I remember, growing up I was crazy about the Louis Vuitton hat boxes and always wondered how I could carry one as a purse! Click here to purchase.

2. Victoria Beckham Half Moon Bag - First seen in a giant version on her SS16 runway, this baby is chic as hell. Be gone with you teeny tiny bags that can only hold my credit card and keys! Just kidding, there's a time and place for every purse. Moving on, the name itself makes me want to click 'purchase now' because it sounds so mystical. Virtually hardware free, this baby is nice and light to carry and also comes with a detachable suede pouch (BONUS!!). The best part is its shape which means you can carry it for a long time to come. Click here to purchase.

3. Celine Trotteur Bag In Calfskin - Ah, can one ever go wrong with a Celine? I was just about to start saving for a Mini Belt, but since I've discovered this, looks like my priorities might change. Sleek, slightly structured and lightweight, this timeless bag can transition easily from day to night. It comes with a unique, geometrically shaped clasp that stands out beautifully. And being a sucker for grained leather, it's texture really gets my heart racing. A zipper on the back of the bag make it easy to organise your immediate essentials. Click here to purchase.

4. Vitasta Mini Backpack In Tan - I've never featured an Indian handbag designer on my blog, but after seeing Aditi Dhar's designs, I have every reason to! This backpack really caught my attention due to its super slick design and the detailing. Both the geometrical flaps exude a futuristic vibe whereas the braided drawstring and woven grommets add a warm touch. Entirely handmade, this back is what understated luxury really is all about. Click here to purchase.