Checks On Checks - Continuing My Obsession With Pantsuits

As you all may have noticed, pantsuits have been my new obsession. Be it a skinny suit with sneakers or a boss lady kinda look with pointy toe stilettos and flowy culottes; I can't seem to stop experimenting with them. Recently, whilst sourcing for fashion week outfits, I came across a label called The Revival Project stocked at an e-commerce shopping portal called Chichouse.co. Basically, this label creates outfits from by reinterpreting traditional, handwoven sarees and turning them into cool and fun contemporary silhouettes. The old world charm that the checks exude, immediately attracted me to the label and I ended up choosing not one, but two looks to shoot (second come is coming soon). Furthermore, I thought pairing colourful checks on checks would make quite a quirky pantsuit look, especially with the little elephants on the border of the culottes. It was a bit out there for me, as my style is very low key. But since personal style is all about taking a few risks every now and then, I thought why not?! What did you think of the look?


Jacket & Culottes - The Revival Project from Chichouse.co
Shoes - Gucci
Earrings, Necklace, Sunglasses & Pink Leather Bracelet - Dior
Orange Leather Bracelet - Bulgari
Watch - Rolex 

To Sell Or Not To Sell - A Story About The Girl Who Always NEEDS New Purses

As always, I am on a never ending journey to save up for a new purse. As I sit here, counting pennies whilst having a conversation with myself about how I don't really need a new purse (the bursting bag closet speaks for itself), the phone rings. I then stop listening to the voices in my head and start talking to one of my BFF's about the Gucci Sylvie bag and a Les Petits Joueurs clutch I've got my eye on. My BFF (lets call her X) immediately embarks on an annoying lecture about how I have enough bags (ugh, some people just don't understand how a bag person can never have too many of them) and that I should start selling some of the old ones I don't use. At this time, my face is as white as a ghost. Just the thought of selling one of my precious babies is good enough to give me a stroke. I make up some excuse and tell X that my daughter is chewing on a handbag and I have to run to protect it and disconnect the call.

A few days later, the husband sees that I've been using my Gucci GG Marmont bag for the last three months non stop and decides to poke his nose in my business. "Hanadi, don't you think you should use the Celine that's lying at the back of your closet? I mean, when was the last time you used it. Or even that  weird YSL bag which apparently was a life and death situation when you got it?". To which I retort quickly and tell him, how I am so happy with this new Gucci and how it's the most comfortable bag I've ever used. Bla Bla. He gives me a strange look and goes back to doing whatever he was doing. Which was nothing really. How do I explain to him that the Celine mini luggage is from FW 2010 and that the front pocket is not the same anymore (this one has an envelope flap. And how the one i have isn't structured like the ones they now make. Or that the YSL cabas tote (stunning as it may be) was during the Stefano Pilati era and how Hedi Slimane changed the look when he took over. Even if I do manage to get my point across, he's simply going to tell me not to buy anymore purses. You see the conundrum here?

I then got to thinking. Should I sell my bags? Or should i give them away? Okay, no. No giveaways happening. I once went on a spring cleaning spree and suddenly decided to throw away all my Gucci flats that i bought in 2009 and 2010. It was a heart wrenching day. However, I don't think I'll do that with my bags. The sad part is, I get so excited when I rediscover them during spring cleaning and I make endless false promises to myself about how I'm definitely using the Alexander Wang Pelican clutch over the weekend or that lizard skin vintage Judith Leiber to an event next week. But like I said, false promises. You get my point?

I know there are tonnes of places selling pre-loved goodies, but after spending over a lac on each item, how do i even get a half decent price. I must add, that some of my bags have been used so much and ill treated by me, that the lining has stains inside them. Should i get it cleaned first before consider selling? Will anyone want a tote that has seen various updates in the past few seasons? I mean, all said and done, they are still beautiful pieces. Imagine, buttery soft, dark blue leather with a contrasting suede lining in mustard yellow. What a stunning colour combination. Or should i just leave them in my closet till they become a "vintage" item? Oh, maybe Rania might use them when she's older. Or maybe I should do the logical thing. Get it cleaned and list it on Confidential Couture (a site for pre-loved purses in India). This is so annoying. This blog post is turning out to be a Dear Diary situation.

What would you do in my situation? Will your desperation to get a new bag lead to you to selling your old ones which have been part of numerous memorable situations (honeymoon, holidays, parties, etc.) despite you not having touched them in over a year? Ideas and suggestions are welcome. 

Denim on Denim

When doing denim on denim looks, I try to avoid being too matchy matchy with the shades of blue.  I usually prefer wearing a darker shade at the bottom to avoid gathering attention to my bulky thighs and pair with a lighter shirt. So either I'll wear black jeans under a fitted blue denim shirt, or in this case dark blue ripped jeans and a slightly loose blue shirt. I'm not a fan of wearing the same colour tone on the top and bottom, I think it looks a bit odd. I chose a pair of colourful espadrille wedges to add a bit of brightness, a stunning tan tote and as always chunky jewellery. We had a bit of a tough day shooting that day because it rained all afternoon, ruined my hair and make up, so I just tied it up in a messy bun like i normally do in between the shoot because it started drizzling again!

Shirt & Jeans - Zara
Purse - Saint Laurent Paris
Sandals - Jimmy Choo
Earrings & Necklace - Outhouse Jewellery
Watch - Breitling
Photography - Surbhi Sethi

Candy Striped Shirt & White Culottes

I love dressing up on a holiday. I can't do the whole touristy look with sweat pants, t-shirt and a backpack thing. I prefer sorting out my looks in advance so I'm not clueless when I get to my destination. I look up looks online depending on the country I'm visiting to plan in advance. So for this shoot, I thought I would do a resort-ish theme in case any of you are heading somewhere. The decor at Olive Bar & Kitchen reminds me of towns near the Mediterranean so i wanted to do something along those lines. I chose this red and white striped shirt to pair with the culottes from my previous look. And instead of tucking the shirt in, I just knotted it up to make it midriff baring. You can wear this outfit with wedges and a straw purse for a casual day out and about town or jazz it up with statement accessories and a more structured handbag like I did if you're headed to a nice dinner or a club. Overall, an easy outfit to put together with clothes that are already in your wardrobe.

Shirt & Trousers - Zara
Earrings & Cuff - Outhouse Jewellery
Handbag - Bulgari
Shoes - Nicholas Kirkwood
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
Location - Olive Bar & Kitchen

Power Pantsuit

Pantsuits are back and they're big. And what's even better is that they're not restricted to the boardroom anymore. Cara Delevigne wore hers with sneakers to the Burberry SS 15 show, Priyanka Chopra wore one to the TIME 100 Gala this year and some celebrities have even worn them on the red carpet. There are so many ways to style the pantsuit. If you want to be casual, pair the jacket with a cool, printed tee (Disney characters are my favourite). To add a bit of sex appeal, wear nothing but a contrasting coloured bra underneath or try a cropped top. Even with the bottoms, no one says you have to wear simple straight pants anymore. Slouchy, skinny or flared pants and even culottes can look stunning as part of a suit. Blazers too come in a variety of styles to suit your mood; oversized, fitted and double breasted.

For my look, I chose to go all white. Anyone who knows me, knows I have an unhealthy obsession with white. Come see my house to believe it. Plus, it's really a great colour option for the summer. I chose this lovely fitted white blazer and flowy culottes that I bought on a recent shopping spree at Zara and paired with a black tank. I wanted to do the whole monochromatic look, so I thought some black and white accessories would look really cool. But I also added a slightly blingy brooch to glam it up a bit. I wanted it to be a powerful look, so I stuck to pointy toe pumps. If you want to turn it down a notch, wear espadrille wedges instead. This gorgeous caramel coloured Givenchy Antigona clutch completed my look.

But the best part about shooting this look was the location. Olive Bar & Kitchen has been one of my favourite restaurants for as long as I can remember. The husband an I almost always come here for date nights and I even celebrated my daughter's first birthday there. The cool, calming ambience and the beautiful décor make it such an ideal location for a fashion shoot. Oh, and of course their food, which has always been exceptional and innovative. If you happen to go there soon, check out their new summer menu. There's some major yumminess in there.

Jacket & Culottes - Zara
Clutch - Givenchy
Earrings, Ring & Brooch - Outhouse Jewellery
Shoes - Yves Saint Laurent
Sunglasses - Dior
Photography - Surbhi Sethi
Location Courtesy - Olive Bar & Kitchen

A Summery Off Shoulder Dress

Rania has been going through a bit of a phase lately. She's become extremely clingy and if I so much as turn around, she screams bloody murder. I'm not sure if it's teething or just separation anxiety that's sprung up from nowhere, but what I do know is that it makes working extra tough! Mommy guilt almost never leaves me and if I leave the house for a shoot whilst she's howling, it makes it even tougher. On that particular day, Rania was having one of her 'mommy don't go' tantrums. So I decided to dress her up, and take her to the park with me for a shoot. Not only did we end up having a blast, but I was able to shoot a look without all the guilt.

Trying to maintain a career and motherhood isn't easy. One has to put in a great effort in striking a balance to be able to work and spend time with your children. If I feel I've been a little too busy and haven't been able to spend time with Rania, I let go of a few activities. Sometimes, I skip the gym during the day so I get to spend those two extra hours with my baby. I cancel any social gathering that isn't of immediate importance too. Every now and then I tell my nanny to take the afternoon off or the husband and I will take Rania out on a family date so we can get some alone time with her. At the end of the day, it all comes down to prioritising. But if you have been going through the mommy guilt, just remember as long as you make it a point to be there for your kids whenever you have some free time, you're already an amazing mom. Don't beat yourself up about it because that wont get you anywhere.

Anyways, for this look, I chose this super summery, and super short, off shoulder dress with blue and white stripes. The minute I saw this online, I was in love with it. It was so pretty and the floral embroidery added just the right touch. It felt so flirty and fun when I put it on. I love how there are endless ways to accessorise the dress. You can wear an oversized straw hat and layer thin necklaces, or you can wear one big chunky neck piece and tie your hair back. Pair it with knee high gladiator sandals, espadrille wedges or even androgynous brogues. For my purse, I chose the Gucci GG Marmont Leather shoulder bag that I bought a couple of months ago. You can read about it here. I felt the deep red would add a nice contrast to the blue and white. Plus, it's been my favourite purse and I haven't stopped using since I got it!


Dress - Mitali Wadhwa
Rania's Dress - Ralph Lauren
Handbag - Gucci
Earrings - Pankaj & Nidhi
Rania's Stuffed Toys - Good Earth

An Indian Couture Jacket With Jeans

As much as I love wearing Indian couture outfits, one thing that always upsets me is that after spending so much money on them, I can only wear them two to three times. We all have this strange mentality that if we have worn that outfit, its been 'seen' and therefore we must let it hide behind the back of our closet till the end of time! I figured out a small solution to this problem about two years ago when I picked up this fabulous Anamika Khanna suit that came with a gorgeous embellished gilet. I realised that it's best to buy an outfit that comes with various separates so I can wear them individually. For couture week 2014, I took a pair of Sabyasachi pants with this heavily embroidered border ( it came with a very regal, velvet jacket that my sister wore to my wedding ) and wore it with a shirt. I reused my JJ Valaya bandh gala that I wore to my own sangeet for BMW Bridal week, except I paired a tank top underneath it.

For another day during fashion  week, I wore this Anamika Khanna jacket over a shirt and skinny jeans. But at that time I wasn't doing personal style shoots so I never shot it. But now, I thought since it's such a lovely jacket, and that I can still wear it two years later, I might as well shoot it! Except this time, instead of skinny jeans, I wore a straight cut pair because I liked that it had a bit of a flare. What I loved most about this piece, apart from the exquisite embroidery on the front, is the back. The rear features printed flora and fauna in bright colours and balances out the embellishment in the front making it a perfect piece for both day and night. Furthermore, I love the versatility of the gilet. It can be paired with a skirt as easily as it can with jeans or even culottes and makes such a statement. So,back to my point about buying Indian couture; always stick to pieces that come with separates so you can continue to wear them a few seasons later too.

What did you think of this look? Yay, or Nay?

Jacket - Anamika Khanna
Jeans - J Brand
Bracelet - Valentino
Shirt - Zara