Summer Calling

Is it just me, or does summer demand that you keep things to the bare minimum? Layering in this heat is overtly uncomfortable, be it with clothes, jewellery or makeup. Which is why on a sunny Sunday, I decided to go low on jewellery and make-up and wore my Topshop summer dress accompanied by the bare minimum. With just delicate strings of necklace and a couple strands of rhinestones to go with, I stepped out braving the heat. The dress in itself is so beautifully simple, and even though you can add to it a bohemian look with turqoise beads and a head scarf, or better yet with a braided headgear a la Nicole Richie, I was compelled to keep it to the basics. Add to it a touch of florals with my clutch (Originally a make-up pouch and too cute to not use as a clutch) and a hint of neon with my summer sandals and I was good to go!
P.s- I hate the word sandals.

Dress: Topshop, Arm Candy: Asos, Clutch:Vintage, Sandals: Thrifted

Photographs by Neeraj Kedar

Selfie Saturday

This weekend was a first of kinds. I was watching Sex and the City the other day, when it hit me that I have never gone out on a date with myself. We keep looking for company and familiar faces, but what about our 'alone' time? So this weekend, I promptly took myself out on a date.

From lunching to shopping alone, my only company was The xx and my very trusted copy of Grazia. I swam through crowds of people, stalls of colours and broken conversations and it felt so liberating. I am very indecisive by nature and usually consult a 100 people about everything right from what looks good on the menu to whether that white blouse is better than the pink one. But left with myself, I realised that my indecisiveness only breeds on the fact that I have tons of people around me. Time to let that habit go by.

Another thing I rediscovered was my love for the city. In Bombay, you are never alone. The city is the perfect companion. Only here can you make friends with people on the streets, and wander aimlessly through crowds of frustrated yet smiling people. The exhibitions, the galleries, the events, the street shopping, the quaint cafes, the city just has so much to offer. For many its the city of dreams, for me its home.

How many of you have gone out alone, wandering the streets, or lunching alone for a day that has absolutely no purpose other than enjoying your own company? I would highly recommend it.

Hashtag Etiquette

Remember when a hashtag was just another key on your phone or on your laptop, and it just sat there the way those thongs sit in your drawer? It made random appearances on special occasions and then lay there forgotten. 
Fast forward to today, and the hashtag is the new cotton briefs. Used on a day to day basis, we have all become comfortable using it. Wait. Did I just compare the hashtag symbol with underwear? #damnstraight
With the increasing addiction to what we #nomnom and #whatiwore, hashtags have now become 
a common sight on social networking sites and apps such as twitter and instagram. I confess that I am an instagram addict myself and the hashtag rules my social life. Its an occupation hazard really. Being a blogger, hashtag comes with the territory. The whole of the fashion industry thrives on the usage of these hashtags or is it every field of work?

I recently came across this banter on Facebook between 2 guys, one of who had hashtagged on his status and the other guy irrevocably slammed it. In his words ' I used hashtags when I was in my diapers' so as to indicate its demise circa now. Im not quite sure I agree, but what I do know is that I would not use a hashtag on Facebook. Which brings me to hashtag etiquette. What is the appropriate way of using a hashtag without the rising irk of people?

In no particular order: 

1) Don't use a hasthag on Facebook unless you want to get slammed publicly by crazy diapered people. Sharing Instagram pictures can be excused.

2) Hashtags have a purpose, and spelling the word out makes it redundant. And its only slightly cool. Its only very cool if you are Beyonce.

3) Avoid incomplete hasthags and by that I mean #what I wore. Whether or not you do this on purpose, don't know how to use a hashtag or simply have poor grammar skills, don't do it!  Everyone has that one friend with bad grammar (as do I). If you can't spot that friend, its you.

4) I have come across several people whose image captions are shorter than their list of never ending hashtags. I understand your need to get noticed and turn up on the search of every word in the dictionary, but manners please.

5) Hashtagged words that are most irrelevant to the image uploaded or the tweet should be avoided. We all know you want many retweets, favorites, likes and comments but there are more hashtag etiquette friendly ways of getting that.

These are a couple of things I could think of, but my gut tells me that there are plenty more you can help come up with.  Add on to the list and tell me what you think inappropriate hashtag behavior?

Retro Pastels

Pastels always bring to my mind images of candy floss and floating clouds. The colours so soft and delicate have a very serene feel to it. Here, I have given pastels a retro twist to keep them from looking too goody goody. I have paired the pastel elements with two neutral coloured crop tops from the Alexander Wang collection. While the white gives the look a feminine and classy touch, the black mesh makes the pastels more edgy and risque. The pants in a shade of powder blue are wide legged and a tad retro. Also adding a touch of retro are the round framed sunnies with a hint of blue.
Summer calls for pastels, so compliment those popsicles with baby blues and minty greens.

1. Assembly New York, Casual Pants, Price : $268, thecorner.com

2. Alexander Wang, Silk illusion crop top, harpersbazaar.com

3. T by Alexander Wang, Mesh top, Price: $150, kirnazabete.com

4. Chloe, Marcie medium leather handbag, Price: $1,795, mytheresa.com 

5. Le Specs, Ding a Ling sunglasses, Price : $70, nordstrom.com
6. Topshop, Figaro cross strap sandals, Price : £45, topshop.com
7. HM, Leather Strappy Sandals, Price : £2.99, hm.com

Lazy Summer Breeze

Summer and the colour white are synoymous with each other and they both pretty much spell comfort. This summer is no different, and I cant stop thinking white. So much so that, my mind also subconciously picks all things white to beat the heat. In my previous post I wrote about how to pair white with white, and in this post I explore my other favourite, the stark contrast of white and black. The whites go perfectly well with lazy warm summer breeze, and the black adds a classic twist to this.
I adore these white high waisted flared shorts with the pleats detailing and the crop top to go with. While all the accessories from the lust-worthy shoes to the uber cool theory bag are white, the black chic glasses by The Row and the Chanel matte nailpaint add just enough black to compliment the look. This look in my mind is perfect for a day of sightseeing on a vacation. Too bad a vacation is not around the corner!

1. Cheap Monday, Morgan Tank, Price : GBP20, weekday.com

2. Uniqlo, Wool blended flare shorts, Price: £10, uniqlo.com

3. The Row X Linda Farrow, Rounded sunglasses, Price: $442, lagarconne.com

4. Theory, Veran Pampas Light Backpack, Price: $695, theory.com 

5. Burberry, Medium Ceramic Bracelet Watch, Price : $1,095, nordstrom.com
6. Asos, Magic lace up flat shoes, Price : $33.25, asos.com

Mirror Mirror

Not a trend everybody can pull off, mirrored sunnies are huge rage right now. Big on the street front, these glasses are huge, reflective and more often than not, loud. Think large blue mirrored aviators or a more edgy orange reflector wayfarers. Spotted on bloggers all across the globe, this trend is only now picking up. Im not sure I'd wear this trend even though I simply adore it. I think its got to do with the fact that it looks too sci-fi, and I prefer Chanel over Captain Kirk.
What I do love about this trend though, is that just those reflective sunnies can add an element of interest to just about any outfit because they look so trendy and are uber cool. What do you guys think about this trend?

Images from honestlywtf.com, loveyoumeanitblog.com, stylesnooperdan.com, wearemixtbloggers, bettys.com, glam.com, nymag.com

White Suit Up

An all white suit exudes class and a light and airy feeling. This is the one trend I am lusting after this summer. Sporting a monotone from head to toe is quite trendy currently, but its just that much better if its white. Spotted exessively on the ramp and along the streets during Fashion week, wearing an all white suit soon became a statement. Everyone who is anyone from Mira Duma to Anna Del Russo was spotted wearing this combination of white on white that Biance Jagger was a connoiseur of back in the day. I love the casual note to this look despite the formal nature of a suit. You can either colour block your white suit by wearing it with bright pumps, or can create stark contrast by pairing it with blacks. White being a neutral colour that blends with anything, makes it a trend that is easy to translate from ramp to street. While skinny white pants are all good, I love a good white blazer paired with a high waisted palazzo pants. The combination of the two is androgynous yet luxe and chic. Take a cue from Mira Duma who sports her one-tone suit with a cream and camel tote, complete with round framed retro sunnies. Also a trend spotted on men, we love a man who can wear white head to toe and look every bit stylish (Hello linen!).

The key to getting this 'all white' look right is to play with textures and mix and match materials to make the look more eclectic. Also add hints of colour to break the monotony of the outfit. Armed with these simple tricks, its hard to go wrong with a one-tone outfit!

Images: lamodellamafia.com, trendoracle.com, lefashionimage.com, 

waynetippetts.com, thetrendreport.gr,

trashness.com, styledeityinathens.com, waynetippetts.com, brigadenoir.com, fellt.com