The Bangles from the Past

The chudi bazaar near Ghantaghar, Jodhpur in India. Its gorgeous, to say the least.

Whats colourful, glassy and clinks a lot?
For all of you still struggling to answer this..Bangles. Why I decided to suddenly go from accessories from the runways to accessories even making the rounds on the streets of India? I think the answer lies within the question. I decided that as a fashion blogger, I'm not going to go the safe way and talk about the universally approved runway accessories alone. The reason why I decided to write about these gorgeous pieces of glass (at least originally) was because I personally, find them extremely fashionable. There is no dearth of instances of how bangles have evolved from the plain, glass accessories sold all across the country to big, chunky daring pieces of metal or wood for that matter. Bangles, for me stand as the ultimate symbol of femininity. There is a reason the gorgeous nine yards of sartorial beauty-the Saree was always accompanied by these. From the torch bearers of ultra femininity in bollywood to J-Lo, Drew Barry More, Madonna and the likes! The charm of these glazed, shiny and undeniably noisy pieces has not alluded a soul.
My take? Wear it with whatever you like. Yes, you heard it. I personally find it extremely stylish to team up a monochrome tee shirt or tunic with bangles of a contrasting color on my daring days. And you can also add that bit of spunk by adding a bright dupatta with a tee to pick you up on those down days :)
Of course, for those wanting to play it safe, I have good news for you too :) Bangles are now available in westernized avatars and are a hit all over the world with women. If you're a sucker for designers and would want to still try on these glitzy thingys, here's something to make you happy :)

Bangles from LV. The object of my desire.

I also happen to have a fetish for a lot of bling and what better way to wear a bangle than the classy Hyderabadi bangle with all the glittering stones way! Luckily for me, I have friends who get me those vintage bangles from Hyderabad often :) I would be only halfway with my fashion rants if I didn't tell you that there is a Forever 21 version of these glamorous Hyderabadi bangles available for those of you who are brand loyalists :) Take a look.

The stunning studded Hyderabadi bangles.

Forever 21. Forever Gorgeous.

 P.S: Ideas to make the bangles look trendier? I would love to hear from you :)
XOXO.

Hair-tistic Desires

Hair band with rosettes from Sports Girl

Hair band with over sized flower

A Chanel hair comb *Sigh*

There is a confession I have to make. No, I’m serious. Ok, here goes. I think I have substantially spent more money this season (which includes my Australia tour) on hair accessories than I have on any other kind. What brought it about? No, not the fashion police dictating that since Marc Jacobs used a lot of hair accessories in his collections Spring 2010, I had to incorporate it in my style too. At least not that alone. :) 
So this year did see the resurgence of hair accessories. And they are big or what, no pun intended. Big rosettes, Victorian net hair clips, over-sized barrettes with rhinestones, ropy hair bands with nets and not to forget the big bows are sure to up the glamour quotient of anything you might wear. The influence of this season’s biggest trend has been seen all over, from the opulent Upper East Siders like Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl to the Indian translation on the silver screen of Aisha. The big, satin bows, the crystal encrusted hair bands are sure to give those locks a lift on a bad hair day. And this is truly out of practice. :) 
Gone are the days when the use of headbands was to shield your eyes from the bangs of the ‘50s and ‘60s. The head bands, universally come from the Burlesque style and jazz age. Feathered hair clips, Victorian net veils and the likes. Bollywood obviously was not far behind and the ‘70s saw the biggies like Asha Parekh wear bright neon colored hair bands to spruce up the colorful kurti and churidar look. Back in time to the present, I find it an appropriate moment to induct Lady Gaga’s fashion sense into my write ups. I make no qualms about the fact that I have immense respect for her edgy fashion, not to mention I thoroughly enjoy her music. So for all those with that gothic-bordering on-rebellious streak in them, its not entirely a bad idea to try some of her whacky ideas a la the soda cans for rollers. :)

Lady Gaga and her big bow

The same look for Rs.500.

With the famous soda cans on her Australia tour

And for those of you environmentally inclined, I have some good news. A very popular store by the name of People Tree located in Connaught Place, N. Delhi has come up with up eco-friendly hairbands of recycled fabric available at the price of Rs. 50 onwards. Their products are not only environment friendly, they are also extremely chic and I say that because I happen to have picked wallets from a boutique called Cre Art in Pondicherry which also stocks their products. 

Bejeweled hair clip from Allanah Hill. I drooled in her boutique, Yes.

Bejeweled hair clip I picked from Witchery, for not so much :)

Stone encrusted hair band from Mimco

Stone encrusted hair band from Forever New, easier on the pocket

 

Introduction of Sorts

Hi there.
There are things aplenty in life which one feels passionately about. It could be something as whimsical as cupcakes or something as academic as Human Rights. So while I break the ice with all my readers here, let me put forth in the very beginning what this venture(as I would like to put it) is going to be all about. If you think this is another of the myriad of fashion blogs doing the rounds on the internet which cater only to those with moolah unlimited or one of the kinds which streamline fashion to the high end brands catering to the Queen herself or the other sorts which indulge in fashion policing of our celebrities..you're in for a surprise :)
The psychic of my blog is a reflection of what fashion means to me and what I find fashion or style in. Its not about Pret-a-porter or haute couture alone. Its not about the accessories which Lanvin comes up with one season  alone. Its not about looking at Karl Lagerfeld's latest collection from the point of view of the front row fashion journalist alone. It is about all this and much more. The much more is the personal element of my blog. I find fashion everywhere. There is an element of fashion I see even today when I look at classic Bollywood and Hollywood movies from the eras gone by. Be it the gorgeous aquamarine shades of chiffon sarees with the minimal accessories look or the minimalist chic look the women sported in the American cinema. There is a strong sense of fashion I find on the streets. And I do not just talk of the women parading down 5th Avenue with a Berkin on their arm or the women on Oxford Street clad in their Burberry Prorsum trenches. Of course, I would be lying if I said that that did not account for the aggregate fashion quotient of a country but being an Indian there is a very deep set of fashion that I derive from the streets of India. I will make an honest effort to update this blog with as many pictures as possible with write ups about everything that fashion encompasses, within India, all over the world, our favourite styles, our inspirations, write ups on fashion designers, photogrpahers, make up artists or whatever you may please and the best part, my own easy-on-your-pocket replication of whats on the runways :)
Who am I? Just a girl who loves fashion and all such.
P.S: I would love to hear from you. About my blog and about what you think of a certain post or any such. I will leave you with this very sweet note. My adoration for cupcakes. Yes, those stylish things you see Carrie and the others gorge on in Sex and The City.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=53057613475  To soak your senses in the world's best cupcakes :)

XOXO.