FTLOFAOT with Blueprint

I woke up to Blueprint's new collection called The Mad Hatter a few days back. The first thing that truly struck me as a bolt out of the blue is definitely the cleaner cuts accompanied by the mad hatter-ness of Alice in Wonderland. Impossible, you think? Take a look and you would know that this modern tale meets old school fairyland is all a part of Navya and Divya's new collection at Blueprint.
I also woke up to having hit the 3000 mark at my facebook page. If both these things don't call for a giveaway then I don't know what does.
You guys have the chance to win this piece from Blueprint Coleccion, which as my previous association with them tells me, prides in quality garments and class apart shopping experience. You don't want to miss a chance at getting your hands on this summer hit so go ahead, enter the giveaway by leaving a comment about what you think of the dress, with your email address please. For additional entries of course, hit like at the FTLOFAOT page and the Blueprint Colección page. You can tweet about it but do not forget to tag Shreya_1, to increase your chances.
The contest is open to all Indian nationals and closes on the 15th of August, 2013. Get liking and get commenting. Do not forget to leave your email addresses please.

A little about their new collection

You have till the 15th of August, to enter and be a part of the party. Get going ;)
XOXO

Varija Bajaj

If I told you marriages are made in heaven and weddings are just a celebration of love, etc, I run the risk of being too 27 Dresses-ish or closer home, Band Baaja Baraat (Or Band Baaja Bride if you like the show better). But the fact of the matter is, as average Indian girls, from the moment we are born, it is ingrained in our pretty heads that marriage is the single most important event of our lives (the fact that we might agree or disagree is an absolutely separate matter). So without making it too cheesy, let me get into the unveiling of the Varija Bajaj design studio which was by all means a very classy affair. Varija Bajaj is an FDCI accredited designer whose label Varija is all about the modern, sassy Indian girl. Her latest collections are rich in embroidery and embellishments and the play of colors is definitely the USP. She has an eye for working with Indian textures and fabric use and her use of regional ethnic elements definitely make for an interesting option. My favourite bit when I browsed through her collection was definitely the use of an ornate silver belt on a wedding lehenga which she gladly explained to me was the 'kardhani'. The soiree was every bit fun and an opportunity gained to interact with some of the revered designers of our country.
Also worth mentioning is that a designer who makes that extra effort to gift personalized souvenirs to all her guests definitely gets brownie points from me. :)
Here are some of my favourite photographs of her newly unveiled design studio at the Ring road, Defence Colony, New Delhi.

What I spoke about, the 'kamdhani'

Check out more from the Varija Design studio here and if you are looking to hoard on the bridal finery, this might be a good place to start, even with the price point.

Till then,
XOXO

The lazy song

Hi, I am extremely lazy but I love fashion. What is the ultimate way to look stylish with minimum effort?
God knows that rings true everytime I have one of those days where I cannot for the life of me wreck my brain too much about 'putting together an outfit'. For those days and for the girls who are in that state perpetually, here is a little something to add that pizazz on a blah day.

• Jumpsuits: Now I know the heated debate about whether everyone can or cannot work them is never ending but I believe that a snazzy, well fitted jumpsuit never disappoints. I decided to add a little  thrill by trying a midi jumpsuit (yes, you heard me) because well, we have all done the full body and the short suits right? ;)
• A funky belt: We are real girls with real love for fashion. There are days when the the hatred for the scorching heat sure kicks the crap out of the love for fashion and those are the days where I go with classic pieces and minimal accessories. And a funky belt!
• Sunglasses: Who knew that you could be bringing your A-game with a pair of rad '60s sunglasses a la checked and floral frames.
• A crazy bag: When you scroll down to the outfit you will realize that I did take the crazy bag bit a little too seriously. Pick up your funky laptop bag( yes, that is what I am carrying), your kitschy purses or whatever floats your boat and turn the dullest outfit into a *show stopper will be pushing it*, well styled one.

Photography courtesy: Karishma of Purple Peeptoes

Wearing:

Jumpsuit in black and white: Street find (Delhi)

Neon green belt: Only

Neon orange-pink laptop bag: Bershka (Dubai)

Checked sunglasses from the '60s: Quick Brown Fox (Australia)

Nude oxfords: Zara

XOXO

Pop

As you saunter into an era of crazy fashion trends, you cannot help but think, which trends really embody your spirit? Would it be quite the same if you just chose to be a part of the fashion herd without a thought to what trends were really 'you'? Fashion is only shallow, if you make it to be that. I refuse to. The trends that truly make me want to put them on and feel that spring in my step or even feel emboldened are truly the ones that make it to my wardrobe and by extension, my blog. So next time, you hit the sales and want to horde on whatever it is thats going for unbelievable prices, take a moment to wonder whether that is truly something that is a value addition to your total ensemble.
Some pieces I have truly been coveting this season:

1. The ankle strap sandals: The old school elegance combined with the block heel had me sold the moment I tried my first pair on. I am happy to announce I have found 'the pair'.
2. Bold cuffs: With the neons doing the rounds in full swing, there is nothing that provides the perfect background to sporting those colors than a gold cuff. A bejeweled kind that I sport in this look or just chunky cuffs in gold.
3. Fuschia lips: No, you need not buy a set of fuschia lips. I am painting them in this certain hue of pink ever since I discovered that it works wonders to accentuate our Indian skin tones.

Wearing:

Cobalt blue blouse: Zara

Geometric printed skirt: Shana (Dubai)

Bag with the stud detailing: Max (Dubai)

Gold bejeweled cuff: Twist (Hauz Khas Village)

Nude pumps: Inc.5 

Photography courtesy: Karishma of Purple Peeptoes

Till the next post,

XOXO

Five websites that have changed the way we shop

As a fashion blogger, one of the most common questions which I come across and am sure other bloggers would agree is where do you shop, or to be closer to the question I am discussing today, where do you shop online. To answer that with all the relevant value added information on the same, here are five websites that have changed the Indian fashion girl's game.

• ASOS: I cannot remember how and where I found out about ASOS but its been about 3 years that I have been shopping from ASOS and despite all my issues regarding not receiving packages on time, I continue to shop from there, simply because there is absolutely no replacement for the the collections housed at ASOS. Be it in terms of quality, pricing or styles, this British brand gives you the best of European fashion, under one website. A note to the shoppers in India, our wonderful Postal Service might arbitrarily charge you customs, even if your package is worth less than Rs. 10,000. Sometimes, I reckon its because it just feels heavier or bigger. Also, I had severe delivery issues when I was in Bangalore but that is not the case in Delhi. Some brands on ASOS to look for which make for its USP: Vero Moda (International), ASOS (self designed stuff by the brand), Whistles (UK brand most popular because Kate Middleton flaunts a lot of Whistles clothing), Ted Baker, etc.

• Mango: Ask any fashion blogger what his/her favourite brands are they are bound to list Mango in their first 5 preferences. This Spanish brand which set up its first shop in 1984 in Barcelona has spread itself over a very large part of the world with a forte of classic cuts and great tailoring. The Mango website began delivering to India not long ago and still charges delivery at the rate of say ‘shopping worth Rs. 6500, shipping cost Rs. 790’. While to me that appears to be a cost worth the tailoring Mango gives me, it might not be the case for everyone. But considering that the styles first come on the website and much later in the stores in India, that extra price is a price Indian fashionistas are willing to pay according to the ongoing trend. USP: Delivery is quick as hell.

• FabAlley: Be it the fact that these young entrepreneurs ensure that the designs on the website are absolutely the latest or the fact that delivery is spot on time, Fab Alley is definitely emerging as a website that is a trend setter of its kind. It has picked and chosen the best of all that the online accessories retailing has to offer. The jewelry box is a sure hit with all the month’s pleasers to keep the lazy fashionista up to date. For me, the USP definitely has to be its one of a kind designs.

• Youshine: If you are not in based in the metropolitan cities, you can still reach out to the designs of this new and upcoming website. Youshine retails everything a woman needs to complete here look, from jewelry to bags to scarves to hair accessories. Neat designs, lot of variety and the its USP which makes it a brand which the girl next door relates to as much as the extravagant fashionista, is its pricing!

• Done by None: I have not personally shopped from this website but the ongoing trends tell me that they have their game quite set. Having heard the raving and ranting, a thorough scanning of the website led me to see that Done by None not only retails everything from clothes to shoes but also offers it all at kick ass prices. My bet is on their fabulous range of shoes which I noticed are all priced below Rs.2000 and in a world where pretty shoes don’t come cheap, I think I am going to buy a couple from here.

This is not an exhaustive list but definitely a large sample of the game changers. There are a lot of shops run on Facebook that are competing with these websites just as well, but that research and article is for another day.

For now, get shopping! ;)

XOXO