The holiday edit 2017

I come bearing good advice (and gifts) because 'tis the season to be jolly. Good news? The fashion Santa approves of a little naughty. Out with the nice and in with the naughty.
The chunky cable knits and the turtle necks all survive this fall/winter (and every other) but with this festive edit, I show you how to take it up just a notch. Risqué tights not for you? Lacey, boudoir bodysuits a bit too much? Fret not cause these looks work just as effortlessly if you introduce just one of these pieces into your look at a time. Start small. Gradually lead yourself up to looking like the Christmas tree at the party. Just kidding. Or am I!
I created a set of these three looks to crack the glamorous dressing code this season. While my looks are usually minimal, I don't shy away from more than one piece of bling or a piece that tends to turn heads whilst creating looks for festive holidays. Like I said, easy to replicate even with one statement piece at a time. Regardless of whether you decide to go for velvet sock booties or over-the-knee Saint Laurent boots, remember to always add a little bit of the label 'You' to your assortment of labels.
And on that corny note, let's dive right into it.

Photography by Aditya Saxena

Joyeux Noël, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah and all those brilliant wishes to all you guys.

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The art of throwing a bachelorette-II

The last time I was here and writing a post on mastering the art of throwing a bachelorette, I was a little too cocky and just believed I knew it all. You can read up about me gloating about the fabulous bachelorette I threw my best friend right here. I'm glad so many of you resonated with it and never for a second did I think I would be back here writing yet another post on a bachelorette (this time my own) and realising that my sisters and my best friend did actually manage to overthrow my rule as the coolest bachelorette party thrower. 

We thought long and hard and realised that an exotic foreign locale was not a possibility at this point of time owing to limited leaves, new jobs et al. Thankfully for my best friend who knows me better than I know myself, we decided that we could bring the wine tastings of Napa Valley to India by booking the Source at Sula, Nasik for my bachelorette. I could tell you that I was clued into everything else that my women folk had planned with the most meticulous detail but I would be lying. Apart from our flights to Bombay, an extra day in Bombay to carry the party forward and the fact that we could be consuming copious amounts of alcohol, everything was a surprise for me. 

From going for a wine tour to brunching and drunching at the rooftop bar at The Source, Sula, we did everything touristy that the vineyards have to offer. Everything had been planned to every last detail. Wake up, start sipping champagne, breakfast, wine tours, more tasting, lunch accompanied with Sula's finest rose, cycling around the property in order to take a break from all the drinking and then dive into the big night for *wait for it*, more drinks.

The room was done up in all the bachelorette finery and I swear when I walked in, I felt right into place with all my Pinterest boards. Balloons and streamers and banners in shades of gold and pink, large polka dotted confetti, a Polaroid wall (!!!), a Sula magnum champagne already in the ice bucket, cake and other yummers needless to say and the coolest bride-to-be and bridal party favours and props I had ever seen.

A special mention to all my favourite details:

• Ever since I went to Australia as a little girl, I have always been truly, madly, deeply in love with everything Peter Alexander including their store. A whole gift set from Peter Alexander with only the cutest bridey boxers, satin eye masks et al lay in store for me.

• Lipsticks from Bobbi Brown's Crush range in shades picked for each of the girls customised with our names on the lipstick!

• Goody Bags for each of the girls in the cutest kitty bags and contents that would make any girl swoon. A flamingo print scarf from ASOS, a ring holder in glass and ceramic that says LOVE from Shopbop, a Velvet Rose scented candle, a monogrammed glasses holder in a pale pink with each of the girls' initials from Kikki.K and my gift to all my girls, a piece of jewellery from Outhouse.

• A bridal sash in black! (Hello chic, goodbye tacky!) and bunny ears with a veil from ASOS for the bride.

I can't imagine the kind of thought my sister put into all these details and how she managed to nail every element of the decor and goody bags the way she did, but if it helps, there could be no one else who could pull it off this way to give me a bachelorette that is impossible to forget. 

Here's to the women who drank endlessly with me, cried with me when I had pre-marital anxiety (or any other kind of anxiety since it's me we are talking about), made me feel like nothing mattered more than my big day, made me realise that while I might have found my soulmate almost 6 years ago, there have also been these soul sisters around, steady as rocks from before he was and gave me a holiday that would give any that follows, a run for it's money.

Safe to say that winding up my bachelorette trip with a day of endless cocktails and seriously fabulous food at Bastian was a pretty good idea!

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Exploring fashion with Sue Mue

I spoke about this on instagram as to how I am yet to meet a soul who has not had the most impressive things to say about Sue Mue. A label that carries with it a lineage of three generations of pure fashion breed and a love for women's clothing so deep that it is almost synonymous with impeccable Indian wear in the country. What struck me as a pleasant surprise though was that Sue Mue manages to juggle a highly function Pret line with the most elaborate Couture range. 'Ariella', their fall winter 2017 line takes a global route with international architectural inspirations which also incidentally shines through in the colours and embellishments in the Couture line. My interaction with the clothing, from the time I first previewed it to the time I actually styled it has consistently surprised me. I could not believe how rooted in tradition, yet glamorous the garments looked in the store. The label really taps into the needs of a modern Indian woman who loves her off-shoulder style just as much as her nine yards of a 'paithani' saree. It's a need to wear her Indian garments in the most unpredictable of ways while still maintaining their austerity. 
The surprises did not end there. On putting on these garments I felt the instant connect with them. Not only did I feel like the silhouettes bathed my body in the most flattering ways but also just how stylish Indian garments could look without much accessorising. 
Without giving away any more of the magic, let me share with you my take on Sue Mue's Ariella.

Photography by Aditya Saxena
Location c/o: Tata Primanti
Hair and Make up c/o: Geetanjali Salon

All garments by Sue Mue.

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How would you describe your style?

I came across this pin on Pinterest which redirected me to this '3-word rule fashion insiders use when getting dressed' by Who What Wear. You know how article headings just suck you in like a quick sand, this was one of those. It's just basic human instinct that when we see an article or a piece that offers us a quiz/engaging content that guarantees a better insight into any aspect of ourselves, we go for it hook, line and sinker. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I would go as far as to say that if it is not click bait, it is actually a legitimate style of writing which requires a certain skill. Back to the original piece that got me thinking, they have devised a little cheat sheet with twenty five adjectives largely used to describe someone's personal style. You pick your top three adjectives that you would use to describe your personal style and dress accordingly (or even shop accordingly).
I'm very engaging too. I shall only direct you to this cool cheat sheet to figure out and streamline your own style at the very end after you've read all I had to say. See? Skilled. 
I realise that I kept oscillating between 'cool', 'feminine' and 'effortless'. Then I felt the need to include 'clean' and 'minimalistic'. But then I was in a bit of dilemma as to what to eliminate. The key I have realised is to keep discovering and keep permutating, while at the same time dressing according to what 'feels right'. That's a lot of wisdom coming from a girl who barely goes by instinct. But no seriously, fashion and consequently personal style are so instinct driven and this little check list might help you get closer to discovering your personal style and working with it.

Wearing:
Dress: ASOS
Boots: Acne Studio
Bag: Cult Gaia

Photography by Aditya Saxena
Location c/o: Tata Primanti
Hair and Make up c/o: Geetanjali Salon

And as for the link, *drum roll* find it here. You're welcome.

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Experiencing American Express with FTLOFAOT

The life of a shopaholic is almost tragic. We seek the most expensive pleasures and yet we look to make the smallest deals and discounts happen for us. At the risk of sounding cliché, I am hoping to delve into my experience of having been a part of the American Express family as a shopaholic. I started off my journey exploring the benefits of my MRCC(Membership Rewards Credit Card) on MakeMyTrip since I had heard of the travel benefits a lot. Lucky for me, I was planning a holiday with my best friend and American Express gave me up to 70% cashback on my hotel bookings through MakeMyTrip. Not only did I get a great deal on my hotels, I also found that I could use my card with the utmost ease across Europe with the kind of safety that comes with being an American Express Cardmember. For someone like me who enjoys a good holiday, good food is an obvious accompaniment. A cool tie up that American Express has with quite a few restaurants across the world allows you to get up to 20% off on your food bill on paying with American Express. If you are a fan of the good life then these two key features on the Membership Rewards Credit Card would make you jump with joy too.

The truth of the matter is that the American Express network is actually quite widespread. I figured that the Customer Care would be impeccable but my expectations were far exceeded when I found out that there exists an ECR (Emergency Card Replacement) feature where in American Express issues a replacement card within 48 hours almost anywhere in the world. And that to me is a huge relief (given my love for travelling and general scatter brain ways).

I could also swipe my American Express for bonus membership rewards on almost all platforms I use, from Grofers to Zomato. Offline too, from my daily needs to random shopping sprees (including the irresistible Zara sales), I’ve been able to shop with American Express with the utmost ease. The game changer for me, however, was the Membership Rewards program. It opened up another world of madness for me as I used my membership rewards for everything from buying a new camera to even clearing parts of my bill (yes, that’s possible with American Express). It warmed my heart to see that I could also use my Membership Rewards points to donate to the charity of my choice. Hard to think of a more fulfilling way to spend my membership rewards accumulated to be honest.

There is also something to be said about how easy and safe all my transactions with American Express are. (It helps that if you have the slightest doubt, their customer care will address your worry within seconds). eZeClick for instance, ensures that you can book your movie tickets et al with a single id! No lengthy entering of numbers and CVVs, just a single id. I love the fact that this is an exclusive American Express feature and considering I spend all my time (and money) shopping online, it is perfect for me. Then there is SafeKey which is a feature most websites across the world that accept American Express work with. One password that is sent to your registered email and phone number needs to be entered to ensure the veracity of the user before going through with the transaction. In addition, I love the extra security SafeKey brings to ensure that my card does not get misused during online transactions.

I love the fact that everyday with using my American Express card has been a delightful surprise and I am honestly still discovering so many features that I possibly cannot begin to enumerate here. And most importantly, the Membership rewards program(where the MR points never expire), is now my safety net for my dangerously shopaholic ways. A girl’s gotta do what she’s gotta do. And if this wasn’t all, there is a one-of-its-kind offer on till 20^th of September which gives you a lifetime free membership if you apply for the American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card. Along with Rewards that never expire. You’re very welcome!

Apply Here- http://bit.ly/2iMnV8W

One dress: two ways

Not everyday does one lay out a five dress change programme for oneself to get through a completely choc-a-bloc day. Not at all points of time do we realistically also have a new dress for every occasion ready to be changed into. So the frugal bit of me (which is an instinct found me in quite rarely), decided to use my ninja styling technique to HIIIIIIIYAAAAAA my way into a completely new look with the addition and subtraction of a few pieces. This summer for me is all about whites and eyelet details. I love cottons and linens and if they come in a cool anti-fit, bonus points. This little baby comes with a ribbon detail around the neck which goes through *surprise surprise* large metallic eyelets. I had been eyeing these Giuseppe Zanotti silver mules for as long as I can remember and almost nothing shook that love for me until I put them on. Cause then the love just grew manifold. They could turn almost any outfit into a show stopper and those heels tick all the right boxes for me. I decided to create one look with a tulle skirt worn underneath the dress because you know, layering is my jam. This I paired with my new Adidas Originals NMDs. If I had to take that look to town, I would just slyly yank that skirt off from under the dress, quietly sitting at a table (which is what I did, even though I think I did attract a fair amount of attention stripping in public like this) and add those Zanotti mules. I did my patent slick pony and added these large ass pearl stud earrings to finish off that look. I love how ideas like this help you reuse almost all your clothes, helping your resolve to shop less (do not even pretend that you have never made one) and use all your existing clothes in different permutation combinations. That to me is timeless fashion. Staying true to your aesthetics while still having fun with fresh ideas.

Tell me how you do that?

Photography by: Saumya and Shiva of The Open Art Project

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Repeat offender: style edition

How many times have you shied away from wearing something knowing that you might get pictures taken that day that will make it to instagram and a photo of you in that particular outfit exists on the internet? I used to be that person. I still am at times, to be honest. And realistically, the pressure kind of quadruples manifold if you are a fashion blogger. But between trying to strike a balance between sponsored posts and personal style of my own( I wrote about it here), how many outfits per month can I actually be buying (and storage, how do people not think of that) to be seen in a set of different clothes everyday? I love the idea of 'do it for the 'gram' as much as the next millennial (kidding, I couldn't be a millennial even if I tried). But I don't think burning holes the size of Jupiter in my pocket every month is something I would want to do for the 'gram. And hence I decided to learn to restyle my clothes. Repurpose if you may. And the social responsibility of being able to teach my followers the same is high too so I really just had to (phew). I'm here going to attempt to list a few of my favourite ways to repurpose your clothes with illustrations to match. Okay, this isn't as scientific as I'm making it sound. So what are you waiting for? Open that already bursting at its seams cupboard and let's try a few of these tricks.

• I love this newly discovered idea of knotting my tees at the waist. So easy to basically turn any old/new tee in a cropped tee or crop top if you like. While chopping it off is a little too permanent for me, I can totally live with trying this to add a little pizazz to my classic breton tee.
• Classic straight leg pants. I refuse to get rid of even my old ones when it comes to these classics. If you have been around here for a while you know how much I love my trousers. Straight leg, palazzos, wide leg pants, cropped etc. So the key to making them look different every time is in how you pair them. If you usually pair them with long tunics or shirts or cool tees, try something sexy the next time. Like a sleeveless turtleneck and strappy heels. Cage/stripper heels if that floats your boat. You get the drift. Watch the pants acquire a complete facelift.
• Layering. It is the answer to almost all of your wardrobe woes. This is my secret to Emergency dressing too. If I feel like I have worn a dress too many times as it is, I throw on a jacket on top. Or add a tee shirt underneath. Or a scarf like a cowl neck. Easiest to do this with classic elements of your wardrobe like denim shirts and white tees. I also added a bunch of necklaces here to completely disguise the 'seen-a-billion-times' element of this look.
• This one is my favourite. The white shirt. I know it sounds too obvious but it really is the answer to so many of my repeat offender woes. Apart from pairing it with the classics. Pair a statement pair of pants or a statement making skirt like mine( with the lace tie ups on the side) with a solid coloured shirt. White for me simply because it is my favourite. It makes nearly any look clean and yet so different. So you could be repeating the white shirt a 50 billionth time but it will still manage to look so different paired with cooler, trendier pieces. Of course, shoes always cinch the look for me. 

Photography by: Saumya and Shiva of The Open Art Project

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