Revamp your wardrobe

Fashion has its own phases. What is in fashion now may become obsolete a few years down the line. But the true fashion that stays is the one in our personality.

“Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” — Rachel Zoe

In the name of latest fashion, women end up buying too many pieces of clothing and then eventually that too becomes a part of the ‘fashion that was’.  Especially in Indian households you’ll always find a stock of sarees which either is your grandmom’s or mum’s or even yours but that stock would be rarely made optimum use of. Every time you’d open that saree collection of yours you’d ask yourself what I do with this absolutely wonderful collection of desi nine yards of cloth.  

At times like these, you really wish if you could just get an idea of what to do with those beautiful sarees which you just cannot get rid of because you like the print or the fabric feels like your second skin or it was a gift to you or just because you’ve emotional attachment with it. Sometimes it so happens that while in the storage, the saree gets stained or the border tears off. Here comes the need to find out ways where you can do justice to the saree and use it more often than you would have when it was just a saree. There are a zillion things you can create with your saree ranging from things for home to well new clothes for yourself.  Imagine having an all new collection of clothes without having to dispose of your rarely used saree collection.

Well, when we talk of giving a new life to your sarees and also a new look to your wardrobe; we would suggest you to try the following:

1. 1.       Anarkali suits are a big hit now during the festivities. Use the thick border of your saree to give a festive look to a plain suit. You can also make it look more expensive & apt for the function by adding embellishments to it.

1. 2.       You can turn your elegant brocade sarees into party gowns or dresses if you’re looking for something western.

1. 3.       If you’ve ignored the poor saree because it looks too plain. Then you can look at adding some embroidery or patchwork to it to pep up the entire appearance of that saree.

1. 4.       Do you’ve a sarees that have completed its course of life? Well, from such sarees you can take various different pieces & create something like a fusion long patchwork skirt or even a jacket that you can team up with jeans & t-shirts.

5. Or if the saree is very heavy, bought essentially for wedding purposes, you can turn it into whole new wedding attire, a lehanga with a plain yet well embellished choli to go with it.

2.             6.Or just team your old saree with a trendy blouse to change the look!

You can also use the cuts and corners of the sarees you’ve revamped to make ethnic handbags for yourself. No matter what you create from your saree, just remember to accessorize it well to complete the look. 

Align the mind, body & soul to become fashionable!

“Every day is a fashion show and the world is a runway” ~ Coco Chanel

Why try and become like anybody else when you have to be ready for the fashion show called life every day. The best thing in this scenario would be to stay ‘you’ and suppress the urge to be like someone else. Getting influenced by another being is the easiest thing to do but to be confident and comfortable with one’s own persona is certainly a challenging task.

Fashion is an attitude. It’s not just about the clothes you wear but it is more about how you present yourself; it’s about how you feel about your own self because that reflects in your style.

Starving yourself to look pretty & stylish is a big NO NO! It is good to know what you eat, eating in moderation and avoiding a certain food items to stay healthy is a fine practice to follow but doing the same to get skinny is certainly not the coolest thing to do. Remember the curvaceous beauties of yesteryears like Madhubala, Meenakumari, Hema Malini, Sri Devi, the list is endless. They were and are still considered the epitome of beauty and sensuality.  These lovely ladies definitely were not anorexic. The idea is about being comfortable in your own skin. 

The times now have evidently changed; in this time and age being stylish and glamorous is about being skinny (yes, not just in shape but being skinny). Being skeletal thin and fashionable is now considered a criteria to fit in the popular groups. In the b-town also the constant competition persists between the thin and well not so thin actresses. If the zero figured actresses like Kareena Kapoor are idealized by the women, it is no secret that Indian men have always been enamored by the full bodied women. Recently came a time where Bollywood whole heartedly accepted the voluptuous beauties that then went to give various box office hits and critically acclaimed movies. This not just put them in the limelight but also highlighted the fact that it’s not the size that makes you appealing, it is the talent and how in ease you are with your own self. A few names that immediately come to the mind when you talk about curvaceous beauties are Sonakshi Sinha. Having won the Filmfare for best debutante actress for Dabangg she has proved that it’s the confidence you carry yourself with that makes you successful and not the size. Huma Qureshi is another such name. Her ‘weight’ issues is a much talked about topic but then all goes under the carpet when she brings critically acclaimed performances to the table.  And then this list cannot be complete without Vidya Balan’s mention. Her ethnic style, the grace with which she carries herself is definitely an indicator of how appealing you can look when you are comfortable and at ease with yourself.

By:

Alish Sehgal

Desi meets Western

 Who wouldn’t agree, India is a very colourful land. Every nook & corner has its own traditional heritage. From Chikankari to Phulkari, from Bandhani to lehriya, there is a wide range to choose from. The traditional is now becoming contemporary, the fashion sense is evolving. Wearing Indian is no longer considered ‘bhenji’ style. Spotting the fusion look has become an uber cool style statement not just in the world of the celebrities but also among the youth of the country. You can often spot the fusion style on the streets of the cities where resides the urban youth population. 

With a fresh flow of new designers, the trends are changing. Indian fashion is now hitting the ramps abroad as well. A fairly good number of international artists have been noticed sporting the much talked about Indian fusion style.  The Indian fashion is highly appreciated overseas owing to the fact that it highlights a lot of culture; hand-made work & embroidery makes the entire experience of being dressed in the desi flavour even more exclusive. If its Indian fashion, it has to involve a lot of colour which instantly makes one feel vibrant.

Well, this fusion style can be considered as an amalgamation of the two cultures. Another major reason behind the increasing popularity of the fusion style is its comfort factor with a perfect mix of style. There are no pre decided style guidelines in here so it lets the wearer explore & experiment with the best possible fashion mix to an extent where its comfortable & wearable both. The most popular fusion style you would spot almost every day is the kurti on jeans or leggings combination. Apart from these, you can make the Indian look very western with one piece dresses made from brocade or Benarasi, perfect for any party.  Indian style has most definitely made its place in the international market with beading or embroidery on necklines of dresses or shirts and more.

Stepping out dressed in indo-western fusion is not a cake walk for everybody. But this indo-western fusion is no seeping into the Bollywood. Be it Karina Kapoor’s salwar-tee style in Jab we met or Konkana Sen Sharma in Wake up Sid, Bollyworld has whole heartedly accepted this style.  We’re sure you did not miss the Bollywood blockbuster of this year, Khoobsurat starring the very handsome, uber cool and stylish Fawad Khan from across the border. If you would have by any chance got an opportunity to notice the very stylish Sonam Kapoor you’d understand what we mean when we say fusion can make you feel so vibrant. Sporting clothes which define the term colour blast, the style was highly appreciated by the youth. With a mix of dhoti pants, short embroidered jackets, very bright stoles and a perfect tinge of accessories brought the fusion look in the lime light once again. Also, during the movie promotion on Comedy Nights with Kapil, Sonam was seen wearing the saree in the fusion style.

                                      

So next time you want to get rid of your Indian wear, try and experiment with various mix of clothes and wear them in an all new style. And yes, Indian wear can be very stylish so don’t feel consious but flaunt it!

By - Alisha Sehgal