The Southern Escapade

Hello My blooming marigolds,
Today I write to you from the southern part of India, well to be fair I have been in Hyderabad for quite a while now but this is Kanyakumari I'm talking about.
So I have been backpacking across South India and completing missing out on blogging. But you must catch all my escapades on Snapchat(id:Goli Darzi).

I haven't really had the chance to dress up on this trip of ours but I did pack for some pretty dresses for Dinner and Brunch's

One such being the lovely custom made dress for me by LURAP. The collab has been on cards for a while now and I just wanted to take  you on this journey of mine. The dress is
Today I'm writing one of the first ways I styled it and consequently show you other ways you could style the same little black artsy dress! It's rare we find something our size and when we do ,I make sure I maximise the utility by wearing it in as many as possible ways I can. I will try and post two more styling options for you to choose from.

Lurap has had a pretty good brand value when it comes to USA and now when venturing into India I think they are doing a tremendous job. It is on the pricier end but I don't really mind paying for the kind of value I g et for the product.

The Website Experience:

surfing over to the site I found the website easy not only to navigate but a hassle free checkout. Now with over 1000 of choices just for plus size dresses ,this was certainly the first time I felt spoilt for choices. We can choose from a standard sizing set or go with custom fitting. However, when one goes above a size of XL or for custom fits extra charges may apply. And I understand this may pinch your pocket a bit but I can absolutely vouch for the fit, it is to the T. So whether you are a size 2 or 20 ,you know where you can choose from.
They also have an Indian Ethnic section which I'm yet to try out but can't wait to review it fory ou guys! Can you imagine all these options for us curvy girls in India?

I chose the dress and ordered for a custom fit. It took them 15 days to deliver but well it worth every day of the wait! This is not a paid collaboration ,I bought my own dress and decided to blog about it! So you my ladies can be rest assured of my true opinion of the website and the product. They had a special discount of 2100 running which was a total winner for me!

About the Dress

In most cases, a curvy gal is looking to wear a dress that makes her look her best whether that be by embracing her curves, hiding what needs to be hidden or simply making her look a few pounds slimmer.

The problems with curvy gals is that a traditional shift dress is a short dress that lacks shaping. The dress goes up and down without any definition given to the waist. What is worse for us is that these dresses have short or no sleeves. But in case of this LURAP dress, it not only cinches at the waist but the outer layer actually cover the elastic not giving an awkward appearance!

What I conferred from Lurap is that they don’t believe that chic stops at size 12 and are committed to creating stylish options to women of all sizes, race. Here's the link of the dress I selected, do note additional charges ply for customization.

How I styled the Dress- Part Un

Since I had bare minimals Id id toss my bed head around and defined by curling tongs of 1.5inches to  give them a definition. Well I'm miserable at hair without you Sanky,you were duly missed!

I planned the look for a brunch we were headed to so wore NEWLOOK block heels along with silver thrifted earrings ! Well that was all I did for the look .The sleeves did all the justice of covering my buffy arms and hence I didn't feel the need to wear any armcandy or even my watch for that matter.

However you have to watch this space out next so you can follow how I style the same dress in other styles.

Let me know how did you like this look and would you like to experience LURAP with me, have you shopped from LURAP before? I had love to hear all about it!
Here's a closeup of my hair and makeup! Would love to hear your feedback.
See you soon in my next post!
xoxo

p.s.: Major Shoutout to the folks at Neemrana Tower"non-hotel",KOCHI. They were absolutely hospitable and you can read my detailed feedback on Tripadvisor or Booking.com!

The Soul saree

The Indian Saree (a.k.a. Sari, Seere, Sadi) boasts of oldest existence in the sartorial world. It is more than 5000 years old! It is mentioned in Vedas,  the oldest existing (surviving) literature (3000 B.C.) Patterns of dress change throughout the world now and then but, the Sari has survived because it is the main wear of rural India. 75% of the population (now a billion as per official estimate) wear versatile sari. We can certainly call this cloth versatile because it could be worn as shorts, trousers, flowing gown-like or convenient skirt-wise--all without a single stitch!

This was probably the quickest blogpost I have ever shot. We did the hair and makeup flat 30 mins-and by that I really mean we were darn fast (we usually keep procrastination and the routine takes upto a good 3 hours span).Had somebody asked me my connection towards saree 5 years ago, I would only associate it with my farewell occasion where would really be eager to pick out our mommy’s shiniest sequined saree./my love for saree has definitely come through sourav ( my best friend that I’ve been living in for a year).We met during our NIFT days –were batch mates and eventually just knew how we are destined to be together as label. We are nothing alike and probably that what makes it even more specials except the fact we both are hard-drawn Aquarians.

Sourav has opened up the path of textiles to me by which I particularly mean the handwoven fabrics. I had always been a fan of synthetic fabrics because of my body shape I looked out to fabric that wouldn’t cling to my body-chiffons, polyesters & super net  were my go-to picks!

 My initial  indefinite attachment in Indian handlooms were  towards  craft styles like Ajrakh, Mashroo and Ikat realy. But lately I’ve discovered something new each week as indepth and am open to the learning. My recent discovery is that of Begum Bahar (which I shall be posting next) and I’m absolutely delected about!
 So my top tips to really CHOOSE a saree for yourself comes to you as –

If it’s your first time buying a saree for yourself, it’s in all probability you are picking it up for an occasion.

Think about where you are about to adorn the saree but also keep in mind that when Tomorrow, as you stand in front of your  wardrobe, you should be willing to choose a Saree that calls out to you &  will remember the story of how it made its way into my life.

Don’t fall for a grand saree! To be absolutely fair, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 'grand' Saree, if you are so inclined, or if the occasion merits it. But don't choose a Saree, based on it's 'grandness'. Choose a Saree because it speaks to you. Choose the Saree which has a colour that thrills you, or that bowls you over with its calm artistry. Choose the Saree which has been handwoven by craftsmen who continue an ancient art form. Choose the Saree that your mother wore, or even one belonging her mother before her. Choose the Saree that your partner picks out for you, even if it’s something you can't possibly see yourself in. Choose the Saree that you love, and it will love you back for a lifetime. And most importantly, I could only choose a Saree I love as a gift for someone else, because it would be an expression of how much it means to me to share the joy of a Saree.(These lines are by Sumita Selvaraj and would like to thank her for the matter me think and dwell so long upon it).

Moving back to My chosen form of Saree is from Designer Sailesh Singhania-an Indigo chanderi with golden zari.I paired this saree in nothing but a statement neckpiece from Mickey Zaveri Jwellery .The neckpiece is made from glass and the printing is actually marbling with 18 carat gold over it.The technique is absolutely meticulous and beautiful to watch. If you are really looking for some head turning pieces this is the place you want to check out. And I’m not saying this because I got to wear them but in all real sense the designs are the perfecta amalgamation of modern and traditional.

Also I will take a minute to thank  Sanky for being super fast that day and absolutely loving my waves! It was such a beautiful day I wore the saree entire day, drenched in rain by the evening.

Special Thanks To the Queen Pooja Dhingra who was gracious enough to allow us to shoot there. I feasted there for 4 days straight and I have had almost anything on their menu literally from the sandwiches to teas to macaroons.You guys must know  Le 15 patisserie!