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!

Of tartans and beards

For a pattern, plaid has been remarkably successful. It’s one of the most widespread, recognizable and ubiquitous designs in the world, coming in almost every color and shade under the sun.
Technically, plaid isn’t the pattern’s proper name. That honor goes to the word “tartan,” which was first used to describe the individual colors and patterns used to decorate the clothes of different Scottish clans. 

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns.

Contemporary thinking on plaid tends to lie in one of two camps: those who see it as a simple, stylish essential, and those who denounce it as a sartorial symbol of that shudder-inducing neologism, the ‘hipster’.

But to dismiss plaid as just another tired trend is to do it a disservice, as its history and longevity suggest otherwise. Whether it’s in the form of a classic flannel jacket, a preppy button-down shirt or subtly situated within a suit, we’re firmly planting our flag in the pro-plaid camp.

Sanky Is Seen Here In A Marks And Spencer Tartan Plaid Shirt Paired With His Grey Stone Wash Denims From Splash And Vest From Koovs.

Coming next with an amazing blospost soon! See you soon <3
Xoxo

Of tartans and beards

For a pattern, plaid has been remarkably successful. It’s one of the most widespread, recognizable and ubiquitous designs in the world, coming in almost every color and shade under the sun.
Technically, plaid isn’t the pattern’s proper name. That honor goes to the word “tartan,” which was first used to describe the individual colors and patterns used to decorate the clothes of different Scottish clans. 

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns.

Contemporary thinking on plaid tends to lie in one of two camps: those who see it as a simple, stylish essential, and those who denounce it as a sartorial symbol of that shudder-inducing neologism, the ‘hipster’.

But to dismiss plaid as just another tired trend is to do it a disservice, as its history and longevity suggest otherwise. Whether it’s in the form of a classic flannel jacket, a preppy button-down shirt or subtly situated within a suit, we’re firmly planting our flag in the pro-plaid camp.

Sanky Is Seen Here In A Marks And Spencer Tartan Plaid Shirt Paired With His Grey Stone Wash Denims From Splash And Vest From Koovs.

Coming next with an amazing blospost soon! See you soon <3
Xoxo

Of Wraps, Curves and Double Chins!

After having being featured in FashionPro’s first article Desi Girls with curves you must follow on Instagram(which I’m absolutely ecstatic about),Fashion Pro Team asked me to do write an article on my dress that would look great on curvy women.
You can checkout the original post here.

The wrap dress is the most traditional form of dressing: It's like a robe, it's like a kimono, it's like a toga. It doesn't have buttons or zippers. What made it different was that it was jersey; therefore, it was close to the body and it was a print. And the first one was animal print so it made every woman look like a feline.

Diane Von Furstenberg created it in 1974 as an alternative to suits and it’s been a fashion favorite very since. Why? It defines the waist, lifts the bust and gives every woman a fantastic hourglass figure.

Some great to work up the wrap dress for plus size girl:

1. If you are not planning to wear hose and want to keep things looking smooth, wear some shapewear like Spanx to eliminate any panty lines, bumps and bulges.

2. Some wrap dresses have a tendency to come open at the top. Make sure that you buy the correct size or wear a camisole underneath. I find that the non-lace ones look better with this tailored look.

3. If you are not that busty, this is a great time to have some fun with a pretty padded push up bra!

4. You can layer a cardigan or jacket over a wrap dress for a different look. I own 3 wrap dresses and think a wrap is the perfect dress for almost anything. You can wear a wrap to work, dress it up or down with accessories and also wear one out on a date. It’s very versatile and always looks great. Plus, it travels like a dream. It’s lightweight you can throw it in your bag and it’s always so comfy because it’s made of its soft jersey silk fabric.

5.  Shoes? A heel looks best. The formality of the print and the size of print will dictate the thickness of the heel.  The wilder the print, the chunkier  you can go with the heel . That means you can do anything from a more delicate heel to a wedge.

6. Wrap dresses look wonderful with jewelry. A long necklace or short one works. Bracelets or cuffs look especially great on 3/4 length sleeve wrap dresses.

    

    

                                                                                      

     

     

I wore mine from DOROTHY PERKINS paired with a simple tibetian choker I bought while travelling and these super high but comfortable wedges from Forever21 ! Buying a print wrap dress is a great way to conceal and even accentuate curves - so be mindful of where the print is located on your body figure.

The one I’m wearing in post is definitely comfortable but easily slides up the ass. Here’s all that you need to know about the wrap dress.
While the wrap is certainly good for traveling - it's compact and doesn't wrinkle — more often than not when I wear one I'm left feeling lumpy and exposed, and rather than striding around with liberating 1970s confidence, I find myself self-consciously tugging and adjusting the low neckline and skimpy skirt, and find that sitting down is an ordeal. Where, yes, a wrap works with curves, it also slides between breasts in a conspicuous fashion and the belt can cut in a way that's less than flattering to anyone with any flesh at all. What's more, a cami can spoil the line - not to mention show under the unforgiving jersey - and I've often been at the mercy of fashion tape, safety pins and even last-minute tacking. But What a good shapewear won’t tackle ?So yes more than often I try and look for a wrap dress that not made of Jersey material and has a longer.

Share your Wrap Dress looks with me ,I'd love to take a look.See you soon in my next post!

XoXo

zubhana

Buying and owning jewelry is one of the best perks of being a girl, so it’s our accessory-loving duty to tell you what sparkly essentials you need in your jewelry box.

This is what the brand speaks about itself "Zubhana is a brand which formed out of a desire …a desire every woman has, that of looking good and express positivity. The co founders of Zubhana believe every woman is beautiful in her own way and she deserves to look good know matter what the occasion is. Zubhana's vision is to enable woman express themselves with jewellery.

Zubhana is the story about a brand started passionately when these siblings were trying to find the perfect jewelry for the eldest sister’s wedding functions and trousseau. They realized the lack of neat jewelry at reasonable prices. They are passionate, hard working, corporate junkies who slog it out at work but are driven by the passion of changing the way we look at jewellery. Initial days were tough, looking for the wholesalers, getting the designs which were unique. Then, they thought of creating something of their own. They are self-taught designers, and for them it is the most intuitive, effortless process. Now within 3 months, they have an assortment of various kinds of jeweler, made with Druze quartz, Shiny Druzy, Colorful Stones, Kundan, Uncut polki. Zubhana offers jewelry for all ages and tastes, for young, stylish high street customer to the more classic tailored lady.  All pieces are hand formed and give customers the option of customization. Zubhana also offers bridal jewelry collection for the Brides D Day and preceding events.

Zubhana designs are for the bold, for the believer, for the fun, for the leader, they are for you and they are for her. There is a design for everyone, for Zubhana respects the uniqueness of every woman.

Zubhana offers jewellery designs made from Druze quartz, Shiny Druzy, Colorful Stones, Kundan, Uncut polki among others. They also have an option to customize jewellery for Brides to be at affordable rates. Check out their designs here and be mesmerised with these timeless treasures." You can checkout their page here.

Unlike pretty much anything else we wear, our jewellery is filled with emotion.  While clothes express our personality and self-image through colour and style, and hair or makeup reflect what we want the world to think of us, jewellery works very differently.

It can uniquely bring back memories of an event, a person, a time in life or even a mood.  The closest thing we can think of with the same power is music. As jewellery has become more affordable and accessible, buying it has become a more everyday experience, with less thought put into buying it than used to be the case.  We think that’s an acceptable price to pay for the ability to buy jewellery more often, but nevertheless, it would be a shame if we lost sight of the emotion involved in jewellery. 

This is all part of the shift towards more affordable jewellery in recent decades. By bringing it in to clothing stores rather than jewellers, the retail fashion industry has made jewellery part of the “uniform” that the fashion-conscious adopt, and want to change from season to season.

The biggest sign of this is the appearance of jewellery by tills in retail outlets – it’s become an impulse purchase to complete a look, rather than something to savour and appreciate for its own sake.  The emotion here may be less “special”, but that doesn’t make it any less valid.

And that’s my take on the jwellery I decide to adorn myself. Here you’ll see how my hairstyles have evolved for a single post to suit my jwellery. I really believe in working my hair around a statement piece ,be it jwellery,makeup or a certain outfit.

I hope you liked my jwellery collaboration.If you have any feedback that I must work on, please let me know. I will happy to learn. See you soon in my next post.

XoXo

Happy in the Head featuring Made For You Handcrafted Brass Jewels

This dress is proof that outfits don't have to have a million pieces to make a statement!

While I'm a firm believer that most outfits look best with 3 pieces to keep them interesting, sometimes (ahem, ALL SUMMER), it's just way too hot for that kind of thinking! This dress is my perfect 5 minute bargain find from streets of Colaba and is labeled Old Navy(Double Whammy!).
I pair up this really comfortable skater dress with my metallic brogues from Wanderlust from KOOVS and add a choker ,layering up from this gorgeous piece from MADE FOR YOU.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate this ‘One Love,One World’ handcrafted pendant from Made For You.

When Shaifali approached me I thought it was just another run in the mill industrial cut pendant but well all that lather in my head cleared up she explained how these pendants were handmade by her. We are seeing the endless promotion of handlooms and well anything handmade so why not just dedicate 5 mins of your precious day and adore how beautiful actually her penance goes into making that very intricate pendant. Trust me she is much more of a gem of a person in real and it reflects in her designs genuinely!The pendants are very reasonably priced and can be customsed to your liking of fonts,languages  or shapes.

It comes in three different polishes-gold,silver and rose gold. The range starts from a modest 450 and can go up to your liking really! You can check out her page here.

My makeup comprises of no foundation look but I never forget my colour corrector for my raccoon eyes and concealer from KRYOLAN. I contoured my cheeks and chin to give more of leaner look (well you know how that works)! A thick no winged liner sans any eye shadow and I ‘m wearing a colorbar Matte lipstick. The hair was obviously transpired by my chokers and Sanky gave me a half bun look and waved the rest of my hair.

 Also Flashing these very pretty metallic flash tattoos to sync in with my brogues.

And Can I just talk about how pretty is this newly opened café?They have the most amazing filter kaapi and that’s the greatest attraction for me,such a sublime contrast to the interiors. You can choose from your favourite coffees and well don’t forget to click tons of selfies cos this quaint little café is the place to be.Visit The Koffee Works here.

Tell me how do you like my new oil slick hair and any other feedbacks that I need to work on! I will see you soon in my next post!
xoxo