Tradition of wearing anklets goes back many many years ago. In India, traditionally they were worn by married women. But, nowadays it is a popular fashion statement and women/girls of any age can be seen wearing them. Anklets can be of gold or silver or even leather, plastic etc. When investing in them, try to pick the ones that are long lasting and designs that can be worn with both Indian and Western wear.

Just one tip for this: Make sure you have got your pedicure done beforehand :)

Velvet, a luxurious fabric that dates back thousands of years, is widely used in Indian dresses. Velvet has kind of rich and sensual appeal to it, and it perfect to glam your night parties or attend a wedding / function. Since the fabric is heavy (in weight) and soft (in texture) it immediately gives a dressed-up feeling.

You can either go full velvet (as in 1,2,3 above) on your attire or use it as in some places in your outfit, just as a highlighter. A velvet blouse (4) , dupatta, or as border for your saree or suit (5). The idea is not to overdo and kill the look of it. You would want to carry the fabric with grace and not drowning in it.

Another good this about velvet is, like silk, it can support very heavy embroideries and the hand work that are on most of the Indian dresses. Deep blues, greens and reds are my favorite colors in velvet; black not so much. I am not sure whether velvet is used very heavilt in western dresses as well. I have not seen much of it and don’t own any western piece in this fabric.

Anyone has any western outfit in velvet?

One my readers Aksar asked me this:

“i liked the idea very much even i was wondering how to manage a heavy dupatta..but as i m short height will it look good on me m having height of 5...my marriage is on dec please help”

Hi Aksar:

There are different ways in which you can experiment with your dupatta. I would assume that if the dupatta is heavy, you would like to make it the center of attraction. For that, you can go with either of the first three styles – cross over the dupatta as in Ist pic below and add a lighter dupatta to cover the head, have the dupatta cover the part of your neck and waist as in IInd pic or just have it on the side as in IIIrd pic below.

I think it would be true for anyone, but especially since you mentioned that you are short in height, I would pay very careful attention to both lehenga and dupatta. If the dupatta is too heavy, you don’t want lehenga to be too heavy and vice versa. Also, try broad neck blouses with not very heavy neck pieces and pulled back hair. That usually adds some illusion of height. You can go heavy on earrings and bangles.

The second set of pictures below are more for the style of lehenga than dupatta. Sleek cuts, like fish cuts or A line would suit you more than a heavy kali lehenga. If you have a lighter dupatta, one trick is to just have it on the side and roll up on your hand from behind as in the pictures below.

Hope this helps and all the best for your marriage ☺

Saree is one of the most graceful Indian outfits and there is no denying the fact that you can wear it in a million different ways. It, however, takes considerable amount of skill and practice to do it right. If you are attempting to wear saree for the first time or want to do it in a perfect way, check out this post from Leia of Leia's Delights - a gorgeous fellow blogger who explains how to master this art.

If you wish to experiment and/or add a little more “oomph factor” to the saree, here are some ways in which you can play with it.

Word of Caution: Well, not literally. But, one small thing to keep in mind while experimenting with these styles is to pay special ATTENTION to your choice of blouse / top. If you are wrapping it around your neck (like a scarf) you want to go a slightly conservative with the blouse. With the regular style (Ist Pic), you are safe with halter or noodle straps or pretty much anything. If you have a dazzling top to show off, then 4th style in the picture above would be the best.

Also, never throw away your old sarees. My mom always recycle them into salwaar kameez or dupattas to make a whole new outfit.

Green seems to be one of my favorite colors this summer. Though I usually stick to girly pinks, yellow, oranges etc, but this season I have been experimenting with different shades of green. And, so are some of our Indian designers on the ramp. Here are a few pieces that I liked.

And, these are some green outfits that I have in my closet. These pics were taken at random times over this summer and so the picture quality may not be very clear. Hope you like them!

What better than clothes and accessories that can transition between Indian and Western wear? I have seen a lot of Indian designers moving away from traditional blouses to versatile jackets / kurtis etc that can be worn either with a lehenga or your favorite pair of jeans or skirt.

A few things to keep in mind when shopping or getting these pieces tailored are:

- Stick with the basic colors – black, blues, whites, gold etc.

- Though most of the Indian tops (blouses) have heavy embroidery, the versatility of these jackets is in keeping them simple.

- Structured collars and/or shoulders are important. Pay special attention to them.

- The most common fabrics for these types of jackets are brocade, silk or raw silk. I personally like linen as well.

- Combine these with dark jeans or pencil skirt, shorts or little black dress and enjoy all the attention that you get ☺

P.S: This last one is my favorite and I hope to get something similar stitched on my next trip to India.

We are still here with very gorgeous Samidha Sharma. You can check out her blog Street Style India and Facebook Page here. Samidha’s reception outfit was from Ensemble in DLF Emporio Mall (Delhi). The tomato red saree in net fabric had gold zardosi work all over it. The makeup and the 70’s retro look given by Ambika Pillai (who is my favorite bridal make up artist) stayed close to the saree and the overall theme of wedding (see how elegantly Samidha is carrying that hair do).

The jewelry was again the star attraction in the whole look. I love gold metal and it makes me so very happy when it is worn gracefully. The gold pendant was inherited by the bride from her grandmother (yes it is that old but the classics never fade, do they?).



Also, how cute is the invitation that the couple sent out to their friends and family. Designed by Fahd Hussien (http://www.onseedonline.com/), the card so beautifully described the couple’s journey till now and invited their friends and family to join them in their new beginning.

A stylist. A fashionsita. A diva and a keen observer. When you are associated with so many images, expectations run high. Very high. And, so was the case with Samidha Sharma (of Street Style India ). If you want to get an idea of how popular she is in the world of fashion just have a look at her Facebook page here. When Samidha decided to tie the knot in year 2009, she knew that finding that perfect outfit for her big day would be a herculean task. Friends, family, and relatives - everyone was just waiting to see what Samidha would pick. And, after spending nearly a year (including 4 months in just trials) in looking for her wedding lehenga, she finally zeroed on designer Shamayel Khan (who has her boutique “AARA” in Juhu ).



When I first saw Samidha’s wedding pictures, honestly I was surprised. I have always associated Samidha with western fashion and was hoping that her lehenga would be more on the lines of fusion between Indian and Western. But don’t they say that style knows no boundaries. The classic mahroon (deep red) and green combination was done so tastefully and artistically in this masterpiece with gold gota patti work. The dupatta was of net with motiff work all over it and the border of the lehenga was in velvet to carry the heavy work. What I love most about the lehenga that it was tradional without being too gaudy or over the top. It had all the heavy work but no egg sized sequins or studs. It spoke of elegance and had elements of samdiha’s style oozing from everywhere.



Now, such an exquisite piece demands the same finesse in jewelry. The bridal look is all about putting each and every element together. If outfit speaks one language the jewelry can’t sing some other language. And, the antique gold jewelry (gifted by Samidha’s mom) was in perfect harmony with the classic lehenga. I love how Samdidha didn’t go over the top here too and didn’t wear 3-4 layers of gold sets with massive earrings. My favorite is the nose ring which kind of binds the jewelery and the whole look together.



In Samidha’s own words, “I wanted a very traditional lehenga very unlike my day to day taste. I thought I wanted to look traditional one day and that had to be my wedding”. And, she did how so beautifully. Here is wishing this beautiful couple a very happy married life ahead.

HAVE YOU EVER WORN YOUR:

- Anklets as head band (mathapatti)
- Long chains (or rani haar) as waist belt (kamarband ) to glam up a saree , fancy dress or your favorite jeans
- Rings in toes
- Anklets as necklace
- Necklace backwards
- Pendant or earrings as a tika
- Cuff bracelet as an armlet.
- Bangles stacked up in a chain, as a pendant.
- Beaded strands as hairband



The idea is to have fun with your jewelry. Experiment and wear it in different ways. Mix and match different accessories and create new look for yourself. After all, you have spent a lot of money in building your collection. It is only fair that you use it to the max.

(I have not been able to visit a lot of blogs recently..Have just been caught up in a few things, but I promise you will see me around really soon :))

Gone are the days when the choice of sleeves was restricted to short, long or quarter length styles. Gone are also the days when you would be content with a little design, a little craftsmanship or strong border on the sleeves. These days it is all about creating impression with sleeves and I couldn’t help but notice how our designers have unleashed their creativity in the recently concluded DCW (Delhi Couture Week). They have created sleeves that are dramatic, bold and speak for themselves. (Didn’t I tell you I would not bore you with just picture review of DCW)





Most of these designs are not entirely new; we have witnessed these in red carpet gowns and in various fashion weeks across the globe. What is striking is how these have been incorporated into very traditional Indian blouses. The strong shoulder jackets that are in vogue these days have made their way to the lehenga and saree blouses. So have the balloon sleeves that we see in tops and shirts everywhere. These are the global fashion trends served to us in our closer to home Indian Platter, with a "desi tadka".





So, do you think that just the simple sleeves designs would suffice the fashionable diva in you? Or are you game to sing along and wear these trends with your saree, suit or lehenga?

The house of Valaya never ceases to amaze me. And, the latest collection of JJ Valaya did just that. Valaya is one designer who time and again has proved that rich fabrics and a talented designer alone can create “magic”.

Most of the bridal collections that I have seen on the runway are loaded with bling – heavy sequins, stones and over the top embellishments. So much so that it is hard to think of bridal wear without the bling. (Now, don’t get me wrong. I love bling when done in subtle way though not the Manish Malhotra kind of bling, but more on this in the next post) . But once in a while I also want to drift into simpler times - when the outfit is all about designs and fabrics and not about how heavily it is embellished. And, that's exactly why I love Valaya's collection.

He is one of the very few designers which can be worn straight out of the runway. Just like that. Sometimes he does it with innovative printing (read digital printing) on ultra rich fabrics and sometimes with intricate thread embroideries on classic fabrics. And, unlike so many designers he doesn’t resort to overuse of bling to prove that the outfit is perfect for the Indian Bride. And, talk about styling up the models - How dramatic is the disc shape maangtika and how so romantic is the red flower in the previous collection. Valaya scores it again for me.

(P.S.Reviewing designer collections is not what I usually do on this blog, but this time there are a few very interesting things that are forcing me to sit up and pay attention. So, please bear with me for a while.)

(P.P.S : Thank you all for your comments in the previous post and for your helpful suggestions. My hand is much better now and as you can see, I am back to blogging:))

Orange perfectly fits the bright bold colors that are a hallmark for Indian Weddings. That being said, I think that the best way to play orange is to mix and match with other colors. In summers mix orange with cream, beige or aqua as in the outfit above. In winters, orange with blue or dark mauve would look darn good.



Most of the brides tend stick to the traditional color scheme of orange with red, pink or green. And, it works just fine if you want to say closer to home and want a traditional look. But, I strongly recommend experimenting a bit and playing orange with cream, gold or aqua. The pastel orange (see the lehenga above) is the new craze these days and is perfect for sangeet, mehendi or other functions.



(P.S. I have been going a little slow on blogging these days as my hand has been troubling me a lot. It is showing signs of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and if anyone experiences the same pains then please share what to do? And, thanks to Splurgerina for sending me those exercises. I am onto them now.)

A man they say is known by his shoes; a woman by her hands. But often hands are the most neglected part of our body and in the hustle bustle of daily life we forget to give them the proper care that they require.

So, I invited Anamika of Wise, She as a Guest Blogger to share some of her tips for beautiful hands. Anamika is truly a “Pandora box” when it comes to beauty tips, health and fitness advice. You can checkout her fabulous blog here.



This is what Anamika says:

Our hands take the most abuse when it comes to wedding. However, they are one of the most noticeable things after your face. Beautiful, polished and graceful hands speaks thousand words and go a long way in increasing a woman's self-confidence. Below are some tips and remedies can give you beautiful hands to flaunt in your marriage and forever after.

* Take wax and boil it in a double boiler. You can heat it for a minute in a microwave too. When melted add 1 lemon juice and 1 tbsp of glycerin in it. Apply it on your palms, wrist, forearm, and elbow, covering your whole hand. Similarly apply it on your foot, ankle, knee and legs. Make sure that the wax is not too hot for your skin. Rinse the mixture a bit on the applied area and let it get dry.

When dried wash it off with lukewarm water. This remedy helps in making skin soft and heeling cracked heels. It will remove all the dead skin too. If you want you can apply moisturizer after using this remedy.

* Massage your nails with olive oil. Dip your nails into warm olive oil and with the help of a nail filer you can push your cuticles .Get your nail strengthened and conditioned 10 weeks before your big day and get your hands and feet moisturized .

* Keep vaseline or shea butter with you and apply it several times a day. Cover your moisturized hands with a cotton gloves before going to bed every night. This will soften your cuticles and will make your hands really soft.

* If you do not have long nails then go for gel or acrylic nails they look beautiful and stays for long.

* Also stay away from harsh detergents, washing clothes and dishes for few months and if its not possible for you then wear gloves.

* Many of the soaps are drying. So when you wash your hands, use something that doesn't contain alcohol or detergents.

With these simple tips you can be the proud possessor of soft, beautiful hands for life.

I would love you to share any tips or secrets that you have for maintaining your hands. Hope you all are having a great weekend.

In India, we live, eat and breathe gold as far as jewelry is concerned. Most of the jewelry designs in gold have been very traditional up till now, but the designs below break the norm. They are versatile, trendy and exquisite. So, you can have a great return on your investment (in gold) and stay stylish too.


(P.S. : The big chunky necklace and the kamarband totally have my name on them)

Hope you all are having a great weekend.

Two very popular Indian designers, Sabyasachi and Shyamal and Bhumika, showcased their Bridal collection recently. I have always believed that clothes tell a story and these designers painted two very different pictures of the Bride.

Sabya’s collection reflects a strong regional flavor for the quintessential bride. Sabya’s bride is a "deep-rooted girl" who represents the ethos of global awareness with the traditional pathos of Indian culture. Sabya’s signature patchwork and motif designs stitched into unusual fabrics gives a feeling of going back to ancient and medieval ages.

COLORS – Earthy muted tones of taupe, violet, cyans, multi-facets of vermilions and somber reds dominates this collection.

FABRICS - Blending velvets, silks, brocades with organzas, chiffons and other lighter fabric, Sabya’s collection is an epitome of textile art.


Shyamal & Bhumika’s collection painted a picture of a bride who is fun, eccentric and does not hesitate to experiment. She has an aura of mature woman-like sensibilities with a girl like vividness.

COLORS - The bright oranges with vivid greens and blues create a with Mixing a kaleidoscope of colors that perfectly encapsulates the lively spirit of this bride.

FABRICS - Inspired by the colors and styles of Gujarat and Rajasthan, the lehengas were free flowing with lavish dupattas and the elaborate saris, accessorized with tassels & mirror work.

One look at the pictures and I immediately associated myself with the second collection. The big bright colors are totally my style (I had three different colors in my wedding lehenga).

What about you? What kind of bride you were or want to be? Are there any particular elements of the collection (like colors, fabrics etc) that you associate yourself with?

When it comes to choosing a clutch to go with that fabulous saree, suit or your pretty dress, choices abound. But very often I have seen Indian women carrying clutches that are so traditional that it is hard to pair them with any specific western outfit. Like jewelry, I believe that a clutch (or a bag) should also be multi functional and should go well with both Indian as well as western outfits.



I came across these pretty clutches a while ago. And on the first look most of them, if not all, look like they would go fabulously well with a pretty gown or dress or any polished (formal, stylish) western outfit. But the fact is that most of them would work fabulously well with an Indian dress too. To get an idea of what I am talking about take a look at the pictures below where I have tried to mix and match the dresses and clutch together. A fabulous clutch is a perfect accessory that can add to or take away so much elegance and charm from the whole look.


Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to help you find this perfect accessory for your look.

- Do hunt for bags/clutches etc that are versatile.
- Do try to add a pop of color to your outfit with the clutch.
- Don’t go for too matching matching look.
- Don’t go for a very unusual (eye catching) clutch on you wedding day. You don’t want to divert the attention away from yourself and from your wedding outfit. (for the same reason I haven’t paired any clutch with lehenga).



- Don’t (usually, unless absolutely necessary) pair a fancy suit or a saree with a big handbag (like mine below). Indian dresses look so much more elegant with clutches.
- Do have at least 2-3 different shapes in your collection. e.g. a box shape, a potli types, rectangular or a coin purse.
- And, as I always say, do stay pretty and stride away in style.

Ever since the time I have known a saree or a lehenga, I have always seen a short blouse with it. I mean a blouse technically is supposed be short, ending somewhere on your waist. But the designers are signing a different song these days. Runways in the latest fashion weeks have been marked with long blouses over lehenga and on sarees (see the pictures below)



I personally always felt that a long blouse would create so many layers that it may be unflattering on the body. But, seems the designers have found a cure for this too. Blouses fitted on waist, open from front and with deep necklines define the silhouette in the same way as short blouses do. Moreover these blouses can be paired with a salwaar (trousers) or churidaar too and voila, you have an additional outfit in your closet.

As far as pictures tell, the trend surely looks good and totally wearable. But, as we all know they (read models, designers make up artists etc) can make even a potato sack look good.

The question is do we see ourselves wearing this trend?

If you have been reading this blog regularly you know by now how much I love jewelry that is versatile – that can be worn with anything and everything. More often than not we spend (often overspend) on jewelry during wedding shopping and it is only fair that we wear it as much as possible. I personally have lot of pieces bought during my wedding time that are so specifically Indian, that I can’t pair them with anything else.


These pieces from Nieman Marcus are a perfect solution to wear your jewelry to the max. With pearls, diamonds and exotic stones, these can be worn with traditional suits and sarees as well as with formal wear or a fabulous cocktail dress. So, stride away in style with these eclectic charms.

Images: http://www.southasianbridemagazine.com/

Moving away from traditional wedding theme to a more fun and unusual setting; a peacock-wedding theme can be your perfect answer to grandeur and opulence. Feast your eyes on these beautiful pictures below and read on for some quick DIY for this theme.



- Start by choosing the prominent peacock colors from deep blues, vivid greens and glamorous gold.

- You can use peacock feathers as a table centerpiece or to accentuate the details on the napkins by placing it in a peacock feather tied with a golden napkin ring.

- As seen below the wedding invitations could be done in peacock color and decorated with feathers.



- For the outfit, stick with bold peacock colors like the ones mentioned above. Don’t settle for subtle colors, as the wedding setting would be so vibrant. Also, it is not necessary that you must choose wedding dress in peacock colors. If you want to go with different color outfit then the best way to give a theme feel would be to use peacock accessories like a clutch or use peacock feathers in your hair.

Although peacock wedding would be most suitable in fall/ winter (because of use of bold colors) but it is such a craze that these days’ couples plan it regardless of the season.

This post is for my reader N. who asked for latest trends in Indian Suits. I was almost done with the post - had collected these pictures & wrote in detail about the trends that are in vogue etc etc. But, each time I came back to these pictures, an image of a certain type of woman flashed my head. Their clothes, their expressions in the photo, the settings, their hairstyle & accessories - all spoke to me in some way or the other.


So, here I have tried to pen down what kind of "woman" I see in these pictures. These are just my thoughts (maybe a culmination of my beliefs & experiences through these years). Your thoughts and your portray can be same or completely different and I would love to hear that from you.

Now the big question - What kind of "woman" do you most associate with yourself ? It may be just one of these, a mix of two, three or more or may be completely different. Tell me what do you think? I feel myself to be somewhere between 4 & 6, though I would also like to have some streaks of 1 in my personality.


Coming back to the designs, I really liked the 3rd one in which a jacket has been added over the suit and a light net dupatta has been used to balance everything. The traditional Sabyasachi (2) wherein only border has been used for designing is perfect for all occasions. The white kurta in 4th is a must for summers and the last one is a smart alternative to traditional suits. 1 is the most delicious shade of orange, perfect for weddings & other family affairs.

Have a lovely lovely weekend ladies (as for me I have this humongous task of labeling all my posts over the weekend..something that I have been putting off since ages but hopefully will be able to do as my better half will be busy with work :(