An Affair With Off-Whites & Nudes

Having been caught up in a frenzy between work, personal commitments and Easter, I have been in & out of my home crazy. The sweltering Mumbai heat did not make it any easy. Each time I stepped out, I wished I had more whites & nude colours in my wardrobe. Just laying eyes on these colours is so cooling!

 

 

Easter Sunday, a day when I had to really dress up and step out was the worst! I think somewhere in my head, I have already started planning and designing an ensemble in a nude shade for next Easter, or any occassion that comes in between during this summer season.

 

Okay having cribbed enough about the weather, here is my take on the nude palette ensemble.

 

As seen above, a nude colored top with a statement neckpiece. Could be paired with jeans or even linen pants. Cool, chic & comfortable.
 

If you can't figure out the jewellery, always have a tan bag in your wardrobe. They complement the whites, off-whites, soft colors well and give that stylish edge on a very sunny day.

 

Off-White flats - it's an affair your feet can never get out of.

 

Nude pumps are a must have this summer





White Linen pants. If you don't own a pair, you just don't know what you are missing. Those who do have these, cannot dispute the comfort levels of these genius trousers on that summer afternoon. When worn right, they can pass off at a cocktail evening, a casual coffee, at work, a business meeting....the opportunities and places to wear these are limitless.

The Perfect look - pastels with nudes

 

An off-white Fedora...grab all the attention

 

If you do wanna pair up with a warm colour. Do it right as seen in the picture above.

 

These days if I have to step out, I have stopped looking at the warm colours in my wardrobe and am forever working out combinations around the nudes, pastels and off-whites. One doesn't need to have a number of apparels to get a different look each time. All you got to do is mix, remix, dig-out your accessories and you will get a new look each day. Try it this summer. You sure will go the cool way, I promise :).



Denimcult & Footwear - The Perfect Harmony

Here are some very do-able tips to put your best foot forward in your laziest pair of denims....

 

With Nude Pumps

If the weather permits, just go for the boots

Flats keep it elegant

Keep it simple with loafers

The casual chic - with belles

If you like colors on your feet, if colors are your style, if you want to add that dash of color on your all blue denim...go in for some really snazzy colors and see the difference.

Calvin Klein - One of the most recognized fashion brands in the world

Klein started his company in 1968, a coat shop with a childhood friend. Legend has it that a buyer from the now-defunct high-end department store Bonwit Teller accidentally stumbled into Klein's workroom in 1969, after getting off on the wrong floor. Within a week, Klein had his first $50,000 order. And there has been no turning back eversince.

 

Personally I love CK. I have never walked into a CK store and come out empty-handed. Never. The label just traps you with their stylish wears, great fit, superb quality - making it a perfect value-for-money brand to invest in. It is a must -mention that their denims fit like a dream.

 

Apart from jeans, the brand has expanded into, inner-wear, sportswear, semi-formals, fragrace, bags, eyewear, footwear and watches. Yes, these are a number of things waiting to receive you if you walk into a CK store.

Their sportswear collection is great and I loved their bags too. I invested in their footwear & bags and they are going strong as ever. Their footwear has the most comfort-fit.

If you find their costs high, step into their stores during the sales. With some luck and good searching abilities, you might just be able to grab your choicest of denims or accessories. Better still, go to the online shopping sites and try your hand at purchasing the label there at good discounted prices. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

 

I have always found their ad campaigns very captivating. While we are surrounded by spring and spring colours, whilst all labels are promoting their spring collection through the choicest of colours, CK brings out their "Spring 2014 Calvin Klein Jeans" campaign in Black & White, shot in the ever colorful New York.

Another very captivating photo of a private dinner in Basel, Switzerland, hosted by Calvin Klein Watches & Baselworld 2014 Jewellery fair.









P.S. - Looking for a pair of white denims this summer? CK is one of those few labels that knows how to get the shade and colour of their white denims right, each time.



 

Denim Jumpsuits Are Back

Acid Wash Denim Jumpsuit

Jumpsuits are the simplest and easiest wardrobe go-to's - they offer style, comfort and look chic when worn right. If you are wondering how to accessorize them, read on for a few suggestions::

Denim can go with just about anything. So don't be skeptical to experiment and just think out-of-the-box. For daytime pair your denim jumpsuit with white shoes, sun glasses, a black/white satchel and a long necklace for a fun ensemble. Lots of bangles will add to more fun on the go. For night, go for that inner rockstar in you with a chunky bracelet & statement earrings. Wear your best stilletoes and see the effect!

Pepe Jeans Belted Jumpsuit

Dress this jeans belted jumpsuit up or down with white accessories and light colored clutches for day. At night, choose a shoe with a color that will pop.

 

 

When in bright colored jumpsuits, you should probably go for basic tones with accessories. For day, tan or brown shoes with metallic jewellery works best. At night, try nude heels and an exotic clutch to complete the look.

The verdict:: Jumpsuits are every girl's answer to the perfect spring outfit.



"It Is No Fun Wearing Jimmy Choos If You Have Grubby Feet" ~ Amrita Bardhan

I have been away from the internet world for ten whole days, roaming the little gallis and streets of Mumbai with regards to my work. It has been an eye-opening, insightful and interesting ten days. Unfortunately I am not a travel blogger. I somehow cannot pen my thoughts about the places visited and countries travelled. So after a ten day hiatus from blogging and social media, I come back with an exciting new section on my Blog.

This whole new section introduces people in our daily life, who adapt and carry their own style tips, are fashion conscious, know what suits them and most importantly, take style off the ramps and make them wearable. Now isn't that, what most of us look for - fashion which we can wear in our day-to-day life.

Keeping this in view, I introduce my all new section "Her Style" and being the first person to grace this section is Amrita Bardhan. Each day, Amrita puts together a look which is unique and attractive. Read on to learn more about Amrita and her style, with some very interesting quotes by her.



"I always accessorize & a flash of bright hue adds the zing."



I met Amrita around nine years back at her office in Baroda, Gujarat. It was peak summers and the minute I met her, the first thought to cross my mind was, "how does one manage to stay so prim and proper even in these hot and sultry days". That was my first and always lasting impression of her, here is someone who loves to dress up, knows what to put together in her wardrobe and keeps it that way at any given point of time. Nine years down the road, her zest for life and fashion remains intact. Meet Amrita Bardhan, partner at Purple Crayon, an advertising firm in Baroda.





"Being comfortable in what you wear is the secret to a well-dressed person"
Amrita with her better half

 

Amrita says, "Everybody I know is well dressed, but only a few can really grab your attention. I love clothes and I love shopping! I am always looking for a bargain to something affordable and beautiful. Being in the advertising field allows me to not get compartmentalised into specific dressing styles."

Amrita has an interesting and eclectic collection of accessories.

 

 

 





A magenta and blue onyx neckpiece





A small glimpse into a part of her neckpiece collection





















Amrita is the new-age woman who wears her mind on her sleeve. She knows what she needs to pick out for herself on a particular day. I am motivated to ask her some very obvious questions:







"Gold and turquoise threads entwined together make for an interesting piece"



Amrita, looking at your collection, I am tempted to ask, what would one find in your bag at any given point of time?

I am not much of a bag person, but, I always have a lip gloss, comb, tissues and sun glasses.

I for one know you travel a lot. Which place has been your best shopping experience?

Every city has it's own charming and secret alleyways that open up to enormous treasure troves.Off late I have also disvovered the joys of inexpensive window shopping. The exchange rate is also helping :) :). Every place I go, I pick up little souveniers and local attractions. London is a great place to shop. You get unbelievable bargains and very avante grade fashion. And who can say no to Bangkok!?! Shopping at Bangkok is non-stop, you just can't stop at one.

How well do you experiment with colors?

I love experimenting. One of my favorite styles is color-blocking. I prefer pastels but a flash of bright hue always adds zing.

 

Amrita carries several looks, depending on the occassion. Here are a couple of her avtaars.






Making summers really cool.





 






In traditional Navratri attire





 






The Nine-yard wonder



With great ease and finese, she transforms her cool soho look into the traditional sari. She is equally comfortable in western as well as indian wear as seen in her photographs.

 




Breaking the color monotony with lovely
Royal-blue slip-ons



Going Retro - In black&white Polka dots - With Parvez



A secret most well-known is that she is a huge ShahRukh Khan fan and considers him the style icon for the opposite sex. Among the women, she feels, Deepika, Sonam and Kangana have high style quotient.

 

 



Notice the interesting Elephant-shaped Mother of Pearl earrings

Hand-painted earrings

 

"Bangles&Bracelets are a must for me"

"I am a greedy shopper :)"

 

Vintage, Multi-colored earrings







Amrita signs off with some fun shopping mantras::

 

1. Always try before buying

2. Natural fabrics are the first choice

3. Go shopping on your own

4. As with secrets, reveal only what you want others to know

5. Do take help of mirrors

Amrita's latest Facebook status says, "Wise are those who carry their comfort zones everywhere". I think the status and the above picture say it all :). I hope you guys enjoyed this post as much as I did writing it. I have to admit I troubled Amrita a lot for the right photographs and clicks and she very patiently obliged. I guess that's another one of her hidden accessories :). Thank you Amrita for being a part of this blog, more so, for flagging off the "Her Style" section. You may learn more about Amrita's work and Purple Crayon advertising firm  here http://www.purplecrayonindia.com/

P.S. - If all goes well, Amrita will soon be featuring as "Guest editor" on my blog, and shall be covering the style elements of one of her personal favourite people. Keeping my fingers crossed for this one Amrita :)



 

In Wine there is Wisdom

Caudalie Mathilde Thomas - French born Entreprenuer - is the cofounder (with her husband, Bertrand) of luxe skin-care line. She has perhaps the most beautiful inspiration board on earth: her parents' Chateau Smith Haute Lafitte Vineyard. The 600 year old winery in Bordeaux, France, is home to the original Caudalie spa - a chic aerie above a picturesque outdoor pool - where many of the company's products are used as treatments. Caudalie has been steadily discovering new ways that ingredients derived from grapes can beautify the skin.

 

So we have one more reason to keep that wine bottle near us....wonder when wine treatments will be introduced in our country.

Spring Collection

"Spring is the time of plans and projects" - Leo Tolstoy, Anne Karenina.

I simply love colors. Just the splash of it around me lifts my moods in more ways than one. Needless to say, that spring time is one of my favorite designing times of the year. You just "spring" from one color to another and no matter what is the end result, it all just turns out so very beautiful.

 

A little secret I would share though, I was forever selecting clothes, footwears, upholstery, accessories in earthly colors or colors of black, white and grey. I would go shopping and just go around picking out all things in these shades. I guess this was majorly influenced by working in the NGO sector for so many years. I still can't believe myself, when that voice in my head says, "You are a jewellery designer now...you gotto think colors from now on".

 

Being a designer in indian stones was never a conscious decision. I once read somewhere, "work grows out of other work, and then there are few eureka moments". I found my eureka moment one fine day :) and I have to thank my family and friends who believed that I could do this. Their belief only strengthened my persuasion for designing.

 

Very soon I plan to do a couple of courses, furthering my newly found expertise but for now, here are a few pictures of what I am currently working on....



One of my favorite designs - hand painted pendant tulip pendant+peridot+carnelians

 

The post would be incomplete without this photo. My green plants in full bloom.

Flowers actually help me create designs

Play of colours



Peridot + Peridot Pendant