Affordable Fashion : Class & Charm in less than Rs. 5000

"You don't have to be rich to look fashionable!"

As fashion lovers, we'll admit to busting the bank for some purchases. But we're not crazy. There are some items that don't need to be designer. Beyond that, it's actually better if they're not, especially when you're talking basics that will see a lot of wear and tear. You cannot imagine the number of messages I get on a daily basis from girls who want to read about affordable fashion that's trendy, comfy, classy and charming at the same time! Of course, you'd say street style is the least expensive, but what about other trends that are more girly and chic? I've got you today's post with exact prices as picked from different brands put together in my #ootd for less than Rs.5000. Read below more details!

dress : AND | bag : Ni & Sa Bags | heels : StreetStyleStore | bow : Oony by Anab

bracelet : Auhna Creations | belt : Jabong | ring : Blinglane 

It's no secret that shift dresses are easy to wear and are universally flattering as they compliment just about all body shapes. My first pick was this cute ombre peach dress from AND which was for Rs.1699/-. For a pear-shaped, petite woman like me, this dress is a perfect piece which covers my knees, has full length sleeves, and can be donned at a casual brunch or a dine out. Along with that, to give it a more polished look, I secured the waist with a skinny belt from Jabong that I bought for Rs.200/- on a sale. Belts are edgy and fun to accentuate the lose waists, and can be twisted to form pretty embellishments at any time!

Coming to the accessories, I opted for a cute pair of peach heels that are enclosed and pointed from the front, looking posh. These are versatile footwear, can be styled with office wear, party gowns, or a simple dress like mine. I got it from StreetStyleStore for Rs.699/-. I've gotta say this that my accessories all put together are way more than all my money spent on the dress, but that's the fun part, you get too many things for cheaper rates. Like how girls want it, eh? Anyway, to add some funk to my look, I wore a twisty bracelet in silver and orange on my right wrist which is worth Rs. 150/-, sold by Auhna Creations. A pair of studs in my ears for Rs.10 from a local market. The ring on my left little finger for Rs. 499/- from Blinglane, and the cutest part of my look - the blue bow in my hair is from Oony for just Rs. 150/-. To finish off my look, I opted for a quirky tassel bag from Ni & Sa that costs Rs.1499/-. And I'm done!

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No matter what age group you belong to, trendiest fashion in the best prices is a dream for every female. There are so many brands out there, waiting for you to grab their pieces on sale (especially the ones I mentioned as above). Know your shape and find your style, and you can always thank me later! If you liked this quick tip post, do let me know in the comments below. Until next, much love.

Photographed by : Madhukant Tripathi  |  Makeup : Divya Vishnani  |  Shot at : Rollarappa Lucknow - Episode 3

~xoxo~

Power Dressing 1O1 (ft. Ni & Sa Bags)

Hey pretty ladies, hope all's good and you're keeping pretty. It's been a while since I've had a conversation about power dressing, and a lot of you have been asking me to put across my thoughts about the styles we could don at work! TBH, I'm not really fond of dressing for work, but there's no reason I shouldn't be doing it as well. I meet so many different people at work and I've realised the first think they notice about me (and vice versa) is how I've dressed, and it speaks a lot about my personality. So, today's post is about a formal look I created recently to show you how to rock at your next business meeting! 

My favorite quote about style is "Being stylish means standing out yet fitting in at the same time."  I think this is so appropriate for workplace attire and creating a powerful style because you always want to stand out for the right reasons at work.  This means to find a style that fits within the parameters of what’s appropriate, but this varies for each individual. Clothes tell you a lot about a person, and whether you like it or not, the way you look plays a role in your success in the modern workplace!

shacket : Shopnineteen.com | spaghetti, pants : Pantaloons | heels : StreetStyleStore.com | bag : Ni & Sa Bags

sunglasses : Rayban | watch : Daniel Wellington | ring : Blinglane

It's true that there isn’t a lot of variety when it comes to work clothing, so when creating a powerful style the goal instead is to play with how you combine these pieces to make them look different.  In the outfit above, all the pieces are pretty basic. I opted for a pair of high-ankled grey pants from Pantaloons. Now these are cotton pants with classic checkered pattern and super comfortable to wear! I paired it with a pink spaghetti and layered the top with a zebra print shacket in brown-beige. This 'shacket' is a substitute to the heavy blazers we opt to wear at work, but this is a lighter piece with satin fabric base apt for summers, and looks formal and stylish at the same time giving a stronger impression!

Along with a stylish outfit, what also is needed to invest into are the accessories you choose to play with. And bags actually play an important role in making you stand out! For my look, me being me, chose to ditch the boring leather bags and picked this cool tan bag with multi-colored tassles from Ni & Sa Bags Collection. Its really spacious to fit in everything you need for the day (files, stationery, and other regular essentials). And, the sling makes it a cross-body which is super comfy to carry too.

To finish my look, keeping the other accessories minimal, I added a classic petite sterling silver watch which looks the most formal in my watch collection; a little ring on the mini finger; and my stepped-up peep toes in beige and black to match the outfit and portray a straight posture. Trust me, heels (not too high) are one of the most important part of power dressing especially for younger girls! They make you appear classy and smart in most cases and everybody appreciates that.

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So girls, the next time you're leading a team, making a presentation or just want people to know you are in charge, dress up your best and rock it! Let me know if this post helped you in some way, in the comments below. Until next, love.

Photographed by : Madhukant Tripathi  |  Makeup by : Divya Vishnani  |  Shot at : Rollarappa Lucknow - Episode 3

~xoxo~

Summer Beano with H&M

Hola loves! No, imma talk about the scorchy weather anymore! I'm only going to be sharing with you positive thoughts and if you're anything like me, you know it's power, when accustomed with fashion. Yes, summers do call for light fabric and soft color clothing, but what if your wardrobe hasn't got a makeover from the winter collection in it yet, and what if you're a dark color fanatic?! How do you stay true to your personal style when the seasons change and your look is no longer in?

Well, I've partnered with the luxury clothing brand H&M to show you guys a recent look I created while picking two so-called winter colors from their store in New Delhi and teamed up for a summer party look! Check out all the pictures and details about my look below..

top, skirt, rings : H&M | shoes : StreetStyleStore.com

When it comes to summer wardrobe, we may find ourselves lacking some of the essentials. We either own too many work outfits or too much lounge-wear but no outfits for those errand-running days. Well, this season H&M's summer collection provides you many outfit ideas in your preferred dark colored interests, that allow you to look fashionable without overdoing it. My recent visit to the H&M store had me falling for it, and I picked two pieces that took me 10 seconds to pair up and create a perfect on-the-go beano look!

When we're talking about summer party outfits, two things we're more concerned about is how breathable the clothing is, and what amount of bling would look good! When I chose to pair the silver-grey kitted top with an A-line, silk-crepe dark grey skirt, I knew both fabrics are lustrous and airy. The top is partially see-through with a cute criss cross design covering the cleavage and the skirt gives your body a perfect silhouette (especially if you're petite and heavy on hips). I simply tucked in the top in the skirt that I wore high waist, and added high heeled white boots from StreetStyleStore to compliment the look! The choice of adding a few metallic rings from H&M's accessories section, to highlight my newly done nail art by Juice Salon Lucknow, definitely seemed a wise one.

At the end, my MUA gave me half pig-tail braids, with bold grey smokey eyes, deep contouring and wine lips to keep it classy and elegant, and its evident that the entire look can be donned for a day party or a night celebration like a true glam doll!

I hope this quick party look has made you feel comfortable already. Its not about how simple wearing a skirt and top is, but all about how you choose to pair dark colors mixed with lighter tones for the season! 

PS : Currently, H&M doesn't offer online shopping, so you gotta rush into stores available at selected cities in India. But if you have any queries about my look or the products, please feel free to drop a comment below. Also, do tell me if this look is something that you'd like to carry sometime soon!

Photographed by : Saumya Kumar  |  Makeup by : Divya Vishnani


~xoxo~

Pop Fashion 101

The fashion industry is at once the most visible and overlooked of cultural sectors where fashion statements are often both influential and philosophy-laden and, therefore, often need to be considered, analysed, or challenged. When we open our closet doors each morning, we seldom consider what our sartorial choices say, whether we tend toward jeans and a well-worn concert t-shirt or wingtips and a three-piece suit. Yet, how we dress divulges more than whether we crave comfort or couture; our clothing communicates who we are and how we relate to our culture.

Today, as I write this post for you, I feel my style and sense of fashion has evolved into popular culture by mixing both western and traditional clothing in my dressing often! Its been long that I have been combining fashion theory with approaches from literature, art, music, advertising, media studies, and sociology, which seems to have the capacity to both influence and be influenced by popular culture, and its meaning is also contingent upon context. Well, as the fashion that appears in "pop style fad" imagery too closely resembles the constructs found in the creators of high fashion, I am here to share with you a look that might act as a medium for self-expression covering a host of stellar designs!

Fashion-conscious youth like me pay attention to minute details such as color and design while buying clothes, and when you are in a creative field, anything and everything inspires you, which could be nature, architecture, colors or just anything around! It took me a few days' time to figure out that there are still some fashion-girl trends that even the most style adept have trouble mastering with total confidence. A mix of westernised clothes with Indian cuts still needs a lot of stylised blends may it be in fabric, patterns or draping, and while my recent shopping included a lot of solos (which means that I bought them not because I needed them, but only because I liked their cuts, prints and colors), I thought of creating a pop culture look which might help you solve the trend turmoil!

kurta : Anouk | leggings : Kook n Keech | dupatta : Aksara | bag : Old Buy

heels : StreetStyleStore | necklace : Shopnineteen | watch : Cheapo

When we talk of pop culture fashion, most of to what I've been reading since years is majorly constituted of the Japanese styles incorporated from the U.S. at one time. But darling, when I say fashion in Japan, its not confined to Kimonos! There's a lot more to it like skinny bottoms with long flowy shirts or dresses, astonishing platform shoes and radical makeup. Taking inspiration from the same kind of popular fashion culture, I chose to team up a pair of black Marvel leggings from Kook n Keech with a modernised short kurta from Anouk, that has the trending cat print on it, brought down straight from the runway inspired by Marc Jacobs' latest cat design collection, and a bright floral bluish-pink dupatta from Aksara, giving it an Indian twist!

Swiftly gracing this summery outfit, I added a fussy looking fringe necklace from complementing the fringe bag I hung as a cross body in brown color. By looking at the pictures you must have noticed I tried to keep the color scale of my outfit on a brighter tone as compared to the earthy accompaniments like the leather platform heels matched with a leather strap wrist watch in brown along with other accessories as mentioned. I must tell you that my heels might appear to be impractical or uncomfortable but these are one of the most comfy pair of footwear I've ever owned to look taller!

To finish off, my MUA chose to pin my hair up in a side bun, color my lips deep pink simply to match the kurta and add a few defined lines of kohl creating a checker box near my eyes making it look unconventional, and if you bump into me only to fine me sporting it on a regular day, you'd probably think I've become a wackadoo! But you'd also agree that it does look cool. Well, now that I've shown you a way to style an eccentric look, I hope y'all will try to incorporate it the next time you're fanatic over a pop fashion style, and oh, just to mention if you kept on thinking pop fashion means discovering and replicating pop star fashion, you should probably just laugh it off! :p

PS : This entire look contains all clothing from Myntra, and I really hope you liked it, and if you did, do let me know in the comments below. Also, if you have a personal pop fashion style to suggest, please drop me a message and we can cover it up in the next post maybe! Until then, lot of love.

Photographed by : Yash Athwani  |  Makeup by : Divya Vishnani

~xoxo~ 

Laces, Knots, Fringes & Straws

Hey dearies, hope everything's happening great! So, I've been in a constant touch with my fellow city bloggers and saw them updating a lot many bohemian inspired looks recently. Whereas, I myself had been thinking of sharing a look on the similar lines since a very long time but I feel I'm more of a free-spirited country girl and like to keep things opulent and sophisticated!

Hence, today I've partnered with a multiple fashion brands (find details below) to put across an eccentric look that includes four of my favorite trends that are booming this season - lace, knots, fringes and straws.

The country-boho as we could name it, history suggests that the urbanity of the look comes from the french period, where girls dressed as art and walked across roads flaunting loose fabrics and lots of colors! Apparently, its true because you would rarely see an Indian girl running around places with fringes and straw hats on head and so we could say its a borrowed craze from the west. Having said that, I am a firm believer of exotic alternatives in fashion and feel that every person carries an individual and unique style which represents a counterculture. 

Scroll down below to check out all the pictures from my kind of boho look and read what makes it a head turner!

dress : Forever21 | hat : Accessorize | bag : Old Buy | footwear : StreetStyleStore

twisty bracelet : Aminabad (Lucknow) | bracelet set : Auhna Creations | earrings : Aarna Designs | rings : H&M

Recently, in of the episodes on the Ellen DeGenerous show, the famous Bollywood actress and former Miss World - Priyanka Chopra carried a beautiful white lace dress from Zimmerman and became the talk of the town for the same! I was astound to find a very similar looking dress at the Forever21 store in Delhi and picked it without giving it a second thought. It was a clinched piece from the waist and an A-Line in the fall with a short length, just perfect for my height. I knew I was going to do something impromptu with it and that's what exactly happened when one morning I got up only to find myself pulling out my new pair of roman gladiators with brown laces from StreetStyleStore that are super comfy to walk in & look hot AF to match with the dress!

I quickly called up my team and told them we're shooting for a country side look in 2 hours and my accessories would be bluntly colored in red, orange, green, blue or just any random color one could think of, so we need a location that looks culturally aesthetic. As you could see in the pictures already, we finally stumbled upon a lake view with a broken bridge and some flowery scenes nearby!

To add, the multi-colored, knotted pom-pom earrings have been making its mark in the fashion market since quite some time, so I got myself some mirrored ones from Aarna Designs & paired it with a multi-colored twisty bracelet on one wrist and another stack of beaded ones on the other wrist complimenting the white dress, and of course we even wanted absolute finesse in the style so I carried a black-brown fringe bag to add vivacity along with my oxidised finger rings from H&M. I opted to finish off the look with a straw hat inspired by the actual country girl mode that I'd been discovering in western movies past so many years. Also, kudos to my MUA who gave me the best face of all time, a fresh & glamorous look with bold eyes, sensitive contouring and deep pink lips, and left my hair open to let me set to pose!

PS : If you were looking for a similar style, or were sceptical about trying out an unconventional look, I hope this post lead you somewhere. Do share it with your friends and help me spread some panache! Until next time, lots of love to you all.

Photographed by : Creativity Studio  |  Makeup by : Divya Vishnani

~xoxo~

Winter Wardrobe Wind-up

Hi pretties! Hope y'all are enjoying the change in the weather. Yes, one can feel the change of season in the air. And, its true that the shift from one season to the other, affect our daily lives, the food we crave for and the clothes we wear. So yeah, seasons have a powerful potency in our lives, and with the rising temperature it's quite evident that the spell of winter is finally bidding adieu!

I've always been in love with the cold days and dressing up during the season was something I did put efforts in. With the season coming to an end now, I've got the last style share for you to take ques from to throw up before spring. This time in collaboration with some remarkably known brands, check out my entire look and some beautiful pictures below..

jacket : Naamcheen by Muskaan Agarwal | spaghetti : Forever21 | pants : Marks & Spencer

shoes : StreetStyleStore.com | scarf, sunglasses : Accessorize

It had been a while since I shared a fashion post with y'all and what could have been better than decoding the last of winter fashion with a pair of burgundy pants that made a statement this A/W season! Burgundy or wine colors have been one of the clear protagonists in recent fashion collections, and it is rare not to have one or more pieces of clothing in this shade in your wardrobe. I got my pants from Marks & Spencer while strolling at Phoenix Mall Lucknow, just because I love that color so much! But, with efforts to seek what to buy to pair it with, I could get nothing in the mall or even while searching online. Of course because contemporary outfits isn't my taste and I crave for something unconventional every time!

And that's exactly when I recalled a birthday present handed over to me by one of my designer friends Muskaan Agarwal, who owns a pre-couture label called Naamcheen. She had gifted me a beautifully designed sailor jacket, characterised by short length, broad lapels, single-sided-double-breasted fronts with slash pockets, and metal buttons. She somehow knew I'd love a sailor patch on it which I actually do because it makes the jacket look so trendy! With a combination of navy blue and white, the soft, light fabric jacket (perfect for the prevernal season) looked fantastic when worn over a black spaghetti, the burgundy pants and accessorized with a printed, silk scarf from Accessorize (once on my hair and then in the neck playing with it to see what looks better), and sunglasses from there as well. In my feet I buckled up a pair of oxford-cut shoes that I bought from StreetStyleStore that went perfect with the whole look giving a hint of formal and chic styling!

PS : You can add on a bracelet or a watch on your wrist, and can carry a sling bag or a foldable clutch bag along! If you missed seeing the same in the pictures above, it's only because I like accesorizing minimally, but yeah I should have added the watch I guess. Say wha'?

Anyway, I hope you liked the look with all that's there. Pairing options with burgundy bottoms are many (like grey, white, black, denim blue, etc) but it's you who has to decide what appears better! Apart from that, I would suggest you to keep your makeup subtle and hair lose for the day and glitter up the eyes for an evening event! If you have any other queries about this look or any add-ons, do mention them in the comments below or you can even drop a quick message on my facebook page. Rest I'm available 24x7 on instagram and snapchat and would love to connect with y'all. Until then, lots of love!

Photographed by : Saumya Kumar

~xoxo~

New Year's Party Looks (ft. ONLY)

Hola people! With just a few more hours left for 2016 to end, I hope this year has been great for all of you. Many of you must have made plans to attend new year eve parties, and many of you have already put reminders for different award shows flashing on TV tonight, I know. Well, whatever you have scheduled, one thing you can be sure of is a great welcome for 2017 in high spirits!

Having said the above, let me tell you that I've planned for an evening out with my friends to celebrate NYE in passion, and have got 2 different looks up for you in this post using the same short sequin dress I bought recently from ONLY, and plan to wear tonight (well of course carrying just one of the looks myself).

ONLY, as a brand needs no elaborate explanation as it holds a prominent name in the fashion world for all style enthusiasts! While strolling in the brand store, I found this eye-catching blue and black sequins dress hung on a mannequin and I knew its going to be in bag within minutes. Its widely said that sequins can take any outfit from 0 to 10 instantly, but full-on sequins isn’t everyone’s cup of champagne. Below are two different looks I've created by adding different layers and accessories to my dress, proving that I'm definitely one of the enthusiasts to sport sequins in style, so scroll down below to check them out now..

Look #1 - Sexy Mania

dress : ONLY  |  jacket : StalkBuyLove.com  |  heels : FactoryRush.com

watch : Fossil  |  earrings : H&M  |  rings : Myntra

Its quite cliche but also very attractive when comes to wearing flashy clothes for parties. Many of us eschew the quintessential glittery cocktail attire and want a look that’s eye-grabbing and festive. And there’s no shortage of strategies for composing such a thing — after all, sequins were one of 2016’s standout trends.

For my first look, I layered my cut sleeves sequins dress with a black leather jacket (essential to keep me warm) with intricate gold mechanisms. Hung a pair of black tassels from H&M and threw in a pair of black peep-toes that are way too comfy for a dance night! Sporting a black metallic wrist watch was a last minute decision because it just gave a wild and sexy appearance as complimenting my jacket!

Coming to my makeup, I wanted something bold and outrageous, so my dear friend and an amazing MUA, Divya Vishnani gave me a striking blue eye shadow with winged liner, little blush on my cheeks and bright red lips. We did a mix of straightening and curling with my hair and I was all set to step out for a gala night!

Look #2 - Fun Fancy

dress : ONLY  |  shrug : Fashion Big Bazaar (FBB)  |  shoes : StreetStyleStore.com  |  clutch : StalkBuyLove.com

bracelets : Auhna Creations  |  earrings : Colaba (Mumbai)  |  rings : Myntra

You may call it unrealistic, but you gotta believe me when I say that a glitzy sequins outfit can be worn even for a day party. For many of us who prefer sleeping off the new year's eve, often plan for a day out with our dear ones, and mostly for an extravaganza where all of want to look our best! This new year, pick a swanky shimmer dress like mine and layer it with a full sleeved, sparkly black shrug to keep it light and comfortable. Sport your favorite metallic slip-ons to jump around freely!

You can get away with some large, flashy jewelry for the occasion, but there is still such a thing as "too much of a good thing." Instead of wearing several large pieces of jewelry, find one piece that can take center stage like round chandelier earrings and stack a few finger rings & bracelet lines to keep it simple and subdued! 

PS : I carried the same showy eye-makeup for this look too, as was seen above in the first one, and also the same hairdo. Though, you can always go ahead and experiment with your ideas!

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I really hope you liked this post. Count this as a quick present from me to you for the last of 2016. This year has been wonderful for me with a little tit bits here and there, but I'm grateful to each one of you for always appreciating my work and motivating me and helping me do my best each time. As we bid goodbye tonight, let's all make a wish for a bigger and better 2017 for everyone around. 

Keep in touch with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and follow me on Snapchat for my daily madness. Until next time, lots of love and best wishes!

Photographed by : Zeeshan Khan  |  Location : Cappuccino Blast Aishbagh

~xoxo~