Its #MyChoice and I shall choose wisely!

Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing good!

Since everybody is going gaga over the #MyChoice video, made by Homi Adjania in collaboration with Deepika Padukone (in the lead), Zoya Akhtar, Anaita Shroff Adjania and to name a few others, aimed at women empowerment, which featured them talking about their choices and why they have their own choices in this otherwise patriarchal society; here I am with my share of review on the same. Its My choice after all! 

In case you haven't yet watched the video, please do so (HERE).

Transcript: My body, my mind, My choice To wear the clothes I like; even if my spirit roams naked My choice; to be a size 0 or a size 15.They don’t have a size for my spirit, and never will to use cotton and silk to trap my soul is to believe that you can halt the expansion of the universe or capture sunlight in the palm of your hand your mind is caged, let it free, My body is not. Let it be My choice to marry, or not to marry. To have sex before marriage, to have sex out of marriage, or to not have sex. My choice To love temporarily, or to lust forever. My choice To love a man, or a woman, or both Remember; you are my choice, I’m not your privilege. The bindi on my forehead, the ring on my finger, adding your surname to mine, they’re all ornaments and can be replaced-- My love for you cannot, so treasure that. My choice to come home when I want. Don’t be upset if I come home at 4am. Don’t be fooled if I come home at 6pm. My choice, to have your baby or not. To pick you from 7 billion choices or not. So don’t get cocky. My pleasure might be your pain My songs, your noise My order, your anarchy Your sins, my virtues. My choices are like my fingerprints They make me unique. I am the tree of the forest I am the snowflake not the snowfall You are the snowflake. Wake up Get out of the shit storm. I choose to empathize. Or to be indifferent I choose to be different I am the universe Infinite in every direction. This is my choice.

Many of you know that the video has not only gone viral, but it has stirred up a hornest's nest and created a tsunami of opinions (my facebook feed is still reeling under the assault). Well, I appreciate the sentiments behind women independence but I also believe that the video could have actually featured women from ALL walks of life, and focusing on REAL problems rather than a CONTROVERSIAL demand. To add the portraits of 3-4 tribal women to hint their involvement (and approval) in the demands put forward in the video is misleading to say the least.

Also, I have a question, Why do we find it so appealing that the video has gone amazingly viral?

Many of you might say, it is because India is a misogynistic country with a patriarchal set up which needs to be set right; because Indian men are so lecherous and do not respect female specially, at all. Hence, hard hitting pictures of menstruating girls, videos bearing social messages starring Bollywood stars MUST go viral to drill some sense into the Indian system. But I feel, just because you are a woman, it doesn't mean you can make choices that please you without caring a zilch about people around you. No man has never taken responsibilities to protect and provide off men's shoulders so this whole freedom of choice to women just because they are women is nothing but asking freedom to do things that have always been labelled "wrong" when done by men. Men and women are differently equal and never completely equal. Come to think of it, how can two genders be so different that what is considered infidelity and sexism for one, becomes "choice" and empowerment for the other? When did adultery become feminism? Isn't feminism about breaking even with both the genders rather than pulling one down? The effort seems to compete with men at any cost possible.

The video majorly started to irk me when it indulges in unabashed selective usage of the word "choice"! I personally love Deepika Padukone as an actor and I think she looks really good and convincing in whatever roles she performs. But then again, that is precisely why this video got me really worried, both for the female audience and for Deeika Padukone's own image. For no particular reason, her over enthusiastic PR team has been trying hard to project her as the new 'feminazi' which she absolutely does not need to become! Yes, we all stood united with her in her ugly spat with TOI or participation in AIB roast or depression issues because there was a woman conveying heartfelt messages to an audience who loves her as a person. However in the 'Vogue empower' video, Deepika parrots lines which she must not have given a hard thought to, because if "absolute freedom of choices" is what she supports, she has not only failed herself but also her supporters as again, it was TOI's choice to gain clicks out of her cleavage. 

We need to understand that there is a very fine line between freedom and absolute choice, and that absolute choice can have multiple connotations, good, bad or ugly. The video can never be justified as empowering, not with Vogue's name on it, not with Deepika Padukone hooking her bra, and most importantly never on the pretext of feminism. In my opinion, choices come with responsibilities. You should always make your choices wisely. (And of course there are consequences to the choices you make). You need to think about what you want and how it will affect the people who you truly care about.

While Deepika Padukone stands out as the face of the video, the video had the social media platforms divided into two halves- one which supported Deepika-Homi's attempt at empowering the women and the other which sparked a protest against the impractical claims made in the video (You must have by now understood, I'm writing on behalf of the latter group). The video went from being celebrated, to being ridiculed, and the logic of it from stereotypical to bizarre in a very short span of time. Accused of being a tad bit ‘female chauvinistic’, the video has sparked an online debate on the line that needs to be drawn in feminism.
Most people seem to be outraged basically because they have a problem with three things :

1. The sex outside marriage bit. (Sex outside marriage isn't empowering women.)

2. The fact that a magazine like Vogue has taken an initiative

3. It addresses only Elite women

There is even a guy who has gone ahead and made a video which is the male response to it (watch HERE). And another guy who has quoted a comment from a woman  that says if he wants to ask for a dowry, it is his 'choice'. 

What is noteworthy is that most of the opinions, blogs, statuses and tweets against the video are from influential men and women in India and the very fact that it makes so many women uncomfortable (and so many men too) is something to think about.  

Well, I shared my opinions because it was My choice, You read it...it was Yours. Now you abuse the balls out of me or spare a moment of thought, its again Your choice. Because that is the beauty of living in a democracy. It gives you choices, irrespective of gender. And, as far as this video is concerned, all men and women have caged minds and freeing them is Deepika Padukone and Homi Adjania's CHOICE!

Image(s) source : Google, Twitter and Facebook

Note : All opinions expressed are my personal and I do not force anyone to agree or disagree with me.

~xoxo~

Spring passion rekindled

Hey pretty girls!! How are you doing?

Well, spring is finally here and this time there is a move towards the cooler and softer side of the color spectrum. So, today I've experimented with this theme of cool colors and created a style for you using the Aquamarine, Classic Blue, Royal Purple and Ghost White colors. I've been studying the Pantone palette for quite some time now, so thought of taking help from it for this entire look. An eclectic, ethereal mix of understated pale pastels and nature-like neutrals take center stage as designers draw from daydreams of simpler times. Remembrances of folkloric and floral art, and the magical worlds of tropical landscapes restore a sense of well-being as we head into warmer months. 

dress : Annabelle (Pantaloons) | wedges : Limeroad.com | clutch : Jabong

neckpiece, Earrings & hand Anklet : Craftsvilla | watch : Felix

bracelets : Flea Market (Lucknow) | on my nails : Oriflame (Oceanic)

I was at the pantaloons store the other day and saw this amazing abstract-floral printed dress on the mannequin. Since I love purple a lot, I am attracted to each and every thing that contains the color. This dress did the same, and I felt the shape was fun so I bought it. Plus, it has a mix of all the colors I wanted for the season :

Aquamarine : The lead color for women for the Spring/Summer 2015 season. It is an airy blue with a dreamy feel, delivers a sense of carefree playfulness. Cool and calming, ethereal Aquamarine is a shade with a wet and watery feel. Open and expansive, this restful blue also acts as a stress reducer.

Classic Blue : Reliable and thoughtful, it inspires calm, confidence and harmony. Serving as an anchor to the Spring/Summer 2015 palette, It is a shade that is strong and reliable. Just as with the sea, because of its waterborne qualities, this shade is perceived as thoughtful and introspective.

Royal Purple : Rich in nostalgia. It is a unique shade that adds a surprise to the Spring/Summer 2015 palette. It is a shade that intrigues the eye and is very creative; one that will add a distinctive color pop whether worn on its own or combined with the other top spring colors.

Ghost White : It is an unobtrusive shade that contrasts and enhances; bouncing off other shades without taking away from them as it slips into the background to allow other colors to take center stage. Nature’s most perfect neutral, it is a shade that is timeless. Quietly assuring and peacefully relaxing. It is above all, constant.

When it comes to accessorizing, I feel its a boring process which gives me a headache, basically because I have to choose from SO MUCH OF STUFF, ah! Trust me girls, buying jewelry is easier than picking what to actually wear. Well, I did pull out some pieces out of my drawer to complete my look. I wore a hand-anklet in one hand which I really love, a white wrist watch which complimented the other white bracelets I had layered all together in the other hand. For my feet, I opted for these purple wedges which exactly matched the royal purple color in the dress. They were not as comfortable to wear because they are strapless & my feet slipped out while walking but I love the design (the way the velvet is twisted to form a bow kinda thing) I just love it, so wore that. As we all know, a bag/clutch is very important to carry to keep money and phone and lipgloss ofcourse, so I chose this white with silver lining clutch which went with my silver AD jewelry set I got from craftsvilla on sale last summer and I just love it (emphasizing on the designer pendent).

Many feel compelled to be connected around the clock because we are afraid we'll miss something important. There is a growing movement to step out and create 'quiet zones' to disconnect from technology and unwind, giving ourselves time to stop and be still. Color choices follow the same minimalistic, 'en plein air' theme, taking a cue from nature rather than being reinvented or mechanically manipulated. Soft, cool hues create a soothing escape from the everyday hustle and bustle. One should never fear trying out something different every time. If you ask me, red, pink and orange have been all over the place for past few years for spring season and I believe fashion is not that stays the same. It is all about the way we live, to bring a change and to have fun. So go out this spring, play with some cool colors, style yourself and paint the town blue!

Photographed by : Shishta Maurya

Hope you liked this look of mine! Do tell me what do you think of it in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on instagram for more updates on my Outfit Of The Day(s).

~xoxo~

Summer Salad

Few things shout out the coming of summer quite like the arrival of watermelon at the local market. Well, we are all melting in the heat and humidity with our skin drying up, and the main thing on everyone’s mind is cooling down. Thankfully, watermelon is one of those fruits we can all agree upon. It is very refreshing & delicious. If you follow me on instagram, you must be knowing my favorite fruit of the season is watermelon. I love it first of all, because its easy to cut and has a very high water content which keeps me hydrated and cool, all day long. I ordered a watermelon salad at a restaurant a few weeks ago and it seemed the watermelon cubes had something to tell me... Oh yes, try the same recipe at home! So, yesterday I tried making a salad with watermelon at home and put it together with some salty, tangy, creamy & spicy ingredients.

Ingredients

• watermelon
• lime
• thinly sliced red onion
• cotija or feta cheese (omit if vegan or raw)
• avocado cubes
• mint and/or basil
• sprouts or small salad greens

Dressing

• ⅓ cup olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• ½ jalapeno, sliced
• optional - 1 clove of garlic, smashed (remove it before using)
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Whisk together the dressing, set aside.
2. Cube your watermelon, add a few good pinches of salt & a squeeze of lime.
3. Assemble the salad and drizzle on as much dressing as you like. (remember to remove that garlic piece). 

Three reasons why watermelon is the perfect summer fruit:

1. Watermelon is Loaded With Antioxidants

2. Watermelon Helps Keep You Energized and Hydrated When You Work Out

3. Watermelon is a Fantastic Disease Fighter

Hope you liked this quick refreshing salad recipe! Try it out yourself and let me know if you have any suggestions to add something into it. 

~xoxo~

Unfold The Blue

Hi Girls! 

Since the weather is playing peek-a-boo with us, I thought of giving it a fashion smack! Blue is one of the hottest colors of the season and its been all over the place! Since I'm in love with the color too, I teamed it up with white and pink and created this trendy yet casual look for you!

Sheer top : Globus | Leggings : Forever21 | Wedges : Clarks
Earrings :  Myntra | Bracelet : Flea Market (Delhi)

Rings & Bag : Flea Market (Lucknow)
Scarf, Sunglasses & Neckpiece : Colaba (Mumbai)

It is actually crazy for me to pick up what to wear in just 5 minutes when I have to go somewhere, but these pieces were eye-catching as soon as I opened my wardrobe. The white sheer top is a synthetic fabric but really comfortable to wear even on a sunny day majorly because its not body-hugging. The best part is you can wear any color camisole under it, since the top is white, though I chose to wear white only since it went with my royal blue leg pull-ups which I just love love love, because they are stretchable and as comfortable as any joggers pant, no but literally I do wear them while going for a walk, sometimes.

If you follow me on instagram you must have seen me wearing the tan pink wedges with a lot of other dresses too, since I put comfort over fashion I love to wear these wedges because of a platform kinda heel & also because they go with most of my attires. While teaming up the whole look, I felt my top was too plain and that's when I felt the need to add some funk to it, so I put on the blue scarf (with white stars) and added some junk accessories which mostly included Silver thumb & finger rings and a Black wired one too, a blue Stone bracelet, a pink & blue Crew-Bib Collar neckpiece and blue ear studs (star shaped). Also, many of you know, I never leave home without carrying my sunglasses, and when I opened up my drawer to pick one for the day I saw the blue tint Lennons I got from Colaba on my trip to Mumbai last year which I had hardly ever worn, so I thought of wearing those with my attire this time and trust me, they looked lovely. One more thing I never forget to carry is a bag which has all my day essentials like a water bottle, some gum sticks, sanitizer, cream, phone charger and my wallet, so I picked up this pink one from my bag section (which I got only for about 200/- {bargained from 800/- to 200/-} from a flea market in my city) because it is really spacious and I love the color, which also helped me complete the whole look for the day.

PS : In the past month, I received a lot of mails and messages asking me, whether I buy all my clothes and accessories only from brand stores. So let me tell you once and for all, I am not really a strict brand lover, like other girls I too love hopping from one flea market to other in search of clothes of the latest trends & funky accessories which have good quality yet low rates as compared to shopping websites or brand stores and this post might have given you a good read about how much I shop from flea markets that too in different cities.

Hope you all enjoyed reading this post! Do tell me what do you think of this look in the comments below and dont forget to follow me on instagram for all the latest update on my Outfit Of The Day(s).

Photographed By : Saumya Kumar

~xoxo~