Newfound Love - Plaid and Plain

Do you think it’s true, or is it just me? Are we smitten with the maxi skirt or what? Easy to style, versatile, super feminine and a camouflage weapon for those days when, as hot as we may look, we feel quite the opposite, but (being fashionistas all the way) we still can’t give in to a sloppy look. Maxi skirts are not just for tall and skinny figures. These are classic pieces that many of you are wary to try on. The "it suits her well but it will never work for me" attitude may hinder you from sporting what could be an all-time subtly sexy but not showy outfit. All you need is to convince yourself first that you, too, can rock this outfit.

shirt, bangles : Shopnineteen | maxi skirt : Stalkbuylove | heels : Factoryrush

bag : Hill Road (Mumbai) | neckpiece : Lucknow Mahotsava | rings : Flipkart

I am not as slim or tall as I may look (some of you know me too well though). I'd never wanted to wear a maxi skirt thinking I am too bulky and petite for one. But, coming across this beautiful pink high-slit skirt on stalkbuylove, I strongly felt I should buy it. Now the question was, "how to style it"? So, I opted for this plaid shirt from shopnineteen (which my friend gifted me last year) and it went with the plain maxi skirt accurately. To reduce the length of the shirt, I knotted it up from the end which enhanced the length of the skirt, giving it a structure. Since the color of the shirt was dark I thought of jazzing it up a bit with the silver polished neckpiece to give the emptiness at the neck, a break. To add a little more punch into the accessories section, I put on some gold plated bangles and stacked up a few rings too. There's no day without a bag, so I pulled out the monochrome vogue-printed bag from my wardrobe to match it up with the monochrome snake-printed heels which are my favorite & you've seen me wearing it with most of my outfits, if you follow me on instagram. BTW, Just to let you all know, I did put a little lipstick too (as you may see in the pictures) for the first time to bring out an eye-catching summer look!

Style wise, a maxi skirt goes with absolutely anything, hence its versatility and the fact that you can take it to a dinner, a date, a cocktail party or even to the beach. Most styles are full of volume, so it's important to balance out the silhouette by pairing the skirt with a tighter, closer-fitting top. This will give your look more edge and help highlight your waist beneath all of that flowy fabric. Try tucking in a tank or tee, or adding a cropped jacket or blazer. The beauty of a maxi skirt is that it can be dressed up or down, worn with flats or heels. For a more casual look, choose a pair of embellished gladiator sandals or flats. For a fancier vibe, opt for high heels, wedges or espadrilles. 

TIPS : 

1. A high-waist maxi skirt will make you look slender giving an illusion that you have longer legs.

2. Choose a skirt length that reaches just across your ankles, otherwise the skirt can make you trip. 

3. Opt for slim or narrow skirts because a skirt with too much volume will make you look shorter.

4. Don't mix patterns. A patterned skirt works best with a solid color top and vice versa. 

5. Wear a tucked-in top or a cropped top that stops just above the waistline.

6. Choose a top that matches the fit of the skirt otherwise the overall look can be dowdy.

7. Wear heels or wedges to cope with the length of the skirt and pair it up with right accessories.

According to me, investing into some maxi skirts would be the wisest thing to do, especially because you can stretch it out, all summer. Yep! It is literally the best staple these days.  Now, I don’t know about you but I am in love with this trend and I do hope it still stretches out into the cold season, because there are so many looks and styles to don with these type of skirts that I feel one season would never be enough. We’re just getting started for God’s sake! Well, now that you too have got a good idea about styling a maxi skirt, you should start planning a skirt shopping trip to this amazing website 'stalkbuylove' as they have the best maxi skirts I'd ever want anybody to rock! 

Photographed by : Shishta Maurya

~xoxo~ 

DIY chocolates

It seems Halloween has arrived quite early this year since I was so tempted to get this cute looking skull & bones mould tray from propshop24 to prepare some chocolates for my friends, family and of course myself. If you follow me on instagram you already know I am a chocolate craver and many of you have also gone ahead calling me a choco freak! Just to prove it right, I though of doing this DIY post for all. Its really simple and less time consuming. So, lets get started!

THINGS YOU NEED 

1. Silicon mould tray (available at propshop24)

2. Double Boiler (Just put a glass bowl on top of a steel shoo)

3. Plastic Spoons

4.  Dry-Fruits

(I've used almonds & cashew but you can use any type of dry fruits you want)

5. Chocolate Bars (I've used AMUL chocolate, but you can use any brand)

DIRECTIONS TO PREPARE

 

1. Break the chocolate bar into pieces and put them in the double boiler to melt. 

2. Check consistency of the melted chocolate on a spatula or with spoon, should be thick & smooth.

3. Once completely melted, remove the glass bowl from the shoo.

4. Add the dry fruits/nuts and mix well.

5. Pour the chocolate mixture into the mould tray.

6. Fill the moulds completely & clean the sides of the tray. 

(Tap the tray from bottom to remove bubbles)

7. Keep the mixture filled in the mould tray in the freezer to set for about an hour or two.

Till then, look at these owl magnets on the fridge door, also from propshop24. Cute no?

8. Un-mould the chocolates from the tray, arrange them on a plate.

The wait is over. Your self-made chocolates are ready to serve!!! Oh they look so scarily cute!

PS : A note of Thanks to my dear friend Lavita Malik for helping me out do this post & licking away the remaining chocolate from all the spoons and plates and bowls. 

Hope you all liked this quick and interesting DIY! As mentioned above, the silicon tray that I used is from propshop24. It looks so cute that I couldn't resist ordering some more trays of the same kind in different designs though! Their website is all about cool & trendy products, ranging from house stuff to office & chic sunglasses to party props. You should go ahead and check out their stuff! Happy propping! And, don't forget to follow me on instagram & twitter for more updates!

~xoxo~

The Land-locked Mermaid

The mermaid ashore,

Shakes the salt from her pores,
And walks through town on her hands,
She meets this fellow,
Greeting her with hello,

And welcomes her upon land.

He offers her,
With trust of his word,
To give her legs to stand,
She takes his curse,
Without thinking first,
Choosing to leave water for sand.

Her fin disappears,

With her so many years,

Now gone with the swipe of his hand,

With legs to walk,

She stumbles on rocks,

While now in debt to this man.

Looking for love,

One land up above,

This mermaid with beautiful hair,

With her long naked legs,

She finds love many ways,

But none to which she could care.

Her beautiful looks,

Could be written in books,

So she has to deal with the stares,

Jade by lust,

She's tried of dust,

Wanting to return to her layer.

She looks for the man,

Who gave her legs to stand,

In town but he wasn't there,

She searched high and low,

Ratting her hair in a fro,

Wishing she had been more aware.

She jumps in the ocean,

Propelled by her motion,

Panicked by the thought of this fate,

She can no longer breathe,

The salt of the sea,

As she regrets so much that she hates.

She swims to an island,

To go into hiding,

While missing her fin and her mates,

Building a fire on shore,

Seeking love once more,

Calling to sailors for dates.

Never leaving her island,

Never fearing the trident,

She's welcoming guests to her state,

Entering her realm,

Letting lust take the helm,

She's only asking for magic in fate.

Then one day on a boat,

Just one person afloat,

The man from the town appears,

He calls her to swim,

Past the break out to him,

Away from her home of years.

Her want of her fin,

Got her to swim,

Though she was breaking down into tears,

Climbing into the skip,

She begins with a lip,

Annoying this man through his ears.

He interrupts her,

She sounds so absurd,

Blaming him for her fin and her fears,

That she may never find him,

To swim free again,

Because of the magic he cast on her rear.

But she is in debt to him,

He treated her as a friend,

Her decision made her this way,

The business man that he is,

Asking for what is his,

Spreading her legs for his pay.

No longer in debt,

She wishes to be reset,

But this man wanted her for a lay,

So she jumps off the boat,

Leaving herself with no hope,

Back on her island still today.

The curious mind,

Leaving innocence behind,

Will find itself betrayed,

the mermaid ashore,

Seeking her fin once more,

Is left all alone to say...

LIFE UNDER THE SEA IS BETTER THAN ANYTHING THEY GOT UP THERE.

Note : All images are taken from google. The credit for the statues goes entirely to the sculptors.

~xoxo~

Unfussy Fusion

Indian dresses are not necessarily boring or traditional. These clothes enable you to show off your unique and rich cultural heritage, even on western events. This way, you can be sure that you are wearing the finest clothing that provides a regal and undeniably stunning look. They can be trendy and stylish to wear too. Contemporary designs make them popular even with western women who want to flaunt a unique style!

In today's post, I'm sharing with you my love for an Indianised western outfit which helps me put my personal style across without going OTT or leaving it way too natural! Scroll below to check it out..

jodhpuri salwar & kurti : AND | stilettos : Steve Madden | clutch : Faballey

hand-cuff : Shopnineteen | ring : Myntra | earrings : Flea Market (Lucknow)

While strolling through the AND store in Oberoi Mall, Mumbai, last year I came across this really sexy jodhpuri salwar which had these decorative keris printed on it. I already had in mind to buy a kurta so I thought this would be the best  time to get my hands on one of them from the AND store itself which will also go with the jodhpuris that I picked. After about trying a dozen of them, I finalized this gorgeous looking white kurti with golden-brown zardozi embroidery as it was perfectly matching my salwar. I grabbed both the pieces instantly! I'm sure many of you can relate to the fact that we've pulled out our airy clothes since summer waves have soared in already! The jodhpuri salwar is a cotton fabric and very loose and airy. It is a pull-up with an elastic so I don't have to tie it. Plus, you can rock it from day to night since it is very comfortable and opulent without compromising with style. And same I can say for the kurti, because it is of the same cotton fabric which is said to be the best for summers. I had an option to attach sleeves to my kurti but I preferred to go sleeveless because that ways I looked a little taller wearing the whole ensemble.

An amalgamation of elements from the Indian and Western cultures is found in accessories as well, specially in case of jewelry. Usually, a light Western touch is added to Indian jewelry, so as to make it suitable for wearing with fusion wear. Apart from this, dangling earrings, and fancy bracelets are also in vogue with fusion garments. Well, for this look I kept my accessories minimal. Just picked a pair of earrings which matched my black and golden handcuff that I wore on the left wrist, put on a white stone ring and carried this handy clutch, the print of which attracted me two years back while finding some bags on this amazing online store named Faballey. The clutch gave my look a westernized touch. For my feet I chose the gold plated beige heels to add an edge to the whole outfit which I bought from Steve Madden, a couple of months back!

Coming to the reasons as to why fusion fashion has become so popular in India, because its available in so many different styles - from daring ones to modest ones. They suit the Indian body type rather well. It is more comfortable to wear, as against the cumbersome traditional Indian dresses, which is why it is being largely preferred by the working class. So, the next time you are out shopping for something trendy but comfortable to wear, don't forget to stop for a few pieces of Indo-Western fusion wear, since a well-dressed woman is sure to make heads turn. And if you manage to give the classic, traditional wear a modern twist, what would one say to that? Awesome, indeed!

Hope you girls enjoyed going through this post. Don't forget to comment below telling me what do you think of this look and also for all questions & suggestions and follow me on instagram for all my ins and outs.

Photographed by : Saumya Kumar

~xoxo~