Embrace the crazy

Blenders Pride Bangalore Fashion Week is an event that I've looked forward to ever since its inception. With glamour quotients soaring and creativity filling the air, just the thought of it made me giddy as a young kid. This year, I was fortunate enough to finally attend. Naturally, the first question that popped into my head was "what do I wear?". Being somewhat a rookie in the fashion world I had absolutely no idea what to expect!

Casual? Boho chic? Formal? Potato sack?

Twenty outfits and a messy room later, I was more confused than ever. Everything was either too casual, too formal or too outrageos. At least that's what I thought at the time. I finally decided to play it safe and went with a maxi black skirt, black tank top, cropped denim vest and flat sandals.

As I walked towards the revolving doors of the Sheraton, my vision zoned in on the outfits of the other attendees. At first I was intimidated. "Maybe I should've gone with the sparkly heels. Oh god I think I'm under dressed. Everyone looks so beautiful. *hyperventilates*" But as I passed that revolving door and really studied my surroundings I realized something important. 

The beauty of fashion lies in its diversity. Style has the power to blur boundaries and push limits and that's why I fell in love with it in the first place. Suddenly all the worries that plagued me disappeared an I was gifted with a new surge of confidence, That one realisation made me feel so much more comfortable in my own skin and I now have the courage to go all out and experiment with my style choices. Enough playing it safe. It's time to change the game. 

Yes, I've been told my shades were too big, my poncho too dramatic and my jacket too weird. And yes, I've either promptly changed or made a mental note never to wear it again. Maybe because I was trying too hard to fit in when I know I was born to stand out. I've never been one to follow conventions so why should my sartorial choices reflect otherwise?

In this world there are trend setters and trend followers. The latter comes from a breed of people who just don't give a damn- A mindset I am all too familiar with. People are always going to find flaws but the minute you let that get to you, your identity in its purest form gets compromised. So embrace the weirdness because somewhere, someones quirky sense of style brought a new trend to light. You can be that someone too!

Email me your craziest, quirkiest outfit or post it on instagram with the #bbbembrace for a chance to be featured on the blog :')

Dolce & Gabbana Ready To Wear Abaya Collection

Dolce and Gabbana recently released a range of Abayas and Hijabs titled "The Abaya Collection: The Allure of the Middle East" which will hit the market in October 2016. The collection screams feminine elegance with its lace detailing, floral accents and smooth satin fabric that blends seamlessly together to radiate an elegant femininity that is synonymous with the D&G brand. 

Many have applauded Dolce & Gabbana for this refreshing reminder of solidarity in times of hatred and *coughs* intolerance toward the Muslim population in the aftermath of the Paris attacks. Others simply look at it for what it is- business. After all, the market for personal luxury products in the middle east has been valued at a whopping 8.7 billion dollars!

 The ready-to-wear collection has generated quite the buzz since its launch and there seems to be quite a difference in opinion related to it. While many Muslim women are excited to finally be recognized  and catered to by a brand like D&G, others cynically point out that designer Abayas are not revolutionary. Having been to Dubai myself, I can attest to the fact that there are tons of boutiques and designer outlets that sell one of a kind, high fashion Abayas and Hijabs. How is this collection any different? UK based blogger and designer Dina Torkia openly expressed her disappointment towards the range stating, "I dreamed of being included in the mainstream of haute couture & whilst D&G have managed to recognize us with this collection, they’ve also managed to exclude us." Other more extreme reactions accuse Dolce and Gabbana of taking Muslim tradition and selling it as their own.

I feel that while perhaps the brand truly wished to reach out to the underserved muslim population, it is unlikely that they were unaware of strategic benefits of tapping into the Muslim luxury market, following the footsteps of brands like DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger and Oscar de la Renta who have all produced one off collections aimed at Musilm women. Notably so, H&M recently featured a hijab-clad model in one of its campaigns as well. It's great to see that the mainstream western fashion industry is  starting to take notice of the needs of muslim women but they have barely managed to scratch the surface. 

What's that? An array of women sashaying down the catwalk in modest yet luxurious couture pieces complemented by an elegant range of  jeweled headscarves? Now THAT'S more like it.

Take a look at the collection!

Sleepwalking?

Ever since i started homeschooling (yes, that happened...yes, in my senior year) there has been a crazy shift in the way i dress. Lets just say that studying at home all day has gotten me well acquainted with my jammies. Don't get me wrong. this is every lazy girls' dream come true and i happen to be the laziest girl on the block. So no, i'm not complaining about wearing pajamas all the time. Lets be honest...i could dress up if i really wanted to. But my obsession with loungewear has extended to public appearances as well. Ain't nobody got nobody got time to change just to take the dog for a walk! So I strut out my front door looking like my oversized hanes Tshirt and aztec printed leggings are hot off the runway. I make it work...mostly.

Imagine my excitement when a picture of Selena Gomez pops up n my newsfeed, and she's wearing pajamas too! Ten minutes and one google image search later I had a completely different outlook on my pajama wearing ways. Guys, im not lazy. I'm being blase` chic.

It turns out that my beloved jammies are making their way onto red carpets and best dressed lists. Here's the thing, fashionistas can make ANYTHING look good. And while we probably dont look too bad when when walk out in sweats...it doesn't hurt to look a bit more put together, yes? Here's the low down on making your outfit seem polished even when you literally #wokeuplikethis.

Theres basically one way to go- accessorize!

Throw on a pair of heels, grab a cute bag, put on your shades and maybe take along a jacket  . A little eyeliner and lip balm wont hurt either. And bam! Suddenly you'll look like you belong on the pages of a glossy.

This forever 21 Heathered T shirt Nightdress can easily worn out and about town. At Rs.999 its pretty easy on the wallet too! Paired with a pair of edgy black boots (jabong.com)

, a fedora (koovs.com) and throw in a fringe purse (koovs.com) for good measure. Did someone say boho chic?

Who says you should stop there? Accessorize with a necklace for a pop of colour. I'm loving this blue statement piece from crunchyfashion.com!

Links for the products:

Grey Nightdress
Fedora
Boots
Fringe Purse
Necklace

Outfit Inspiration - Concert fashion

Exams are over and summer fever has kicked in here in Bangalore. Yes, summers may be unbearably hot and so much time away from school tends to get to you but on the much brighter side of things its back to shorts flip flops and tank tops! WHOO HOO!
So, the news of the moment is that .....drumroll please......TIESTO is making his way down to the the silicon city. Yes, for EDM lovers like me - this is AWESOME and no, i am NOT going for reasons that i don't want to bother you with. :(
So, everybody loves a good concert and recently in January, i was privileged enough to go see the Swedish House Mafia live and in person. It was a mind blowing, world shattering and completley amazing experience to sum it all up. The came. They raved. We LOVED *.* (despite coming home with a sore throat, aching arms, bruised feet and alcohol soaked hair :P)
Basically, that completely inspired me to do a post on concert worthy trends and outfits. I noticed many girls in tight skirts and skyscraper heels with big purses in hand and i remembered thinking "how the hell are they gonna have fun in THAT??" So, while high heels, shorts skirts and tight dresses are EXTREMELY impractical, it doesn't mean that you can't turn any heads while having the time of your life.

Shorts
shorts are totally comfortable and allow to to freely jump and and down without giving anybody a free show. shorts in bright clolours are nice, you can never go wrong with your good ol' cutoffs, floral shorts bring out your girly side while high waist-ed shorts, sequined shorts and tie die shorts are statement pieces.

Denim
if its a little cold or if you don't feel like showing off your legs then denim is the way to go. coloured denim makes a statement, ripped jeans and textured pants have character while blue and black denim are very versatile. If you want to tone it down on the bottom then even khaki coloured trousers would do.

Tops
depending on the kind of concert and the time of day, there is a top for you. remember that its bound to get hot and sweaty so its better if your top is comfy and not too tight.

Shoes
since you are likely to be on your feet the entire time and the added fact that you would also be jumping up and down, it only makes sense to wear comfy shoes. Brightly coloured flats and metallic gladiators are bright and fun. make a statement with jeweled sandals and studded flats. Boots are also a good option. If you want to be super comfy and just wear sneakers then, make sure  your sneaker of choice is something loud and bold.

Accessories
accessories can either make or break your outfit and when your clothes are simple and comfy, the right accessories can make the outfit loo classy and chic. Scarves are and amazing accessory if your top is plain. You can never go wrong with a classic fedora. Also, remember to be wearing an super hot pair of shades. During a concert you shouldn't really be carrying much so a hand held purse will just restrict your movement. Cross body bags are the best option for concerts they are small, do their job and manage to look smart at the same time. Since your hands are gonna be in the air, why not accessorize them with layered bracelets?