Dressing up for life

Coloured pants two ways

2012-03-17T13:36:00.001+01:00

When it comes to coloured pants, there are two strategies that you can adopt - one is to pair them with neutrals and the other is to go crazy and add in even more colour.

Which one do you prefer? :)

P.S. I'm currently having trouble with both Disqus and Blogger, neither will let me log in/comment. I'm logged in on my Blogger dashboard and my Disqus homepage, but I cannot comment using either. I tried clearing my cookies, but that didn't help either. Any suggestions?

Simple to stylish

2012-03-13T16:24:00.001+01:00

What takes a simple jeans and t shirt outfit from simple to stylish? My asymmetrical brown jacket and metallic loafers of course!

I still cannot believe they cost just €5 apiece! Thrift shopping is awesome :D

Red and black

2012-03-12T14:22:00.001+01:00

I don't like layering heavy coats and sweaters over Indian clothes, so I just avoid wearing them when it is cold. But once spring and summer arrive, I am ready for the breezy comfort that they offer!

Tell me - is there anything more elegant than a simple silk kurta? Today, I don't think so.

P.S. I'm linking up to Patti's Visible Monday post. This outfit is one of my personal favourites and I couldn't feel more confident in it if I tried! :)

2 years ago on this day...

2012-03-11T18:45:00.000+01:00

... I got engaged to the love of my life. Time really flies, doesn't it? :)

Btw, this t shirt is the navy and red version of the one I wore yesterday. What can I say? Stripes make everything special!

Stripes and floral

2012-03-10T14:06:00.001+01:00

I'm sorry to announce the untimely demise of my black floral skirt. I thrifted it last year and it has lasted me all through autumn and winter, until it finally succumbed to a tear today. Sigh :'(

I'm glad that this was the last time I wore it though - in a fun mix of stripes and florals, with my favourite necklace and the turquoise bangle I got from India. :)

P.S. This is me trying on some new glasses today. What do you think - can I carry off the oversized, 'nerdy chic' look?

Spring has sprung

2012-03-05T12:32:00.001+01:00

The weather is warming up and I'm so happy that I can finally get some use out of my spring jackets! I repeated my red and mustard combo from here but added in two thrifted items - my brown cotton jacket and metallic loafers. :)

I've really missed blogging over the past few days and now that I'm finally feeling better, I plan to start posting everyday. Thank you for being patient with me while I was unwell!

P.S. I'm linking this outfit up to Patti's Visible Monday post - the colours, the loafers and the shape of my jacket, all made me feel visible and super confident :)

February purchases

2012-02-28T22:39:00.000+01:00

January 2012 was a bit of a disaster for me as far as shopping went. I spent way more than I had budgeted and then ended up returning a lot of the stuff, since it just didn't fit! Serves me right for shopping impulsively. But this month, I've been very careful and I'm happy with each purchase that I've made.

Here's a list of what I bought this month:

1. Leopard print gloves from my local thrift store - €5

2. Cross body bag from Tilt Vintage - €35

3. Midnight Carnival necklace from Whimsy Beading - €15 (with a gift certificate)

4. Polka dot infinity scarf from Shop of Wordly Delights - €5

5. Pink bunny pin from Shop of Wordly Delights - €4

Wow, I just realised that I spent a total of €64 (which is really good) but all on accessories! They're all really beautiful pieces though and totally worth it. I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of all of them.

And, of course, I got my most prized possession this month - my leather satchel! But I'm not counting that since it was a Valentine's Day gift.

What did you spend on this month? :)

Another new bag...

2012-02-25T19:12:00.001+01:00

...that fulfills my wish for a cross-body handbag!

I went out to donate some clothes to the thrift store today and on my way back, I dropped into Tilt Vintage only to find this gorgeous little bag! I cannot express how happy I am to have found this vintage leather bag for just €35, which is €17 cheaper than the bag I was planning to order online from Scaramanga. And it is in such a great condition!

Now I think I'm pretty set as far as bags go - I have this handbag for when I go out, my satchel for class and my oversized Longchamp bag for travel or for when I want a break from my satchel. Yay!

Here's a picture of my two new bags together - don't they look great? :)

Thanks for reading and commenting, even though I'm not posting proper outfit pics. I'm reading all your blogs as well, even if I don't comment. My eye is better now, I am able to use the computer and read and write a little bit, but usually only if I wear an eye patch. I still find it difficult to go out into the sunlight, but we've been having rainy weather over the past two days, so I've been able to go out a little. I'm lucky we had a week off from college, otherwise I would have missed so many days of classes! I'm still wondering if I will be able to keep up in class next week, but I'm hoping I will manage :)

Simple

2012-02-24T19:58:00.000+01:00

After days of being stuck at home in my pajamas, it felt nice to wear something slightly fancier and step out of the house for a bit.

Needless to say, I'm off the 30X30 challenge for now, I'll probably rejoin Sheila in a month or two. :)

New satchel

2012-02-23T19:49:00.000+01:00

Thank you all for your comments on the previous post. I'm still not well enough to be blogging (or doing much else for that matter), but I should be back in a week to ten days. I just popped by since I couldn't resist sharing pictures of my Valentine's Day gift with you!

excuse the shorts - they're strictly for wearing at home!

It's the small wide satchel from Scaramanga (http://www.scaramangashop.co.uk/fashion/leather-bags/for-her/leather-satchel-bags/small-wide-leather-satchel-with-front-pocket-13-inch/prod_1013.html) and I can't thank my husband enough for getting me such an awesome bag.

In fact; I like it so much that I'm planning to buy the Ella satchel next month, to use a handbag!

What do you think? :)

Hiatus

2012-02-19T16:54:00.001+01:00

Dressing up for life is on a temporary hiatus as Ki is suffering from some eye problems and cannot read or write. Regular posting will resume shortly.

Not so bright (Day 16 of 30X30)

2012-02-17T20:22:00.001+01:00

Today's outfit isn't as bright and fun as yesterday's, but I did try to make up for that by wearing printed tights and a cool scarf. :)

In completely unrelated news, I finally bought the first book of the Hunger Games series today. Better later than never, right? I'm really looking forward to reading it! It was expensive though - €11 for a book?! I've never paid more than €5.

So, after months of putting it off, I went to the Lyon public library and signed up for a one year membership. For €6! I borrowed two books today - a Sophie Kinsella novel and a book by Shashi Deshpande (an Indian author), both in French. Yeah, you read that right! After years of learning the language, I've finally decided to start actually reading in French. I hate to repeat myself, but better late than never right? I hope I can actually get through both of them!

What are you reading lately? Have you read any French authors? I would love some recommendations other than the obvious Balzac, Zola, Voltaire... I think those are a little too 'fancy' for me!

P.S. I'm sorry for not replying to comments or commenting on your blogs - Disqus won't let me log in and Blogger shows me as signed out everywhere except on my blog's homepage. ARGH.

Moutarde et Ketchup (Day 15 of 30X30)

2012-02-16T19:16:00.000+01:00

When I first bought this mustard sweater, I kept wanting to pair it with my red pants, but was too scared at how eye searingly bright the outfit would look. I finally mustered up the courage to wear them together today and I have to say, this is the most fun outfit I have ever worn. I felt awesome all day!

This scarf is also new, I bought it from Etsy for about €5. Total score - the colour and print are awesome and it is so warm and cosy :)

What do you guys think of yellow and red together? Clownish or cute? Let me know in the comments!

In more exciting news, I finally picked a winner for my 100 posts giveaway using Random.org.

I got 12 entries and the winning entry #4 - Mia from Reading in Skirts! Congrats Mia! Look out for an email from me :)

Random tidbits (and outfit 14 of 30)

2012-02-15T12:26:00.002+01:00

I take a creative writing class at my university and yesterday's exercise was to fill in a questionnaire about yourself and then give it to a classmate so that they can write a few sentences about you and your personality.

I learned a few things about myself that weren't evident to me, but which, according to my friend, define me. I thought it might be interesting to share what I discovered!

1. My taste in music and art is very simple. I hum the latest film songs, my favourite masterpiece is the last drawing my husband made me.

2. I don't have a fictional hero or heroine. Instead, I prefer historical fiction where the life and accomplishments of 'real' people unfold.

3. Family is very important to me. I would use all the money in the world to buy a house where we could stay with my in laws and use the rest to pay my brother's fees for law school, buy my parents a vacation and get my grandmother whatever piece of jewellery her heart desires.

4. I still dream of being a writer, even though I stopped writing a while back. I really should get back to it.

5. I can be very negative at times. If things don't go my way the first time, I tend to give up. For example, when I moved to France a year ago, I made my husband brownies that tasted like dirt. I haven't baked anything since.

Cool, huh? I thought it was a great exercise which taught me a lot. I'm definitely going to work hard to accomplish #3 and #4 and overcome #5.

On a lighter note, I mentioned blogging a few times in my answers and my friend was really impressed.

''You have a blog? You didn't tell me you write!''
''I don't write much there, it's um.. a style blog.''
''Wow! You design clothes?''
''Umm, no... I just take pictures of my outfits and post them...''
''Oh...''

So yeah, I don't think she thought too much of being a fashion blogger. Oh well. She did comment on how I'm always the most colourful person in class and how I wear colours that she wouldn't even think of wearing, like orange and yellow. Now I don't know if she meant that as a compliment, but I sure am taking it that way! I have this sudden urge to wear orange to class tomorrow... :D

As for today's outfit, it is one of my favourite outfits I've ever worn. But unfortunately, I had to take my own photo today since my photographer (my husband) is out of town and boy, it is 'vraiment' craptastic.

I don't know what is up with the light in our spare room, but my tights refused to photograph true to colour. I'm wearing these rust tights, in case you were wondering.

Anyway, as I was saying, I love this outfit. The leopard print gloves (purchased yesterday at my local thrift store) and the furry scarf (also thrifted) add so much glamour to a simple t shirt and skirt! I felt awesome the entire time I was wearing it. :)

P.S. My giveaway is now closed. Come back tomorrow to find out who won! :)

Valentine's Day outfits (Day 12 and 13 of 30)

2012-02-14T17:19:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry I went missing for the past two days - I've just been a little bit under the weather since it has been so freaking cold here! I've lost two days of the 30X30 challenge as well, so I guess it will just have to carry on into March. I don't mind though, it's a pretty fun challenge.

Anyway, Happy Valentine's Day to you all! I hope this day brings a lot of love and happiness in your lives! Are you doing anything special today? Unfortunately, I'm alone at home, since my husband left on an official trip this morning. But he more than made up for it last night, when he cooked me an amazing dinner. He is such a gem. :)

Here's what I wore last night.

I know black and white snake print doesn't scream 'Valentine's Day' but I knew my husband would love this dress on me and I was right! I have to add that this dress isn't part of my 30 items, but Sheila (who came up with this version of the original challenge) added a rule where you can have one freebie outfit, for an important occasion or if you're just bored, so this is it for me.

Of course, I couldn't resist wearing some 'cheesy' Valentine's Day colours today and Everybody Everywear's 'pink and red' challenge provided me with the perfect opportunity.

Here's what I wore today.

This skirt does count as being red, right?! I really love how this outfit mixed pink and red without being overly bright. I was originally planning on going with a black or grey scarf, but this burgundy scarf just seemed to tie everything together. And I'm glad it did, because my husband bought it for me on our honeymoon and it just adds the perfect finishing touch to the outfit. :)

P.S. I'm picking out my giveaway winner tomorrow, so you still have today to enter! Don't miss out on this chance! http://dressupforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/30x30-day-5-and-1st-giveaway.html

Sweater weather (Day 10 and 11 of 30X30)

2012-02-11T13:10:00.000+01:00

I wanted to wear atleast one or two more outfits with the rust tights, but it's been so windy and cold that I decided to opt for pants instead!

10/02/2012 - This is the first time that I've worn this H&M necklace outside the house. I always felt like it is too big and too noisy for class, but I kinda got used to it as the day passed. As much as I love the pink and red combo, this sweater is definitely a little short to wear with pants. Sigh.

11/02/2012 - Today, I'm wearing a really simple, neutral outfit with a red lip. It is super comfy and the 'grey on grey' pattern mixing makes me happy. :)

It looks like it might warm up in the next few days, so I can start wearing skirts and tights again soon! Yay :)

Rust tights - take two (Day 9 of 30X30)

2012-02-10T13:04:00.001+01:00

Here is my second outfit with the rust tights.

Outfit breakdown
dress - style one, india
blazer - bangkok
tights - asos (tabac tights)
oxfords - bata
necklace - etsy
earrings - moa

I like this one a lot, even though I did play it safe by pairing these tights with grey and black again. The next time I wear them, I will incorporate more colour, I promise! :)

Rusty (30X30 Day 8)

2012-02-09T13:42:00.001+01:00

Back when I just started blogging, I bought a lot of tights - printed and coloured, which I realise don't get a lot of use. So, I'm planning to wear them during this 30X30 challenge, starting with a rust pair that I haven't worn even once since I bought them!

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m
skirt - thrifted
tights - asos
flats - moa
earrings, bangles - india

It's simple and admittedly, not the most creative way to wear these tights. But I still like it. :)

I'm planning to wear these rust tights over the next two or three days, just to see how many outfits I can create around them - sort of a challenge within a challenge! Stay tuned...

P.S. Don't forget to enter my first ever giveaway here - http://dressupforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/30x30-day-5-and-1st-giveaway.html.

What style blogging has taught me - part III (30X30 Day 7)

2012-02-08T11:01:00.000+01:00

So, now that I have reached 100 posts and posted almost as many outfits, I think I can finally share some of the stuff I've learnt in the past 6 months.

Here are Part I and II, although I suggest reading this part first and then the other two.

Know yourself
Style blogger or not, everyone should have some basic idea about their body type and the styles that suit them, the colours and styles that make them glow and the ones that make them look dull/sickly, and in which direction they want to move stylistically (or even what you want to move away from). Let me attack these three things one by one.

1.Body type/shape and flattering styles - Until a few months ago, I had no idea what my body shape was. I knew my body only through the issues I often faced when shopping for clothes - my bust looked huge in most tops, my tummy would show in very figure hugging clothes no matter how much weight I lost or put on etc.
Once I started blogging, I did some research on body types and got discouraged when I didn't fit into the traditional 'apple', 'hourglass' and 'pear' types! It was then that I discovered 'Inside Out Style', and realised that, with my widest part being my tummy, my body is an '8 shape'.
I can't say I follow all the rules/guidelines I found on this blog, but a lot of the things Imogen (the blog owner) says made so much sense to me. I have found, for example, that v necks and scoop neck tops work best for my bust and that I should emphasise my small waist to draw attention away from my tummy! I am dressing much more comfortably and confidently now!
The moral of the story? Know your body - it will both help you appreciate your best features and also help you resolve the issues you may have been facing for years.

2.Flattering colours - I'm sure you've heard this a million times, but we are all either warm or cool toned. There are people who are neutral (with olive complexions), but even they lean a tiny bit warm or cool. Here are some links which may help you figure out whether you are warm or cool - 1, 2 and 3. Based on this, we can figure out which colours suit us and which colours don't.
For example, I am neutral to warm, so I know that I look best in cream as opposed to stark white, tomato red as opposed to blue based red and grey instead of black. There can be exceptions though, and I find that despite looking best in warmer colours, I love fuchsia on me, which is a cool colour.
And whenever I wear the colours that suit me, I get complimented on my glowing complexion! I do wear colours that aren't the best for me, but I wear them away from my face.
The moral of the story? Figure out which colours suit you best - they will make you look like a million bucks!

3.Your style journey - What do you want yourself to look like stylistically? I know that I want to look more polished, I know I want to incorporate more Indian clothes/elements into my style, I know that I want to add in more skirts and dresses for a feminine look. And I'm working on these, both when I get dressed everyday and when I shop for clothes.
I have come up with these points after a lot of work - analysing my favourite items of clothing and my least favourite ones, revisiting my daily outfits and figuring out what I like/dislike about them and copying some looks from my favourite bloggers and celebrities to see if they work for me. And I've definitely started coming up with outfits that are more 'me', in which I feel fabulous! :) But this doesn't mean that I've stopped working on my style. I know that I have a long way to go and that, as time passes, my style will keep evolving to become better and better.
The moral of the story? Working on your style is definitely worth it!

Here is me incorporating some of these rules into an outfit and disregarding others.

I'm wearing a crew neck top that isn't the greatest for my big bust, but I'm also wearing a blazer that is fitted and emphasises my waist. I'm wearing red and pink which are great colours for me, but I'm also wearing pants instead of a skirt.

So you see, that none of the above mentioned rules is set in stone. And you needn't always stick to them because, at the end of the day, what you're wearing should make you happy. But it doesn't hurt to know yourself and your style a little better, right? :)

P.S. Don't forget to enter my first ever giveaway here - http://dressupforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/30x30-day-5-and-1st-giveaway.html.

What style blogging has taught me - part II

2012-02-07T11:08:00.002+01:00

So, now that I have reached 100 posts and posted almost as many outfits, I think I can finally share some of the stuff I've learnt in the past 6 months.

Here's Part I if you want to check it out before reading this part, but frankly, they aren't in any sort of order!

Staying organised
I used to have the world's messiest closet. And as a result, I used to find it difficult to get dressed. Because my clothes were all over the place, my necklaces were entangled in boxes and my scarves were all mixed up, I could never pick out individual pieces to make an outfit. More often than not, I used to just wear the first clean t shirt I could find with a pair of jeans, despite owning a lot of great stuff!

It is only once I started blogging that I understood the importance of being organised in order to be well dressed. Here's a peek into my closet so that you guys can see how I've arranged it.

my side of the closet

the top shelf with my t shirts, jeans and skirts and 'at home' clothes

my trench coat, brown jacket, vests, shirts, pants and delicate scarves

my boxes - the little one with tights and socks, the big one with sweaters

clothing rack with jackets, scarves, belts, indian kurtas, dresses and necklaces

my side of the clothing rack with jackets, scarves and belts

a close up of my hanger for my necklaces

I didn't include a picture of my shoes, since I have just 6 pairs and we have a small shoe rack on which we keep them. I also have a little wooden box with my earrings, brooches/pins and bracelets/bangles which I forgot to photograph.

I really love having an organised closet and it has had a lot of impact on how I dress. Because I can see everything - it is super easy to pair tops and bottoms together and add in toppers like jackets/vests. Since my necklaces and scarves are within sight as well, I never struggle to add in the perfect accessory, even when I'm in a hurry. I just hope I can maintain this as I buy more clothes and my wardrobe increases in size!

How do you organise your closet? I would love to hear your comments and suggestions on this topic. :)

P.S. Enter my first ever giveaway here - http://dressupforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/30x30-day-5-and-1st-giveaway.html.

What style blogging has taught me - part I (30X30 Day 6)

2012-02-06T14:27:00.000+01:00

So, now that I have reached 100 posts and posted almost as many outfits, I think I can finally share some of the stuff I've learnt in the past 6 months. I'm aiming for a 3 post series on what blogging has taught me and I really hope you like it!

Working your wardrobe

When I started reading style blogs, I was under the misconception that all bloggers have a zillion items of clothing and that they never repeat anything. That bubble burst when I discovered 'remixing'. I realised that each piece of clothing that I own has infinite potential and I can wear it in a countless number of ways. But let me tell you, remixing is much tougher than it sounds. All of us have some tried and trusted combos - tops and skirts that go together, a necklace that goes perfectly with the colours of a dress etc. - that we tend to repeat. And it isn't easy to break out of that rut and come up with new and interesting combos.

But I think, and I say this with a lot of pride, that I've finally come up with a system to make the most of my wardrobe. I take out time atleast once a week, usually when my husband is busy with football, and pick out one or two items of clothing around which I create outfits. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't, but when you have a limited wardrobe, you have to try to mix and match items as creatively as possible! The combos that I like are photographed and filed away to be worn at some point.

For example, yesterday I took on my pink turtleneck, something I don't wear too often, since turtlenecks make me look busty. Here are the three looks I came up with.

Of course, I need to make some changes to make these outfits perfect - I need to add tights to looks with the skirt and with some help from the ladies at the You Look Fab forum, I realised that the charcoal scarf doesn't do my pink and orange outfit any favours - but you get the point right? The moral of the story is simple - you have to put in some hard work to make your wardrobe work for you. :)

I ended up wearing one of the turtleneck outfits today and loving it!

Outfit breakdown
turtleneck - go sport
jeans - pimkie
vest - india (gifted)
boots - india
necklace, earrings - etsy
(on my lips - darling girl cosmetics holo gloss 'pennies from heaven)

I hope you found this post helpful in some way. I would love your feedback on this series, so please leave a comment. :)

P.S. Enter my first ever giveaway here - http://dressupforlife.blogspot.com/2012/02/30x30-day-5-and-1st-giveaway.html.

30X30 Day 5 and 1st giveaway - CLOSED

2012-02-05T17:52:00.001+01:00

Today's outfit is brought to you by my uncle, who brought back my dark teal and olive t shirts from Delhi! I couldn't wait even a day to wear the teal one, so I decided to build a monochromatic outfit around it. :)

Outfit breakdown
t shirt - benetton, india
jeans - pimkie
jacket - gifted by my husband
scarf - jennyfer
boots - india
earrings - etsy
(on my lips - morgana cyptoria lipstick in 'it girl')

And now that the 'what I wore today' part is done, it is time for details on the giveaway. Yay! :D

I'm giving away a silk scarf that I picked up from a vintage store and a pair of flower stud earrings (pictured below). Since opinions are divided on the solid perfume, I'm going to leave that option open - if the winner wants it, I will include a solid perfume from Latherati Soap Foundry, a rose based scent called 'Barton Cottage'.

There are no strict rules, just leave a comment saying you'd like to win these items and you're in. The giveaway closes on February 14th, 2012 so make sure you enter on time. I will pick out a winner the next day. All the best to all of you! :)

The big 100 (Day 4 of 30X30)

2012-02-04T17:00:00.001+01:00

This is my 100th post.

And I'm not sure what profound statement I should be making on this occasion. Should I be thanking all my readers (many of whom are also my favourite bloggers) for all their comments and advice? Should I be talking about how I evolved from wearing ill fitting jeans and sandals with socks to combining colours, patterns and textures? Or should I admit that even after a 100 posts, I have some holes in my wardrobe and I still wonder what I should wear on some mornings?

I just know that this blog has taught me that being stylish is nothing like I thought it should be. It is not all about high heels and skimpy clothes, skinny bodies and designer labels. It can be anything that I want it to be. And even though I'm still figuring out 'my' style, I'm having a lot of fun along the way. :)

Now that the big 'speech' is out of the way, let me get back to what I love doing best - showing you what I'm wearing today!

Outfit breakdown
denim shirt - tilt vintage
pants - pimkie
boots - birkin
necklace - etsy
earrings - moa
(on my lips - morgana cryptoria's it girl lipstick)

I think this has got to be one of my most favourite outfits ever, with my new favourite shirt, my best fitting pants, my most warm and comfy boots and my new favourite necklace and lipstick. I couldn't like it more if I tried!

And where did I go wearing this great outfit? I went shopping for a new pillow and duvet - nothing that warranted wearing a statement necklace and bright red lipstick. But you know what? I don't care. Because I, Aparajita Kumar, am dressing up for life. :)

P.S. My next post will be my first blog giveaway - don't miss it!

Not belting (Day 3 of 30X30)

2012-02-03T19:11:00.002+01:00

Today is my last 'at home' day for a while since my uncle arrives tomorrow (=sightseeing) and my next semester starts on Monday. It is freezing outside, so I stayed in and watched a lot of TV, only stepping out to throw the trash and check the mailbox! And this is what I wore to do it. :D

Outfit breakdown

tunic - jennyfer

jeans - promod

oxfords - bata

earrings and bracelet - india

(on my lips - morgana cryptoria lip gloss - witches' brew)

Wearing this tunic unbelted is one of the things I thought I would never do, since I usually like defining my waist when it comes to longer tops/dresses. But since I've been trying to step out of my comfort zone, I decided to just give 'not belting' a try and I liked it :) What do you think?

10 day winter challenge: Something that scares you (30X30 Day 2)

2012-02-02T20:20:00.000+01:00

When it comes to your personal style, what scares you? I'm scared of wearing a lot of colours together and looking like a clown. So, for this challenge, I decided to pair orange and yellow and even added in a little red for fun.

Outfit breakdown

leather jacket - gift from husband

t shirt - gap

pants - pimkie

oxfords - clarks, india

necklace - fabindia, new delhi

Even though I wouldn't have worn this outfit if it weren't for this challenge, I really like these colours together. Go check out the other stylish participants stepping out of their comfort zones on Kayla's blog. :)

This is also Day 2 of my 30X30 challenge. I realise that at some point I'm going to have to show you guys my 30 items. But I'm having a bit of trouble with them. One is a cream sweater that I bought online, but now have to return since it sucks. I also counted in two t shirts that my uncle is supposed to bring to France in a few days, but he may not be coming! So I'm currently at 27 items and trying to figure out what else to add in. Let's see... the month has just started and I'm sure I can include three items in from my closet at some point. :)

10 day fashion challenge: Dress up a coat (30X30 Day 1)

2012-02-02T00:15:00.002+01:00

So today's prompt in Kayla's challenge seemed pretty easy to me at first - what better way to dress up a coat than with a pin or a brooch? But then, I decided not to take the easy route and dress up my coat with a scarf instead.

Isn't this scarf amazing? It is super cosy, yet it looks and feels very chic and luxurious. :)

Today also marks the first day of my 30X30 challenge for February and underneath the coat, I wore a very simple outfit for a get together with some friends.

Outfit breakdown
coat - mango
sweater/top - esprit
pants - promod
scarf - thrifted (manoukian)
shoes - clarks, india
earrings - india
necklace - bijou brigitte

What's with all the downward looks? I have no idea...!!!

P.S. I'm planning to sell my leather skirt (seen here and here), since I feel like it isn't 'me' somehow. If anyone wants it, just email me at myfacebutbetter@gmail.com and we can work something out! FYI, it has a 13.7'' waist i.e., a 27.4'' waist when doubled and it is definitely highwaisted. If not, up on Ebay it goes! :)

Layer up fashion challenge: short sleeve over long sleeve

2012-01-31T19:07:00.000+01:00

'Short sleeve over long sleeve' was yesterday's prompt in Megan and Keely's challenge and so I'm a day late with this outfit. I'm posting it anyway - I am just so glad to be participating!

Outfit breakdown

turtleneck - camaieu

tunic - janpath, delhi

leggings - forever 21

boots - india

flower pin - bijou brigitte

earrings - moa

The flower pin is definitely my favourite part of the outfit - doesn't it instantly make everything pretty and girly? I also like that I'm wearing just black and white, which is surprising since I used to be so big on colour. You never know, I may be back tomorrow wearing a zillion different colours!

Speaking of tomorrow, I'm starting a 30x30 challenge with Sheila of Ephemera! She's brave enough to be doing it for a year and while I'm not sure I'll last that long, I'm ready to join in all of next month. I have to warn you though, my closet is really tiny, so the 30 items you are going to see aren't clothes you haven't seen before. Seriously, after picking the clothes and shoes that I'm going to wear for this challenge, I just have 10-12 pieces of clothing and just 2 pairs of shoes that I'm not including and even those have all been worn on this blog! Who knew I had such little stuff?!

And it was all yellow...

2012-01-30T10:40:00.001+01:00

I know I wore it in the last post, but I could not resist pulling out my denim shirt again! This time, I decided to pair it with some colour - my yellow pants! :)

Outfit breakdown
shirt - tilt vintage
pants - pimkie
oxfords - clarks, india
earrings - india
ring - bijou brigitte

Makeup breakdown
eyes - mac club eyeshadow, urban decay creep eyeshadow as liner
lips - silk naturals fig leaf lippie

In other news, I'm on holiday for a week and preparing for a guest from India, so I'm not sure how much I will be able to post this week. This is also the reason why I don't know if I will be able to participate in Megan and Kiki's Layer Up Challenge, but I will definitely try to squeeze in an outfit or two. You guys should all go check out the participants and their fun outfits here! Don't miss out this chance to get some really creative outfit inspiration. :)

P.S. I'm linking up this outfit to Patti's Visible Monday post, since there is nothing that makes you feel more visible and awesome than coloured pants!

Double denim

2012-01-29T12:56:00.000+01:00

I bought a denim shirt from Tilt Vintage last week and while I have a million ideas on how I'm going to style it, I decided to start with a 'denim on denim' look. :)

Outfit breakdown
denim shirt - tilt vintage
jeans - pimkie
vest - fabindia, delhi
heeled oxfords - bata
earrings, bangle - india

I'm really surprised at how much I like this look, but I know that it may not be everyone. What do you guys think? Would you wear this trend? :)

Easy does it

2012-01-28T14:38:00.000+01:00

Weekends call for simple and comfortable outfits.And today, I really think I nailed it! :)

Outfit breakdown
tunic - jennyfer
jeans - vibe, india (gifted)
boots - india
belt - forever 21, india
earrings - bijoux aux poids
necklace - whimsy beading, etsy

I'm off to the tailor now, hope you all have a good weekend! :)

The case of the weird pants

2012-01-27T14:00:00.007+01:00

So I wore my new (thrifted) brown jacket today and I paired it with my red pants, for a really fabulous combination. But the problem is that I wanted to wear my fleece lined boots, since it was raining, and these pants aren't made for tucking into boots at all :(

See what I mean? They looked all scrunchy and weird and kept popping out of the boots. I also think they've become looser since they were never this 'crotch-y', if that makes any sense.

Isn't the jacket cool though? I love the shape and the colour so much! Here's a closeup so that you can it a bit better.

What do you think? Was it a good buy? :)

P.S. Please vote for the 100 post giveaway prize - there is a poll in the sidebar!

Budgeting fail (wordy)

2012-01-26T15:11:00.000+01:00

I thought for a long time whether I even wanted to post this because I made such a big deal about staying on a budget and now, less than a month later, I've bought so many things that I'm not even close to the amount I wanted to spend! Why? The bi-annual sales are on in Lyon and I cannot resist bargains. I discovered my first ever thrift and vintage stores. I've dropped a size and needed some new skirts. My black ballerinas need a replacement. Two of my sweaters shed and I needed a new one. There are a million reasons for not staying on budget.

What did I spend on?

1. Two skirts - olive skirt (€5) and orange skirt ( €5)
2. Three jackets - brown button up jacket (€6), velvet blazer (€5) and brown blazer (€6)
3. Black scarf (€4)
4. Cream sweater (€20)
5. Snakeskin print dress (€40)
6. Denim shirt for layering (€12)

On top of this, I ordered a pair of black flats from Clarks and a peter pan collar top from Asos for a total do €50. I'm not sure if they will fit, since I have a problem with shoes and Asos sizes can be either spot on or really off, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Oh and I'm not done yet, my husband also bought me a leather skirt, a ring and a skull necklace.

So there you have it. Instead of spending €45 as I planned, I ended up spending €153.

I really am feeling bad that I couldn't stick to the budget. As readers, I know some of you may feel disappointed in me for not sticking to my budget and I can completely understand that.

I'm just thankful that we could afford all this shopping, since both my husband and I ended up getting some nice stuff for ourselves. I also have to add that I'm really happy that with every piece I purchased, I stuck to my style resolutions of 2012 as far as colour, quality and style go and filled some existing holes in my wardrobe.

So where do I go from here? I'm not sure. I haven't ever been a big shopper as far as clothes go, but the more I learn about what suits my body and style, the more I want to add those pieces to my closet. I don't have a lot of stuff in there anyway and while I don't mind restyling the same pieces, it's not too bad to want to build up on what I have, especially when things are on super sale. But I also have to learn to control myself, especially since it would be ridiculous to buy so many things when the sales are not on or during a period where things are tight financially.

Anyway, on to happier things - I've almost reached my 100th post and I'm planning a giveaway for all my readers. I would love to know your opinion on the prizes I have in mind, so I've created a poll in the sidebar - please vote! :)

10 day winter challenge: Trendy

2012-01-26T12:57:00.001+01:00

The moment I heard this theme, I knew I was going to pull out my leather skirt! I decided to go with an all black outfit and add in some touches of colour.

Outfit breakdown
t shirt - gap
skirt - tilt vintage
tights - gipsy via asos
flats - moa
necklace - forever 21 (india)
earrings - etsy

I think this is one of the few times when I've left my shirt untucked over a skirt and I have to say, I kinda liked it. :)

This skirt does have a bit of a funny shape though - it kinds of poofs out in the front and I had the hardest time picking a photo where it didn't look funny. I'll definitely take a photo of its 'stick out-y' shape very soon to show you what I mean and get your opinion of it!

Tag!

2012-01-25T10:28:00.001+01:00

I want to start this post off by saying that I am terrible at tags and awards, I keep meaning to put them up but I never do. So if you have tagged me in the past and I didn't do it, I'm really sorry! I swear I read them and appreciate them with all my heart and from now on, I'm going to show that appreciation by posting them too. :)

Terri of Rags against the Machine tagged me and here are the rules:
1. Post these rules
2. Post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you by the tagger
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you have tagged to answer
5. Tag 11 'peeps'

So here are 11 random things about me:
- I got married a day before I turned 21.
- I edited this book and seeing my name on the first page as editor has been one of my happiest moments ever.
- I have oddly sized feet, one is wider and the other is longer so I never find shoes that fit me perfectly.
- I used to be a nail biter for years so now my nails just refuse to grow beyond a point.
- I want to write a book someday.
- My dream job would be to teach French to children.
- The first time I travelled alone in public transport in India (autorickshaw), I carried red chilli powder in a little box. You know, just in case.
- I don't like to cook, but I'm really good at making homemade pasta/pizza sauce and corn in a cup (which is basically boiled corn with a few spices and lime juice added to it!).
- I wear glasses.
- My favourite food is Chinese, but the Indianised version which is very spicy and greasy.
- I'm really good at speeches, debates and group discussions - anything where I have to voice my point of view.

Here are my answers to Terri's questions:
1. Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
- I'm a mix of the two - in a place where I don't know anyone, I would never be brave enough to go talk to people and make friends, but if someone starts talking to me, I'm very friendly and open.
2. Which controversy are you undecided about?
- Nothing, at the moment! I'm usually very quick to take sides!
3. What is your favourite book of all time?
- Jane Eyre.
4. What is your earliest memory?
- Taking my mom to the hospital to give birth to my baby brother. I was 3 and a half years old.
5. What is your favourite colour?
- It is hard to pick one, but I'm most drawn toward reds and pinks.
6. What kind of music do you like?
- I have very unsophisticated taste in music - you will usually find me humming the latest Bollywood hits or Tamil (south Indian) movie songs!
7. What item would you NEED on a deserted island?
- Water. I drink a lot of water everyday and to be stuck somewhere without any drinkable water would be agony.
8. What is your pet peeve?
- Sitting next to people who have no respect for others' space/privacy. You know, the ones who play their music too loud, keep pushing their stuff onto your seat, keep talking loudly on the phone... ugh!
9. What nicknames have you had?
- Actually, my real name is Aparajita. Kirti is the nickname my parents kept for me and all my subsequent nicknames have been modifications of this one. My friends started calling me 'kiki' and 'ki' and so, when I started blogging, I decided to stick with 'Ki'! :)
10. What item would you never thrift?
- Underwear.
11. What item would you want if money was no issue?
- A huge house in India, in a great location where my parents in law can stay comfortably. Does that count as an item? If not, I'd get custom made shoes or jeans.

I tag:
Robin
Sheila
Heather
Anna
Mia
Chandana
Loren
Megan Mae
Joyce

Here are my questions:
1. Paperback or e book reader?
2. Skirts or pants?
3. Coke or Pepsi?
4. Summer or winter?
5. If you had to learn a foreign language which one would it be?
6. What is your comfort food?
7. Which fashion trend would you never wear?
8. What is your dream job?
9. Which is the next place you would like to travel to?
10. What are your wardrobe staples?
11. Who is your most favourite person in the whole world?

Phew! That was a long but fun tag! I didn't end up tagging 11 people, so if anyone else wants to do this tag, please go ahead :)

10 day winter challenge: Monochrome (sorta)

2012-01-24T14:59:00.003+01:00

So my outfit isn't really monochromatic, since I've used two colours - black and grey. Plus, I added in colourful earrings and a teal bangle. So umm, I totally cheated. But I know you guys are willing to overlook that, right? ;)

Outfit breakdown

dress - van heusen via style one, chennai

belt - forever 21 (from another tunic)

blazer - roadside shop, bangkok

tights - caldezonia

flats - moa

earrings and bangle - india

Some quick ramblings:

1. After wearing this outfit all day, I've realised how much I love dresses. They are just so easy to throw on in the morning! Too bad I own just this one. :P

2. My stye turned out to be just an insect bite, so it was gone by the time I woke up this morning. Thank God!

3. I scored 78% in my first semester exams - I'm very happy and proud of myself. :)

That's it for today folks! Go check out all the other monochromatic outfits here!

10 day winter challenge: Layers

2012-01-23T22:27:00.002+01:00

So, are you wondering where my face went?! Well, you know how people have bad hair days, right? Today, I was having a bad face day, with some kind of sty (stye?) on my right eye and thus, you get the outfit, but no Ki!

Now that we've sorted that out, let's get down to business, shall we? I've signed up for Kayla's winter challenge and when I heard the theme was layers, I knew it was time to break out my poncho and layer it over a sweater!

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m
skirt - gap
poncho - gk1, india
tights - gipsy via asos
flats - moa
earrings - etsy

This poncho is the oldest piece of clothing I own. I think I bought it when I was in the 9th grade, but I stopped wearing it after some friends made fun of it. I'm glad I hung onto it though, my fashion blogging self loves it!

I don't love some of the other components of this outfit as much though - the sweater was so itchy all day long that I ended up throwing it the second I get home. I wore it enough for the €10 I paid for it, but I seriously couldn't stand it anymore. Now I'm on the lookout for a replacement. The inner seam of the tights kept poking me as well and I got huge welts on my thighs by the end of the day. So I binned those too. Sigh. I think I might try 'We love Colors' for a good pair of black tights.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed my ramblings in this post and that it made up for the lack of my face. Seriously though, did you miss it? :D

Thrift/secondhand shopping in Lyon and my haul

2012-01-21T23:02:00.005+01:00

It's sale season here in Lyon and being on a budget has made it tough for me to pick up all the things I want. So I decided to hunt around for some thrift/secondhand options and I'm happy to report that I've discovered two great stores here and picked up some cool stuff :)

Tilt Vintage Store Lyon - This store embodies the term 'blink and you'll miss it' perfectly - it is so tiny! But it is chock full of some really great stuff including denim and plaid shirts, leather and suede skirts and shorts, velvet blazers, corduroy and denim shorts and lots of cool bags and shoes. The prices are very reasonable - most of what I have listed above is priced between €15-€30 and during the bi-annual sales, everything is further reduced by 20% or more. If you end up visiting this store, make sure you ask the owner if you have something specific in mind, he is really helpful and adept at pulling some amazing pieces from the overstuffed racks!

Address: 62, rue Victor Hugo
69002 Lyon, France.
Metro station - Ampère Victor Hugo
Timings: 2pm-7pm, Monday to Saturday.

What did I get from this amazing little store? Well, the moment I walked in I fell head over heels for a black leather skirt, priced at €24 after discount. Now I don't really need a leather skirt, but I've wanted one for ages now, especially after Sheila told me what a great classic piece it is for any wardrobe. So my sweet hubby bought it for me! :D

Expect some outfits posts featuring this skirt very soon!

Frip' Attitude, Lyon - This is France's version of Goodwill, that sells secondhand clothes, started by an organisation called Emmaus. All the clothes sold here have been donated by the stylish people of Lyon and are in a very good condition. With the prices starting at $1, it is not tough to find some great bargains. :) The store is very large and well organised, with separate racks for skirts, shirts, jackets, coats and scarves. There are also well stocked menswear and kidswear sections, plus an area for bags and shoes. What I loved most about the store is that there are racks of plus sized clothing in both the women's and men's sections! If you end up visiting this store, make sure you ask for a 'carte de fidelité' or membership card - after 10 purchases of €15 euros each, you will get €15 in store credit!
Also, if you're looking to pare down your closet rather than go on a shopping spree, you can also donate clothes here.

Address: 281 rue de Créqui
69007 Saxe-Gambetta Lyon
Metro station - Saxe-Gambetta
Timings: 10am-12 noon, 2pm-7pm, Monday to Saturday

What did I get on my first thrift store visit? I got a brown jacket (Promod) for €6, that tapers in the front and looks super cool. And even though I was unsure what I would pair it with, I also picked up a teal velveteen blazer (Jennyfer) for €5. I also found a black furry scarf, that at €4 felt a little steep, but it was so soft that I couldn't resist. And I'm glad I didn't because it turned out to be from Manoukian, a really famous and posh (aka expensive) brand! :D

I love all three, especially the jackets. The brown one will help me in my goal to wear more neutrals this year and the blazer fits well into my planned colour scheme for 2012. :)

What do you guys think of my purchases? And what about the leather skirt - yay or nay?!

Orangey

2012-01-17T15:27:00.001+01:00

Let me warn you that today's outfit photo is a bit weird as far as my pose goes. But I totally love the outfit :)

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m
vest - india (gifted)
jeans - vibe (gifted)
shoes - clarks hamble oak
earrings - mom's

So yeah, I have no idea where I was looking and why I'm clutching my vest in this weird way, but I was running late for class and didn't have time to retake pictures. Oh well. I love how the vest and sweater 'go' together without being too matchy matchy.

Also, for those of you who have a Clarks shoe store nearby, you have to go try these oxfords. They are so well made and comfortable! I've worn them for 2 days of continuous walking around (the day we got stuck at the airport) and they still didn't hurt my feet! Plus, isn't the nude colour and the vintage, slightly distressed look of the leather lovely? I definitely think so! :)

Bumblebee

2012-01-15T14:39:00.000+01:00

Today's outfit is brought to you courtesy my husband who picked it out and my parents who bought me this vest ages ago and then re-gifted it to me when I went home last month. :)

Outfit breakdown

sweater - esprit

skirt - thrifted

silk vest - fabindia, new delhi (4 yrs old)

tights - gipsy via asos

flats - moa

earrings - mom's

I had originally decided to wear this sweater and vest with my red cord skirt (seen here). But, for some reason, my husband hates that skirt (''it's so ugly'') and he asked me to wear this black one instead. He then picked out my earrings and hairstyle too! I wasn't sure how this longer vest would look over this short, flared skirt but I ended up loving the outfit. :)

What do you guys think of this outfit? I'll show you my version with the red skirt soon!

Colourful

2012-01-14T15:01:00.001+01:00

I finally gave myself a break from neutrals because I needed an easy to remove outfit for a day of shopping. I didn't end up buying anything, but the outfit was still a hit. :)

Outfit breakdown
polo t shirt - lacoste (india)
sweater - pimkie
jeans - vibe (gifted by my dad)
flats - moa
tintin pin - don't remember
earrings - bead passion, etsy

Here's a close up of my earrings - they're little blueberry donuts! :D

Isn't the attention to detail amazing? I have strawberry donut earrings too, I should wear them soon!

Even more neutrals

2012-01-13T17:06:00.003+01:00

I'm back with another almost entirely neutral look. Yes, again!!! :D

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m
jeans - gap
scarf - gift
brooch - vintage via etsy
socks - h&m
flats - moa
earrings - india

While I do like the idea of this outfit, I didn't end up liking the outfit itself. Why? For one, this sweater sheds. A lot. So my black coat is always covered in lint. I'm keeping it only until I can find another cream sweater to replace it. And these jeans have made me dislike Gap for life. They keep sliding down all day until you can almost see my tush. I also think they make me look a little short - do they really or am I just making up stuff cos I hate them anyway? I'm keeping them because my husband bought them for me for my birthday and I can't bear to throw them away yet.

Enough whining - what I do like about this outfit is the grey scarf - I love how it flows and the stripes on stripes look is very cute! I also love the brooch - but who wouldn't love a hot pink and cobalt flower?!

More neutrals!

2012-01-12T16:21:00.003+01:00

After liking my black and white EBEW outfit, I decided to try my hand another all-neutral outfit today. I mixed grey, brown and black and I love the result! I couldn't resist adding a colourful scarf though, and I think it went well with the neutrals. :)

Outfit breakdown
tunic as top - forever 21
skirt - gap (birthday gift from my husband!)
tights - caldezonia, lyon
belt and scarf - jennyfer, lyon
flats - moa, lyon

I also wore the cutest earrings I own - they're little chocolate cupcakes! :D

Aren't they awesome?! I got them here. :)

P.S. I have a question for you guys. I went window shopping today and really liked the style and colour of this skirt http://www.promod.fr/jupes/jupes-habillees/jupette-sixties-evasee-fuchsia-R3210066044.html. The thing is, it is made of polyester and viscose. Do you think I can still wear it in the summer? Or will it be cool weather only? Please help!

EBEW - Black and White (and grey)

2012-01-10T15:14:00.007+01:00

I really wanted to do a 100% black and white outfit for my very first 'Everybody Everywear' challenge, but my closet has its limitations and so I ended up doing a black, white and grey look. Oh well, atleast I have black AND white in my outfit!

Outfit breakdown

sweater - h&m, lyon

skirt - thrifted

tights - caldezonia, lyon

flats - moa, lyon

earrings - india (they're little white leaves made from shell)

lipstick - silk naturals' vamp lipstain topped with lip balm

I decided that since my outfit was made up of dark colours, I would go with a dark, vampy lip to complement them. Then, to go with the 'dark' theme, I decided not to smile in the outfit photos. And I kinda liked the whole look! It is pretty different from what I usually wear, since I prefer bright coloured clothes and a bright lip, but I would love to wear something like this again! Maybe with a different sweater though, since this one was a little too bulky to be tucked in.

What do you guys think? Is this look a keeper? Or is it kinda creepy?

P.S. Blog friends of mine who go thrifting... if you ever find a velvet dress (or skirt) that would fit me and you don't mind sending it all the way to France, would you please pick it up for me? I would pay you, of course for the dress and shipping! I just cannot find one here and I've been seeing them everywhere, which has led to me wanting one with all my heart! I'm a 'medium', 35.5'' bust, 29'' natural waist, 32'' waist and 16'' shoulders. Thank you! :)

On a budget.

2012-01-08T08:47:00.004+01:00

Have you checked out my style resolutions for 2012 yet? As though they weren't tough enough, I have now realised that I'm going to be operating on a very tiny budget, one that is even tinier than usual. Oh well, here's where my remixing abilities will come in, right?

Anyway, for those interested in the finer details, I'm allocating myself a maximum of €45/month from January to April. And this isn't only for clothes, it also includes any accessories, makeup and skincare. Yes, you read that right. I haven't spent less than €100/month over the past year, so this is going to be super tough. Especially since we don't have any thrift stores here in Lyon!* But you can't spend money you don't have right?!!

I'm going to stick to it though, mainly because there is a light at the end of that tunnel. In May, we're planning a trip to Paris and to Belgium, where I plan to treat myself to a budget of €100 for some vintage and thrift shopping! :D And after that? Hmm, let's see if I get this far, then I can plan my budget for the next 7 months of 2012.

I'm going to post my a breakdown of my expenses at the end of each month, so that I can keep track of where my money is going. So if any of you is interested in following my budgeting journey, look out for the 'Budgeting's a bitch' posts :)

*Just as soon as I wrote this, I discovered a secondhand/vintage store in Lyon - Tilt Vintage. I already see a zillion things I want - denim shirt, denim shorts, corduroy blazer, tweed blazer, plaid skirt... sigh!

I resolve...

2012-01-07T09:07:00.001+01:00

I was just comparing my first ever outfit post and my last post of 2011, marvelling at the difference in my style in just 4 months!

Sept 14th, 2011

Dec 25th, 2011

When I started this blog, I didn't know anything about my body or the styles or colours that suited me. I've learnt a lot over these past few months and I'm definitely dressing in a way that is more 'me'. However, I still occasionally struggle with throwing together an outfit in the morning and find myself wishing for certain pieces that are missing in my wardrobe. I am also stuck with some closet orphans and several pieces of clothing that are far from being perfect, be it in fit or colour.Hence, this year, I want to focus on streamlining my style and my wardrobe a lot more for which I have made five style resolutions.

Ki's Style Resolutions for 2012:

1. I resolve to buy more items in neutral colours other than black - Neutrals like cream, grey, olive, navy and certain shades of brown suit me well and I would love some basic tanks and tees, skirts or dresses and maybe even shoes in these colours. So yeah, everything. :P

2. I resolve to stick to a colour palette - I'm planning to limit myself to a few colours that suit me well - red, pink and orange. Most hues of these colours (except pastels) make me look fresh and glowing and who doesn't want that on an everyday basis? Of course, wearing just three colours would be super boring, so I'm adding in three colours that I like and that would complement the above colours - purple (a jewel toned version), yellow (mustard/goldenrod) and teal/aqua.

3. I resolve to wear more skirts and dresses - I'm currently super disillusioned with jeans and pants since my new grey jeans and cord pants have stretched out after one wear - both are gaping at the back and sliding down. Ugh. I have never ever found a pair of jeans that fits perfectly anyway - something is always 'off'. Plus, I've always wanted to wear more skirts/dresses, but it wasn't always easy in India, where wearing anything that reveals a lot of skin is a little dangerous. So, now that I'm living in France, I finally plan to change over to a slightly more feminine style of dressing! :)

4. I resolve to invest in quality pieces rather than spending on a lot of cheapie items - After a few recent shopping disaster including a lot of low quality stuff from H&M and the world's worst jeans from Pimkie, I have resolved to focus on quality rather than quality. One item for €100 that lasts several years is a lot better than buying several items for €15-€20 that fall apart after a few wears!

5. I resolve to limit myself to a certain number of purchases per season - I'm maxed out financially for winter, but come spring 2012 and I will make a list, per season, of the items that I really need (and maybe one or two trendy pieces that I really want) depending on my budget at the time. And then, come hell or high water, I will stick to it. That way, I will not just be a hoarder of clothes, I will buy each item in my wardrobe knowing that I will wear it all season!

So at the end of 2012, I should have a wardrobe full of quality pieces that I love to wear in colours that suit me. Sounds ambitious, doesn't it? But I'm sure I can do it! I'm going to put these resolutions on the sidebar of the blog and print out a copy to stick on my fridge, just so that I can remind myself of them everyday! :D

Have you made any style resolutions for the new year?

Cosy

2012-01-06T11:09:00.001+01:00

How has 2012 been treating you guys? I must say, my year got off to a rocky start. We got stuck at Delhi airport on our way back and reached home one and a half days later than we planned. So on 31st night, all we ended up doing was sleeping. Oh and did I mention I was unwell too? I had the worst upset stomach in the history of my life and I'm still getting over it.

Oh well. Let's hope it gets better from here on. :)

Outfit breakdown
turtleneck - go sport, lyon
dress - janpath, delhi (old)
scarf - husband's
leggings - forever 21, india
boots - birkin, lyon

If you're wondering why I'm sitting, it's because the spare room where I take my photos is full of suitcases and the rest of our tiny apartment is messy. Please forgive the stupid pose, I hope to get better at this someday. I do love this outfit though - I layered a sleeveless thermal under the turtleneck, these leggings are super thick and I'm wearing fleece lined boots, so it was super warm and cosy. And what more does anyone want from an outfit on a cold, windy day?

Happy New Year! :)

2012-01-01T13:11:00.000+01:00

Wishing you and your family a 2012 full of health, happiness and prosperity. May you have a great year ahead :)

As for me, I had a great vacation with my family and I'm still recovering from too much good food and jet lag. See you in a few days with some new and (hopefully) creative outfits!

L to R: my grandma, my mom, my husband, me, my dad

A little bit of red...

2011-12-25T16:00:00.000+01:00

... just to add some Christmas cheer! :)

Merry Christmas to you all!

Sunlight

2011-12-24T16:35:00.000+01:00

I tried out a new style of trying my scarf today after seeing this post on Schoolmarm Style and my neck was warm and cosy all day. I'm also wearing my brand new corduroy pants, gifted to me by my aunt for my birthday. :) But the best part about today's post? The gorgeous light in which we got to take pictures! My parents' house is so much bigger than our house in France - there are two gorgeous balconies where we can take photos and I'm planning to snap a few more outfit pictures there before I leave!

Outfit breakdown
sweater - pimkie, lyon
cords - promod, new delhi (gifted)
scarf - birkin, lyon
belt - jennyfer, lyon
shoes - clarks, new delhi

Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate and Happy Holidays to all those who are just enjoying the year end and the festive atmosphere! :)

Let's not 'vest' any time...

2011-12-24T04:50:00.001+01:00

...in wearing new stuff! Yeah, that sounded much funnier in my head. This vest is another of the gifts my parents gave me. I love how vibrant it is and the best part is that it is reversible, so it is basically two vests in one! :D

new favourite pose

stupid much?

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m, lyon
jeans - pimkie, lyon
vest - gifted
socks - h&m, lyon
shoes - clarks, new delhi
earrings - etsy

These oxfords are new too. The faux leather ones I bought for my birthday turned out to be really uncomfortable so when I found these yesterday, I just couldn't resist. They have the cushiest insoles ever and an amazing fit! Plus, they weren't TOO expensive for leather shoes. Yay for new things! :D

Maximised and Indianised

2011-12-23T05:34:00.001+01:00

I've seen a countless number of bloggers rocking the chunky sweater and maxi skirt combo, but I haven't had the maxi skirt to try out the look. That changed when my parents gifted me a gorgeous Indian maxi skirt in the most beautiful colours and prints that I have ever seen. Even though it isn't the jersey knit maxi that everyone pairs with sweaters, I decided to try out the look and I liked it. :) I do want to try with a sleeker sweater though!

Outfit breakdown
sweater - tibetan market, new delhi (old)
skirt - gifted
earrings - people tree, new delhi
bangles - india

What do you think? Did I carry it off?

P.S. Ignore the slippers - I don't know why I forgot to take them off!!!

Guest post - Su

2011-12-22T16:27:00.000+01:00

Hi guys! Sorry for not posting or commenting - I'm too busy enjoying myself in Delhi! I do have an amazing guest post for you today from Su of My Perfume Diaries. She is lucky enough to have found the perfect pair of jeans (I am still searching for them!) and has created some beautiful outfits featuring them. :)

The Perfect Pair Of Jeans

The perfect pair of jeans (like the perfect red lipstick) is like a soul mate, there is one for everyone but it takes time, a lot of trial and error to find 'the one'. I found my perfect pair of jeans about 3 years ago. Brand: Just Jeans. Style: Skinny. It is dark wash, shaded denim. The waist is mid rise, aka I can hide my muffin top and sits well on my waist. The size is odd number which is big enough for my bottom but fitting enough for the waist (I have pear shaped body) The overall effect is quite slimming! My wardrobe isn't big and I recycle my styles a lot. Having the perfect pair of jeans means I can wear it with everything.
When Ki asked me for a guest post, I was thrilled and honoured and at the same time I wasn't sure what to write about. You see, my fashion sense isn't really that good or consistent. I can be hippy-ish some days and very polished on some other days. So, I thought I'd send some pictures of past 6 months, which reflect my style. These pictures weren't intended as outfit pictures, so forgive the poses (eyes closed, squinting because of the sun, wind, etc) I chose pics that show the outfit the best. Oh, they all have one thing in common, my perfect pair of jeans!

Pink Top: Esprit
Grey (old lady) Cardigan: Roem
Shoes: Reebok
(In my defense, I had to walk a lot that day :))
Sunglasses: Cancer Council
Place: War Memorial, Canberra

Black Sweater/Top: Petite Stitches
Nude Shoes: Girl Express KMart
Watch: Fossil
Brooch: Look Good Feel Better foundation
Sunglasses: Ray Ban
Place: Local park

Sailor stripes top/dress: Miss Shop
Faux leather jacket: Zara
Boots (also faux leather): Valley Girl
Bag: Esprit
Place: Opera House Sydney featuring Daisy Cab!

Black top: Marks and Spencers
Knit Poncho/wrap: Sportsgirl
Bag: Mimco Tote
Watch: Fossil
Sunglasses: Ted Baker
Nude Shoes: Girl Express KMart
Place: CBD Sydney

Sweater Top: Zara
Faux Leather Jacket: Zara
Coral colored, rose shaped earrings: Sportsgirl
Sunglasses: Ted Baker (?)
Place: Bondi Beach, Sydney

All the pictures show my ring which I wear everyday. It is an amethyst stone cast in silver.
I really have a question to ask, in the outfit in front of Daisy Cab, I have worn brown jacket with black boots. Do you think it is a fashion sin?

Indi-yeah!

2011-12-18T14:53:00.002+01:00

I'm in India right now and really enjoying being home! Thank you all for the lovely comments on my birthday post, I read each one on my cellphone and was so touched to see all your wishes. :)

Here's my outfit of the day.

Outfit breakdown
kurta - gifted (tailored to fit)
jeans - pimkie, lyon
earrings - mom's

And yes, for those of you who are wondering, I'm not wearing a sweater or a jacket. Why? Because Chennai, where my in laws stay, is really warm even at this time of the year! So I went back to one of the formulas I loved when I was in college - long cotton tunic (called a 'kurta') and jeans. Isn't it great? Very 'East meets West' :D I'm off to my parents' home in Delhi tomorrow though and it is freezing there! So expect to see a lot of layers, albeit with a few new clothes thrown in!

Ooh, before I forget to post them, here are a few pictures from our trip to Venice. :)

gondolas!

my birthday dinner at hard rock cafe!

rialto bridge

atop the bridge

st. mark's basilica

I wouldn't say I loved the city, but I'm glad I got to visit it atleast once! Have you been to Venice?

Lyon Part II

2011-12-16T16:03:00.001+01:00

Today, I'm going to show you a glimpse of Lyon's festival of lights - the 'Fête des lumières' which celebrates the day the Virgin Mary rid us of the plague!

If you ever plan to visit Lyon, do it during the Fête des lumières - the whole city looks gorgeous!!!

P.S. This is a scheduled post while I travel to Italy and India. I will resume posting asap, either from Delhi or when I return to France. :)

Lyon Part I

2011-12-15T16:03:00.001+01:00

I promised you guys some pictures of Lyon ages ago and I'm finally getting around to posting them! Here are some of the pictures I took of Old Lyon, which is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most gorgeous areas of Lyon :)

the saone river

the famous puppet theatre - thêatre de guignol

the road to the basilique de fourvière - lyon's hilltop church

the furnicular for those who don't want to walk

isn't this the most breathtaking church? st john's church

and this is the basilique de fourvière

yum!

and more!!!

lyon's famous 'traboules' - a maze of hidden passageways

another traboule - creepy yet SO cool!

lyon's famous silk :)

warm, fresh waffles with nutella

and hot spiced wine to wash it down!

Isn't it a beautiful city? If you're ever in Europe, you really should visit Lyon - it is not as famous as Paris, but it is just as amazing, if not more! :)

Come back tomorrow for Part II which will showcase Lyon's 'Fête des Lumières' (festival of lights)!

P.S. This is a scheduled post while I travel to Italy and India. I will resume posting asap, either from Delhi or when I return to France. :)

Happy :)

2011-12-13T15:33:00.001+01:00

As of yesterday, I've been married for one whole year. And today, I turned 22. Wow.

I'm just so happy that I can't even put it in words. I've married my best friend, I'm living in the city of my dreams and I'm learning the language that I've loved since I was 12. And now, I have this amazing blog where I'm discovering my style and confidence and making such great friends! What more could I ask for?

Anyway, this post is going to be a bit haphazard - an old outfit that I never got around to posting, plus I'm going to introduce someone very special to me. :)

Here's the outfit I wore on the 8th of December to the 'Fête des lumières' celebration in Lyon.

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m, lyon
jeans - promod, lyon
coat - mango, india
necklace - spike the punch, etsy
lips - silk naturals lip stain in Dixie

And in honour of our anniversary, I want to introduce you guys to the love of my life and the person who takes all my photos, even when he is running late in the morning - my husband Karthik :)

He is, in all honesty, my better half and I couldn't imagine my life without him.

P.S. This is a scheduled post while I travel to Italy and India. I will resume posting asap, either from Delhi or when I return to France. :)

1 2 3 repeat!

2011-12-12T14:43:00.000+01:00

Since almost all my clothes are in a suitcase, I wore my orange H&M sweater again and ended up pairing it with red again. :P

Outfit breakdown

sweater - h&m, lyon

skirt - thrifted

belt - jennyfer, lyon

earrings - india

ring (on right hand) - swarovski

I'm rushing off to do some more packing and then to a special anniversary dinner, so that's all for today folks!

A bientôt!

2011-12-11T14:31:00.000+01:00

That means 'see you soon' in French and I'm saying that because I'm going on holiday! :D

My husband and I are leaving for Venice on Tuesday for a short break to celebrate our one year anniversary (tomorrow) and my 22nd birthday (monday)! Yay!!! Then we'll head off to India to spend a few days with our families. I don't think I'll be able to post any more outfits until I am in Delhi, mostly due to lack of access to the internet. So until then I have a few scheduled posts and a guest post or two lined up for you. :)

Today, we just headed off to do some last minute shopping for our families and here is what I wore.

Outfit breakdown
shirt - allen solly, india
sweater - h&m, lyon
jeans - pimkie, lyon
necklace and earrings - etsy

This is the first time I've ever buttoned up my collar completely and I like it - it has a very preppy feel to it! It almost made me wish I had a pearl necklace to wear under my collar, but then I added this steampunk necklace and it felt very 'me! :D

This sweater is such bad quality though - not only is it itchy, but after just a few wears it has started pilling and tearing! I would just throw it away if the colour wasn't so gorgeous. Stupid H&M. None of their stuff is really worth the low prices since it doesn't last. And it's not just this sweater - my fingerless gloves are unravelling and both my flower pins broke!!! GAH! No more shopping at H&M unless I am buying the other brands they carry like LOGG and Divided.

Btw, I'm wearing Silk Naturals' lip stain in Dixie on my lips - it is my current favourite lip colour and one that I am going to keep wearing till it runs out. If anyone is on the lookout for the perfect reddish-orange lip, get it!

Neutrals challenge week - Pop(s) of colour

2011-12-10T14:55:00.002+01:00

Today is the last day of neutrals week and even though I didn't participate every day of the week, I have to say that an all-neutral outfit is really tough for me to come up with!

So I'm really glad for today's 'pop of colour' challenge, although I still think I cheated a little by adding two colourful elements to my outfit! :P

Outfit breakdown
leather jacket - gift from husband
sweater - h&m, lyon
jeans - pimkie, lyon
necklace - promod, lyon
earrings - etsy

I loved wearing this aqua necklace with yellow pants, although the latter could use some ironing. What's up with all the wrinkles? :P

Neutrals challenge week - Navy

2011-12-09T13:28:00.001+01:00

I think everyone who reads this blog has seen the one and only navy thing that I own - a cardigan. I didn't want to wear black or grey with it, but I didn't want to add colour either! So to work around that, I went for an 'all-blue' look with a lix of navy, dark teal, denim blue and cobalt! :)

Outfit breakdown
cardigan - forever 21
t shirt - forever 21
jeans - pimkie, lyon
belt - from my grey sweater tunic
necklace - etsy

I like it - I think it is so much fun to sometimes work with one colour and see all the various possibilities it can have! Does this mean I cheated since I'm not only wearing neutrals? Ummm... maybe. :P

Open to interpretation challenge

2011-12-08T13:38:00.001+01:00

While I'm forced to take a break from neutrals week due to the lack of brown and cognac in my closet, I'm linking up to Erica, Amy and Kayla's Open to Interpretation challenge today! :)

Here's the inspiration:

And here is my interpretation:

A few thoughts on my first 'interpretation challenge'?
*This outfit is basically a repeat of one I wore a while ago but with different accessories. Oops. :P
*This is a very loose interpretation. I just picked up the main elements - chunky sweater, red pants and stripes - and just put them together!
*I wish I had some kind of cap/hat to 'complete' the outfit, but I don't own even one. Sigh.

Oh and I forgot to take a picture of the shoes I wore - I went with my heeled oxfords since the inspiration photo shows a lace-up shoe.

Neutrals challenge week - Grey

2011-12-06T13:33:00.001+01:00

Today's outfit is brought to you by some very great people - Megan and Keely, who are hosting this challenge in which today's theme is grey and Heather who suggested that I try tucking my grey sweater tunic into skirts/shorts. You guys are are all awesome. :)

And another photo that I found oddly pretty. Btw, notice how my hair has decided it wants to look completely different on either side of my head? Yay me.

Outfit breakdown
sweater tunic - forever 21, delhi
skirt - thrifted
tights - gipsy via asos
earrings - moa, lyon
flower pin - h&m

What do you think? I know the skirt doesn't necessarily count as being a neutral colour, but frankly, I find this shade of red to be pretty neutral. Plus, even if the red skirt means I cheated, I should get brownie points for wearing two shades of grey (I'm wearing a light grey tank under the tunic) and for accessorising in neutral colours with my white leaf earrings and cream flower pin! Right? ;)

P.S. I might not be able to participate tomorrow and day after tomorrow since I don't have any brown/cognac in my wardrobe, plus I'm linking up to another challenge on Thursday! I will post more neutral outfits on Friday and Saturday. :)

Neutrals challenge week - Black

2011-12-05T13:57:00.001+01:00

So I'm back with a new hairstyle and an all new challenge hosted by Megan and Keely! This time, it's neutrals week - a challenge for me, since apart from black, I don't really have a lot of neutral colours in my closet.

But lucky for me, the theme for today is black, so I managed to pull together an outfit without too much of a problem!

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m, lyon
skirt - thrifted
tights - gipsy via asos
earrings - india
necklace - whimsy beading, etsy

I like this outfit since it is neutral but not boring, with its mix of stripes and florals. Plus, the necklace adds a pop of colour without being too much of a statement. The only problem is that my hair is doing something really wonky on one side, but frankly, I've had long hair for ages and I'm still trying to figure out how to style this new do!

P.S. Notice the neutral eye makeup? Just gold shadow and a plummy brown liner, both from my Urban Decay Naked palette, which goes with everything! I'm also wearing some sparkly gloss, but I don't think you can see it, thanks to my pigmented lips.

P.P.S. I was featured on Fab Finds under 50's December Outfit inspiration calender! Yay me! :D

A little change...

2011-12-03T14:36:00.001+01:00

Yep, that long hair is ALL gone! :D

One of those days...

2011-12-01T14:10:00.000+01:00

... when you're up since 5am and still can't get to time, when you forget to eat breakfast and find nothing in the fridge for lunch, when your jeans zip open by themselves several times and someone else points this out and when your husband takes one camera and you seem to have lost the other... yeah, I had one of those.

But being the dedicated blogger that I am, here is my outfit of the day, brought to you by my cellphone. Please forgive the crappy quality - regular photos will resume tomorrow :)

Outfit breakdown

t shirt - gap, lyon

jeans - pimkie, lyon

cardigan - forever 21, new delhi

belt - from a sweater tunic

necklace - moa, lyon

P.S. In the remote chance that anyone from France is reading this, please don't buy Pimkie's regular waist skinny jeans - they are weirdly baggy in the knees and make me look like I have a penis.

Shooooooez

2011-11-30T19:21:00.000+01:00

So I went to the mall today to go have another look at my most coveted items - the skirt and the shoes. Seriously guys, I just went to the stores, looked at them and left, although I may have touched them longingly once or twice. Or not. I'm not disclosing anything.

I've been really struggling about which one to get, since I cannot afford a €70 skirt and €100 shoes at once, and I've been bugging all of you too, right? Sorry! Anyhow, I randomly walked into Pimkie today and saw some super cheap brown oxfords. Which I randomly decided to try on. Which fit! So now you get a million pictures of them.

So they aren't the rich brown colour of the original oxfords. Nor are they as buttery soft. But they really do fit well and are pretty comfortable. Plus, as evidenced by the pictures, they do look pretty good on right? :) So I've decided to get these instead of the super expensive ones. Well, for now. This way, I can try out the trend at a low price and then if I feel like I wear them enough, I can spring for the €100 ones without feeling guilty. Plus, I can get both the things I wanted for my birthday - leather skirt and oxfords. Yay! :D

What do you guys think of these shoes? Do you wear oxfords?

'Reddy' for class (plus: need some advice!)

2011-11-29T19:25:00.005+01:00

Some items are really tough to style in a lot of different ways, like my grey sweater tunic from Forever 21. I don't know what to pair it with besides leggings or jeans, since it is too damn short for tights. So I usually end up trying to jazz it up with accessories and today I decided that it was my skull scarf's turn.

Outfit breakdown

sweater tunic - forever 21, delhi

leggings - forever 21, delhi

scarf - birkin, lyon

earrings - mom's

I got so many compliments on this outfit today! That was totally surprising and awesome, since I literally put it together in 5 minutes and didn't even think it looked that great. Skull scarf, I love you!

P.S. You can't see them but I was wearing black boots today and they really made this outfit edgy. From tomorrow, I'm going to add in a shot of my shoes.

P.P.S. My birthday is in two weeks and I can't for the life of me decide what I want to get - this leather skirt or the perfect pair of dark brown oxfords that have been on my wishlist forever! So I'm adding a poll to my sidebar - it would really help me out if you guys vote and help me decide :)

Pattern mixing

2011-11-28T14:12:00.000+01:00

I had one part of my end of semester exams today - an oral presentation and so I decided to go with a skirt, since it would undoubtedly make me feel pretty and hence, confident! And it worked! :)

Outfit breakdown

shirt - allen solly, india

skirt - thrifted

sweater - esprit, lyon

tights - gipsy via asos

earrings - etsy

The shirt, skirt and sweater combo reminded me of the winter uniform I used to wear to school and for that, this outfit is one of my favourites! And of course, I feel like such a bonafide blogger with polka dots and a floral pattern in the same outfit ;)

P.S. I'll put up all the pictures of my Lyon tour in my next post :)

Funny faces!

2011-11-26T20:35:00.000+01:00

I went on a guided tour of Old Lyon today* and by the time I got back, I was so tired that I just couldn't pose properly after the first (slightly) decent picture and all I got were funny faces! So I decided to post one of those too!

Too tired to write anything more today, including an outfit breakdown, so that's it for today folks!

P.S. Would you guys be interested in seeing some pictures of my tour? Lyon is gorgeous and I'm sure you would enjoy seeing it through my eyes. :)

Top of the charts! :D

2011-11-25T23:08:00.000+01:00

I got very late today thanks to the Black Friday online sales (I bought some makeup!) and then completely forgot to take an outfit photo! In the evening, I decided to spend some time cleaning up my closet and ended up with a giant wishlist that I managed to pare down to the things that I absolutely MUST add to my closet!

image via google images

I thought it would be fun to share my most coveted shoes and clothes with all of you, so here you go:

Top 5 shoes on my wishlist:-
1. Brown flat oxfords
2. Leopard print flats
3. Dark red/maroon loafers
4. Dark brown/black 'walkable' wedge pumps
5. Stylish sneakers

Top 10 clothing items on my wishlist:-
1. Basic cream shirt
2. Chambray shirt
3. Dark wash skinny jeans
4. Dark wash bootcut jeans
5. Brown/grey corduroy pants
6. Trouser shorts (you know what I mean right? The longish shorts that are not hot pants?)
7. Dark wash denim skirt
8. Basic black waistcoat (vest)
9. Denim waistcoat (vest)
10. 3/4th sleeve little coloured dress

I think this list will be really helpful when I shop, since it will help me avoid impulsive and unnecessary purchases. Plus, it gives me an idea of where I want to take my personal style. :) Are you a list maker like me? What's on your wishlist?

Yellow and red

2011-11-24T14:58:00.001+01:00

My photographer isn't home today but I really liked my outfit of the day and didn't want to let it go undocumented, so I had to go back to my old ways of photo taking.

Outfit breakdown

t shirt - forever 21, delhi (last seen here)

skirt - thrifted (last seen here)

sweater - esprit, lyon (last seen here)

coat - mango, delhi

scarf - husband's

earrings - mom's

tights - gipsy via asos

flats - moa, lyon

What do you think? Ridiculously colourful or fun and creative? :D

P.S. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! :)

To buy or not to buy?

2011-11-23T15:49:00.003+01:00

I overslept and missed my creative writing class today, so I ended up making a trip to the mall. I didn't buy anything, but I found two items that I have had on my wishlist for a while now - the perfect leather oxfords and the perfect leather skirt, both of which I want to go back and buy!

The shoes are a rich cognac colour, feel really soft and supple to touch and fit me so perfectly that even I was shocked (given all my shoes issues). They are definitely expensive at €99, but to be honest, I tried oxfords at six different stores today all of which had something wrong with them, so I may just end up getting them. I didn't manage to get a picture of them though, since the store was really fancy and I didn't think whipping out my cellphone and clicking away would be okay with the salespeople. Trust me though, I would marry those shoes if I could.

The skirt I found at Promod for €69.99 - a chocolate brown colour that looked pretty great on me! I did manage to get a few crappy cellphone pictures of it.

And for those of you wanting a better look at the colour of the skirt, here is a really bizarre last minute picture that I took.

What do you guys think of the skirt? I really want to go back and get it but I'm not sure what I would wear it with. If you had this exact skirt - what would you pair it with? Help!

P.S. Yep, this was my outfit of the day - pink turtleneck, rust cardigan, aqua necklace plus a pair of jeans.

Pink roses

2011-11-22T15:33:00.001+01:00

Wow, I took a long break from posting outfit pictures again, right? Blame it on the weather - I'm still recovering from a fever and cough and cold! But I'm back now and hopefully, I'm here to stay. :)

Here's what I wore today:

Outfit breakdown

sweater - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)

shorts - thrifted (last seen here)

scarf - jennyfer, lyon

tights - gipsy via asos
necklaces, earrings - etsy

Yep, just trying to stay as warm as possible! I didn't realise before I saw these photos that I had repeated this shorts and tights combo, but I really wanted to wear pink and teal today, so I don't mind. I also layered two necklaces for the first time, which I think I will attempt again sometime soon. For now, I'm going to go back to the couch with my box of tissues and catch up on reading all your blogs! :)

My Black Friday makeup wishlist!

2011-11-20T20:04:00.002+01:00

This Black Friday, the only company I plan to shop from online is Morgana Cryptoria, since I've heard a lot about their lip products. Here's my wishlist! :D

Plumeria lipstick

Shrieking violet lipstick

It girl lipstick

Cat's pajamas lipstick

Diabolical Druscilla lip balm

Countess Bathory lip balm

Copper pipe dream lip gloss

Fallen leaves lip gloss

Mystical lip gloss

Witches brew lip gloss

What do you guys think? Have you tried any of these colours? I'm really excited to try both the slightly extraordinary ones like the purple and the plums and all the reds, since I don't have any red lippies in my collection! :)

P.S. I know this isn't a style related post or an outfit of the day, but I thought it would be fun to share some makeup related stuff here as well!

New shoes!

2011-11-18T12:24:00.001+01:00

Before I show you my latest acquisitions, I should probably give you a little bit of background on my feet. I have wide feet that are almost flat footed plus one foot is slightly smaller than the other. What that means is that a lot of shoes squish my feet and give me horrible wounds, others (like all pointy toed shoes) don't fit me at all and in some brands and types of shoes, one foot of mine is a size 38 and the other a 39. I usually wear flip flops or ballet flats, simply because they aren't uncomfortable, but because of the flatness of my feet, I started getting cramps after a while of walking in them.

Sounds like a lot of problems, doesn't it? It really is. But since I've started this blog, I've really wanted to incorporate some better looking shoes into my wardrobe, especially some 'not too high' heels, since I'm barely 5''4' tall. After almost a month of trying on shoes (and getting disappointed in the process), I finally found one pair of shoes that fit all my categories - closed shoes for winter, heeled but not 'unwalkable' and comfortable - a pair of black oxfords!

These were originally priced at €69.99 at Bata, but they were having a 30% off promotion so I got them for €48!

The second pair is slightly less good looking, yet immensely useful now that it's going to be snowing here in a few weeks and I can't possibly manage with either my ballet flats or these oxfords.

Be honest, do they look funny? They aren't the most stylish shoes ever made, but they are fleece lined which makes them super warm and they aren't made of real leather which results in them being cheap as well as useful in wet and slushy weather.

Next up on my list are flat brown oxfords. I've seen so many people wearing them with rolled up jeans and cute socks that I really want a pair for myself! Maybe I will get them in time for my birthday! ;)

P.S. I've entered a contest at Whimsy Beading where I created my own colourway for one of their necklaces, inspired by one of my own wedding saris. If you haven't already, please help me win by voting for my idea 'Sari' here (http://whimsybeading.blogspot.com/2011/11/your-favorite-colors-time-to-vote.html). I'm lagging behind a bit, so the votes would be much appreciated! Thanks :)

Tuck it in

2011-11-16T11:41:00.000+01:00

Today was another freezing cold day and I had to leave super early, thanks to the oral examination that I had today. But I really wanted to wear my rust cardigan instead of another thick sweater! So I ended up tucking the cardigan into my jeans and wearing a jacket on top, which thankfully, worked very well to keep me warm! :)

Outfit breakdown
t shirt - forever 21, delhi (last seen here)
cardigan - h&m, lyon (last seen here)
belt - jennyfer, lyon
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
jacket - gift from my husband (last seen here)
scarf - birkin, lyon
earrings - molly the pirate, etsy

Do you think it worked stylistically as well? Or does the tucked cardigan look odd?

The one where I have no idea what to do with my hands

2011-11-15T15:47:00.001+01:00

Here's what I wore for the written portion of the exam today - the sweater, blazer and scarf were for warmth, since it was 2°C outside and because exam halls are invariably freezing! You can't seem them clearly, but instead of the dark wash jeans I planned to wear, I put on my red jeans for a dash of confidence.

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m (last seen here)
blazer - thrifted (last seen here)
red pants - promod (last seen here)
earrings - molly the pirate, etsy
brooch - moa, lyon
scarf - jennyfer, lyon

So do you guys see where I got the title of this post from? I just didn't know what to do with my hands - nothing looked right! So I ended up just clasping them in front of me and on seeing these photos, I realise how utterly daft that looks.

P.S. Thank you for all your wishes for the exam! Today's was pretty good and I'm hoping tomorrow's section will go well too :)

P.P.S. I've entered a contest at Whimsy Beading where I created my own colourway for one of their necklaces, inspired by one of my own wedding saris. If you haven't already, please help me win by voting for my idea 'Sari' here (http://whimsybeading.blogspot.com/2011/11/your-favorite-colors-time-to-vote.html). Thanks :)

short break and some exciting news

2011-11-14T08:54:00.000+01:00

I have a French diploma exam tomorrow and an oral examination on Wednesday and I am freaking out since last night! So I think I will just take two-three days off blogging and concentrate on my studies! Wish me luck because this time, I think I really need it!

As for the exciting news, I entered a contest at Whimsy Beading where I created my own colourway for one of their gorgeous necklaces, inspired by this sari I wore at my wedding.

It was chosen as one of the top 6 colourways and I could really use your vote to help me win! Please vote for my colourway 'Sari' here (http://whimsybeading.blogspot.com/2011/11/your-favorite-colors-time-to-vote.html). It would mean a lot to me! :)

Black and blue!

2011-11-13T14:16:00.001+01:00

My husband is the biggest proponent of neutrals there is. His closet is chock full of black, grey and navy and he loves it when I wear neutral colours too, although he has grown used to my more colourful outfits as well! He picked out today's outfit (with the exception of my tights) and I think it looks pretty good! :)

Outfit breakdown

top - allen solly, delhi (last seen here)

shorts - jacqueline riu, thrifted (last seen here)

denim jacket - camaieu, lyon (last seen here)

scarf - husband's

earrings - india

tights - gipsy via asos

Here's a closeup of my face so that you can get a better look at my makeup.

Makeup breakdown
Eyes
fyrinnae darling misfit (pink with blue duochrome) - lid
urban decay gunmetal (sparkly grey) - crease
urban decay virgin (cream) - highlight
darling girl cosmetics midnight train eyeliner (navy with pink glitter)
diorshow extase mascara
Lips
tinted lip balm

I wore this on a trip to the zoo today and I felt comfortable yet stylish throughout the day! What do you guys think? :)

It's only going to get better from here on!

2011-11-12T18:03:00.001+01:00

When I started this blog, I didn't think anyone would read it. 2 months and 42 followers later, I'm still astounded that all of you are interested in what I wear everyday, especially considering that I'm not as half as stylish as any of you! Thank you for reading :)

And most of all, thank you for putting up with my outfit photos - indoor photos with crap lighting and my face obscured by the camera and all the crap of the world in the background! If you've noticed, I've slowly started clearing up the background. And, my husband and I recently made two investments that will make the photos on this blog much better - a camera (a Nikon D3100) and a Gorilla pod. This means, or atleast it will once I get the hang of these purchases, that you will be able to see clearer photos of my outfits as well as my face. And once I work up the courage to set out all alone with my camera, you might even get some outdoor shoots!

Let me warn you though - I look pretty awful in photos. Whenever someone asks me to pose, I end up giving the most fake smile ever and ruining the photo. Oh and despite having huge eyes, I always squint and making them look tiny whenever I'm clicked. Don't believe me? Here is today's outfit photo.

Outfit breakdown
polo t shirt - benetton, india
sweater - esprit, lyon (last seen here)
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
cuff - moa, lyon
earrings - india

I look so weird :D Get used to it though, because you are going to see a lot more of these photos!

P.S. Now that you can see my face, would you be interested in knowing what makeup I have on, if any?

The long and short of it

2011-11-10T14:06:00.000+01:00

So after my great finds on my last shopping trip, I decided to go back to H&M and check out the accessories section a little more carefully. And I came back with just one necklace - a copy of J Crew's Bubble Bib necklace (that costs $150) for just €10!

Here is the original.

source

Mine is almost exactly the same, but I definitely think it is a little too long for me.

Here is how it looks on me at its original length.

When I wear it so long, I feel like it kind of hangs off my bust, if you know what I mean, and gets kind of lopsided. Plus, it really bounces around when I walk.

I think it looks a lot better at this length - it makes a statement without drawing attention to the twins! Of course, a slightly higher neckline would show it off a lot more but still, this just works. Except of course, the gigantic piece of chain that hangs to one side after I've adjusted the length to make it shorter! I can hide it with a jacket for now, but I think I'm just going to get the extra length cut off.

What do you guys think? Long or short?

P.S. I wore this outfit to university today, without the necklace, since I couldn't decide what length to wear it at. I added in a pink scarf for a pop of colour instead.

Pop of pink!

2011-11-09T15:05:00.000+01:00

I dropped by at H&M yesterday to pick up a pair of socks and bought these items.

I spent just €10, but I ended up with the stuff I've been searching for everywhere - flower pins and a pair of fingerless gloves. Yay! And I'm so proud of myself for not buying any clothing, even the €7 sweaters on sale, because I didn't need any.

Of course, I had to wear one of these items today and since it wasn't cold enough for gloves, I decided to go with the pink flower pin. Here's how I wore it.

Outfit breakdown
sweater tunic - forever 21, delhi (last seen here)
leggings - zara, new delhi
boots - local shop, new delhi
flower pin - h&m, lyon
earrings - moa, lyon

I'm not going to pretend that I came up with this outfit in a few minutes, but the 30 minutes that I spent figuring it out were well worth it since I was complimented on it the moment I stepped into university. I love how the toughness of the dark colours and the boots is balanced out by the pop of pink! I also wore a pink tinted lip balm to match the pin, but you can't really see it here.

What do you think? Does it look okay? :)

It's been a while

2011-11-08T14:08:00.002+01:00

I cannot believe I've gone so long without posting my outfit of the day! Actually I kinda can. I fell into a bit of a funk style wise and ended up getting super frustrated with my tiny wardrobe over the weekend. But instead of going out and buying stuff, I tried on all my clothes in different permutations and combinations and came up with a list of about 40 fail proof outfits! And to be honest, I'm sure I could come up with a few more. Anyway, for atleast the next 5-6 weeks, I won't have to deal with my 'what the hell do I wear?!' problem.

Here's outfit #1 that I wore to college today.

Outfit breakdown
orange sweater - h&m, lyon (last seen here)
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
necklace - promod, lyon

Isn't this sweater pretty? I love the almost neon orange colour and the fit. Plus, it cost only 10€. The catch? It is really scratchy on the inside. Stupid H&M.

Birthday wishlist - jewellery updated

2011-11-04T17:46:00.001+01:00

My birthday isn't anytime soon, so I really shouldn't be making wishlists already, but Etsy is so addictive that I already have a zillion pieces of gorgeous jewellery that I want!

The Paula necklace in turquoise from Bear and the Honeybee

Neon orange and purple necklace from Spike the Punch

A pink version of this Stormy Seas necklace from EclecticOrnaments

Brass geometric necklace from minusOne

Baby bat earrings from Putumayo designs

Zipper bracelets from thehippychecksews

Leather cuff from Hollyhawk

Edited to add: Okay, this necklace is now on the top of my list - isn't it amazing?

Three tiered geometric necklace from Freshy Fig

Do you like any of these pieces? What would you pick from my wishlist? :D

Blazing ahead!

2011-11-03T14:02:00.001+01:00

A few months ago I bought an amazing olive blazer for €12 from a street market and then forgot all about it. I finally discovered it lying in my closet last week and got it dry cleaned! And now you will see it in a zillion posts :D

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m, lyon (last seen here)
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
denim blazer - caroll, thrifted
owl pin - enchanted leaves, gift with purchase
necklace - gift from my husband
earrings - india

What do you guys think of how I styled it? Any ideas on what else I can pair it with? Shorts maybe? I'm dying to try the blazer and shorts combo!

How I store my clothes and accessories

2011-11-02T15:56:00.001+01:00

No outfit photos today, just some pictures of how I store and organise my clothes and accessories!

Here's my side of our tiny closet!

On the shelf, I have piles for bottoms (skirts, shorts, leggings), full sleeve t shirts, short sleeve t shirts and nightwear. The bag in the back is some stuff that needs to be altered. Hung on the rack below that are my shirts and collared t shirts, coats and jeans. The boxes at the bottom of the cupboard have my sweaters (big box) and my tights and socks (small box).

Here is the clothes rack my husband and I bought.

We have hung all our jackets on this - mine on the left and my husband's on the right. In between are my belts. The taller rack has my Indian kurtas.

I have also adapted this clothes rack to store all my scarves and necklaces, thanks to these cool hangers I found.

If you can make out, my fluffy knit scarves are on a regular hanger, but all my other scarves are on a hanger with multiple layers (which I think was originally intended for pants). I also love the hanger with multiple hooks for all my necklaces! Having my scarves and necklaces on display like this will force me to wear something new everyday (or atleast every few days) instead of wearing the same favourites over and over.

Last but not least, here is the fabulous box my husband bought me for my earrings. I think it is originally meant for storing tea!

It currently holds all my earrings, rings, toe rings and pins, with room for more! Isn't it awesome?! Again, being able to see all my earrings in one place will hopefully lead to me being more creative with my earring choices.

Everything put together, including the clothes rack, cost me less than €50 and it's great how these simple additions have revolutionised my clothes and accessory storage system! I am longer the girl with the cramped closet and tangled up earrings and necklaces - I finally have the clutter free wardrobe of my dreams! :D

P.S. In answer to yesterday's question, I am not bored in the least to be wearing the same pieces of clothing in different outfits! In fact, I find it exciting to be able to work whatever I own into new and interesting combinations! :)

Pink and red!

2011-11-01T22:35:00.000+01:00

Today was an exhausting day! My husband and I finally decided to shift a few things around the house and to organise our closets! After some initial success, we realised that our wardrobe is way too small for all our stuff so we went out and bought some hangers; a really cool clothes rack and some plastic boxes to store stuff in. I also bought some fun things to help organise my accessories. I'll post pictures of all my newly organised stuff tomorrow :)

Here's what I wore on our shopping trip to the mall.

Outfit breakdown
sweater - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
jeans - promod, lyon (last seen here)
owl necklace - enchanted leaves, etsy
earrings - india

I wasn't too sure about how this combo when I thought of it, but it looked nice in person! That's one of the things about having just a few clothes - you have to keep thinking up of ways to make them exciting for you. I have to to ask you though, if you read this blog regularly, are you tired of seeing the same old clothes worn over and over in different outfits? Please drop me a comment and let me know!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:05:00.001+01:00

I wanted to dress up for Halloween today, but I'm not going to any parties so it seemed senseless to walk around in a costume. So I did the next best thing - I wore a Halloween inspired outfit. The outfit photo is a bit crap though, I broke our camera and until it gets fixed, all I have is my husband's cellphone!

Outfit breakdown

sweater - h&m, lyon

skirt - thrifted

scarf - birkin, lyon

tights - asos

shoes - zara, new delhi

I love how the orange and black together feel very Halloween-y (if that makes any sense). I also love the addition of my red skull scarf, because what could be more spooky than skulls?!

Hope you all have a great Halloween :D

This one's a quickie

2011-10-30T20:38:00.000+01:00

It feels weird to get dressed without a challenge in mind and today, I was at a bit of a loss on what to wear. So I just threw on whatever I could lay my eyes upon and ended up with a simple outfit.

Here's a close up of my beautiful necklace.

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m, lyon (new)
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
blazer - bangkok (last seen here)
flats - moa, lyon
necklace and earrings - molly the pirate, etsy

What do you guys think? I love the pairing of a colour neutral outfit and accessories with bright shoes! :)

Fall Trends Fashion Challenge - favourite fall trend

2011-10-29T20:17:00.000+02:00

Hi guys :)

Thank you so much for all your well wishes on my last post! We were both pretty sick yesterday, but we are definitely better now and I even mustered up the strength to wear something nice today after getting sick of my 'comfortable' attire.

Outfit breakdown
sweater - h&m, lyon (new)
scarf - h&m, lyon
jeans - promod, lyon (last seen here)
earrings - molly the pirate, etsy

This is my entry for the last day of Megan and Keely's 'This or That' Fall Fashion Challenge and this is the day where we could all wear our favourite trend!

While I am clearly wearing several trends (and mixing prints!), I have to say that my favourite trend for fall 2011 is red jeans! I think they would look great on everyone and the vibrant colour never fails to make my day :) Tell me - what is your favourite fall trend?

Short break

2011-10-28T15:41:00.000+02:00

Hi guys,

I'm going to be taking a day or two off since my husband and I both have a pretty awful case of food poisoning. Yeah, my bad day yesterday didn't lead to a really awesome day as I had hoped, especially considering that, thanks to our sudden illness, we had to cancel our weekend getaway to Paris. Gah!

Anyway, I'll be back Sunday or Monday depending on how I'm feeling, but till then I'll be reading all your blog posts from bed, even if I don't always comment! :)

Love,
Ki

Fall Trends Fashion Challenge - polka dots

2011-10-27T13:28:00.008+02:00

It is only 1pm and today has been a sucky day. I just want it to end so that I can wake up tomorrow and have a MUCH better one. What happened? My little finger got caught in my closet door and is now swollen and painful, so now I can't do half the household chores I had planned for today. As if that wasn't bad enough, I just squirted ketchup all over my new jeans, which I had worn for a record breaking duration of 10 minutes. Yay!

Anyway, I'm glad to be participating in Megan and Keely's 'This or That' Fall Trends challenge again.

Today's theme is dots or stripes and since you've seen the two striped items I own (a t shirt and a hoodie), I decided to wear my one and only polka dotted item - a red shirt.

Outfit breakdown

shirt - allen solly, india

sweater - esprit, lyon (new!)

jeans - esprit, lyon (new!)

boots - zara, new delhi

earrings - molly the pirate, etsy

And of course, you cannot see that the shirt is polka dotted! So here is a close up of my collar to show you guys the dots.

Yeah, I know that looks really strange but at this point, I'm just too annoyed to care. 'See you' all tomorrow when I will hopefully be in a much better (and much less whiny) frame of mind.

Edited to add:

Need your advice!
I found a really lovely pair of leather boots today at my local consignment shop that fit like a dream! They are dark brown, below the knee and generally perfect except for the toe which is shaped kind of like a square. Like the one in the diagram below (broad square toe).

It is horribly ugly? It didn't look bad on at all. In fact, pointy or round toed shoes sometimes kill my wide feet so I found these boots pretty comfortable, but I'm worried that they will look weird! What do you think? To buy? Or not to buy? That is the question!

A do-over!

2011-10-27T10:01:00.000+02:00

So do you guys remember this disaster of an outfit?

I looked pretty short in this skirt and you guys advised me to either hem it or wear heels. Now, hemming a skirt costs a fortune in France so I'm just waiting till I go back to India to do it. So it had to be heels and I don't own anything with a heel except one pair of boots. So, I tried pairing the two yesterday and here's the result.

What do you think? Is it an improvement? Or do my legs look as stumpy as could be? I would love your opinion!

P.S. Is this skirt a midi skirt? If so, it could be my late submission for Megan and Kiki's 'Midi or Maxi' Fall Trends Challenge! :D

New clothes :D

2011-10-26T19:41:00.000+02:00

To all my readers, Indian or otherwise, Happy Diwali! :) For those who are a little confused, Diwali is the Indian festival of lights. Today is the day we light candles and lamps and invite the goddess of prosperity Lakshmi into our homes! The best part? We have to buy and wear new clothes :D

Here's what I wore:

Outfit breakdown
black t shirt - gap, lyon
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
sweater - pimkie, lyon
bag - longchamp
earrings - gift from my aunt (you can't see them but they're gold and diamond danglers)

In case you haven't figured it out already, my sweater and bag are the new items that I'm wearing. :) I do have a few more items of clothing I bought which I could have worn today, including a few more sweaters (it is freezing here already!) and a pair of jeans, but you know I cannot resist a good pink and yellow combination! :D

In the afternoon, my husband and I went to watch Tintin (which was awesome btw) and since it was getting pretty warm, I decided to switch up the sweater for my leather jacket and then to prevent myself from looking like a bee, I added in some colour with my new skull scarf. I also decided to wear my leopard print belt again, since Heather advised me to try it with yellow.

Outfit breakdown
black t shirt - gap, lyon
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
jacket - js millenium (last seen here)
belt - jennyfer, lyon
scarf - birkin, lyon
earrings - gift from my aunt (you can't see them but they're gold and diamond danglers)

What do you guys think? Do you have a favourite among the two outfits? :)

Keepin' it simple

2011-10-25T16:32:00.002+02:00

I was feeling super tired today and had a lot of housework to catch up on. So till about 10 minutes ago I was wearing just an old t shirt and trackpants. But now I have to run downstairs for some errands, so I decided just to add a pair of jeans and some accessories to the t shirt for a simple yet cute look inspired by Tania of What Would a Nerd Wear.

Outfit breakdown
t shirt - benetton, india (about 2 years old!)
jeans - promod, lyon (last seen here)
earrings - molly the pirate, etsy
bangles - india

What do you think? Is it too simple? I like how effortless it is!

P.S. I'm taking today and tomorrow off from Megan and Keely's Fall Trends Challenge. Tomorrow is the Indian festival of Diwali so I'm super busy cleaning the house today and tomorrow I have to cook some elaborate sweets and then wear new clothes, neither of which kind of bodes well for a wardrobe challenge. I will be participating on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. :)

Fall Trends Fashion Challenge - leopard

2011-10-24T17:08:00.000+02:00

So right after I've finished with my own little challenge, I'm very excited to begin Megan and Keely's 'This or That' fall trends challenge! :)

Today's theme is 'Snake or Leopard' and since I don't own any snakeskin printed items, I went with leopard print.

Outfit breakdown
orange t - gap
pink sweater - benetton, india
jeans - pimkie, lyon (last seen here)
leopard print belt - jennyfer, lyon
silver hoop earrings - india
heart necklace - swarovski (gift from my husband)

I wish I had something more substantial with leopard print on it, like one of those gorgeous sheer tops or even shoes, but all I have is a belt and a scarf. I wore the latter yesterday, so I went with the belt and I have to say, I like how the print looks with pink and orange! :) Please excuse the messy hair, I just washed it.

P.S. This outfit doesn't have any black in it either! I'm on a roll :D

Black Ban outfit roundup

2011-10-24T12:10:00.000+02:00

Here are the five outfits I wore during my self imposed Black Ban Challenge.

Outfit #1

Outfit #2

Outfit #3

Outfit #4

Outfit #5

Did this challenge help me? Yes! By forcing myself not to wear black items of clothing, I have come up with a zillion ideas on how to make the clothes I have work in so many different combinations. I've just started with these five outfits, but you're going to see a lot more colour and creativity in my outfits from here on. :)

Do you guys have a favourite among these 5 outfits? Mine is #4 because my husband picked it out and I think it looked great! :) I think my least favourite is #2, probably because of the turtleneck - I just don't like how it makes me look!

And now for a 'Black Ban' outfit from one of my favourite style bloggers - Mia of Reading in Skirts.

Top: Goodwill (H&M) — Skirt: Goodwill (H&M) — Shoes: American Rag Compagnie — Belt: Thrifted — Scarf: Thrifted

Doesn't she look great? Mia is a blogger whose posts I never miss. She wears some of the most beautiful skirts I have ever seen, worked into colourful and stylish outfits! Plus her posts are always fun to read :D Make sure you check out her blog :)