Lace Fixation

This blog post has been sitting in my drafts for months now, and I decided to finish up today, a gloomy Friday morning. This look has been one of my most liked on my Instagram.

My love for anything lace has been clear and blunt. I still vividly remember paying endless trips to ‘Cheap Jack’ in General Bazar with my mom to pick up the perfect lace fabric for those dreamy outfits.

All of 12, I remember putting together an outfit that I had in mind; a flared lace skirt, a solid shirt and a lace crop jacket to go with it – all in peach.
It was my go to outfit. I would want to wear it to every place we go until I finally outgrew it. Ever since, I’ve not really owned a full lace outfit as I grew weary of anything mildly flimsy. Wearing something sheer or lacy meant factoring in a lot of things; the delicacy of the fabric, the translucency et al – just too much work.

However, when @women_and_dresses sent across this beautiful dress it made me oh so nostalgic. I readily agreed to style it and I think it is safe to say that I cannot seem to part from my love for lace after all.

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I think my Instagram speaks a lot about my new found love in beige and neutral tones. I feel like I’ve been leaning towards this aesthetic a lot lately. Keeping it simple and minimal. And of course, the gold brogues; I have had so much love coming from people for these. I picked these up from Ajio over a year ago. I’ve been hunting for them in black but haven’t been successful 😦

Let me know how you like the new look on my blog 🙂

Love,
Rad All Day.

Bad Hair Day? No more.

When people ask me if my hair is naturally straight and I tell them it’s not; they look at me in utter disbelief. I’ve realized that over the past few years, straightening my hair had become an everyday thing.
I got so used to it that one of my biggest nightmares was a power cut in the morning. 🙄
In all honesty, short hair is high maintenance and not the other way around.
The key to keeping your hair from damage, despite all the heat, is to invest in a good straightener and of course regular hair care.
I recently got a chance to be a part of Himalaya Hair Care’s #4FabulousHair event. We were treated to a very relaxing 4-step hair care regime that included oiling, steaming, shampooing, and masking (conditioning).

One of the most important hair care steps is oiling. But it is also important to allow the oil to seep into your roots. During winters, I suffer from severe dandruff and heavy hair fall. But ever so often, I find myself strapped for time and cannot dedicate enough time for oiling. However, I figured, tying a hot towel around your head after oiling is a good exercise to follow. It allows the oil to seep in instantly. You can leave it on for about 5 minutes and wash your hair off.

I have been following this routine for a couple of weeks and it has really been helping me.

I hope you guys will try out the Himalaya product range soon and also my little tip. 🙂

Love,

Rad All Day.

New Year, Rekindle!

‘I was wondering after all these years you’d like to meet?’

I still remember writing my first blog post of 2018 – Whimsical Blossom.

I still remember the grim and dreariness of the beginning of the year as if it was just yesterday, although a year has gone by.

As I mentioned in one of my recent Instagram posts, I was in a place where I was on the verge of giving up on everything I was doing, because I couldn’t believe I gave people the power to hurt me. It altered the way I thought of myself, the way I perceived every emotion and relationship; love, patience, forgiveness, and friendship.

Although my blogpost of 2018 had me saying, rejuvenate, renew, and regrow, I found myself unable to do those myself, because I was met with far more difficult situations as the year went by. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they did. And how!

However, writing was something that strengthened me. I was able to draw courage from all the messages from people. I was able to write my heart out whenever I felt the need to. I may have hurt some emotions and feelings in the process, but it was needed. It was needed, that I bring out those words.

I look back at this year as the most difficult year so far, but that is not going to stop me from making the coming year better. The struggle has strengthened me, reinforced my beliefs, and restored my faith.

As a first step towards making this year a better one, I spent the last couple of weeks trying to rekindle some friendships that I thought didn’t hold any significance in my life. However, now my comprehension of them seems to differ and for good. 

Rekindling old friendships or relationships is quite a vacillating pursuit. But it’s never impossible. 
I came to realise that no matter how wrong someone has done you or how wrong you’ve been to someone, there’s no way it cannot be mended. Holding on to anger and shutting yourself off isn’t the only way out, always.

When you know you can look someone in the eye and not be enraged by their wrong doings, you know you’ve overcome. It is not easy, but it is not impossible either.

It has been a good start to the year after all.

One song that also kept me going was, Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.

Listen to it here: Everybody Hurts

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Outfit

Before my favourite kid could leave to pursue his dream at FTII, we met for a couple of shoots together and this was one of them. I never got a chance to post them.

I put this look together to channel my love for White + Denim – The Classic. Paired a pale blue denim with a vintage-y off white shoulder frill top.

I have been musing over Jenna Roi Long‘s Instagram feed for a while now. The hat was inspired from one of her posts.

As always, this kid creates magic with his pictures. I mean, is that even me?

Outfit Details:

• Off-white Top – Only
• Blue Denim – Levi’s
• Gladiator Sandals – Forever 21
• Sling Bag – Zara
• Hat – HnM

Pictures by AJ Aaron.

Hope you guys have a great year ahead.

Love,

Rad All Day!

City of Joy

My first ever trip to the city of Kolkata was bound to be one tightly coupled with music, given that the city is known for its culture rich in cinema, art, and music. I have so many friends from the land of Bengalis but never got a chance to visit the place. 

Earlier this year, I was browsing through the lineup of NH7 Weekender, Pune and discovered that Joe Satriani was coming down. Instantly, I booked my passes; cos who would miss that? 

Just the next day, I learnt that Poets of the Fall and Switchfoot were gonna be headlining the NH7 Weekender at Shillong. Bamm! Now, I wanted to go for both the gigs. But I knew I could only make it to one of them (time and monetary constraints). Also, travelling to Shillong was going to be a tedious and expensive affair, so I convinced myself that it’s only going to be Pune this time around. 
Skip to a week later, it was announced that both the bands were going to be headlining the NH7 Weekender Xpress at Kolkata. And I thought to myself, wow, now there’s a chance cos travelling to Kolkata was no big a deal. I was excited beyond words.

I convinced my dear friend CreativeGenious to tag along with me. And the sweet human that she is, she readily agreed. She also ensured she listened to both the bands before she came for the gig. In her words, she absolutely loved the music and she later thanked me for introducing them to her. Yayy win! 

We took an early morning flight and landed in Kolkata around 9 am. We stayed at AltAir Hotel. It was a comfortable stay and was also pretty close to the concert venue. For lunch, we walked down to a quaint little Dhaba round the corner and savoured some yummy butter chicken. We got back to the Hotel and napped a bit. We later took a cab to the venue, Nicco Park, only to realise it was, in fact, walking distance from where we were staying.

An Alternative/Indie band named Tiny Fingers was on stage while we got there and their music was quite impressive. We walked through the crowds and made our way closer to the stage. Since this was the Express edition there was just one stage. The clock struck 8, the POETS banner came down and the crowd couldn’t handle their excitement. That was the start of two hours of non-stop music, as the Finnish Poets serenaded us with some of their best hits. Their trip to India was part of the #Ultraviolet Tour named after their latest album and they rendered some of their new EPs. Cradled in Love and Gravity were the most asked numbers. I got back to a lot of messages asking me if they played ‘Carnival of Rust’, and how could they not? It was their closing number. So Poets of the Fall – Check.

It was my birthday the next day, 4th of November. I was up until 12 am, cuzzz, so many calls y’all! Kidding. I answered a couple of calls from family and close friends and hit the bed. We decided to hop around the city the next day. So after our mandatory cup of chai, we took a cab and headed straight to Prinsep Ghat. Watching fleets of yellow Ambassador taxis sort of amused us. We later headed to Esplanade to do some window shopping and actual shopping if something interested us. We spotted some really lovely shantiniketan leather bags and picked up a bunch of them for ourselves and our friends. We then had our share of authentic bengali food (thali with rice and fish curry). The icing on the cake was the Chai in a Kulhad. It was undoubtedly one of the best chais I have ever had. By now you must know I am such a chai lover.

In the evening, we decided to walk to the concert venue. It was going to be Switchfoot tonight. I have been a fan of this band from times immemorial and what better gift to give yourself on your birthday.
Pentagram, one of the pioneers of Indian independent music (with Vishal Dadlani), was on stage belting some of their biggest hits. The crowd knew exactly what they were in for – A night dedicated to rock music and it couldn’t get any better. They knew their music and enjoyed it to the core. Lots of headbanging coupled with singing along, IN TUNE! Honestly, I haven’t seen this in Hyderabad.

Cut to Swichfoot – they hit the stage with one of my all-time favourite songs – STARS. I remember we used this song as a background track to one of our video productions back in 2009. Wow! 9 years later, I was watching them LIVE. And was it surreal or what? Their frontman Jon Foreman is such an artist. He absolutely has the nack of engaging with the crowd. He jumped into the crowd a couple of times and the young guns carried him through. Ah! The energy of the place was infectious. All of my favourite songs made it to the setlist that night. Of course it included ‘Dare you to Move’.

Outfits

📸 Mohammad Ali

Mohammad Ali

Mohammad Ali

I traveled in the most comfortable clothes to Kolkata – a flow-y tunic, tights, and sneakers. For the first day, I teamed a plaid shirt in olive green with high waist denim and ankle boots! The shirt has some intricate embroidery going on on the back, but I couldn’t get a picture of it. Will put it up on Instagram.
The next day, I wore this ever so lovely dress from Kharakapas. I chose to wear the same boots to add a little edge to the otherwise elegant piece of clothing.

Outfit Details:

• Olive Plaid Shirt: Only
• Perfect Bloom Dress: Kharakapas
• Ankle Boots: Truffle Collection
• Black Top: Project Eve – Ajio

That was my trip to Kolkata.

Love,
Rad All Day.

Vintage Dreams

Old school never goes out of style; in technology, in music and almost everywhere. It is no surprise that old long-playing vinyl records of the 1980s and 1990s have been making a steady comeback thanks to dedicated audiophiles. They also make for quaint interiors. Oh so #tumblr. Age old Yashicas too.

The same goes for fashion.

When was the last time you looked at something so beautiful that you just didn’t want to get your eyes off it and took all the time in the world just to stare? Well, of late this has been happening to me with all the vintage clothing that I poozle on Instagram, Pinterest and just about anywhere I can find them.

My day usually starts with me listening to music, sipping on my daily tea and scrolling over my Instagram feed, basically ogling over all the Vintage and Victorian era fashion accounts that I have been following. I am so old school, so I’ve been told; probably that explains it. Well, my choice in TV shows tells a lot – Crown, Tudors and Vikings and of course my choice in music too.

Vintage fashion:

Why it keeps coming back: It complements curves and looks polished but never over-the-top. It’s a classic amalgamation of elan and ease.

How to wear it now: Sophistication lies in the details. Bow-tie kitten heels or vintage-y jewelry can effortlessly class up your outfits. For a rather subtle look, spruce up an old jacket or blouse with a dainty brooch, earrings or a scarf.

Some of the vintage clothing accounts that have been inspiring me:

• Deargolden
• Sondeflor
• Ida Catherine
• Yvonne Victoria
• Lillian Lorraine

Outfit

I hope to buy some authentic vintage clothes off of Etsy or a walk-in store someday. The ones that date back to their time. Someday, sigh! But for now, I have experimented and curated a look that is inspired by all that I have been browsing through.

I paired a chic nude peach shirt with a button down skirt in grey tones. The bell sleeves on the shirt and the concealed placket detailing add all the drama to the outfit. Subtle mini floral print on the skirt blends so well with the bougainvillea in the  background. Played up my eyes to a heavy smokey look to make the look all the more edgy.

Outfit details: 

• Concealed Placket Shirt with Bell Sleeves: Vero Moda
• Printed Maxi Skirt with Pleats: Ajio
• Chunky Heels with Criss-Cross Straps (Not seen in pictures): Ajio
• Earrings: Forever 21
• Watch: Fossil

Pictures by AJ Aaron

The one song I can think of that sets the tone for the pictures on this post is by Gabrielle Alpin.

Hope you enjoyed this post.

Love,

Rad All Day.

 

 

Here Comes the Sun

Sitting at home and devouring mangoes, this is my ideal summer day!
Doesn’t it feel like just a few days ago we were greeting each other with new year wishes and yanking each other over our new year resolutions? Time really flies and Summer is here already.

There’s much to envy about Hyderabad, including our summers. Unlike most cities summers here are, yes HOT, but at least not humid. They can be a little too harsh and scorching at times but with the right choice of clothes and summer essentials you can be ever ready to beat the heat in style. I have tucked away all my warm clothes in my closet and have brought out all the summery outfits to keep the heat at bay.

Go minimalist 
Now Minimalist ≠ Boring! Summers are always about the happy, bright and feminine pastels styled in the simplest way.

Comfort:
Don’t give comfort a miss this season. Choose outfits made out of fabrics that are breathable. Cottons are always your safest bet and of late linens have been a big hit.

Colors: 
When it comes to summers, choose pastels. You can never go wrong with them. Pastels can be worn all year round, but during summers they induce a certain calmness.

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How cool is this pastel blue dress by The Yellow Label? I took inspiration from The Greyhalfway and styled it with a chunky belt and boots. This is definitely my idea of a perfect summer brunch style – pastel, cotton, printed, volume sleeves – ah!

About The Yellow Label

The Yellow Label is a modern Indian clothing label based out of Jaipur. It is a contemporary interpretation of Indian crafts. What I love about them is, while their motifs and fabrics our Indian, their color palette and silhouettes are chosen to meet the needs of modern Indian women. They handpick all our of their materials (including linings, threads & buttons), and work closely with the printers, weavers, vendors and manufacturers.

• Earrings: Max Fashion India
• Clutch: Aldo
• Footwear and Belt: Forever 21
• Pictures by: Akhila Bhaskar
• Assisted by: Nehal Kaza
• Location Courtesy: Humming Bird Cafe

Love,

Rad All Day!

Handloom Affair

Saree shopping sprees with mom are what I’m reminded of whenever I think of handloom sarees; especially sarees from Unnati Silks. I’ve paid endless trips to this one-stop store which has now become a family enterprise. They are a saga of  ‘Handloom for Women’ with varied handwoven and handcrafted products made by talented ethnic artisans from across 21 states in India.

Bengal Cotton

Bengal, India, is known for its Bengali Jamdhani handloom cotton sarees with fine texture weaves, handwoven zari bootas and classic motifs. The hand-woven technique of Jamdhani is also a prominent feature across various other handloom varieties like Banarasi, Venkatagiri, Uppada, Kanchi and Darmavaram sarees.

The saree featured in this post is a Pure Handloom Bengal Cotton Tant Saree. The plain body saree with zari detailing on the borders and pallu, is a widely popular version. It is indeed an elegant affair, and it fits perfectly for a variety of occasions from casual get-togethers to formal functions. It is also a preferred choice for corporate executives. Tant sarees cover a wide range of dark, subdued and light breezy hues. They also come in beautiful double colored stripes on pastels, minimal floral versions that are quite impressive.

Styling

I have never been a saree person; I cannot for the life of me, manage to survive a day in one. That said, I cannot deny its elegance and sheer glam.

When I received this beautiful saree from Unnati Silks, I knew exactly how I was going to style it. I have been a great fan of the way Tia wears her traditional sarees with a twist. Her can-can skirts, with sarees draped differently each time, are a treat to watch. This is my attempt at one of her styles – The Saree as a half-saree with side pleats.

Shop the collection online at Unnati Silks.

Want to know how I styled this saree? Check out Tia Bhuva’s video:

Of course, she’s a pro!

Outfit Details: 

• Bengal Cotton Tant Saree – Unnati Silks
• Net Can-Can Skirt and Gold Sequin Blouse – Self Designed
• Jewellery (Necklace and Passa) – Be a Glam Doll
• Earrings – Gifted by my mom.

Pictures by: AJ Aaron

Stay RAD, All day 🙂

Winter Weddings – Look 3

Winters are all about layering.

Have that elegant dress lying in your wardrobe that you’re contemplating on wearing to a chic Christian wedding but have your doubts about the sleeves? Layer your outfit by throwing in a blazer or a shrug in a bold color; I bet you can never go wrong with this and also keep the chill at bay.

Brocade + Velvet

The more you can mix fabric, the more fashion-forward you are; read this somewhere and I couldn’t have agreed more. For my final blog post in this series, I have chosen a fabric that’s probably every lady’s favorite – Brocade. This off-white beauty in brocade, that I got for a steal from Vero Moda – Marquee edition, has been lying in my wardrobe for over a year. It’s a sleeveless dress, with intricate embroidery around the waist. I love it for the fabric, the finish and the fit. To complete the formal look I chose a velvet blazer in ox-blood; the two colors and fabrics blend together to create a rich yet elegant look.

A pair of stilettoes in gold are a must have for a girl; but when you’re heading out to one of those weddings, throw a pair of your flats in the boot of your car, cos you never know who’d ask you for a dance that might last all night 🙂

Christian weddings always have me looking forward to the rock and rolling to old country songs. This is one of my favorites 🙂

Outfit Details:

• Off-white Brocade Dress – Vero Moda
• Ox-blood Velvet Blazer – Ginger, by Lifestyle
• Clutch – Charles and Keith
• Footwear – VELVET ARMY, by Koovs
• Jewellery:
  Choker – Zahana, Chennai
  Earrings – Forever 21
  Bracelet – Boga Accessories

 

Winter Weddings – Look 2

Two is always better than one! Yeah?

Some trends come and go, but I’ve not seen anyone sporting the ‘Coordinated Separates‘ trend ever go awry. Taylor Swift has been rocking this trend for years now and looks super modish every single time.

Jacquard Velvet Separates

The second look that I’m featuring on my blog as part of the Winter Weddings series is my take on the ‘Coordinated Separates’ trend. This outfit would fit perfectly for a semi-formal wedding look.

For this look, I was inspired by one of Samantha Ruth Prabhu (now Akkineni)’s outfits that she posted on her Instagram. A subtle gold matching separates outfit in chevron and checks pattern. Ever since, I was on the lookout for something similar. Luckily enough, I stumbled upon this lovely olive-bronze pleated skirt from Kazo on Myntra and bought it without any second thoughts.

The jacquard and velvet blend of the fabric makes it a perfect choice for a formal winter wedding or even a pre-wedding ceremony. And who doesn’t love the houndstooth pattern? It comes with a boxy crop top in the same fabric with short flared sleeves.

The two are quite versatile pieces of clothing. If you are not a fan of matching separates, you could pair the top with a black skirt or palazzos in black or olive green. Give the boxy top a miss by teaming the skirt with a black or gold crop top and you’ll be able to pull off a whole new look. The basic black lace choker always helps me sassy up any outfit. I coupled it with an angel-wing detailed statement necklace and of course a mini sling to finish the look.

Winter Weddings – Look 3 coming up soon – Stay tuned 🙂

I have been crushing on this song for a while now and the video is adorbs.
Don’t you think this number would make a ‘perfect’ first dance song?

Outfit Details: 

• Kazo Black & Golden Houndstooth Patterned Flared Maxi Skirt – Myntra
• Kazo Black & Golden Houndstooth Pattern Crop Top – Myntra
• Charm and Lattice Choker Set – Forever 21
• Angel-wing statement necklace – Jgypsy

Pictures by: Salih Abdullah

Love,

Rad All Day!

Paisley

How many of you can relate to me when I say I know plenty of songs, some of them by heart although I haven’t watched the video or the movie that the song is from? Some of these songs that I know belong to none other than Ilayaraja. When I discovered he was going to be performing in Hyderabad, I had no two thoughts about attending it.

Hyderabad saw one of its most beautiful nights on Sunday with the maestro regaling the young and old alike. It was endearing to say the least, to see youngsters bring in their parents and grandparents to cheer Ilayaraja and his troupe (all the way from Hungary).