Formal Wear Ideas

When it comes to formal wear, women have a lot of choices. It's important to make a good first impression when attending corporate events, interviews, conferences, etc. Check out these outfit ideas to look professional and classy:

The formal shirt

A formal shirt is a staple piece that every girl should invest in. You should have a few different styles in office-appropriate colors. White, navy, black, peach, etc are neutral colors that go with multiple bottoms and look good on everyone. The fit of the shirt should be just right; the shirt should hit above the thighs, but below the belt line, the buttons should not be straining anywhere, and the sleeves should be well-fitted without being so tight that they crinkle at the elbows.

Pair your shirt with dress pants, wide-legged trousers, or a knee-length pencil skirt to look classy. Keep jewelry to a minimum; a simple chain with a small, delicate pendant and stud earrings should suffice. A delicate bracelet is also acceptable. Wear pumps, or low heels to complement the outfit.

The kurti

Indian wear looks great on all body types. Kurtis are a classic piece and come in so many styles, patterns, and fabrics. Pair a sleek, collared kurti with contrasting leggings and a sheer dupatta to create a feminine outfit. Stick to regular cuts, A-line, and classic patterns. Know which kurtis are work-appropriate. A knee-length kurti or one slightly above or below the knee works well with fitted leggings or a churidar. Shorter kurtis should be paired with pants or salwars.

Opt for kurtis in good quality fabrics like silk or silk-mix, high quality cotton, etc. Save the neon, bright, embellished, and heavy-work kurtis for other occasions. It is also acceptable to not carry a dupatta with every single kurti, unless it is paired with a salwar or patiala (baggy, pleated pants).

High heels or wedges make the legs look long and lean. Pair the outfit with small jhumki earrings, a few stacked bangles, and you're good to go!

The saree

This nine-yard wonder can be a hassle to carry around when you're working, but nothing can replicate the classic look of a well-draped saree. Look for lightweight options in cotton, silk, jute, etc. A block colored saree with a contrasting blouse, or a monochrome saree with a small print looks great. Pair the saree with heels, big earrings, and some bangles. Pin up the pallu so it is easier to handle and drape the saree tightly to avoid looking bigger than you really are.]

To look taller, opt for sarees with small or no borders. Get different styles of blouses stitched to vary your look. Wear darker shades of sarees to appear slimmer. Do not wear gaudy colors, or embellished sarees to work. Subtle shades with delicate work or embroidery work better. You can of course, wear almost any color, but avoid very bright tones. 

Super easy braided hairstyles

Now technically, this is a fashion blog, but hairstyles definitely add to the glam factor of an outfit. So I thought I would occasionally do a hairstyle or makeup post:)

Here are three easy braided hairstyles :

1. The standard three strand braid

The humble three strand braid can look very cute when you don’t have time to do a proper hairstyle. It's very simple once you get the hang of the braiding pattern. You can do it in just these simple steps :

1. Split the hair at the base of your head into three roughly equal parts
2. Cross the right section over the middle section
3. Cross the left section over the new middle section (which was previously the right section until you crossed it over)
4. Keep crossing alternating between the strands till you get to the bottom
5. Secure the braid at the bottom with an elastic
6. Pull gently at the braided sections to make your braid appear more voluminous

2. Dutch braid

Once you can do the standard three strand braid, you can do a Dutch braid easily. It's exactly the same, except turned inside out. You just have to braid the sections under instead of over each other.

3. The combo braid

I'm not sure what this type of braid is really called, so I just made up a name. It's a combination of three 3-strand braids. It looks very intricate and everyone will wonder how much time you put into it; when really it doesn’t take more than 10 minutes tops!

1. Split your hair into three sections
2. Split each subsection into three sections again
3. Each subsection will form a single 3 strand braid
4. Once you've braided the three separate braids, combine them into a single braid and secure it at the bottom with an elastic
5. Pull at the braids carefully without separating them to add volume

Stylespiration Series : Jazz from Namastey London

Jazz is such a unique movie persona. She's an Indian girl brought up in London. She's free-spirited, a little crazy, and always trendy when it comes to style. She can rock anything from miniskirts to dresses and all the way to Indian ethnic wear. If she's your style icon, here are some tips to dress just like Jazz…

1. Wear lots of denim

Jazz wears a lot of denim throughout the movie. Bootcut jeans, teeny-tiny skirts, ripped jeans and overalls are all featured in Namastey London.

You can switch it up a bit with denim jackets, dresses and vests. Pair your favorite jeans with a graphic tee or try some comfy dungarees with a tube or crop top underneath.

2. Wear bright, girly colors

Jazz's style is pretty girly although she likes to occasionally wear gothic tees (She wore one in a scene in India). Wear a lot of pastels and bright colors like hot pink, baby pink, blue, yellow, white, etc.

3. Bring on the bling!

Jazz really dresses up for parties. She wears a long, sequined dress for her engagement to Charlie which is totally blinged up. She wears another sparkly dress when she goes clubbing. Bottom line, Jazz likes sparkle.  So don’t hesitate if you want to wear an embellished outfit. Just pair it with minimal accessories so it's not over the top.

4. Load up on the accessories

Earrings, necklaces, stacked bracelets, belts, she has them all! Don’t be afraid to experiment with mixing and matching your jewelry. If you aren't into heavy necklaces, wear long, string necklaces for a boho feel. Wearing a pretty wristwatch can bring your outfit together as well.

Stylespiration Series : Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

Okay, so Ariel's a mermaid. But you can still wear clothes inspired by her signature colors : lavender and green.

Ariel wears lavender sea shells and her fin is a sort of peacock green. She has fiery red hair which she leaves open with a side swept, dramatic bang which I feel makes her stand out among all the other Disney princesses.

For Ariel's hair :

Get a red wig with super long locks and cut a side swept bang or just make a faux bang by making a deep side part and pinning the front section of the hair behind your ear. If you don't want to wear a wig, you can also opt for a few red clip in streaks.

For the outfit :

Get either a skirt or fitted pants in a shade of green similar to Ariel's fins. You can also wear shorts or maybe a pair of overalls. Try and find something with a beach or sea themed pattern like sea shells, waves, etc.

For the top, find something in a light purple, mauve or lavender shade. Ariel doesn’t really wear any accessories, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Accessorize with a sea shell necklace (like the one Ursula wears when she transforms herself into a human), a few bead bracelets, and a flower clip in your hair. For shoes,  you can wear pretty much anything.

For the true Ariel touch :

If you want everyone to know exactly who you are dressed as (assuming you are wearing this look for a costume or theme party) bring along a fork to comb your hair with :)

You could even bring along stuffed toys of Flounder and Sebastian (although that may be going a little overboard (pun intended))

How to rock the Indo-Western trend

Indian wear is something not everyone feels comfortable in. Despite the amazing stone work, embroidery and obvious  glamour it brings to the party, it can be a bit of a hassle to carry. 

This is true especially in case of younger girls who prefer the comfort of western wear. However, when it comes to festivals and occasions, and your mom wants you to wear something 'traditional', fear not.

Instead of going all out with that heavy lehenga or that saree which you can barely walk in, check out some Indo-Western outfit ideas that will keep both, you and your mom, happy.

1. Try wearing a lightweight maxi skirt and a traditional brocade top to give the effect of a lehenga without compromising on comfort
2. Skip the dupatta altogether if your outfit has enough glam
3. Instead of carrying a dupatta, wear a trendy koti jacket instead
4. Wear skinny ripped jeans with a short kurti and lots of bangles to channel your inner desi-but-not-totally diva
5. Switch the usual salwars and churidars for dhoti pants, palazzos or cigarette pants for a unique ensemble
6. While wearing dhoti pants, wear a well fitted medium length kurti and cute mojadis
7. Add a structured jacket over cigarette pants for a sophisticated look
8. Mix and match pieces from your existing wardrobe to create whole new outfits
9. Look into contemporary saree draping styles like the dhoti saree or pant saree
10. Go with your intuition on what looks good on you and rock it with confidence!

What to wear for Rakshabandhan

Rakshabandhan is here and what better time to flaunt your desi outfits? Dress to impress this Rakhi with a few of my tips…

If you're celebrating at home

For a day time rakhi event at home, wear pastels and light weight outfits. I love the Indo-western combination of breezy solid colored palazzo pants and a short, fitted kurti. Pair the two pieces in contrasting colors and add heavy oxidized bangles and jhumkis to glam it up. Color pairings that look amazing :

1. Red and deep blue
2. Parrot green and magenta
3. Orange and black
4. Gold with anything

Stick to darker colors on the palazzos if you're a little bottom-heavy and vice versa.

For a night time celebration at home, wear an outfit with slightly darker hues with details like stone work or sequins. A maxi skirt with a crop top and dupatta is perfect. Add sparkle with a statement necklace and stacked bangles.

If you're going out

For lunch, the same rules apply : wear summery colors- bright pink, purple, blue and accent with metallics. I love a traditional salwar kameez paired with an indian jacket instead of a dupatta. Keep it chic with dainty earrings and a sling purse.

For evening events, opt for a flowy anarkali or go fusion with dark wash denims, a tank and a jacket with an ethnic print. Add a long chain necklace with a funky pendant and finish the look with sleek heels or ankle boots. For a more relaxed outfit, go with a dress - mid-length or maxi with Indian motifs. I love maxi dresses by Global Desi. Pair these with some earrings and a bracelet and you're outfit is complete!

Have a great Rakshabandhan!

Stylespiration Series : Ananya from Two States

Indo-western fashion is one of my go-tos whenever I have to attend an Indian festivity which is not so very traditional. I even work this trend in college for some change in my regular western wardrobe. Ananya is the probably the best icon to follow if you want to get this look. Her style echoes her free spirit and her clothes have a bright colorfulness that can make a mundane outfit stand out.

Long skirts with Indian prints paired with western tops and T-shirts

This is my favorite look in the whole movie. Ananya pairs printed, flowy maxi skirts with solid colored tanks and tees. She wears chunky jewelry like big earrings and stacks of bangles to pull her outfit together. Look for ethnic skirts with a solid color with a large border or printed skirts with vibrant patterns. Pair these with contrasting tops, stacked bracelets or bangles and chunky wedges.

Short kurtis and shorts

I can hear you going "WHAT?", but it does really seem to work. In the movie, Ananya pairs a short blue kurti with denim cut-offs and totally owns that look. This look is not for the faint-hearted. If you're hesitant in incorporating this outfit into your daily wardrobe, save it for beach outings or places where the temperature is high. If you don’t want to show too much skin, pair the look with knee-high boots for a bohemian twist.

Ethnic kurtis

This is more on the Indian side, but her kurtis do have contemporary necklines and designs. Pair these with heavy earrings and you're all set! Look for different styles like short, medium and super long(which is the current trend). Wear these with leggings, patialas, salwars and jeans for a huge array of outfits. You can mix and match dupattas, stoles and short ethnic jackets for a trendy vibe.

Sarees

Super bright sarees with traditional designs are Ananya's thing. She wears the traditional Chennai silk sarees in bold, youthful colors like hot pink, blue, green and yellow. If you have an occasion to donne a saree, take inspiration from Ananya and don’t be afraid to wear a Kanjeevaram saree. Pleat the pallu and drape it across your shoulder in a single, thin patch rather than opening it up. 

Jewelry

Ananya wears a lot of chunky bracelets, necklaces and earrings. She wears jhumkis multiple times in the movie as well as a lot of statement pieces like hoops with colorful stones set into them and traditional gold earrings for her saree looks.

So the next time you have to wear ethnic, it doesn't have to be the same old outfit.