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. 

Kurti Kraze

Kurtis are a wardrobe must-have for Indian girls. They are appropriate for almost every occasion. You can wear them to college, work and for festive occasions as well. Here are a few tips for styling your favorite kurti…

The desi girl look

Pair your kurti with a salwar or churidar and a dupatta for the traditional salwar kameez or churidar look. Add a few bangles and big, bold, statement earrings and you’re good to go.

The college girl look

Dupattas can get pretty fussy if you have to drive a bike or carry a heavy bag. For college, it's best to pair your kurti with some contrasting leggings. They're super comfortable and look chic on everybody. Pair printed leggings with solid colored kurtis.

To vary your looks, get different styles of kurtis. Get some short ones, some long ones, collared and button-downs for unique outfits. Pair these with jhumkis and bracelets. Add a pair of wedges or stylish mojadis(balle flats style ethnic footwear) to complete the look.

The Indo-western look

You can wear this look to college or work or even while going out. It's fun, comes with minimal fuss and won't ever go out of style. You can mix it up and work with what looks good on you.

1. Pair a short or tunic style kurti with skinny or straight leg jeans. Wear a dark wash denim with lighter kurtis and light wash denim with darker kurtis. You can experiment with distressed and ripped jeans, but I would recommend staying away from printed jeans. Still, if you like the look, go for it!
2. Pair your mid-length kurtis with jeggings for a cooler, relaxed look. Add some printed jackets to give your outfit something extra.
3. Pair long and asymmetric kurtis with wide-legged pants or palazzos. Add a statement necklace and high heels. If you don’t like palazzos, cigarette pants also work well.
4. Wear long kurtis with a maxi skirt for the ultimate fusion look. Make sure there aren't too many clashing prints though.

The festive look

For festivals or special occasions, wear your salwar kameez set with heavy jewelry. Opt for dupattas with stone work or intricate beading. Add some traditional bangles, a cute potli bag, heels and you're all set! Festivals are the perfect time to go bold with colors. Reds, oranges, fuscias are all apt for these ocassions.

So go ahead and rock that kurti girl!

Stylespiration Series : Andy from The Devil wears Prada

Andrea Sachs, a girl who threw away a Yale law acceptance to pursue journalism is thrown into the unknown depths of the world of fashion. She gets an offer to work as an assistant to one of the most influential women in the fashion industry, the editor-in-chief of Runway, Miranda Priestly.

Having never been acquainted with fashion before, Andy views the girls at Runway as starved, high-heel wearing, pretentious creatures who will do anything to get to the top. She refuses to change her dressing style since she's not going to be in fashion forever. All that changes soon though, and we are rewarded with some of the most stylish looks ever seen on Anne Hathaway.

The Old Andy - Just so you know what NOT to wear

The introductory scene shows Andy in a white shirt, lavender sweater, brown jacket and trousers, carrying a brown bag which Emily classifies as 'foul'.

On her first day of the job, Andy wears a 'lumpy blue sweater', which is actually cerulean, as Miranda later points out and a mid-length skirt with a really weird diamond pattern on it. Emily refers to it as 'her grandmother's skirt' and then comes her famous dialogue where she tells Andy to go get skirts from Calvin Klein and when she hesitates, asks, "Oh I'm sorry! Do you have some prior commitment? Some hideous skirt convention you have to go to?"

Yes, I do have all the dialogues totally memorized. Yes, I have seen the movie a billion times.

Later, she is also seen wearing a pink sweater for dinner with her dad, which is kind of cute actually. And finally, she wears a beige knit top on the day she asks Nigel for help and transforms into a diva.

The first 'New Andy' look

I love this scene where Emily is describing Andy as a 'total and utter disaster' and her jaw actually drops as Andy walks in wearing a sequined top under a black, structured jacket, tight black leather leggings and a pair of knee high Jimmy Choo's!

This look is absolutely iconic in terms of transitioning Andy's style from very girl-next-door to uber chic. Her hairstyle also takes a drastic turn. Instead of the frizzy, messy black she had at the beginning, her hair is mahogany brown, with bangs and looks so gorgeous!

The coats

In the song, Andy is seen in a lot of coats- red, white, black, pink and emerald green. She pairs them with cute hats , beanies, scarves and gloves. I would also like to point out that Miranda has a huge array of coats which she flings onto Andy's desk every time she walks in. They're a great inspiration if you're going coat shopping sometime.

Spring looks

For the warmer months, Andy wears a lot of skirts and dresses. She wears a red skirt with a white button down shirt, an olive green dress, a bright floral top, and other pieces.

Look for pieces with pops of color, floral prints, pastels and pair them with neutrals and cute accessories.

The all black looks

The black mini dress, with black stockings, knee high black boots, black coat and long gold necklaces is probably my favorite look in the whole movie. Well, I like all of them really, but anyway, if you want to wear all black, this is the way to go!

Andy wears a pretty black dress with lace details on the sleeves for the Runway gala. The dress is long and fitted, but not skin-tight.

She also wears a black sweater and black vest in two other looks, but she pairs them with white shirts underneath, so they aren’t really all black looks.

Paris

Andy has so many stylish looks in Paris. There's the first look when she wears a brown plaid coat and lined skirt with a chic bun, the black top and grey skirt with a thin belt to accentuate her waist, the almost corset-like black button down top with a black pencil skirt with a furry jacket for her date with Christian Thompson and the final look with the deep green dress and cropped shrug.

Pair well fitted pencil skirts with structured tops and jackets in dark colors like black, deep purple, brown and add accessories like tiny handbags to finish the look.

I hope these tips inspire you to try Andy's style and you should also check out Emily and Miranda's looks.

If you haven't seen The Devil wears Prada yet, you definitely should. I may sound insanely obsessed with the whole thing, but it's just so amazing! I can't ever get tired of watching it and I bet you won’t either!

Stylespiration Series : The Plastics from Mean Girls

I must have seen Mean Girls at least a hundred times now. I never get bored watching it over and over and over! The Plastics have become so famous for their fashion choices. So here are some tips for dressing like Regina, Karen, Gretchen and even Cady when she joins in.

Wear pink on Wednesdays!

Okay, so you don’t really have to abide by this rule. The Plastics are mostly seen in shades of pink on other days too.  Look for cute tank tops, tees, skirts and basically all items of clothes in pink and pastels. Don't overdo it though!

Pair pink tops with solid or printed bottoms in black, tan, grey and blue.

Wear lots of skirts

The Plastics only wear jeans on Fridays. They're seen in miniskirts and dresses for the rest of the week. If miniskirts aren't your thing, look for mid or tea length skirts. Get these in different styles and fabrics for different looks.

Let your style be unique

Even the Plastics have distinct dressing styles if you look closely. Regina wears short skirts, collared shirts, blazers, tanks and jackets. Karen's style is very girly. She wears cute printed skirts, tanks with little messages on them and tees with frills and bows. Gretchen wears golf sweaters, cropped tops that show off her midrib and short dresses.

Even if you're doing this with friends, don’t be clones. Show off your assets and wear what you feel great in.

Accessories

Wear super cute stacked bracelets, earrings and necklaces. You could also get a pendant with your initial on it like Regina. Shoes should also meet the brief,but take into consideration the weather and what kind of surface you'll be walking on. Don't wear pink heels for a trekking expedition.

Hairstyles

As per the Plastics' rules, they wear ponytails only once a week. Don't do that…Seriously, if you have long hair and you leave it open all the time, it’s bound to become a hassle. As for the hairstyles in the movie, you see stick straight, blown out, curled, wavy and everything in between. Cady wears her hair in a bun, Regina wears a single braid and there are half up- half downs everywhere.

So you have a plethora of choices when it comes to styling your hair. Choose what suits you best. Add cute hair clips, ribbons, bows and hair ties to finish the look to Plastic perfection.

So get ready to form your own version of the Plastics, but don’t be mean!

Stylespiration Series : Bella Swan/Cullen from the Twilight Saga

I decided to start a series called 'Stylespiration' where I'll be sharing tips on how to dress like your favorite movie or book character without looking like you're wearing a costume.

Bella Swan/Cullen has been one of my most favorite characters for a very long time now. I thought it would be perfect to start this series off with her.

Bella's style is really simple and evolves as the story progresses, changing drastically when she becomes a vampire. If you love Bella and want to emulate her style, check out these tips…

Tops

As a human

Bella wears a lot of basic tees, long sleeved tops and plaid button-downs with plenty of layers since it's chilly in Forks.

Layer a long sleeved tee with a half sleeved plaid shirt for the look from the movie where she first meets Jacob.

For her casual outfits, Bella pairs different tops with skinny jeans. She sticks to simple styles, occasionally opting for delicate details at the neckline.

These are items you can pretty much expect to already have in your wardrobe, so this casual look should be easy to recreate.

As a vampire

Bella's style takes a drastic turn when she becomes a vampire. She now opts for edgier, tighter tops in dark shades.

Look for almost gothic pieces if you want this look. Darker shades like black, charcoal, burgundy and deep purple will work. Keep everything fitted and tailored.

Jackets

As a human

Bella wears short jackets which reach about mid-thigh. She wears these in neutral colors like tan and grey. Her raincoat was probably the only standout color- a bright fuchsia.

As a vampire

Bella's jackets become very structured and edgy after her transformation. Being a vampire, she doesn't really need to wear a jacket since she's pretty much immune to harsh weather. Nonetheless, I love her black leather jacket. She wears it with leggings and combat boots.

Dresses

As a human

For her senior prom, Bella is seen wearing a cute ruffled blue dress, with a cream cropped shrug and black tights.

Instead of the dress, wear a flowy, deep blue top with skinny jeans or tights for a more relaxed look.

For her birthday celebration at the Cullens', she wears an olive green dress with a black cropped shrug which she got as a gift from Alice.

After her wedding ceremony, she changes into a creamy golden knee length dress with a black belt at the waist.

As a vampire

Bella's first scene as a vampire shows her in a skin tight cobalt blue dress, which she later rips at the thigh so she can run at vampire speed.

She is later seen wearing a charcoal grey dress, also skintight. She pairs this with black tights and ankle boots.

While going to meet Mr. Jenks, she wears a black mini dress with a long grey coat. Any fitted LBD will work for this look.

Accessories

The accessories are pretty minimalistic. There aren't any statement necklaces or glitzy clutches in Bella's wardrobe. She keeps it limited to headbands, bracelets, rings and the occasional simple necklace.

I hope you got some stylespiration and can now pull off your own Bella look.