Oversized Block Print Shirt

I cannot believe Fall is here already! Daylight Saving Time ends on 2^nd Nov; that is a painful reminder that good days are over.

Each time of the day, including peak afternoons, is accompanied by cold winds; the sun is hiding behind clouds.

Gosh, summer is really over!

This whole week, I have been layering and covering myself completely because not just outside, inside of my workplace is freezing too. Well, not exactly freezing, but that’s how it has been feeling.

Of course Fall dressing can be fun – plaids, infinity scarves and boots. But it also makes me sloppy and immobile. I also dislike wearing jeans the whole day. I crave the freedom summer provides.

Summer is 5 months away and I am already longing for it. Not good!

Here is my outfit post from 2 weeks ago. Even though mornings were nippy, afternoons were scorching hot. I bought this Ann Taylor shirt recently and even though it is one or two sizes bigger, I enjoy wearing it. Oversized shirts look great tucked-in into pants or skirts. I also like the fact that it is block printed. A wonderful ethnic touch to a casual Californian look.

Shirt: Ann Taylor

Shorts: Gifted (from Bangkok)

Necklace: The Basic Closet

Shoes: Catwalk

Navratri This Year

I do love fashion but I am a very practical person too (I am a typical Arien that way). And we all know fashion is not always practical.

I do not wear high heels most times because of the practical difficulties they pose.

Changing handbags? That is not even an option for me. I have been using the same handbag since ages. I do not change it even when going out for movies or dinner. I mean, what if I forget important things like wallet or Vaseline or home keys in the ‘dressy’ purse when I change back to the regular bag?

Nope. I am not taking that risk.

So when I was getting dressed for garba lately, I decided to keep it real simple. When you are dancing continuously for hours on catchy music, you move a lot and sweat a lot. Sometimes, you slam into other people or your hand smashes into someone else’s. I have seen (and been through) broken nails, broken bangles and skin cuts.

So, wearing bangles was out of question. In fact, the kada I wore last year lost a few stones after 4 hours of garba. Sob. My favourite kada!

With all the sweat, a necklace is out of question too.

The hair I leave open also goes up in a hair-tie after an hour of dancing.

This time, I chose cotton dupattas and lehengas and sleeveless brocade blouses. They made the garba experience more relaxed, fuss-free and enjoyable. Instead, I chose to adorn myself heavily with a nose ring, large bindi, bright lipstick, lots of color and large earrings. I think the look worked.

Houndstooth Is The Pattern of the Season

Houndstooth has often been the trend for Fall seasons. It goes and comes but it never goes away forever. Houndstooth is classy and eternal.

But this time, I am seeing it in a new way. It is everywhere. And by that I mean, really everywhere. On shoes, jackets (obviously), shopping bags, base of shoes (??). You go to a mall and everything is directing you to buy houndtsooth. Anything. It could even be a bed sheet or a coffee mug!

I have had this silk enlarged-houndstooth print Iora top since ages. It is very versatile and easy to wear. I throw it on when I do not know what else to wear. It just makes my life simple.

I added a pop of color to it this time. I obtained this blue-green silk scarf recently and am in total love with it. Its texture is so amazing. I like tying long scarves into a knot on the side of my neck. I think it looks really cute and sophisticated. Try it sometime, ladies.

When I Went For A Movie Alone

I would never want to watch a movie alone. I mean, what fun? Movies are for dressing up, break coffees and discussion throughout the movie. As I mentioned here too, I enjoy going to movies not just for the movie, but for the whole experience you go through when you go to a movie theatre with company you enjoy.

But I challenged myself to do it – to watch a movie alone.

So when I was in India a few months back, working on my designs, I gave myself that chance. I was living with friends who would be away at work everyday. I had to pass time somehow during the day and my friend suggested that I go for a movie. I dared myself to.

Was my experience good? No. Not at all!

To start with, the crowd was low in the beginning given the fact that it was a weekday afternoon. There were just some guys around and they kept staring at me. I was so conscious. And embarrassed. I know. For no reason. Later on, crowd added up and the hall was pretty full but I remained stressed. It felt like I was in the wrong; that I was committing a crime!

Needless to say, I am never going alone for a movie.

I just don’t enjoy it. There is no point forcing myself to change my philosophies. Movie watching is not a task for me; it is a fun activity that I want to do with people I like.

Talking about movies, I watched Haider the other day. I loved the acting and cinematography and music but on the downside, the movie was really slow, predictable to some extent and very, very depressing! Did they really need all those gross scenes and detailed violent proceedings? I am sure they could be done with.

Anyway, I think Summer ended yesterday. It was cloudy, cold and windy today and is going to remain so for the whole week. I am so sad!

I wore this yesterday to literally celebrate the last day of warmth. And in the spirit of the festive season, of course. I find harem pants the most comfortable thing on earth. and of course, I love adding an Indian touch to everything.

Dotty

I stepped into my fourth semester at school 2 weeks ago and things have been crazy since then. As always, I am taking time to fall into a new schedule. I have been lost, to some extent, such that once I got days confused and ended up going to the gym on the wrong day for a class.

If classes and job search weren’t enough, I have taken up internships at a couple of places. Ok, 3 places. That’s a lot, no? I took up these opportunities because I was excited about the profiles and learning they had to offer; I couldn’t say no to any of them.

In the process, I have pretty much ignored my shop and my blog. Thank God for scheduling, my social media has been pretty active.

Talking about internships, I was pretty nervous about them. Initially, I had doubts about even getting through, forget surviving. To overcome this fear, I decided to face it. I just went for it. I applied at 3-4 places, gave interviews and to my surprise, got through all of them! Imagine my delight!

I have begun work on all of them and it is super-fun. I enjoy all the profiles. Sometimes, it is craft work (something I haven’t done since graduation days), sometimes styling and sometimes handling social media – all of which I enjoy. It is so much fun going back to what I really enjoy.

More about them later.

This post was long due. I really liked how the pictures came out and was reserving them for a ‘better time’. Well, there is no better time than now. So here they are.

Skirt: The Basic Closet

Top: Custom made

Shoes: Payless

Earrings: Fabindia (gifted)

Bangles: Street find, India

Janmashtami Dressing

On Janmashtami, my cousin was holding a small puja. Just she, her mother and her room-mate. Not a big affair. Before that, they planned to sing Krishna songs – both film songs and non-film songs. Now those who know me know that I am hardly the religious kind. I don’t remember when I last went to a temple to pray. Or the last time I tried to connect with God. Performing pujas or fasting is out of question.

It is not that I do not believe in God. It is just that, we were never a religious family. As I grew up and began living on my own, the more I understood myself walking along the path of life, I focussed on clarity of conscience and spirituality more than deity worship.

Anyway, I decided to be a part of my cousin’s little celebration. Not that I am turning religious. Just that, being away from India makes me miss things particular to India – the festival, ceremonies, traditions and little beliefs. Singing Krishna songs was a way of connecting with my country. A way of remembering the life there. A way of saying I still respect all that my country is. And a proof that my heart is still there.

Here is what I wore. Nothing grand yet not very ordinary.

(Do you ever decide to wear a piece of clothing or an accessory or a pair of shoes first and then choose the rest of the outfit to go with it? Here, I decided to wear this scarf-cum-necklace and then chose the rest of the pieces.)

The scarf is an interesting piece. The necklace is joined with the scarf. It was gifted.

 

Err, did I forget to mention that this event was also an opportunity for me to dress up and go out? Secondary reason. Believe me.

Pattern Play

Have you ever been so taken with a TV series, film or novel that you look for its instances and scenes in real life? I have been greatly influenced by.. hold it… Tom & Jerry cartoons!

Oh yes. I have perhaps watched too much of them, not just in school, but even later on. I can still watch the episodes I remember by heart and laugh as much. I remember scenes; I remember common instances that appear regularly on the cartoon. And I keep comparing my real life to it. I mean, really.

Like, we went to this Persian restaurant the other day and they served turnip with kabobs. I remembered an episode of T & J where Jerry goes shopping inside a fridge for food (for his magician uncle) and puts in Tom’s nose in his cart. When Tom taps him from behind and points to the place where his nose once was, Jerry quickly removes something from his cart and hands over to Tom. Tom attaches it to his face only to realize that it’s a turnip.

Yup, turnip reminds me of that.

How Tom’s face becomes flat when hit with a pan. How tom fluffs up his pillow before dozing off on it (I do the same with my cushions). And so on.

(Should I be embarrassed that I do things that Tom, the cat, a fictitious cartoon character does too?)

Lately, Law & Order obsession has taken over me. I talk to my husband often as ‘If Jack McCoy heard you say this, he would have said…’ or ‘Goren would have found out about this in minutes…) or ‘I saw a suspicious looking guy outside my gym today; I noted down his bag, clothes, etc in case I am called as a witness’. I actually have a deep desire to be contacted as a witness in a crime or such. Every time a van drives by me, I try to observe its color, painting, etc. If I see workers working on roofs or in gardens, I look at their faces.

I am perhaps going crazy over it. I feel so close with those characters and expect to see them around me in real life.

I have always been fond of murder mysteries; so watching 2 or 3 one hour episodes in a row is no surprise. But getting so carried away by fictional stories and characters.. well, this is something new.

Do you have any such imaginations to share? Or are they too scandalous to tell?

Outfit details:

Jacket: The Basic Closet

Jeans: Bossini

Floral top: Valleygirl (Au)

Shoes: Singapore

Bead necklace: Colaba Causeway

Bracelets: Street finds Bangalore, Baroda

Lipstick: Piccadilly Pink, Rimmel London

The Story of Block Prints

Block printing originated in China about 2000 years ago. In India, this art became popular in the 12^th century in Rajasthan (a western state of India). The royals wore rich costumes featuring intricate motifs. Textile printing later flowed into the neighbouring state of Gujarat (the state immediately south of Rajasthan and also my home state). Indigo seeds have been discovered at the ancient archaeological sites of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. Even today, indigo and white is the most common and popular color combination in block printed fabric.

Block printed fabric is very visible in Gujarat in the form of home decor products like table cloth, bedsheets, cushion covers, wall hangings as well as clothing like saris. A very typical motif used is paisley. It is known as ‘keri’ in India, which means raw mango. Indeed, paisley looks like raw mango and that’s how the motif originated. Other popular motifs were peacocks, horses, birds and flowers. Now, of course, prints have become wilder and quirkier. There are abstract prints, geometric designs and even pop art.

Block printing was originally done using wooden blocks. You will be amazed to know that in many parts of India, even now this method is used. It is what gives the print a rustic, ancient look.

Wooden block printing is a very time-consuming method and requires a lot of precision and skill. Motifs, patterns and border designs are manually printed on using wooden blocks. The colors cannot overlap, motifs cannot be unevenly placed and there cannot be strike-offs. One has to wait for a section to dry before the next one can be printed (to avoid overlap or rubbing off of colors). But this is what makes the art so unique and valuable.

Nowadays, chemical dyes are very common but originally vegetable and plant dyes were used. They were organic and very natural. Even today, most of Rajasthan and Gujarat printed textiles use organic colors. This is the reason why colors tend to run off when washed. But again, the beauty of these fabrics comes from use of earthy colors like indigo, dark green, rust, red and mustard. These are the colors of the royals of the past and Indian art.

I have been greatly smitten by the motifs and patterns of block printing because I have grown up seeing and wearing them. When I worked in Maharashtra (another western state of India) and was always decked up in pretty block print Indian wear, my female colleagues were all in awe. I used to take tons of stuff for them every time I returned from a vacation at home.

Block print may have shied away from the dynamic and modern fashion world but I feel it is evergreen. We do see it here and there; it stands out from the rest of the swarm.

My clothing line is all about printed cottons – some of them are very typical ethnic block prints and some are contemporary. You can totally wear them with today’s fashion pieces because I think blocks prints are here to stay.

Presenting my favourite printed skirt from my line. Hope you like it.

Available for sale on my Etsy shop or Facebook page.

Fringe Benefits

The first time I ever saw a fringed product was a black bag at Rocia. And I fell in love with it instantly. Some 3 years ago, it was a good enough steal at Rs. 1700. I didn’t buy it out of some pretentious, forced greatness and regretted later on. I never saw it again!

So when I saw this bag in Singapore a few months later, I grabbed it. Whatever the cost may be, I wanted it.

I love this bag so much that I keep it safely in my handbags box (yes, it is a big box) and don’t bring it out into the evil world.

When Fashionlivre put up a feature on fringe on Facebook a few days back, I instantly thought of this bag and dug it out.

I think it goes really well with shades-of-grey striped maxi. I also like the contrast of multicoloured feathered statement neckpiece and multicoloured pom-poms golden kada against the grey.

Join me on Facebook and Instagram!

Sunburst Pleats

Sometimes, I just want to do nothing. And not feel guilty about it. All of us are running. Running everyday after things, after goals, after more challenging, difficult dreams. There is no end to it. There are social networks, blogs, blogging networks, work, household chores, social obligations – when do we just sit and do nothing?

I, for example, don’t know where my day goes. I have my morning coffee also between writing mails and looking for jobs. I don’t feel like I deserve to sit back and watch a movie. If I do so, I feel, I am wasting time! I must forever be doing something – productive. Its either college assignments or house cleaning or networking with bloggers or noting down ideas or working on them. And then, of course, there is the constant deliberation of what I am doing and what I want to do in life and how?

When did I last sit in my balcony garden with a cup of coffee? When did I last sit in a coffee shop with a novel? When did I last chat aimlessly with friends? When did I last go shopping for no reason? When did I last lie lazily on my bed and watch 3 movies in a row?

Can’t remember.

There is always something I want to do. I want to finish this and go on to the next task. Like today is the last day and I need to do everything today.

I wake up an hour before my alarm goes off (an hour, can you imagine!!) because I can’t wait to check mails and notifications and get on with my to-do list for the day. Well, it is good in a way that I have so many things to do and look forward to and that I am planning my days well but you know how all work and no play makes jack a dull boy!

So, as August begins, I resolve to give myself some real free time. Get away from all electronic devices and social networks for an allocated time during the day and enjoy with nature or music or a novel. Connect with an old friend and ask them about their lives. Take a stroll in the park and sit down under a tree with a novel. Sit in the balcony in the evening and watch mothers take their kids for a stroll. Watch a classic movie at the end of the day.

Just the thought of it makes me want to really do it.

Join the challenge with me?

The outfit.. Very casual, very easy with some of my favorite pieces. Elephant necklace from Linking Road Bandra, Croquet vest from Lifestyle, Pleated skirt from Bugis Street, Singapore, Tote Bag & Flats from Westside.