Monsoon Trends 2012

With the Monsoons having sprinkled its first showers all over India, Fashionista ‘s in the girls might already be looking out for the new wardrobe for the monsoon.So what are the pointers that you keep in mind while getting ready in monsoon??

Fabrics ~ Usually Georgette and crepes lose the sheen when they get wet but plus pointer is they dry also v fast .Cottons also should do but avoid denims /linen/ viscose /jersey /silk fabrics. They take the longest to dry off. Polynylons, silk and rayon work the best. At the same time you want your skin to breathe and no stench coming from the clothes.

Colors ~ Basic logic says avoid whites and pastels at least for the bottoms as u want to enjoy the splashing in water to the fullest, not worry about the stains that follows it . Wear darker shades for bottoms like olive greens, browns , navy blue and blacks.Brighter colours of nature like greens , blues, reds, pinks , yellows can be used for tops . They make the gloomy clouds also fun-filled . I know a couple of people who go in depression in rains. Seeing bright colours will bring the zing back.

Pairing ~ Shorts ,skirts and cropped pants are the best options to wear for evening out . Avoid long maxi , maxi skirts unless you want to sweep the muck along with u. Anything above ankle is good. So Capri, culotte, shorts, skirts , dresses work the best for day and evening wear.

In heavy rains its best to keep an outfit extra for office since you don’t want to sit in the AC in the wet pants and shirt . Avoid leather shoes/pumps and also fancy velvet ballerina’s. Opt for PVC ballerinas or pumps so that your feet are covered and the backside of ur clothes also isn’t stained.

Umbrellas and rain coats are other accessories to be added.. Black umbrellas are a passe though I would love to carry one with big granpa style for the cheap retro thrills of it. Checks and polka’s are another classic styles . I also would love Floral  in bright vintage patterns. Does someone make them ?To sum it up…

Basic Do’s

- Wear Polynylons, cottons with blend

- Wear dark shades for bottoms. Bottoms can be Capri’s , shorts, dhoti pants, harems, culottes, palazzo which end at ankle , jodhpuri breeches . Basically anything but denims.

- Wear Covered footwear ie ones with straps . Play with colours to add pop up to the outfit. Use bright shades of green , orange , pink and yellow. Crocs are a good choice if you can carry them.

- Wear bright colors for tops  like indigo blue, red, yellow, olive-green, tangerine orange, fuchsia pink , aqua blue. Use fabrics which dry easily and do not cling to the body.

- Wear trends like neon in belts and bags. Carry waterproof bags to prevent water seeping in ur goodies like make up, books, phone etc.

- Carry colorful umbrellas and rain gear. Umbrellas are available now in various sizes and patterns. Pick up the one which goes the best with ur style, can be floral , checked, polka dotted , plain bright coloured or even retro black and white . Transparent raincoats and windcheaters also work great if umbrella isn’t ur cup of tea.

Basic Dont’s

- Dont wear denims , linen . They take the longest to dry off and become v heavy in weight post getting wet.

- Dont wear transparent fabrics for obvious reasons

- Dont wear pastels and whites as they tend to get dirty and stained very easily with muck and water all around.

- Dont wear dresses/pants ending well below ankle. Fold them and keep them stacked for the next season.

-Dont carry canvas , denim , leather hand bags. canvas and denim wont save ur stuff , leather would get spoilt and attract fungus.

-Dont wear leather shoes/pumps again for the same stench and fungal reasons.

Having said this, now carry the trends of 2012 on.

- Mix floral and neon

- Do solid color blocking

- For the classic look , keep one element neutral colored

- Keep the make up neutral and waterproof

- Hair tends to get frizzy , so good hair care is v imp

Considering this very basic pointers , now chillax in ur balcony with a hot cup of tea and enjoy the drizzle

Bling it on

Continuing with the love for fashion jewellery , after the classic and ever so chic pearls , the second metal closest to my heart would be some dull gold bling. Initially like everyone I too was pretty apprehensive to carry off such bling  pieces through the day but after experimenting it for couple of times , dull gold fashion pieces won my heart hands down.

A statement chain with charm pieces or a quirky pendant , kitsch bangles over a watch and a sexy bracelet with chunk bangles in colors … All this would just perk up any dress. They can transform the dullest work wear to smart fun wear .

This is how my favourite blogger  BEE from  http://atlantic-pacific.blogspot.in/ wears it ever so gracefully and stylishly. Mix multiple dull gold bangles , bracelets and watch together to create your very own individual identity.

Our another favorite style icon Sonam Kapoor too uses gold bring really well. Thanks to her Stylist Pernia Quereshi who has been doing her looks majorly. You could also check up Pernia’s latest venture  here http://perniaspopupshop.com/

Gold bling with sexy cocktail dress be it off shoulder, one shoulder, tube or mandarin collar.. It’s a sure shot attention grabber.

The third favorite stylist is Rachel Zoe of course .. She has made an eminent name for herself in past couple of years with her TV show. She also uses Gold in good dosage for styling. Black dress or black blazer with breeches mixed with statement gold piece ~ instant power dressing with feminine charm .

How can we miss the queen of eccentricity ? The “who-gives-a-damn-attitude” girl .. Our very own Sarah Jessica Parker aka Carrie Bradshaw Stylise a simple monochromatic day dress with little gold bling and you are ready to carry it through the evening without having to change.

Have a look at the gorgeous Anne Hathaway‘s styling. You could style up a high glam long gown with stunning gold piece , stylish up-do to give you a neat look.

Lastly you could also glam up a printed dress with gold long bling neck piece to lend it an instant dressed up look just as BEE does it.

I hope you had fun going through my personal favourite jewellery styling options.

Keep reading, liking and commenting

Spring Summer 2012 Trends ~ 3

Spring is seen as a time of growth, renewal, of new life (both plant and animal) being born. The term is also used more generally as a metaphor for the start of better times

Considering the spurt of new flowers and the happiness it creates with it ,Floral can never go out of fashion . Floral do the apt justice to the season. It always does the rounds in fashion , only thing changing would be small /big prints, pastels or bold colours .

Spring Summer 2012 is no different from others. So yes , remove the floral prints from your last year’s wardrobe or the year before’s or even 10 year before , it all can be used. Just stylise it in some newer ways. Add a bright Neon Jacket on that cutesy little floral dress , drape a solid colored scarf with a paisley maxi dress , bring out those mid length skirts with floral prints

 FLORAL”S

This year sees a trend of Tropical floral.. well just another term for brighter bolder colours in floral prints . We just covered sorbet shades in previous post. Sorbets are usually solid colour blocks. Prints are brighter , resembling more to colours of tropical fruits~ think strawberries, oranges , peaches , plums , citrus lime , green guava !

If you are afraid to try such bold tropical’s as the only print for the apparels , you can mix it with solid neutrals. Make a loose blouse of this prints with Raglan sleeves and wear with white shorts/mini’s /wide leg pants . Or add a bright neon colored jacket over the printed dress . Maybe a printed scarf over a neutral colored vest and denims can be a perfect casual option.

Loved and totally loved this bold neon green colored knitted blouse with off-white tropical printed skirt by ALTUZARRA for their spring 2012 collection. For the street wear look, the similar look can be created with neon colored tops and printed skirt . To make it more relaxed, try sleeveless tanks in neon colors with long flowy printed skirts. Jewelled flat footwear , side braids and couple of colored cuffs/bangles will complete your relaxed spring look.

This just shows the brilliant usage of bold coloured prints in skirt and jacket. Printed jackets are a big hit with neutral colours as tees/vests /shirts inside and neon or bright coloured pants. The same trend can be carried forward with a printed waist coat over a plain colored dress / shirt with shorts /skirt/pants. You can wear a sorbet blush pink vest with an off white wide leg pants and team it with bright tangerine printed clutch. Color block it with neon orange-colored heels.

This one’s a beautiful interpretation of cherry red and green and white mix. It shouts of spring’s arrival. The second one is blush paisley print which never ever goes out of fashion. Add a braided denim waist coat to pep up the colors or drape a bright-colored scarf and you are sorted.

This one reminds me of tropical vacations by the beach.. Aqua blue printed skirt and a relaxed white blouse sets the mood for a lazy day by the beach. Down play with beaded flip-flops for a relaxed day look and transform into a gorgeous night diva with killer solid block coloured heels like tangerine orange or candy pink .

Sigh !!!!!! I so love this combination.  Carrying forward the tropical theme , this bold teal blue color with creamy white skirt and gold belt is absolute droolworthy. Change the outfit into wearable with blouses/vests of similar color with wide leg pants/jodhpur breeches of the similar creamy white shade. Add a gold belt or gold accessories and your are ready for the brunch or night party by the pool

Spring isn’t complete without a healthy dose of greens , by far my favourite colour . It just brings so much of freshness in any outfit.  Diane Von Furstenberg being my favourite of these green dresses. The bold usage of green with electric blue and white makes it a totally eccentric piece to have.

Take this as your inspiration board. pick your favourite colours , play with fabrics , make fancy clothes out of the old ones. Pick up few key elements for the season which are reusable for next seasons too… Spend intelligently  and smile brightly. Welcome the colorful spring and let yourself loose.

Keep it stylish and keep smiling.

Spring Summer 2012 Trends -2

Sorbet colors are a major hit this Spring Summer 2012. I can’t contain my excitement at the usage of such pretty shades in garment construction and accessory making. The mint greens, powdery blue, blush pinks , corals , nudes , sunshine lemon , tangerine orange bring so much for visual delight. By far considering past 5 years fashion trends, this season has seen the best color scheming.

So what do you mean by Sorbet shades.According to Wikipedia ,Sorbet is a frozen dessert made from sweetened water flavored with fruit (typically juice or puree), wine, and/or liqueur. The sorbet color palette could range from strong bright colors to ice creamy pastels.

Sorbets are lighter than neon and brighter than pastels . Most ideal palette to welcome the spring with zest . Watermelony shades, peaches and mints are must have’s for this season. The trick is to wear it with a little brighter shade to give the color blocking effect.

I am absolutely in love with this Ralph Lauren’s SS-12 collection mainly due to the usage such beautiful palette. Color blocking is evident. Absolutely stunning combinations , very fresh to the eyes.

Tibi from New york is my another favorite with the usage of peach, mints , grey, yellow and white . The collection seems very surreal. It carried forward the trend of wide leg pants with beautiful silk tanks to a dreamy level.

The beautiful contrasts of yellow and mint , Peach/ shocking pink and purplish blue , Peachy coral with tangerine red makes this collection so visually appealing.

This just reminds me of the visit to ice cream parlour and peeping through the glass jar an array of different colored ice creams placed. Each shade is delicious. Color blocks of peach/blush pink and minty green , powdery yellow and blush pink , mint blue and neon green , lilac with powdery yellow are just perfect  

This one is a super classy combination. Tangerine orange with peach and white . Isnt it a killer look for a day brunch and can elegantly shift to evening wear as well ?

And finally the color of the season rules the sorbet palette as well. Bright pops of tangerine orange makes you think of orange candy in the summers.

I am truly inspired this season with such beautiful sorbet shades. Open your wardrobes, check what are the colors already in your wardrobe that match the season. Add on some fun pieces like statement pants in these sorbet shades with an elegant white blouse or mix skirts with contrast colored tops .

As much as I loved exploring the Sorbet shades and putting up this blog, I hope you enjoyed going through it.

See you soon with the next trend . Till then Keep smiling and keep it stylish