This season, the hottest color trends touch both ends of the spectrum—right from neon, to pastels and also the peaceful white! However, white apparel has always been associated with being prim and proper, subdued and somber. But, not anymore.

With an artistic mix-n-match, you can play with whites to give your garb the desired impact sweet softness, a hint of sex appeal, or a sultry, sheer look. So, match pristine whites with neon, stripes, or structural prints to get a distinctive air.

Or add a pinch of color to your placid white saree, with shocking pink lip color, a red handbag, or floral printed pumps. And, for once, instead of following fashion trends, by a trendsetter!

Are you one of those whose cupboard’s always flooding with clothes, much like a dam during the floods? But, when it comes to picking and choosing, you either end up trying on everything, or feel the need to go for an instant shopping spree?

Well, these are some drawbacks of being a woman—and a fussy one at that! But then, this shouldn’t stop you from traversing fashion bounds! So, on we go, making our social lives easy–with this week’s must haves for evening wear:

An All-Season Saree: A richly embroidered saree in basic colors like navy or cobalt blue looks dressy for evenings.

Silver blouse: A short, sleeveless blouse in silver can be paired with different sarees, and add a glamour quotient to the ensemble.

Flared Suit: An Anarkali salwar with churidar looks stunning for any evening do.

Brocade salwar kameez: Brocade’s timeless, and never out of fashion. Invest in a thread embroidered brocade salwar kameez, which you can use in any season!

Glam Clutch: A beaded, embroidered, or sequined clutch is important as the dress, if not more!

Did this list help you get organized? Is there anything else that you think we should add to the staple list?

Tell us what you think with a comment!

There’s one day we book for all kinds of overindulgence—a groggy morning, a long glance at the newspaper, a lazy movie, a lavish brunch (read: binging), and some shopping squeezed in between. You guessed it right—it’s the shortest day of the week—Sunday!

Although most of us are out during the day, it becomes a tad difficult to decide on what to wear—something which is neither formal, nor casual, and is right out of a fashion mag, so that you can let your hair down—albeit in style!

So, read on for some must, must-haves for daywear, and especially sunny Sundays:

Bright n Lovin It: A day dress is incomplete without bright and comfy tunic, which adds radiance to your face. Pick up short length tunics in colors like mauve, green, or bright yellow and brighten your day.

A Spring in Your Step: Flat sandals look glam and are stylish too, thereby being straight contenders to go with a day dress.

As A Matter of Hat: A nice big-rimmed hat works best for warm, sunny afternoons, making you look stylish and also preventing your face from harmful sunrays.

The Looking Glass: These are complete must-haves for sun-drenched afternoons, and make you look stylish and dressed-up at the same time!

The Scarf of It All: You can do so much with a good quality printed or checked scarf, wear it like a knot, cover your head with it, or just tie it around your handbag!

With these few staples in place, you’re ready for that Sunday brunch and much more!

Next: Evening wear Staples

It is aptly said that at work, only the best dressed survive. Well, that’s an ongoing trend since the Titanic days, so we might as well give it some thought. So, here are top 5 wardrobe staples, to help explore the power dresser in you:

High-neck kurtis: A crisp, high-neck kurti falling below the knees in classic colors like black and white is perfect for any occasion at work. Add a pair of heels to the dress, and you’re ready to impress all at an interview. But, if black’s too dull for you, go colorful in fuchsia, red or green!

Classic slacks: Slacks in primary and classic colors like red, green, blue, white, and black are must-haves. You can mix-n-match them with short and long tunics to create interesting outfits in no time!

Geometrical print saree: From a boardroom meeting to an evening out with the family, a geometrical print saree in georgette can save your day! Pair it with a string of pearls, and you’ll look classy, yet formal.

Multicolor beads: Add a hint of color to any outfit, with a string of multicolor beads.

Classy Tote: No dress in complete without a matching bag. The ideal one, for the workplace is a trendy tote in black or brown. 

Dressing for work doesn’t mean having two different wardrobes. Instead, by matching business-ready separates together, you can come up with a range of power dresses for office. And a colorful, yet sensibly styled work wear collection will ensure that you can have fun at work too!

In our first on wardrobe staples, we wouldn’t be doing justice to give the prints of Paisleys a miss! This yin-yang emblem is a rage everywhere, right from eatables like cakes, muffins and candies to home furnishings and décor like bed sheets, pillows and cushions to wall hangings, lamps, carpets, and candle stands, and even paisley imprinted gift boxes and bags… life is suddenly paisley-printed.

Speaking of apparel trends, paisley prints offer sophisticated glamour to any piece of apparel or accessory. From interestingly embroidered or printed sarees in luscious fabrics of net and georgette, to paisley-embossed salwar kameez and even accessories like belts, scarves, wallets, kerchiefs, ties, boots, and cell phone covers, you can do so much by experimenting with the paisleys cult!

We all have a set of clothing in our wardrobes which we just can’t do without. Irrespective of whether we are fashion trendsetters or trend followers in our own right, these wardrobe essentials form the basis of our closets. To become a wardrobe essential, there are some characteristics that this set of clothing must have:

Timeless: This is an important aspect for any piece of apparel, since you wouldn’t want to be seen in something which is out of fashion. So, the key is to stick to classics!

Good Quality: Since you’re going to wear your wardrobe staple often enough, it’s quality has to be good, if not exceptional. This would also ensure that it lasts for a long time.

Adaptable: Versatility is the key aspect for must-have clothing. The idea is that with a small range, you can create different looks, by simply pairing up these wardrobe essentials with other clothes. For example, you can do so much with a simple black saree, and wear it at different occasions!

So, what’re going to be part of your wardrobe staples?

Watch this space for more tips.

I’ve just returned to earth, after a trip to Heaven. I was off to the majestic hills of Jammu, and a visit to the holy shrine of Vaishno Devi. The trip went really well, leaving aside some small incidents like my aunt missing the train, or the sudden burst of rain showers when we were about to walk uphill. But, I’d still say that the journey has been one of my most memorable yet.

The bigger problem that I faced, though, was selecting the right clothing, in the weather which frequently alternated between very hot and very cold. However, most of the travelers were comfortably wearing linen salwar kameez or kurta pyjama, in the extremes of weather, which made me wonder what was so special about the fabric. So, after several hours of pouring over the internet, I realized that linen fabric, made of flax seeds, offers warmth in the cold weather, and cool in hot weather. It is also known for its healing properties, in reducing skin rashes and even chronic eczema. And along with these advantages, linen offers pure, unadulterated comfort. So, some caution for me and my fellow earthlings: for your next excursion, its only luxe linen that you should sport!

On dull days at work, like this one, I always remember one quote that one of my bosses always kept telling anyone who’d lend her an ear: Whenever you feel low, always dress up bright (never mind if she looked a disaster carrying out some of those experiments). But, thinking of her today (while also being a bit of a conservative dresser that I am), I’ve decided to give my paler clothes some rest, and am wearing the brightest bright that I could hunt for in my wardrobe – a red knee-length kurti with black salwar.
And, the color therapy is really helping. So far. I’m certain that the rest of the day is going to be equally colorful and would ward off weekday blues!