Miss Midi

Many predict that the Midi Skirt is going to be HUGE this fall-unfortunately we don't have a 'fall' here in Delhi. Okay we have those 3-4 in October where you can pretend its fall but then just as you are getting into the mood of a nice comfortable chill BAM! the fogs hits you and you are frozen. True story. Thats why there is a cheap song called Dilli Ki Sardi- It will turn you into a popsciple.


ANYWAY- this skirt works well in our type of weather too (sticky hot and humid)


It`s nice,light and breezy!

Marc By Marc Jacobs

You don't have to be a prude or an uptight lawyer to wear them. I think they`re ultra feminine and playful and when worn right can make you look impeccably polished!


Popular in the 1940's the midi skirt was pushed off the scene by the mini skirt by the 60's. Then again in the 70`s it showed its face again. Well, what goes around comes around cos they're clearly back this year!


Its an extremely versatile piece to have in your wardrobe, specially if you want to change up your look once in awhile.

Very easy to switch it from day to night.

 I do admit that it`s a little tricky to pull off. It can end up looking extremely dowdy and matronly. 

If you go with a  bouncy and flared one then pair it with a fitted top. Add a little oomph to it with a nice top and the right kind of make up.

It is also very flattering to any body shape especially taller women. The midi will make you look lean and sophisticated.

(I recently ordered the cutest sandals that would go with a nice and flowy midi skirt. Not to hunt for the actual skirt!)

Imsu from As I Like It looks super chic in a vintage pleated skirt and a fitted top

Also I think its great to wear it in a city like Delhi-you arn`t exposing too much and wont be letched at quite as much. (Cleary that is a HUGE factor for me when I am choosing outfits. My style would be SO different if our country didnt SUCK so much in that department, Oh well thats for another post)

If they guy STILL wants to stare at ur ankles, well thats just weird.

So, what do YOU think of MISS MIDI

Get Over it-Dress Over It

Skirt-Van Huesen [Bought in the summer of 08!]

Lace Top-Forever New

Pearl Bracelet-Forever 21

Ring - Forever 21

I know so many girls in this city, who are not able to dress according what their style really is, because, well the mentality of men in this city is messed up. I am not even going to begin to explain what all they do. They dont even NEED to DO anything. Their creepy stares are quite enough.

I would SO love to wear nice summer skirts and dresses in this scorching heat. But, I dont. I know that ALL girls would be so much happier in expressing themselves through the clothes they REALLY want to wear, if this creep factor wasn't so high in Delhi.

Its perfectly fine to look at a person an appreciate them. Girls do it all the TIME. But there is a subtly to it you see. These creepy men need to STOP raping us with their eyes. I wish all men who did this were shot in the head. If you do it subtly, it wont make the other person uncomfortable.

Anyway, it`s not like the people who do it-stare and be FULL ON letchy will ever READ, let alone read a blog or THIS blog.

No I did not have a horrible experience recently, I am just annoyed at how the way I want to dress is so restricted, by these uneducated creatures.

Of course Delhi is very unsafe for women, and it obviously goes beyond clothes. This is made very clear every other day in the damn newspapers and it was made abundantly clear when Radhika Tanwar was shot dead near her college on Womens Day this year.

My mother makes a good point- When there is a mad dog or any other uncontrollable animal is on the loose, who poses a threat and can do harm to others, we make sure something is done about the ANIMAL,we restrict IT, rather than locking ourselves in our house. 

Girls from the beginning are told how NOT to dress, how NOT to behave. But are BOYS on the other hand ever told HOW to behave with women, HOW to respect them and what NOT to do in regard to them?

Obviously this is also about the class differences of our society, education and dogmatic mindsets.

Anyway. All I am saying is that  there is a very very long way to go before we can actually reach the level of comfort as maybe people of say, NEW YORK  feel, but maybe we can get what the people living in Bombay have? 

Or Maybe I'am just being a prude and I should GET OVER IT

I was talking to someone about this, before writing the post and she said-"Dress is the first announcement of democratic thought"

Which is quite true. I just want to express my democratic dressing right!!

Oh, and by the way I acessorized the above outfit with a matching dog :)

(not my dog)

Sorry for this "issues of society" post (told you this one would be a socially relevant one) but

I would really like to know what you guys feel about this. Even if you dont live in Delhi, because I am not sure whether what I feel is right or I am just being over conscious.

Sarojini Nagar Shopping 101

Since I have suddenly started frequenting Sarojini Nagar once again, I thought of doing a post on how I try to get the most out of it. As I have mentioned  BEFORE I really don`t remember why I actually STOPPED visiting that place. Its the desi version of a Forever 21 or Zara actually. Cos they have all the latest styles for  as cheap as you can bargain! 


Also I have observed that they have copies of the latest trend faster than they used to. And now that I have discovered proper shoe shops that are doing the same thing i.e selling on trend things, I dont think I am going to make the mistake of forgetting about Sarojini again!


I am just going to quickly explain how Sarojini Nagar works for the uninitiated! I think it`s safe to say that we all know that major clothing stores (high street ones) from H&M to Zara to Marks&Spencers to stores like NIKE outsource their products to the third world countries such as India, Bangladesh etc to make their products. This works out ridiculously cheap for these clothing giants as labor laws are very poor in these countries and minimum wage is disgustingly low. 
You want to know how RIDICULOUSLY cheap it is for these stores? Having visited a factory that churns out clothes for Marks and Spencers last summer I got a first hand experience. One top (t-shirt/camisole/ganji) costs MAX 70 rupees. And Marks and Spencers sells it at about 9 POUNDS.. So i`ll let you calculate the profit!

If these pieces, in anyway do not correspond to the design sheets that are handed out, they are rejected. These mistakes wont really matter,because they are minor for us, but major for companies that want ALL the pieces to look EXACTLY the same, and in a CERTAIN way. If there is even the slightest discrepancy they say no to it.


Now I am not really sure what the procedure for these rejects officially are, but I have heard some companies instruct the factories to burn them or discard them in such a way that they dont fall in the hands of the wrong people (i.e the Sarojini seller types)
The things being sold here are also surplus stuff, or maybe stuff that got left behind when it was being exported or came in too late.

Of course it being India, everyone is looking for a profit and to make easy money, so what if it is somewhat illegal.
From what I`ve heard from the grapevine (and it`s a REALLY strong grapevine) people buy these rejects on the basis of WEIGHT not the amount of pieces. That is how these sellers in places like janpath and sarojini make a profit, and we get a good bargain simultaneously. You may come across pieces where the tag is cut off and you can only see the edge of it. Thats done so that the factory cannot be traced back to.


Sarojini Nagar has something called 'fashion street' and a sprawling vegetable market. I hope you know which one we`re focusing on : )


So after that introduction, here`s how I like to shop at Sarojini so that I reap its full benefits! :)

• First of all, before leaving the house, carry an extra bag, apart from you usual handbag. I carry a jhola. When you are buying stuff from the open air shops, they will give you stuff in small not-so-sturdy bags. And assuming you are on a serious shopping spree you will collect these plastic bags quite fast.And so will the rest of the crowd around you. If you put everything you buy in one bag, which is YOURS, there is a lesser chance of you actually losing or misplacing one of the little bags or leaving it at some shop. Also it`s GREEN :)
  
• If you`ve been to Sarojini before you know it`s a downright maze. You can get lost pretty easily. That`s why I always start from the same spot, every time. This way I some what know my route and remember which shops I have liked previously and know where they are.
  
• Go in the daylight. You will see the true colours of the clothes. The market is not very nicely lit in the dark, and it`s not the same. Despite the crowd there, I somehow still don`t think its quite safe to go there when it`s dark. It has numerous alleys. So yeah. Daylight=Good
  
• Going there in the daytime has its downside though. Specially in these summer months the afternoon sun is crazy. But to tell you the truth,that has never stopped me. But just to be safe from getting that unwanted tan or the heatstroke, carry a hat or cover your head with a stole.

My mother is the one wearing a damlation over her head. Upon seeing my Masi, and remembering that she forgot to get something to save herself from DILLI KI GARMI she quickly bought the dalmation  for Rs.50

• If you are looking for something particular, always look everywhere for the best deal. Its happened to me so many times that I have bought something from one stall, I walk a bit further and I might find the same thing at a lesser price or maybe the second stall has more variety! If you are going to the shoe shops then definitely check out all of them before settling on something, as you can`t bargain in these ones and you should look for the best price!

• Ask the guy for Every colour he might have. This way you can have variety. As I mentioned above, the pieces being sold here are rejected ones. So there might be a problem in sizing. Always measure the sizes that the guy might show you, first against each of the other pieces then against yourself. I have bought t-shirts, that fit me like a glove but their tags says LARGE. So maybe thats why they get rejected. So ALWAYS CHECK SIZE. Don`t go by the tag.
  
• While you are checking for things, ALWAYS ALWAYS check for tears, loose buttons, missing buttons and stains. These clothes are transfered  from one place to another in big bundles and are bound to get damaged. If  a button is loose, you can probably buy it and get it fixed. But say no to ugly and big cuts and stains. It will be your call actually, whether its worth repairing or not. I have bought stuff like skirts and dresses which are slightly bigger and gotten them altered. But I stay clear of clothes that are cut, if you want to buy despite a cut, show it to the guy and ask for a discount immediately!
  
• Keep the fact that these clothes have been transported in really bad conditions. And have been stored in the dust and god knows how many people have touched them. WASH BEFORE WEARING!
  
• When I saw the Pink-Coral dress i wore for my conti, even though it was lust at first site, I wasnt sure I would ever wear it, and nor was my mother. My mother said"Idunno if you`d ever wear it, whats the point" I agreed and walked away. The guy fell for the truth and halved his price! So my mother yesterday used this again, this time as a bargaining trick and I bought another dress for 150/- HA!
  
• And in this heat remember to 

HYDRATE!!

but carry a bottle of water if you don`t think these things are safe :)

or have some deliciously pink cotton candy!!

I want those bow flats on the right! But for the winter!

I have saved the best for last. I have fallen in love.
With these beauties..!

I found these in the first shoe shop (no, thats not the name, I always forget to see the name, its not KINS nor is it Soft&Sleek, although these two have nice platform pumps as well)

They were for Rs.2095! And ohmygod they were so damn comfortable.
Alas! I did not buy them. What would I do with them? Where would I wear them? I AM 5 freaking 8 feet tall. After slipping these on, I was towering above everyone, and it`s safe to say the shop didn`t need a security camera anymore. I had a 'birds-eye-view'. I was a giraffe. I could go on...

Anyway, I`AM in love. I am going to have dreams about these. Their sheer velvety-ness. Their comfort.

:(

Please head on out and try them out. For my sake!

I think I won`t rest until I buy them! But I cant torture them, just kept in my room gathering dust. WhatToDo!?

Dilli Ki Garmi, the dlf parking building coming up in the left and the pretty clouds :)

There is a documentary I think the BBC made on these third world countries and the factories and how these clothing giants exploit them. I dont remember the name nor do I remember if it was in India. Or maybe it was in Mumbai? Not sure.

But the factory I went to, was in the NCR and it was very clean and had no child labour. Marks and Spencers have extremely strict guidelines and rules. If anything goes wrong, its their name and reputation that is on the line.

(I am saying this by my PURE experience, I am in NO way associated with Marks and Spencers, haha I WISH I WERE though!!)

Also at least I think that with the growing awareness and the growth of the medias influence, there would be very few clothing companies that would be indulging in these illegal ways, knowingly.
An interesting fact? Bangladesh is fast becoming the place for these clothing stores to go to for its cheaper than INDIA rates and much much worse labor laws.

I really hope I didn`t bore you.

If I did please feel free to tell me! 

Todays funnies have been brought to you by College Problems! 

Check it out, its ridonculously TRUE

Sarojini Nagar Shopping

Yesterday I went to Sarojini Nagar after ages. I usually shop from the open shops and never actually venture into the small closed ones. This time I went solely for those ones since I had heard they have great shoes. And I hit the jackpot! I discovered three amazing shoe shops which sell really nice bags as well! 

So I have totally forgotten the name of the first one but actually if you make a trip to sarojini nagar, any proper shoe shop you come across will be worth looking into. The other two were called Soft and Sleek (yeah dodgy name!) and Kins. 

Both these shops have any style of shoes you can imagine. From six inch pumps,gladiator heels to Ugg replicas. They have managed to copy literally every style of Louboutins and Jimmy Choos out there.Which is sad for the companies but great for us mere mortals who cannot even dream of buying shoes which start at a lakh! 

These shops have two floors and have so many shoes that its mind boggling. They all had a huge variety of ballet flats, I am assuming cos its the winter stock. The sandals were not so many but I am sure they`ll get new summer stuff soon. Almost all of them have some sort of sale going on right now. Also they have managed to rip off styles of popular bags, like big totes and chain link ones.

White Cut Out sandals which zip-up at the back, from Soft And Sleek

Even though it`s suddenly gotten so hot to even wear flats, I couldn`t pass these up. They are the lightest shade of pink and so cute AND blinged out! Perfect for a plain outift. Actually there were so many flats at Kins that had me drooling. But I will wait till next winter :)

I love details. Anything with details and I am sold. These really caught my eye and I hadn`t come across anything like this before. Its a lotus and even though it looks a bit shapeless right now, it looks great on! I love the colorful beads!

Again, Love the detailing!

Yup all the shoes are flats, cos I am 5'8 and as much as I was tempted to buy pumps, there isn`t really a point, as I have said before, I tower over everyone if I wear those!

The inside of this bag is adorable!

These two bags were the best deals I got! I have been eying this black cross body bag in Forever 21 (they have different colors in it like coral and lilac) every time I go there. But I just could never bring myself to pay around 2 grand for such a small bag.
GUESS how much I got this for in Sarojini?

TWO.HUNDRED!!

Both the black and the beige chain link bag were 200/- each! Haha.

I have big bags, and wanted small ones when I only need to carry my phone and wallet!

I also bought like a bajillion shirts, most of them in florals plus a dress for 250/-(!) bucks. But they are so many I possibly cannot take pictures of each of them. I would rather feature them in outfit posts!

I have re-discovered my love for shopping in sarojini. I don`t know why I hadn't gone in so long. When I was in school I remember a phase when I used to go there with my friends every week! Each week we would have some event happening as an excuse to go there.

 Also you feel a sense of accomplishment after shopping there, because of the amazing bargains :D

Simple Night Out Outfit

Yup! When I say simple, I MEAN it : )

Necklace and Grey Dress- Forever 21
Flats- Zara
Tights - Marks and Spencers

Tuxedo Jacket- FCUK

I was planning on wearing the tuxedo jacket in case it got cold at night but surprisingly Delhi was really really hot this weekend. And its Feburary!

Anyway. I NEED these pumps. I do not know who makes them I just saw this picture and I NEED THEM!!

Actually I have been wanting a good pair of pumps since last winter. Even though I`ll rarely wear them cos I am 5'8 and with any pair of heels  I tower over EVERYONE!

 But they look so damn good! My mother thinks I am being ridiculous and look like a giant. But they are the ONLY kind of heels I like. I cannot deal with kitten heels or medium sized ones. Its either flats or pumps for me. No middle ground!

The best place to get a pair is from Zara and Forever 21. The amount of Pumps that the Forever 21 website has is amazing but in their store they have like 3-4 styles. I wish they stocked a larger variety. Zara of course has a big shoe section. 

All from F21. I want the sequined black ones so bad!

I also want to check out this one shop in Sarojini Nagar that everyone raves about and I have only seen from outside. They supposedly sell really nice pumps.

Show Me Your Shoe Collection?

For All Mac Lovers- Their Three Upcoming Collections

I know that MAC just released Venomous Villans and A Tarntan tale in India, and it`ll take probably a year for them to release these three here.

But atleast its something to look forward to.

Champ Pale

This collection, inspired by champagne-colored hues, includes nail polish, eyeshadows, lipsticks, powders and eyeliners.  This has already been released and I have been hearing rave reviews about its eyeliners.

"The ultimate luxury when only the finest will do for the New

 Year: a cuvée collection that's cause for celebration...a Champagne smash, colour and skincare shimmering with 

all the bubbly optimism & golden glow of the best that's yet to

 be."

 Stylishly Yours

Stylishly Yours collection is full of super-pigmented shades of red, pink, orange and violet. Cream blush, lipstick and pigment are in each of the four hues. 

"Madly chic women give a signature look major oomph & 

more modern momentum with a presto-change-o colour collection that's always flawlessly fabulous.      

Play variations on a theme & be ready to double-dramatize how glamorous

 it is to be you!"

Peacocky

MAC took inspiration from the gorgeous colors found on the peacock to create this vibrant collection. The Peacocky Collection features metallic eyeshadows in a range of green, blue, bronze and purple hues. Also included are lipcolours, which act as a hybrid of lipstick and gloss. 
I am the most excited about this one because I absolutely love peacock colors!

"We fetishize the exotic peacock as a symbol of extreme


beauty, raging against everything simplistic. New Kissable


 Lipcolour combines full flash with creamy comfort. Mega

Metal Shadow gleams like chrome - yet is creamy, crease-


resistant, with vitamin-fortified flexibility. Dramatic doesn't 


begin to begin to describe the girl who knows she's

Peacocky."

MAC + MICKEY CONTRACTOR

"As M·A·C's Director of Makeup Artistry for India, Mickey has
 mentored Artists around the world. This collection of his 
musts is about natural skin and total performance. 
Foundation, Concealer, goddess-gorgeous eye shades and his favourite brushes to star in your own Bollywood hit.


"

(All pictures from maccosmetics.com)

Which one are you the most excited about?

Btw, I am compiling a trend report for 2011 but will post it once my exams end. Huge post you

 see :)

And people who live in Delhi, have you frozen yet?