My fashionistas, here is a look that I tried yesterday at the Saraswati puja-the Goddess of Education, music and culture, it is celebrated on the 5th day of the official start of the spring season. The colours symbolizes this celebration is marigold yellow, white and tangerine. Here is how I paid tribute to the white saree that is usually seen on Goddess Saraswati. I had visualized this look way before I possess this off-white cotton woven drapes with sleek silk golden border.  I can’t help but let you all know that my grandmother who is no more now, used to call this neck chain ”motor mala”, motor is Bengali for green peas and mala means garland, since the chain has small gold balls and pearls, just like the grains of green peas:) My grandmother had papmpered my fashion-need to the fullest in my growing up years, what my parents would find very expensive and wouldn’t like to buy me, she always did, because of her I always ended up wearing most pretty and expensive dresses during all festivals, as a kid. I miss her:(

Never understimate the power of the white daisy flowers! I just dressed up and entered in my living room, my eyes stuck on the flower vase kept on my dining table and I just knew instantly that this look is incomplete without these tiny white beauties, I just tucked few of them in my side loose bun with the help of some bobby pin.

Wear a white cotton saree with golden border, if you do, drop me a line  at the comment section as I like to hear what you have to say.

Top tip: Those wanting to wear a brand new cotton saree, make sure you prepare the pleats and tuck them in with safety pin before you drape it because new cotton sarees are usually heavily starched and thus, very stiff, this way you can get nice defined perfect pleats.

Wardrobe: 

White Cotton saree with golden border from Shri Venilals, Wembley, London, UK

Batua clutch from Shri Venilals, Ealing Road, Wembley, London,UK  (Who needs to wear bangles when you have such a wrist-candy;)

Diamond ring from Manik Chand jewellers Kolkata, India.

Golden tissue blouse conceptualized by me and tailored by my personal tailor in Delhi.

Red small bindis  from Kolkata new market, India

Gold ear ring with pearls and kundan stone is a gift by an Aunt

Golden stilletos from Almas, Dhaka

Eye make up: Mac cosmetics eye shadow Shroom satin 499+ Antiqued veluxe pearl 3A9+ Woodwinked+ L’oreal 151 Or pur/pure gold

Lipstick: Bobbi brown orange

My fashionistas, when an outfit is simple, enhance it with a strong accessory that reflects your playful personality. Read this post to know how!

I was in Delhi for four days in 2010. When you are staying at someone’s house you gotta know the time to leave especially when that person is a friend, you know, to keep your friendship healthier and longer:) So, I set up a dedaline for four days and thought to get done with my shopping and creating some new clothes for myself within that time. It sounds  over-promising to design and make a saree just in four days? I did it. This is how-

Step 1.  Head to a store that sells dress materials by yard. I went to Gulati store in Kamla Nagar, New delhi. Bought white chiffon by yard. (Day 1)

Step 2. Pre-decide your colour combination that saves time, I had done my homework from London, so I chose this fuchsia pink and purple. (Day 1)

Step 3. Tie-dye it. (Day 1+ 2)

Step 4: Take it to your tailor or anyone who knows sewing or how to stitch. Get your falls and pico services done. (Day 3)

Step 5:  Choose your border. (Day 3)

3D Floral lace borders were en vogue at that time. I spent some time in finding the one that I like at the same time the one that goes with the colors I had chosen. If you are in Delhi, search every nook and corner in Chandni Chowk, plenty of varieties there, reasonably priced and available to serve everyone’s choice and need.

Step 6: Get it stitched to the edges of your saree. All sides.  (Day 3)

C’est tout! It is this simple! And all in 3 days.

Some days you just wear this saree the way it is! Simple and sexy! If you are going to a party or planning to make it a festival wear, then do the way I did here. I worn this on a Durga Puja function. Added my multi-layered pearl neckpiece as a waistband. I find ”normal” is boring. Remember my tag line- ”Everyone wears clothes, very few wear style”. I didn’t wear a simple matching blouse with this, rather wore a choli (a crop top) that I had picked up from a street (literally) market (Janpath) in Delhi. It has Gujrati Kutchi embroidery on the front. Gujrati Kutchi embroidery is very  vibrant and colourful. This crop top has a halter neck top with crushed cotton back. I detest matronly cut blouses;) This was ready made and it felt it is just custom-made for me and my taste:) I have them in other colors too, I wear it with long gypsy skirt, with divider pant and also with saree as you can see here:) Always wear your creative hat when planning and plotting a Look;)

Top tip: Wear a satin or silk petticoat with a chiffon saree. Same rules apply to any see through sarees namely; muslin, net, georgette etc. And if they have a lace border line the one I wore here, it is even better:)

Try it, if you ever do it, let me know and share a picture with me. Drop me a line at the comment section, I like to hear what you have to say.

P.S. If you like it, contact me, I will be glad to design one for you(of your choice of colours) for a price you can’t even imagine, when I say that, TRUST ME! 

My fashionistas,  as much as we love looking at women in sarees, many of you out there have cold feet to don one and go out there without worrying ”How to drape perfectly?”, ”How am I going to walk in this six yard beauty?”, ”Is it going to fall apart anytime in public?” etc. From now on, I am going to share Saree Looks more frequently so that those of us living in the west, who don’t have the access to expert helping hands or professional saree drapers, we will learn from each other. This whole series will be under the category – SareeSutra. Those of you are on the Facebook  page know that I have asked for your suggesstion to name this post. It helped me to know what all you want to know about Saree- be it draping, styling, accessorizing and choosing the right saree types for the right occassion. One day, I will do a video blog on How to drape a six yard, I promise. So stay tuned and enjoy this saree Look I had donned during Durga Puja festival.

A glamourous watermark printed sea green georgette saree with golden sequins on the border is what you can wear drom dawn to dusk. The delicate patti  along the border in black with golden embossed created stunning impact. The border is designed with black patti complemented with golden embossed and sequins. I admire how the color of this saree changes during day light and twilight. The best part of this saree is that it had two blouse pieces. One with the sea green georgette fabric and another with the black-golden embossed side. I thought to use the black-golden embossed side as the main body of the blouse while using the sea-green georgette fabric to tie the knots. I conceptualize all my blouses’ designs and cuts, my tailor in Delhi gives it a shape.

Top tips: Keep your buttons or hooks of the blouse at the back or on the side, this way you will have a good seamless shape at the front.

The good thing about wearing a saree is that you can have a dramatic eye make-up, also allowed to be a lil loud. By that, I mean, having bold colors on the lips as well as defined eyes. A purple-ish fuchsia pink lipstick is probably the best idea to compliment this Look.

Try it, if you like it, drop me a line at the comment section, I like to hear what you have to say:)

Wearing: Adi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya Georgette saree with sequins border | Black and golden sequins ethnic clutch bag AKA Batua from Dilli Haat, India |  Bangles and Bindi (worn on forehead) from New Market, Kolkata | Victorian ear ring from Kamla Nagar Market in New Delhi, India | Mac Lipstick lustre Milan mode 

My fashionistas, as promised before, this is my very first video blog here. I receive lots of requests from Saree loving followers to show them how to drape a saree in a very basic way. So, this post is dedicated to those:

1. who do not have access to frequent visit to beauty salon for professional service.
2. who do not have any members in their family to show them how to drape a saree
3. who lives alone
4. who lives overseas where it is rare to find someone who can help you drape one at home.

   This is my very first attempt on video blogging, I am still learning  video editing and one day I hope I will be honed into perfection, so bare with me and ignore any imperfection or trembling that may appear. Two people who made this possible are my  gym instructor Camilla who is my Model and my partner cum Videographer(only for this blog)  Shehzaad. Thank you both!

   N.B. The saree featured here is my own creation. 

   Try it, drope me a line at the comment section as I like to hear what you have to say

My fashionistas, there are some cliches around donning a particular type of traditional saree but they will always be welcome by me. I take pride in wearing sarees that can be trashed as Grandma’s collection or Sarees for lower-middle classes. So, here I have come up with this look for a celebration of Saraswati Puja (worshiping the goddess of knowledge, arts, dance, music and nature) and Basanta Utsav (Spring festival) in a traditional KaNtha stitch on Tussar silk saree. It is elegant, beautiful and classy.

Saree fashion is often synonymous with many cliches and some have been existing right from the time a particular type of saree came into existence. While designers like Sabyasachi Mukherjee have paved way for  traditional sarees, many young women still shy away from donning a KaNtha stitch on Tussar silk saree for events like wedding functions, or parties, categorizing them as ”not-so-sexy” or ”not-blingy-enough”.  I believe in breaking away from the Dystopian cliché. 

My elder sister has gifted me this saree some about 12 years ago. She had travelled to Pune, India and I don’t know why but she bought three identical sarees in one go-one for her, one for my mom and this one for me. Initially I thought, ok, I liked it but I may wear it when I’m in my 60’s. See how time changes and your choices! During my last trip to India, I thought to carry all my sarees and salwar-kameez collection with me to London as I know now that this is where I”ll live for the rest of my life(?). Like all sarees, this one too comes with a matching blouse piece. I wanted to break the monotone, so took the blouse piece of my another newly bought saree and used the fabric only for the sleeves as I wanted it to be transparent. The fabric on the sleeves is bamboo silk, whereas I have used raw silk on the bodice. The other day while watching a TV show, my partner had criticised the host having no fashion sense as he found the host was rather wearing a T-shirt with  a saree. What he meant by a T-shirt is a blouse with a neck similar to what I’m wearing here. I instantly said, well…it’s en vogue but I agree the styling on her was wrong. There is a thin line to understand when wearing something on trend. That thin line probably explains the design on the back of this blouse and how  it is accessorized with  a tribal necklace on top of a front-closed-neck blouse that may otherwise be termed as ”matronly”.

Top tip: Be creative with your blouse’s cut and design when wearing a traditional saree.

What worried me most while conceptualizing this look is where will I find fresh gajras (Jasmine flower garland) in London? Here comes your best friend- Social media! I posted on the blog’s Facebook page and one of my friend and fashionista follower sent me names of the places I may find them. But as they say sometimes you get the things you wanted from the most unexpected sources. It never occured to me that I will find this supremely aromatic garlands in my local Tamil grocery store Ganpathy Cash & Carry where I often pop-up for some herbs that usually Bengalis and South-Indians eat. A pleasant find, I say!

I also had to struggle with the super stiffness of brand new tussar silk sarees like this. My fashionista followers on Facebook suggested me to give it for dry-cleaning to make it softer, it didn’t help much! One tip I came up from my own experiments is that leave it in the open air for days (in the shade- preferably in your balcony or Veranda), the natural moist in the air will make it softer. 

Try a traditional KaNtha stitch tussar silk saree with layers of gajras on your hair. A bold smokey eye and pastel shade on the lips are your icing on the cake.  Drop me a line at the comment section as I like to hear what you have to say.

Wardrobe:

KaNtha stitch Tussar silk saree from Pune, India (It’s a gift, don’t know the store or the brand. You can get it anywhere in India- try Adi-Dhakeshwari Bastralaya, Kolkata or Nalli Sarees)

Potli (traditional clutch bag) from Dilli Haat, New Delhi

Ring from Spitafields market, London

Slip-on from BB Mall KL, Malyasia

Gajra from Ganpathy Cash & Carry, Wembley, London

Primark tribal neckpiece

Blouse is conceptualized by me and tailored by D.S. Apparel, Part street, Kolkata.

My fashionistas, hope you all had a great weekend! Before we all start mourning over the brutal fact that it’s Monday again, I thought to share a look to usher the Bengali New Year 1421. Bengali New Year occurring on 14 April or 15 April, is the first day of the Bengali calendar, celebrated in Bangladesh and in the Indian state of West Bengal, by the Bengalis and also by Bengalis all over the world. It coincides with the New Year’s days of numerous Southern Asian calendars.  A traditional way of greeting for Bengali New Year is শুভ নববর্ষ “Shubho Noboborsho”. Hope this new year brings you all the happiness, success and joy in life.

Usually on Pohela or Poila Boishakh, a Bengali home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned, people bath early in the morning and dress in new clothes. Everyone spends much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours. Special foods are prepared to entertain guest. My early memory of a Poila Boishakh day is also about wearing new clothes, eating scrumptuous Bengali delicacies all throughout the day, seeing my mother and other ladies in my family wearing white & red saree, going to boishakhi mela with my father and siblings and coming back with toys made of clay and wood and visiting relatives to present boxes of authentic Begali sweets like Roshogolla, Kalo Jam or creamy Rosho Malai. In my teens, I used to participate in various cultural programmes that usually take place to usher the first day of the Bengali calendar singing Tagore’s songs, not to mention wearing red & white saree and fresh flowers in hair. My folks believe that entire month of Boishakh is considered to be an auspicious time for marriages.

In my growing up years, Poila Boishakh used to be my favourite day of the year as it is the only day when all Bengalis will unwind and celebrate, irrespective of religion, class or caste. Young ladies clad in white sarees with red borders, men in dhuti and kurta, take part in the Probhat Pheri processions early in the morning to welcome the first day of the year. It is considered as an auspicious day, for new businesses and new ventures. My father, being a businessman, always celebrate Hal khata – in which businesses open their new ledger book, the new hal khata. It is often red in colour, it’s a simple ledger book. But at the beginning of a new year, it signifies much more: the marking of a new beginning and the hopes and uncertainties that come along with it. And more importantly, the hal khata represents Bengali tradition, with the festivities and rituals surrounding it. I wonder why the khata (ledger book) is red, so is the saree that women wear on this day!  Mostly because the color red symbolizes strong emotions, from blood, to love, to infatuation. Also strengths, danger, passion and aggression. What better ways to welcome a new beginning, eh, if not with passion and emotion!

I have had this saree in my wardrobe for two years now. I couldn’t think of a better festival to wear a traditional saree like this  than Poila Boishakh. It is a relief to don a traditional saree as you can drape it in many ways you want and experiment with your look. I have presented three traditional yet modern ways of wearing a saree to give you some great new ideas on different types of Saree draping styles.

Top Tip: Always make your blouse stand-out when wearing a traditional saree, design it to make you look seductive (I’m not wearing the matching blouse piece that came with this saree, I have hand picked the fabric myself, chose the accessories for the blouse, conceptualised it and used some fabric from the original blouse piece to create this blouse). Follow the rule ”one or the other” when picking  jewellery- either a heavy ear ring or a dramatic necklace, not both together, unless it’s your own wedding day;) 

How are you celebrating Poila Boishakh this year? Drop me a line at the comment section as I like to hear what you have to say:)

Wardrobe: 

Saree from Tassels, Kolkata, India

Gold Jhumki from Manik Chand Jewellers, Kolkata, India

Red bangles from Chandni Chowk Market, Dhaka

Black Bindi from Kolkata New Market, India

Black beaded clutch bag from Dilli Haat, India

Base make-up by Bobbi Brown in Selfridges, London

Eye make-up and hair styling by Me

My fashionistas, wish you all a very happy Durga Puja if you are celebrating, if you don’t, you can always share happiness and joy with others any time. Yes, over the years, religious festivals have found new meaning to my life- they are nothing but getting together with family, friends, eating good food and most importantly, dress up in your trendiest and newest outfit. Dressing up? Oh! Then I’m ‘in’- religious festival or not.

It feels just the other day when as a child, during this festival, I used to count in my fingertips how many dresses I was gifted by family and relatives, whether I have enough outfits to change twice a day for all five days of the festival. Time has changed! I don’t receive gifts (food, yes!) anymore. In fact my family won’t dare to buy me a gift fearing I might not like it and never wear. They are always welcome to gift me cash and credit cards;) Although I don’t have an outfit particularly bought for Durga Puja (It’s a story for another day that in the recent years, I get to wear new outfit at least twice a week, if not more) but that won’t stop me sharing my Durga Puja Shaj (Look) with you all!

What is Durga Puja? I love being Bengali for a lot of reasons, but one of my favorites is that the main festival celebrated in the state of Bengal is a festival that honors the Mother Goddess. Durga Puja celebrates the victory of the revered warrior Goddess Durga (the divine female power of which all other goddesses are an incarnation) over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura.

When is it? Durga Puja is celebrated during the last five days of Navaratri and Dussehra. This year, Durga Puja takes place from September 29-October 4. The Grand immersion of Durga idols will happen on October 4, 2014. The dates of the festival are determined according to the lunar calendar. Therefore, we are not given the choice to select any weekends and celebrate to the fullest. For most of us living abroad, Puja Pandal visits will be made straight away from work, some in office attire, some will go home for a quick change (only if you live nearby) and then arrive fashionably late. So, I have just made some adjustments for you all- put up my Puja look together and had the photo shoot over the weekend before.

Although the festival last five days but I will be able to take part in only three days- Saptami, Ashtami and Navami, thanks to work and other commitments. To start with Saptami(Saptami is Sanskrit for Seven- it is the 7th day of Navaratri) look, I have opted for a simple yet elegant, traditional yet sensuous look in my own creation- this orange chiffon saree with three tier gold beaded border and a purple velvet blouse with matching gold beaded border front detail and a deep low cut back detail with jewelled strings. Autumn-winter is all about oranges and purples for me. Durga Puja, being a festival celebrated in Autumn serves as the right occasion to stock up these colors individually or a combination of the two. This entire look is designed, created, conceptualized and of course, donned by me. Fabrics and materials are outsourced from India.

Chiffon sarees have always seduced me. They are slimming, give definition to your curves and flattering for fashionistas blessed with good height. So, styling my own designed saree was easy without putting much pressure on the pocket. I had hand-picked couple pieces of unique statement jewelry to glamorize the look e.g. A Kamarbandh(waist band). So, this Durga Puja, looking traditional yet sensuous with the most seductive ornament- a Kamarbandh(Waist band) originated from Indian royal tradition tops my priority list. A  royal princess inspired kundan ring have perfectly complimented the pearl and kundan Kamarbandh. As I have heavily ornamented the bottom, I wanted to go light with jewellery on top- so no necklace but this purple swarovski chain tassel earrings have been worn to match the blouse. A diamanté stilettos and a multi-color beaded envelope clutch have been added to complete this look.

For hair-do, a side swept soft curls allowed me to flaunt the deep cut blouse on the back. It looks simple and sober. I wanted a smokey-eye with this saree using only one type of eye-shadow. Naturally, purple was the choice as it is seen to be the perfect shade for people with black or brown eyes. Using purple for a smokey eye is apt for a day-to-night look. Black eye-shadow for a smokey-eye is more appropriate to use for evening-do. In my world, if you are wearing a saree or salwar kameez, you cannot go without makeup, I always make sure I never leave the lips and eyes. So, coral is the color of the lipstick that would look perfect with this look, I reckon, with a dash of sheer lipgloss in the centre of the lower lips.

Top tip:  Bring an admixture of tradition and modernity to your look  by teaming up traditional accessories with modern outfits e.g. backless blouse, Kamarbandh, arm band, see-through sarees, Matha-patti etc.

Saptami Look is all about subtlety and sensuousness, Ashtami and Navami look will be all about bold color sarees and traditional Indian jewelleries.

Stay tuned, stay stunned!

Wradrobe:

Three Tier Gold Leaf Chiffon Saree by Tanusree

Kamarbandh from an Independent Jeweler in Bardhan Market, Kolkata

Ring from an Independent Jeweler Bradhan Market, Kolkata

Primark Beaded Envelope Clutch

Diamonté Golden Stilletos from Almas Dhaka

Prerto Purple swarovski chain tassel earrings from Pernia’s Pop Up Shop

My fashionistas,  as promised earlier, here is my Durga Puja look  2 for Ashtami featuring a black bamboo silk saree with wide gold border and with water print cross-box design paired with magenta benarasi saree blouse with gold embroidery in silk thread.  But picking the prettiest saree for a party or a festival is not enough– accessorizing it will avoid getting you lost in the crowd. I’m tired of seeing beautiful ladies in heavily embroidered sarees and lehengas weighing them down.

As I always say, unless it’s your own wedding, it  is wiser to go for simple prints or net/chiffon/cotton fabric and add the bling with an antique necklace design. Gold, pearl and diamond necklaces go well with ethnic wear. Elaborate necklace designs that adds to the elegance of an ordinary saree or any outfit are here to show us how to pair traditional  jewellery with contemporary styles. This Vasundhara  creation featuring a rhodium plated necklace with engraved goddess and cubic zirconia pendant with faux pearls chain set in mixed metal is what I have chosen to style this high-street-buy saree.  I have avoided accessorizing my  ears and kept the make-up minimal to draw all the  attention to this statement neckpiece. It turns a simple saree look into royal elegance with this traditional Seeta Haar necklace designs. No other accessory to distract either – the statement necklace takes all the credit.  

There are many practical ways you can make the most of your high-street purchase. Whether you want to stand out in the crowd, look different than everyone else wearing pieces that screams about the latest puja fashion trends or simply bring out your individual style, there is never a bad time to get inspired and follow your dreams. I have been designing my own clothes since I was 14. I enjoy it much as this way I can avoid the irrational fear of not seeing someone else wearing the same outfit before I do;) Also reinventing a new look  ensures uniqueness and not following what others are wearing this season. If you have followed me closely, you have probably noticed, I am a believer of mix ‘n’ match of high-street buys with a bits and pieces of designer collection, pairing flea market purchase with picks from thrift stores. This allows me to get more ambitious to take things further.  Designing and making my own clothes allows me to focus on detail and construction. When I bought this black Bamboo silk saree from Benarasi Kutir from Benarasi Polli in Mirpur, I knew instantly that I’m not going to wear the matching blouse came with the saree.  I did not throw it,  instead I conceptualised a look, designed it and wore it with a Kantha Stitch Tussar silk saree (see here).  Then how do I accessorize this saree without a blouse? I brought my own style by designing a traditional benarasi silk blouse as it complements the neutral color-black and also accentuates the gold border and pallu. This is also a great way to re-vamp your mother’s silks and chiffons- with feisty blouses! When wearing a saree, my top most priorty is to get the blouse right because that’s where most younger women go wrong. Wearing the boring ’round in the front, round at the back, cap-sleeve’ pattern is boring.  All my blouses are built-in cups for a good fit and peace of mind — no more peeking brastraps. According to your needs, you can always  keep it thin or thick cups. So, I opted for this contrast colour magenta benarasi silk  blouse with this black Bamboo Silk saree. Keeping it sleeveless added a modern twist to an otherwise traditional saree like this.  As repetitive as it gets with strings tied at the back in almost every single blouse you own, I still insist on a string so the sleeves don’t droop of a low-cut back.  And I always rely on the trusted hook-and-eye buttons instead of zipped-in blouses.

While the necklace and the blouse have taken the front seat of styling this saree, adding a golden beaded boatshape clutch to match the pallu and border brought the subtlity to this look.  I chose to wear a black metallic strappy stilettos with this look over the usual suspect- golden stilettos.

A  low twisted bun is the perfect haitstyle  I could envisage on this look as I want to keep all the focus on the hairstyle which will draw attention to the statement neckpiece.

Adding some colored glass bangles along with your traditional gold bangles brings vibrant and modern twist to your look when wearing a saree during festival season. These magenta glass bangles hand-picked from the street in front of New Market, Kolkata matched well my magenta benarasi blouse paired with black bamboo silk saree with golden border and pallu. 

Putting a look together all by yourself for a fashion blogger is not a difficult task but there are some moments, only some, eh, when I wished I had someone to give me a hand in tucking safety pins in the weirdest places e.g. the back of your shoulder where my hand can’t reach etc. to keep the saree safe and secure from falling off in public. Share  your Durga Puja looks with me on Facebook and let’s get inspired! 

Stay tuned, stay stunned!

Wardrobe:

My fashionistas, those of you have following this blog closely, know that I had been to Croatia in August to attend my friend’s wedding. This was my very first experience attending an European wedding outside the UK.  When asked what to wear on her wedding both my friend and my partner suggested I wear a saree. He took it further and said, he is coming with me to Croatia just to see me in Saree. Flattering! Many of you on Facebook also have voted for Saree over a long gown/dress. Unlike UK and USA, Croatia is not a country where you see immigrants overflowing from Indian sub-continent. My friend and her family assured me that they have not seen anyone wearing a saree in a Croatian wedding before. So, there I went to my friend’s traditional Croatian wedding in Zagreb in this beautiful Indian-princess-like deep purple and light lilac velvet and tulle embroidered saree paired with designer embroidered long sleeves saree blouse from Indian designer Ajay Agarwal.

Letting the saree do all the talking, I kept the accessories and make up minimalistic. A purple swarovski chain tassel earrings were worn to match the velvet Pallu and the gold tassels complemented the border so well. This double-duty ear ring have already graced my Indian outfits (last seen here) and yet to ornament my evening gowns and dresses in future. 

Although bought in two separate years, this Lovetobag clutch matched the heavily embroidered blouse. I have been in love with Lovetobag since I first spotted this black iris clutch featuring a black pure silk base square box clutch hand embroidered with zardosi. While the diamante clasp will keep your vanity safe and secure in it, the long chain handle will give you options to style it different ways- hanging down the shoulder, cross-body or simply placing it on your palm with poise. It won’t be overrated if I make a statement that currently, Lovetobag makes the best party clutch to pair with your traditional Indian outfits. 

I had been eyeing on a Champagne gold stilletos for ages. After searching and browsing throuh all possible high-street stores and online, I spotted this Champagne colored highlife lurex strappy sandals by Dune. This is also the only piece of accessory from high-street of this entire look which is otherwise a designer-affair. This is surely versatile to style- I will wear it with cocktail dresses, glittered or beaded skirts in the evening-do, cropped cocktail trousers, with my Indian partywears; Anarkalis and sarees and the list is long. I was warned by my friend to wear comfortable shoes on the wedding day as the ceremony was a long day-to-night celebration. And then there is ‘Dancing with the bride’ which is an old Croatian wedding tradition. It gives the opportunity for all guests to dance with the bride for a short while, usually not more than ten seconds per person. All of the guests are invited to participate, both ladies and gentlemen. So, I had to put my dancing shoes on! Dancing shoes? Stilletos? To your surprise, this pair is actually 10cm high but it is super comfy and I spent 15 hours in it dancing, standing, walking up and down from the reception venue to the church and back. The open toe and slim heel make this pair a perfect style for wedding and other glamorous occasion. 

Known to do my own hair and make-up always, suddenly I wanted a change, more because it was my bestie’s wedding; I wanted to feel special and even more because I was on a holiday there, in a mood to be pampered which is justified when you had walked miles in the old town of Dubrovnik for the past three days, driven for 18 hours at a stretch from Dubrovnik through Split, Trogir, Zadar and then, to reach Zagreb for the wedding just the night before. My friend- the bride had booked me in at the same salon where she was getting ready for her D-day. Sweet! Honestly, I was unsure in the beginning. I did my research on all possible hair and beauty salons in Zagreb before I finally gave it a go. As soon as I had arrived at the Renata Kérastase frizerski saloni, I was warmly welcome by the owner. She could just manage to say few words and phrases in English. She kept repeating how beautiful my outfit and accessories are and that I’m someone special. Kind Croates! The hair and make-up artists there were friendly and pretty. Great for a first impression that their hair and make-up looked impressive too but what was most important for me that they speak good English. Relieved! I could explain properly what exactly I wanted, how my look should be noting the outfit and accessories- I envisaged a glow on my face with nude make-up that will enable my skin to look flawless and evenenable. Blessed with big eyes, all I wanted is to keep them expressive by simply doing a light-smokey-eye.  As this saree is a combination of both pastel and dark shades, the entire look was accentuated by adding a lil’ color on the lips and nails. Matching your lipstick to your nails has long since been considered gauche and out-of-date–sort of like that old cliche style “rule” about matching your handbag to your shoes. But as old-fashioned as it sounds, match-oh-much nails and lips are actually something I love and worn many times. Keeping the coordinated theme of the same color family, I chose to go with Coral. It also matched the blush used on my face.  Although I’m more satisfied with the hair-do than my make-up in spite of me guiding them through this entire 3 hours I had spent at the salon.

Styling my hair on this black full sleeves blouse with embroidery over the neck was easier than any other things. It gives you an obvious but safe choice to opt for an up-do, after all you would like to save yourself from getting the strands of your hair stuck to the embroidery on the blouse again and again. Softly curled with side-parted and then, pinning them high in a messy bun was the most soft and romantic hair-style to complete this look- it is nearly perfect for an evening out or a big event like wedding.

Voilà! A very Indian look well put together with the help of people and accessories from accross the world, donned in a dreamy European city- Zagreb, conceptualised & styled by none other than moi- Tanusree of One Time Fashionista.

A  full-fledged post on croatian weddings is on the way with beautiful pictures from this fairytale wedding of my friend.

Stay tuned, stay stunned!

Wardrobe:

Saree by Amit Agarwal from Raa Studio 

Lovetobag  Black Iris Clutch from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop 

Prerto Swarovski Chain Tassel Earring from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop

Dune Champagne colored Highlife Lurex Strappy Sandals from House of Fraser

Hair & Make-up by Renata Kérastase frizerski saloni

My fashionistas, with a list of parties to attend, the on-going wedding season in India or anywhere in the subcontinent can be quite a stressful affair. While you have your outfit sorted out for your friend or cousin’s wedding-day, don’t ignore to pre-plan for the Mehendi day either. Being part of the Mehendi party means you’ll have to dress the part without upstaging the bride. While the bride would have had months of preparations (and a bigger budget) to get her Mehendi outfit ready, you as a guest might not be as lucky. To ease you into the wedding season, I have conceptualized this look with items from my existing wardrobe and sharing few tips on to look your fashionable best when you are heading for a night long dance fest complete with Bollywood tunes.

One of the many disadvantages of living far away from your family, friends and most of your relatives is, I end up missing opportunities to attend Desi weddings. I am away from all the festivities but you are not! So, in my imagination, I have visualised  a Mehendi party that I’m attending in a South- Delhi farm-house (the location is important before you plan a look; halterneck blouses may not be a good idea to sport for a Mehendi function held in non-metro cities or small towns) and this is how I’ll dress-up if given only 30 minutes to decide instantly how to dress up for a Mehendi ceremony of your friend or neighbor’s non-resident Indian son, I will look nowhere but in my own wardrobe, pick all these accessories and outfits to put together a look. No new shopping means no pressure on your wallet either.

I choose a green Rajasthani Bandhej chiffon saree for a Mehendi function. This color blends perfectly well with the theme of the ceremony as it makes you feel festive. I also prefer the textile to be traditional for a wedding tradition like Mehendi (Henna) that is applied to the bride as pre-wedding ritual. So, I opted for Bandhej; it is a type of tie-dye practiced mainly in the states of Rajasthan and Gujrat, India. Bandhej is also known as Bandhni and Chunri. The term Bandhni is derived from the Sanskrit word banda (“to tie”). The art of Bandhani is highly skilled process. The technique involves dyeing a fabric which is tied tightly with a thread at several points. The dyers have experimented with the use of different elements both natural and man made for ages. However, in the early days dyes were extracted from roots, flowers, leaves, and berries. This traditional Bandhej art has started in India about 500 years ago but they are still ruling the fashion world everywhere and dressing up everyone from models on the runways to women in rural India. Because of its rich cultural history and colorful characteristics, I have always been obsessed with Bandhej. Confession time: I own about 10 Bandhej sarees, half a dozen Salwar-kameezes and a few gorgeous Dupattas (long scarves) in Bandhej pattern and prints. So, teaming up a Bandhej chiffon saree (I bought ages ago) with another tie-dye piece- this newest addition to my collection of arm candies- an Epoca tie-dye clutch (that you have seen me donning for a western look here) for a Mehendi function has been a match made in heaven.

Top tip: Wear an ever classic saree such as this emerald green Bandhej number with a statement crop top or bralet– it’s traditional yet modern, sexy and fun.

Look the Part: This is a fundamental rule as the people often get confused between clothes being too heavy or too light. I always say it’s not your wedding, so do not wear all flashy things in one-go rather create a statement without going overboard. As long as one is elegant, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Choosing a simple saree like this green Bandhej chiffon make it easier to style as you can always play with the blouse design or colors, add a piece or two statement jewellery.

Go Tradition: Most urban Desi women practically live their lives and will continue to do so in modern clothes so this is the occasion that’ll give you the opportunity to embrace tradition. The notion that you must shake off is that traditional clothes are boring and dated. You can’t be further from the truth; in fact, well made traditional clothes with just the right amount of sensuality look breathtaking and are timeless. This Bandhej chiffon saree and an orange crochet bralet combo to mix the traditional with the contemporary. I love collecting clothes and accessories that can be styled in many different ways. The last time I wore this crochet bralet with a maxi skirt here during a beach holiday in Ibiza.


Dress your age and personality
: Wear something that’s comfortable, I say. It’s important that you feel yourself. I often see young women at wedding parties getting weighed-down under overtly glittery  sarees and matronly-cut blouses. So, opting for something light-weight and maneuverable, which you can dance in twirl in and which won’t weigh you down, so I chose this zero-weight Rajasthani Bandhej chiffon saree and couple of traditional accessories.

 Colour: 
In a sea of gold and bling it’s nice to do a pop-up colour which instantly uplifts your mood as well as lights up the room. This is why I picked emerald green for a Mehendi ceremony.

Wear a statement piece
: Adding something to take your look to a level beyond so it becomes memorable such as wearing this pearl and kundan Rajasthani maang tika also known as Borla. With a halter neck bralet, I skip the neckpiece but worn a pearl and kundan earring instead.

Last but not the least, live the moment! This has more to do with the attitude than the clothes! Remember, it’s also a time for family and friends bonding and celebration, so go ahead and live it up.

Location: Alexandra Palace, London 

What I Was Wearing?

Rajasthani Bandhej Chiffon Saree from Dilli Haat, New Delhi, India
Orange Crochet Bralet from Forever 21
Pearl and Kundan Earring from Greater Kailash Market Extension 2, New Delhi, India
Pearl and Kundan Borla from Bardhan Market, Kolkata, India
Epoca Tie-Dye Clutch

”A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it, it just blooms.”

Saree, being my most favourite desi wear, I unveiled this column draping with the label SareeSutra sometime in last year. I’ll wear them for any and every desi festival, if its my way; be it weddings of a colleague or friends, cousins, dogs or at religious festivals (I don’t follow one but take part in each one of them just to make the most of every opportunity to dress up and EAT;) or even at work. So, sharing this saree look I sported last sunday for no rhyme or reason or may be there is one? Continue to scroll down to find out.

 Braving the gaze of curious onlookers, I even landed up in a Croatian wedding in a  saree here last summer. How I wish fashion bloggers of Indian ethnicity had incorporated more ‘desi‘ looks in their blogs and in their everyday outfits and not just during weddings and festivals.  I, too, am guilty as charged. Yes, it is not only difficult to wear for many but also bothersome to manage and not the most comfortable attire to be running around in. Most of the English-educated women from urban Indian Sub-continent highly depend on their mothers, aunts, and beauty salon staff when it comes to draping a saree. I had mastered the art of wearing a saree the basic way when I was in school. Now I can drape a saree in as many creative ways as its possibly can be worn.  No matter how great your saree draping skills are, those of us living on our own in this part of the world often miss the presence of a helping (female) hand sitting down to hold those neatly arranged pleats or tuck the safety pin in those areas of your body (Damn, you shoulder blade!) where the hands can’t practically reach. When I look back, I laugh at my ability to wrangle with my beautorapher not for once but several times for irrationally thinking that he SHOULD KNOW how to put the side hook of my blouse into its eye. Woman!

I watched an Indian film titled ‘Piku‘ a couple weeks ago. It was undoubtedly one of the best Bengali films in Hindi. The dysfunctional characters of the film will take you to the living room of  every middle class Hindu Bengali family. I loved everything about Piku including the styling on its female protagonist played by Deepika Padukone. The film was an adrenaline, plus if I may say so, intestine rush but a saree, kajal, a black bindi and a pair of chandbali earring worn by Ms. Padukone  drew my attention, ‘oh! I have a lookalike saree and a pair of Chandbali and I used to love wearing kajal back in school and college days.’  I don’t remember when was the last time I wore a traditional Bengali-ish handloom saree styled with kajal and bindi, so, reliving Bengali roots and this sartorial love for saree, I thought to recreate the look seen on Piku aka Deepika Padukone. The lookalike saree I have in my closet, is a collection from Queen of Hearts(QoH). As branded, QoH IS about LOVE. It is for Indian handloom cloth, for colour, for Sarees. Motifs created for QoH design that you identify with; I identified it with my Bengali roots.

There is some magic about the weaves and crafts that spell elegance in fashion. In a country like India that has rich cultural colours spread across each state, handloom as a craft has diversified versions. Each state in India is known for its handloom history and tradition. The stories relating to birth of handloom craft is both interesting and involving. The handloom destinations such as QoH have an amazing variety of classic sarees, which women love to adorn on all occasions. What I like most about the saree collection of QoH is that they are into an urban and modern outlook, but some nuggets from the past still inspires them.

Recreating Piku’s look in my own way was rather easy. All I had to do is, to bring more drama in the eyes with wing drawn sharp to the inner corner in a bird-mouth shape. The saree didn’t come with a blouse, so, I paired it with this copper-ish golden halter-neck-backless blouse found in my closet. Wearing a pair of traditional Chandbali that is quite similar to what Deepika wore in this look was another key element to get closer to this face-off. Although the referred scene in the film in which Piku is seen to be wearing this lookalike saree, it had  her with hair open, however, this photo I collected from Google image has them tied up with a clutcher, at the back. I, on the other hand, left my hair open, no blow dry or curls or straightener (my natural hair is more straight than what a straightener can produce). A pair of gold bangles worn with a frosted mocha lips has completed this easy-going look in a QoH saree.

Disclosure: I was very kindly presented this saree on last Durga Puja by my sister-from-another-mother Deepa Mehta (birthdaygänger too), however all opinions are my own and I’d still rave about it even if i’d paid for it!

What Was I Wearing? 

Queen of Hearts by Deepa Mehta Saree

Amrapali Jewels Chandbali

Amrapali Jewels Bangle

Images Gold Embroidered Potli

My passion and enthusiasm for antique textiles and trims has always coincided with a desire to find creative ways to use and enjoy them. I will always collect these items and continue to give a makeover. The ways in which they might be given a new life through artistic expression are endless. In this post I will share my Durga Puja Shaptami Day look in a saree and explore the ideas to refashion a plain yardstick to a designer-esque saree. Because this saree has a unique story to tell. 

Since Bengali women save their best attires for Ashtami, Navami and Bijaya Dashami to amp their galm quotient, for Shaptami look, I have opted for this simple pale pink-ish turned mauve-ish georgette saree with gold intricate border as it reflects the festive mood. To your surprise, this saree is neither from the highstreet nor by any high-end designer. If you care to know the inspiration for incorporating antique (anything over 15 years is antique to me) and worn-out textiles and trims from your closet into refashion, keep scrolling down.

A few years ago I watched a Bollywood movie in which the female  actor Kajol was seen wearing plain single shaded chiffon and  georgette sarees with self-embroidered blouses, in all possible pastel shades. This trend was huge because no one ever thought saree could be this sensuous for an outfit until Bollywood actresses danced in single shaded chiffon sarees over the snow-clad mountains, in the water, against the wind, you name it, they have been there, done that! If my memory serves me right, it was the year 1999 or 2000. Inspired by fashion trends seen in Bollywood movies, I desired to wear a lookalike saree for Durga Puja that year. My mother took me to a local store (high-street saree stores were fully stocked with all pastel shades of this trending saree) and I picked this plain pale pink georgette saree among all pastel hued ones. It came with a matching blouse piece with self embroidery. The first and last time I had anything to do with this saree was that year, during Durga Puja. For years, it kept lying in my suitcase crumbling and neglected as I lived in many places after high school, changed cities, countries, it was like living out of a suitcase, literally. After shifting my base in London, I started to rebuilding my wardrobe, giving a makeover of the items I already owned, giving away many pieces and sold out a few (that’s how this blog was born). My eyes hit on this piece of yardstick and I felt sad thinking I’ll never wear again. The blouse probably doesn’t fit me any longer (even if it does, the neck is too high to ‘bringing sexy back’- Justine Timberlake). Nostalgia was fading away because why value dusty relics from the past when they can be replaced in an instant? Then one fine-bright day when it dawned upon me that the fabric is super soft, nice, and perfectly clinge to your body to enhance your curves. Also, georgette or chiffon sarees are the easiest to wear, I reckon. So I had to find a creative way to keep it in my closet. And instantly I had plans to make it into a designer saree. And as luck would have it, it was way easier to refashion that I even expected. This was a 15 pound quick fix. How?

Saree Makeover: This pink-mauve-ish georgette saree with a parrot green velvet sleeveless blouse has been a labor of love. I have collected gold borders, satins, laces to create the embellishments that have all been intricately sewn on the border, with a couple bead tassel knots added on each corner of the Pallu. I have incorporated pieces of antique gold borders, bits of velvet lace and trims…each a timeless treasure from a bygone era. 

Blouse Designing: Since the color of the saree is pale pink, with time it also looked a bit worn out since it has been lying down somewhere in the bottom of my closet, it kind of lost its sheen. To perk it up, I conceptualised a bold and bright colored blouse to pair with it. For the fabric of the blouse, I opted for velvet. It’s glossy, over-the-top and royal just what the saree was lacking. I purchased white velvet in yardstick and got them dyed in this shade of green. As far as the cut of the blouse goes, I wanted it to be youthful yet to be appropriate for women of all ages. Deep back neck and going sleeveless fit the bill perfectly.

Taking unwanted pieces from your wardrobe and a few new accessories from the DIY dress store and interweaving them into a wearable work of art is a most satisfying endeavor. The concept of ”Refashion” refers to the idea of taking a piece of clothing and restyling it by making creative alterations. My hope is that this post has inspired you in some way to look at antique or any unwanted/ worn-out textiles and trims in a new light. The next time you come across a beautiful piece of old trim or a border of an antique saree or skirt, consider how it might be incorporated into a wearable work of art.

How much did refashioning cost?

GBP 10.00 for the Blouse ( 4 pound for the fabric + dyeing and 6 pound for the stitching)

GBP 5.00 for the Lace, Velvet borders and green satin

Wish you all celebrating a very happy Durga Puja! I’ll be sharing the looks I’m going to sport on Ashtami and Navami in the upcoming posts.

Stay tuned, stay stunned!

What Was I Wearing?

Plain Georgette Saree refashioned by me
Earring by TribebyAmrapali
Ring by TribebyAmrapali
Bangle by TribebyAmrapali
Shoes from Dune Shoes
Clutch from India (Not giving out the name as I had a bad customer service experience with the brand owner)

If you thought Durga Puja was all about praying to the Goddess, standing in long queues to taste some delicious bhog (food offered to Goddess and then distributed among those who are visiting) and pandal hopping with friends, you’ve got it all wrong. This five-day festival also features cultural programmes on the first three days which include folk dances and music performances. On the last day known as Bijaya Dashami, there will be Sindoor utsav, wherein married women exchange sindoor with each other, followed by the immersion of the goddess’ idol. With all these functions to attend and be part of this extravagant celebrations, you got to look the part! After sharing my Shaptami Day look here, in this post, I’m sharing my Ashtami look. It’s all about bringing the traditional handloom saree style back!

The most opted sarees by women during Durga Puja are in traditional sarees in the combination of red and white and from  identical color palette. For morning puja on Ashtami Day, I have opted for this beautiful off-white bamboo handloom silk saree with multi colored embellished flowers on the pleats and pallu, followed by black border. The saree came with a blouse piece which I designed to a sleeveless blouse with half sheer boat neck with black line border.

A side messy-meets-softer braid  in wavy hair worn with a fresh two-tone rose styled with a traditional saree is one look I like to wear in a heartbeat. I finished out the look with a small matching bindi, a royal kundan and beadwork strings statement neckpiece and a grand Kundan studded gold bangle.

Share your Durga Puja Look on Facebook and Instagram tagging @onetimefashionista, I will repost the ones I love most.

(Note: The day we shot this look was cloudy and felt it’s going to rain anytime, so the lighting is not something I have liked particularly, since we don’t photoshop our photos, excuse the  light, please!)

What Was I Wearing?

Saree from Tassels in Kolkata, India (Blouse designed by me)
Bangle by Soranam Jewels from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop
Necklace from Love For Pretty Things
Clutch from Dilli Haat, India
Bindi from New Market, Kolkata, India

Designer sarees may come and go but there is something to be said about rich traditional silks. We’ll never get tired of them. In this post, I’m going to share how I cut quite the festive picture on in this fuchsia Kanjeevaram silk saree. This saree surely is a sight for sore eyes!

Kanjeevaram silk sarees are a must-have for every woman who wears saree. The enviable texture, luster and durability and finish looks rich, royal and traditional to its core. I styled this va va voom look for Navami Day because officially, it’s the last day and your one last opportunity to sport the best attire in the most festive mood because Bijaya Dashami brings out the ‘sombre’ for some when it’s time to bid adieu to the Godddess until next year.  So, on Navami, I enjoyed the festive fervor wearing this Kanjeevaram silk saree in fuchsia with two-side border woven in real golden zari and silk entailing abstract motif throughout. The zigzag pattern on the top side of the border further enhances its look. The flower motifs on bottom of the border represented elements of nature- a pattern seen quintessentially in Kanjeevaram sarees! A fuchsia silk with the same top border in unstitched form accompanied the saree which I designed to stitch traditioanlly but with a touch of creativity of my own. In addition to the border of the saree, I added soft Muslin golden lace border which I picked up from a DIY dress/ lace store to create a bit more drama in designing the sleeves and back of the blouse.

While the objective of this post is to inspire others to re-create another look to be sported on Durga Puja, in this process, I thought to share a piece of information about the beauty and creative thought goes behind making Kanjeevaram silk sarees. In a genuine Kanjeevaram silk saree, the border, body and the pallu are woven separately and then interlocked together. This joint is woven so strongly that even if the saree tears, the pallu or border will not detach. If you already knew it, share in the comment what else you know about traditional Kanjeevaram silk sarees.

A traditional saree like a Kanjeevaram is probably the easiest to style, having said that, I often see women going OTT and ending up looking way older than their age. This look is not only all-age appropriate but also easy to incorporate with everything that already exist in your wardrobe. All desi women have a gold potli bag in their closet, right? I’m in awe with this gold embroidered potli featuring a gold silk base with rich peeta-embroidery and bead flowers along with a set of matching beaded handles and drawstring. The possibilities are endless when it comes to style this piece of accessory with items from your existing wardrobe.

If you are following this blog on Facebook and Instagram (which you should!), you probably have read my announcement of adorning jewelry by Amrapali Jewels exclusively for Durga Puja. This cutwork hoops with drops of baby pearls is one of my all time favourite pieces from the brand. It’s traditionally unique! The traditional trend of wearing stacked gold bangles by Bengali women during festivals and wedding functions are not something I would embrace and recommend because a) every outfit is different and it should be styled suiting its character, and b) Unless you a brand ambassador of a particular jewelry brand, don’t wear all the gold jewelry you own together and everywhere. A traditional Kanjeevaram silk saree  gives you that elbow room to sport a stacked gold bangles look without fearing being judged by the fashion police.

Finally, this traditional saree look is enhanced with slicked-back hair that was pulled into a low bun and wrapped around with fresh ‘mogra’ (flower garland). Thanks to Valli’s in Wembley for stocking them, is there anything desi that you don’t get in this super city called London? Everything, I need!

With this look styled for Navami day, I’m channeling my inner Rekha in this luminous Kanjeevaram Silk saree in a far more toned down manner.

Hope you all celebrating Durga Puja had a great time this year. If you had been busy hopping pandals, catching up with friends, indulging in food and feasting, it’s about time to catch your breath and have a  dekko at the Shaptami and Ashtami Day look I shared here previously.

(Note: It started rainning in the middle of this shoot, so you can imagine how the light was! Apologies for the worse photos ever!)

What Was I Wearing?

Saree from Benarasi Palli, Dhaka (Blouse designed by me)
Earring by AmraPali Jewels from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop
Bangles by TribebyAmrapali from Amrapali Jewels
Potli by Images from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop

”Autumn is the second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus

Autumn’s initial brilliance is turning down and leaves are falling everywhere. Temperatures are steadily dropping though by afternoon a still glorious sun washes over the land. To enjoy this fashionable transition from full blown autumn to dreary winter and immerse in the scenic beauty, one Sunday afternoon, we drove to the nearby Fryent Country Park. Colors in the trees have reached their peak for the season. As if it was finding the painter’s palette of autumn hues. Ever wonder what it would be like to camouflage and blend into these autumn palette of colors that are ablaze?  With everything’s a rainbow at this time of the year, on this Diwali, I present you the human rainbow in a saree. 

The trees in the Fryent Country Park are shining brightly yellow while the nearby streets and highways are home to vibrant red and orange foliage. We parked our car near one of the entrances of the park and discovered a quieter walkway to shoot this look. This rainbow hued shaded hand dyed silk georgette sari with woven gota border could not get a better backdrop than this. Living in a country where almost everyone loves and wears black mostly, I still stay rebellious with colors and grab every opportunity to dress up in colourful clothing that bring us into a more positive and festive mood, I reckon.

The rainbow colours of this saree are much more flattering to the skin and help to look and feel younger. 

The saree comes along with readymade yellow silk blouse with mughal jaali gota work and cut out at back with gota tassels. There is a first time for everything in life, it is my first time wearing a readymade blouse. I’m not paid to sing praises of the designer here when I say the blouse fitted perfectly as if it was custom made for me. This shatters all myths about buying readymade outfits online, I have done it many times and each time it was a success! What matters most is the place you shop from! 

Wearing my hair in a flowy soft curls, this rainbow saree is styled with a double crescent silver chandbali, and silver two toned flower ring from a jewellry brand many of us swear by- Amrapali Jewels. A beige crown clutch have completed this look keeping it graceful and toned down.

What  stands out in this look is the ghungroo bangles- these bangles are unique with tiny musical bells that rattle, adding a playful element to this ensemble. The Ghungroos are embellished onto the base with multi-colored threads complimenting and co-ordinating with the rainbow colored saree.

A neon coral (Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick) lips and daramatic, heavily kohled eyes have finished out this look.

Don’t forget to share your Diwali Look with me on Facebook and Instagram. Use #OneTimeFashionista so that I can repost and share the ones I like most with everyone. Remember, that’s why we blog- to inspire each other!

Wish you all a very happy Diwali! (It’s one my favourite festivals to celebrate)

What Was I Wearing?

Saree from Ayinat by Taniyaa O’Connor from Pernia’s Pop-up shop
Amrapali Jewels Chandbali Earring from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop
LovetoBag Clutch from Pernia’s Pop-up Shop
TribebyAmrapali Ring from Amrapali Jewels
Bangles from Raja-Rani
Hair, Make-up and Styling by Me

Over the weekend, I attended Saraswati Puja. Goddess Saraswati is revered as the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music and art. I was happy to finally have reached ‘white’. Although most people would wear yellow on this festival as it is also celebrated as the first day of spring according to Hindu calendar. For some reason, in my childhood, my mother used to dress us up in white. So, I decided to walk down the memory lane and wore an embellished white net saree that I designed a few years ago.

This is the look I styled with two simple yet amazing jewellery pieces- a vintage silver coin ring that I bought from an antique market in NYC and a diamonte studded earring  from a high street store in India. Unique in its design but totally pocket-friendly. A sequin and silk thread embellished white net saree paired with minimal jewellery makes a clean and classic look but what really stands out in this look is when you set your eyes above my neck. Adding a bold red lip to the white look, I finished out this look with an updo donut bun adorned with fresh red roses which is named, aptly, by the beautographer, ”Rosy Sun Rays”.

Now that I’m writing this little update, I should share with you all that while was getting ready for this look, the Beautographer was sitting right behind me as I was facing the mirror and tucking pins to set the flowers into my bun with two imaginary eyes at my back. He uttered, “you are an adept artist, making a rosy sun rays of a different kind of sunrise.” That’s sweet! He understands my struggle of doing it all by myself which includes, conceptualising, styling, arranging (read buying) outfits and accessories, doing hair, makeup, fastening hooks of the blouse that are at the back side and saree draping. No mean feat!

On a side note, I have been a little away from blogging sphere since we returned from Egypt. We have lots to catch up, planned and organised for our next voyage(s) already, but as I see the blog’s screen in front of me that I haven’t seen as often as I should have in the past month, I realize that I’m also happy to be back blogging outfit posts and I have a lot of new posts up my sleeve!

Stay tuned, stay stunned! Have a great week ahead!

What Was I Wearing?

Saree designed by me

Zara Bucket bag (It’s probably sold out now)

Ear ring from a store in Kamla Nagar Market, Delhi, India (Don’t remember the name, it’s more than a decade old)

(P.S. Hair, makeup and styling by me)

“For we women are not only the deities of the household fire, but the flame of the soul itself.” ― Rabindranath Tagore, The Home and the World

What Shakespeare is to English Literature, Rabindranath Tagore is to Bengali literature and shall I dare say, that he is a bit more? A comparison is beyond the remit of this blogpost, but it will suffice to say that Tagore’s talent and contribution to the world of literature as playwright, poet, singer, lyricist, actor, activist makes him the most celebrated shining star in the domain of Bengali literature and world literature in general. One of the unique aspects of his work was his special portrayal of independent minded women through his characters. While being a student of English Literature myself back in year 2000, I was deeply influenced by Tagore’s women like Bimala from the Home and the world or Binodini from Chokher Bali.

Pohela Boishakh is the most popular festival in the Bengali calendar marking the beginning of the New Year so I chose this momentous event to assume the traditional Bengali avatar, being inspired by the female characters in the works of Tagore. Dressing like Tagore’s female protagonists does not come cheap as some of these women belonged to Jamidar (Bengali for royality) family. I have designed this Dhakai Jamdani myself and what better occasion than Pohela Boishakh to don this which suits the mood and theme of the biggest festival for Bengalis- from both sides of the border (India and Bangladesh), regardless of religion.

Women have been portrayed in various lights in Tagore’s work. Being a keen observer of the social norms and rituals, Tagore knew very well where women were at the time of producing his work but at the same time, he made direct inference to the dormant strength inherent in his leading ladies with a clear aspiration of where he would have wanted to see them advance in future.  These women were introduced in his literature in the mundane and expected settings of the social sphere but interestingly all of them were presented as outspoken with a certain flare inherent in them. The women were complex in nature and vulnerable to being misunderstood. Amidst global and region political struggles, these women had to withstand the struggle against their own patriarchal families and societies to claim their own right and cement their positions in the family and society. As a mother, wife, sister, worker, leader, fighter- a woman had multiple roles to play concurrently – very much like the multi-limbed Mother Goddess of Durga. Being an avid follower of the female characters of Tagore, I have been deeply influenced by their personae and not surprisingly my this particular style quotient is obviously inclined towards the reflection of the aspects of Tagore’s women.

So for stepping into the avatar as one of Tagore’s women, my preferred attire was a Jamdani saree since I love the royal fabric of which a ”pure” Jamdani is made of. The intricate work and this traditional Bengali color combination i.e. red & white, is not only perfect for a classic look but it is also very easy to wear for long hours as the finished garment is highly breathable which is an important factor to look at for the sultry April days in Bengal. Those of you who are not familiar with the rich heritage of a Jamdani saree, it is a vividly patterned, sheer cotton fabric, traditionally woven on a handloom by craftsmen and their family members around Dhaka. Jamdani is a time-consuming and labour-intensive form of weaving because of the richness of its motifs, which are created directly on the loom using the discontinuous weft technique. Weaving is thriving today due to the fabric’s popularity for making sarees. Although Jamdani sarees are a symbol of identity, elegance and sophistication and provides wearers with a sense of cultural identity and social cohesion but I was never drawn to its beauty much. But as I love experimenting with my individual style, I wished to try one in its most traditional style- red & white combination. After a little hunt here and there, I thought to take the responsibility on my own shoulder to create one by myself with effortless pattern and lightweight motif,  intricate Kundan and beaded pearl work on border with just the right amount of ethnicity.

The perks of designing my own attire was that I could bring a twist to a traditional saree style not known widely. I truly felt like a character from one of Tagore’s dramas in which you see women wearing blouses designed in a non-conventional way- the Jamindari style. With its balloon sleeves and border sewn on the hemline of the neck and back, the blouse stood out like a shining armour.

I’ve added my share of gold & glitter and tradition with the beautiful  ensemble from Amrapali Jewels. I can’t but think about any other brand than Amrapali to do complete justice to the ethnic galore this look has to offer.  I decided not to take away from this beautiful neck piece and so went with a traditional Bengali style Jhumki instead of matching earrings to complete my look.

I’ve pushed the tempo and teamed up this traditional red & white bangles (traditionally worn by married Bengali Hindu women) with bangles and hand cuffs from Amrapali Jewels. I absolutely LOVE how the entire collection of jewelleries worn here complementing each other! J’adore these jewel-tones!

With my hair in a Chignon, I finished out this look with a classic Bollywood style eye makeup, nude lips, Alta (A bright red dye or liquid color used to adorn palms and feet in simple patterns by Bengali women during marriages and religious festivals) on my fingers and palms, vermilion marks on my forehead and a big red bindi between my brows (a custom traditionally practised by married Bengali Hindu women).

While we usher into the new Bengali year 1423, this tribute of mine is to the fiery women of Tagore’s creations who with the strength and integrity of their character, intention and action – created new chapters for women. Even if real change took longer than Tagore would have expected, the change in the perception in the mind is the first one to address. I hope the journey through the pictures above will make you imagine as if the characters of Tagore have come to life. Amidst the boundaries of tradition and gaudiness, oppression and discrimination – the women of Tagore have continued to make a place in my heart and mind, my fashion and passion. Hope you felt the same.

(P.S. We shot this look in the premises of Shri Sanatan Hindu Temple in Wembley as we thought the location would complement the theme of this outfit shoot and concept of this blogpost. The props and postures used are purely for the purpose of this shoot. We didn’t go there to perform Puja or any rituals.)

What Was I Wearing?

Jamdani Saree designed by myself

Necklace by TribebyAmrapali of Amrapali Jewels

Bangles by TribebyAmrapali of Amrapali Jewels

Earrings by Amrapali Jewels (From Pernia’s Pop-up Shop)

White & Red Bangles from Kolkata, India

Hair, makeup and styling by myself

Around 95% of the world’s hand woven fabric comes from India. On 7th August, when India celebrated its second National Handloom Day, the Textiles ministry initiated the #IWearHandloom campaign, urging men and women to post photographs of them wearing handlooms and tag five others. Social media timelines and feeds were filled with photographs of people dolled up in the best of handlooms.

While most loved the idea behind the campaign and flaunt handlooms, from expensive silks to casual cotton or linen workwear, another section was cynical about such campaign whether they really helps the handloom industry and bring any good to its thousands of workers who are still underpaid and undervalued. I will leave that for the experts to ponder over because as for me, give me a reason to wear a saree, you will never have to ask me twice. To me, the Saree is, undoubtedly, one of the most dynamic pieces of Indian clothing. It brings grace and elegance to a woman’s personality. Many of us living in this part of the world shy away from wearing them and especially when it comes to handloom sarees. Here, saree is often seen as a piece of garment only meant for formal occasions or that it’s going to be much of an effort to carry. Contrary to popular belief, a saree can be worn most casually and effortlessly if you select a handloom one like I did here.

This traditional cotton Baluchori saree that was made by the weavers of Bengal was a high-street purchase hand-picked by me years ago. This is so comfortable and easy to wear, you could spend all day in them (I really did)! What I love most about the cotton Baluchori sarees is the combination of sophisticated and subtle colours that you can really play around with in terms of accessories and get creative with styling.

In this post, I wanted to show you how you can style the cotton Baluchori sarees  for a not-so-formal occasion. From school run to workwear, not to mention the wedding season (they make great choices for Haldi ceremony guest outfits) is about to begin in few months, who isn’t looking for comfy, fun and quirky inspirations for desi girl style?

I wore this  Baluchori saree with a blouse matching to the pallu, and accessorised with a Moroccan Berber necklace that I hauled  during my trip to Marrakech to give my look a casual and effortless feel. Gothic eye make-up featuring deep purple eye shadow, a tiny black bindi and stacking colourful thread bangles from India have finished out the look for me.

If you have followed the campaign, did you wear a handloom saree on 7th August or later? If you did, tag @Onetimefashionista in your photos please so that I can also see how you have styled yours. If you haven’t, will you give it a try? As legends say, ”Hand-woven fabrics going mainstream is a sign of a success”, I endorse that completely.

“For we women are not only the deities of the household fire, but the flame of the soul itself.” ― Rabindranath Tagore, The Home and the World

বাঙালি পাঠকের কাছে রবীন্দ্রনাথকে নতুন করে পরিচয় দেয়ার দরকার নেই। এটা বাড়িয়ে বলা হবে না যে ইংরেজি সাহিত্যে শেক্সপিয়ারের যে অবদান ছিল বাংলা সাহিত্যে রবীন্দ্রনাথের অবদান বিভিন্ন ক্ষেত্রে তার চেয়েও বেশী। কবি, নাট্যকার, গীতিকার, গায়ক, অভিনেতা, সমাজসেবী হিসেবে রবীন্দ্রনাথ যাতে হাত দিয়েছেন তাতে তাঁর উৎকর্ষতা দেখিয়েছেন। বিশেষ করে তিনি তাঁর কাজের মধ্য দিয়ে নারী চরিত্রগুলোকে যেভাবে উপস্থাপন করেছিলেন তা লক্ষণীয়। আমি নিজে ইংরেজি সাহিত্যের ছাত্রী থাকাকালীন সময় থেকে আজ পর্যন্ত রবি ঠাকুরের এই নারী চরিত্রদের দ্বারা বিশেষভাবে প্রভাবিত হয়েছিলাম এবং আজও তাই। ‘ঘরে বাইরে’ এর বিমলা থেকে নিয়ে ‘চোখের বালির’ বিনোদিনী – প্রতিটি চরিত্রের ব্যক্তিত্বের আবেদন অনস্বীকার্য।

পহেলা বৈশাখ বাঙালীর প্রাণের উৎসব। পুরনোকে বিদায় জানিয়ে নববর্ষকে বরণ করে নেয়ার এই শুভক্ষণে আমার শ্রদ্ধা রবীন্দ্রনাথের সেই নারী চরিত্রগুলোর প্রতি। তাই আমি ঠিক করেছিলাম যে তাঁদেরকে রবি কবি যেভাবে তার উপন্যাসে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছিলেন আমিও এমন সাজে সাজবো যেন তাঁর কোন বইয়ের পাতা থেকে উঠে এসেছি। বলা বাহুল্য যে সেইসকল নারীদের সাজ ধারণ করা চাট্টিখানি কথা নয় কারণ তাঁরা বেশিরভাগই ছিলেন বনেদী জমিদার বাড়ীর বউ বা মেয়ে। তাই আমি ঠিক করলাম যে আমার সাজের মূল অলংকার হবে আমার শাড়ী আর তা হল জামদানী যা আমি নিজে ডিজাইন করেছি। এভাবে আমি আয়নার সামনে বসে প্রস্তুতি নিতে থাকলাম সেই উৎসবের জন্য যা এপার বাংলা ওপার বাংলা সব ধর্ম নির্বিশেষে সর্বশ্রেষ্ঠ উৎসব।

রবীন্দ্রনাথের সাহিত্যে নারীদের বিভিন্ন আঙ্গিকে দেখানো হয়েছে। সামাজিক প্রথা আর নিয়মকানুনকে মনোযোগ দিয়ে পর্যবেক্ষণ করে রবীন্দ্রনাথ জানতেন তৎকালীন যুগে নারীর অবস্থান কোথায় ছিল এবং তিনি এও ভাল করে জানতেন যে তাদের মর্যাদা এবং অধিকার অনুযায়ী তাদের কোথায় থাকার কথা ছিল। নারী চরিত্রগুলোকে দেখানো হয়েছিল যে তারা সামাজিক এবং ধর্মীয় নিয়মকানুনের বেড়াজালে আবদ্ধ কিন্তু তাদের প্রত্যেকেরই মনে দুরুদুরু করে জ্বলছিল সেই সুপ্ত আগ্নেয়গিরির অগ্নিবন্যা। রবীন্দ্রনাথের নারী চরিত্রগুলো ছিল বেশ জটিল এবং যাদের ভুল বোঝাটাও ছিল সহজ এবং স্বাভাবিক। শত প্রতিকূলতা সত্ত্বেও এই চরিত্রগুলো যেভাবে পুরুষতান্ত্রিক সমাজের রক্তচক্ষুকে উপেক্ষা করে একের একের পর এক তাদের সংগ্রাম চালিয়ে গিয়েছেন তার পর এটা আর বলার অপেক্ষা রাখে না যে একজন নারী কারও মা, বোন, স্ত্রী, বান্ধবী, এমনকি নেত্রী, কর্মী আর যোদ্ধা হিসেবে যে বহুমুখী রূপে নিজেকে আবির্ভূত হতে দেখেন তখন দেবী দুর্গার সাথে তার আসলেই কোন পার্থক্য থাকে না। রবীন্দ্রনাথের এসকল নারী চরিত্রগুলোর গুণমুগ্ধ হিসেবে আমার নিজের চিন্তাভাবনা, সাজগোজ আর ফ্যাশনেও তাদের একটা প্রভাব পড়েছে যা আমি অস্বীকার করবো না।

 রবি ঠাকুরের কোন নারী চরিত্রে নিজেকে কল্পনা করার জন্য জামদানী শাড়ী ছিল আমার পছন্দ কারণ জামদানী যে কাপড় দিয়ে তৈরি তার একটি অভিজাত ব্যাপার আছে যেটা আমার বেশ পছন্দ। নিপুণ হাতের কাজ আর চিরন্তন বাঙালীর রঙ – লাল সাদার সমন্বয়ে জামদানী এমন এক রঙের আবীরে নারীকে সাজায় যা অতুলনীয়। বিশেষ করে জামদানী শাড়ী লম্বা সময় ধরে পরাও আরামদায়ক কারণ এর কাপড়টা বৈশাখের গরম মানিয়ে নেয়ার জন্য বেশ কার্যকরী। যারা জামদানীর ব্যাপারে তেমন একটা জানেন না তাদের বলছি যে জামদানীর মূল উৎপত্তি ঢাকা এবং ঢাকার আশপাশের কিছু কারিগরের কারখানায়। যুগের পর যুগ ধরে কটন কাপড়ের উপরে এই শাড়ীর অসাধারণ ডিজাইন এবং কারুকাজ প্রত্যেক বাঙালী নারীর হৃদয়ে তার আসন বানিয়ে নিয়েছে। এটা বলা বাঞ্ছনীয় যে জামদানী শাড়ী বানাতে বেশ সময় প্রয়োজন কারণ এর পুরোটাই হাতে তৈরি। জামদানী শাড়ী যদিও আভিজাত্যের প্রতীক আমি নিজে থেকে কখনই এত ইচ্ছুক ছিলাম না। তাই ভাবলাম যদি তা পরতেই হয় তবে নিজে থেকে ডিজাইন করেই পরব। তাই একটা লাল-সাদা জামদানী বেছে নিয়ে নিজের পছন্দসই কুন্দন আর মুক্তার কাজ দিয়ে এই জামদানী শাড়ীটাকে আমার মনের মত করে বানিয়ে নিলাম।

নিজের ডিজাইন করা শাড়ী পরার লাভ হল এই যে আমি ঐতিহ্যবাহী জামদানী ঠিকই পরলাম কিন্তু নিজের পছন্দমাফিক কারুকাজ খচিয়ে। আমার সত্যিই মনে হচ্ছিল যেন আমি রবীন্দ্রনাথের উপন্যাসের কোন পাতা থেকে উঠে এসেছিলাম। ব্লাউজটাও ঐ যুগে জমিদার বাড়ীর নারীরা এমনভাবে পরতেন যে বর্ডারে কাজ করা আর কাঁধের কাছে একটু ফোলানো। ব্লাউজটা পরেই মনে হচ্ছিল এটাই যেন আমার এই সাজের মূল আকর্ষণ।

আমার এই সাজে আমাকে অলংকৃত করেছে অম্রপলির মনকাড়া গহনা। আমার এই চিরাচরিত সাজে অলংকার বেছে নেয়ার সময় আমি অম্রপলি ছাড়া কিছু ভাবতেই পারিনি, এতই সুন্দর কারুকাজ যে চোখ ফেরানো দায়। তাই গলার হারের সাথে ম্যাচিং করার জন্য আমি আমার কানে বাঙালীর প্রিয় ঝুমকাও পড়ে নিয়েছি।

গলা হল, কান হল, এবার হাতের পালা। আমি বেছে নিয়েছি কিছু সাদা আর লাল চুড়ি আর শাঁখা।

১৪২৩ বাঙালী নববর্ষে পদার্পণের এই শুভ লগ্নে আমার এই ছোট্ট প্রয়াস রবীন্দ্রনাথের অগ্নিঝরা সেসকল নারী চরিত্রদের জন্য। ব্যক্তিত্ব, উচ্চাকাঙ্ক্ষা, দৃঢ়তা, মমতা এবং পরিবর্তনের অভিপ্রায়ের এক অনবদ্য মিশ্রণে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন নারী শক্তিকে রবীন্দ্রনাথ। তিনি যেমনটা চাইতেন তেমন পরিবর্তন আজকের সমাজে আসতে দেরী হলেও তিনি চেয়েছেন যেন প্রথম পরিবর্তনটা আসুক আমাদের দৃষ্টিভঙ্গিতে, আমাদের ধ্যানধারণায়। আমার প্রত্যাশা যে উপরের কিছু ছবি আপনাদের নিয়ে যাবে সেই কাল্পনিক এক যাত্রায়, যেন আমিই বইয়ের পাতা থেকে থেকে উঠে এসে কোন জমিদার বাড়ীর আঙিনায় হেঁটে বেড়াচ্ছি। শত প্রতিকূলতা আর বাধা-বিপত্তির বেড়াজাল পেরিয়ে রবীন্দ্রনাথের নারী চরিত্ররা যেভাবে নিজেদের এক অনবদ্য এবং অনুকরণীয় আদলে নিজেদের অস্তিত্ব প্রমাণ করেছেন তার প্রভাব শুধু আমার নিজের উপরেই পড়েনি বরং আমার ফ্যাশন আর পোশাকআশাকের স্টাইলেও পড়েছে বৈকি। আশা করি আপনাদের ভাল লাগবে।

আমি কি পরেছিলাম 

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