Bride & Style

Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week Delhi 2013 drew to an end last week, so here’s a quick look at some “trends” I observed from the various shows.

Brides want to try new styles…
A whole new set of designers are experimenting with bridal wear and creating radically new looks for the modern Indian bride. While Falguni & Shane Peacock did a goth bride, Shantanu-Nikhil used sharp silhouettes and unusual neckline shapes for their bridal outfits. (Below: Neha Dhupia for Falguni & Shane Peacock, Shantanu-Nikhil)

… While some designers look at the past
Mughal, Renaissance and Kotwara influences- the days of yore fascinate designers, brides and fashion-loving Indians in equal measure. (Below: Meera Muzaffar Ali, Ashima-Leena)

Hot colours for brides are oranges and nudes
Jewel tones like rich purple, bright blue and peacock green have almost disappeared from most designers’ colour palette, in favour of orange, coral and peach shades, with nude, ivory and beige. Must say that some shades of orange I saw on the ramp were delicious. 😉 (Below: Ashima-Leena; Tarun Tahiliani)

Gold is still the black of Indian bridal wear
Embellishments are golden… ’nuff said. Us Indians will always be obsessed with the yellow metal. (Below: Sonam Kapoor for Rohit Bal; Suneet Varma)

Fashion weeks will never be short of WTFashion moments
From Rina Dhaka’s overtly kitsch collection to some sort of headbands at Adarsh Gill, ramp shows will always have some seriously WTFashion styles. (Below: Adarsh Gill, Rina Dhaka)

What did you think of the collections at Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week?

In Bride & Style, Shopping

How I am fighting the SALE shopping temptation

Speaking ChicJuly 18, 2013July 17, 2013Leave a comment

The mall is a bad, bad place to visit these days. The SALES are extremely tempting, and my upcoming wedding has given me the best reason to shop. So the question I’ve been asking myself is – should I shop during the end of season sale? I mean, everyone shops during sale, right? (And the cool gif from Hidesign below makes it even more alluring).

It’s not an easy answer, so I’m just going to put you through a YES and NO debate that went on in my mind for the longest time ever.

YES, a bride should totally shop on sale, because:
She will get the best prices so she can shop on a budget. And there is so much choice because all brands stuff their stores till they overflow.

NO WAY, a bride should not shop on sale, because:
It’s old season stuff, honey. Not the right options for a stylish trousseau. You don’t have place in your cupboard to hold all the lovely new clothes. She will end up splurging on clothes and accessories she doesn’t need or want.

Still no answer to my original question. So here’s what I did:

Step 1: I made a shopping list of things that I need to buy. (The key word here is need, not want).

Step 2: I then struck off those things that I don’t need immediately, like a watch, clutch etc. (I own these accessories and can use them for a while).

Step 3: This left me with just a few things on my list, such as a pair of office shoes, a good moisturiser, casual slippers (for the house) and similar stuff.

Step 4: And then I went and bought these things– they were all important because I didn’t have a good pair of work shoes and my home slippers broke. And what of the rest?

Step 5: I went back to my original list, pondering each item carefully. I figured out the things I didn’t need immediately, but would be a good price during sale, and were unlikely to change with “trends”. This included staples like black pants, classic white blouse and a pearl necklace. And oh, lingerie.

Step 6: Meanwhile, my mom added a few things to the list- gifts! Mom’s wishlist can’t be ignored, so it got added to my list.

Step 7: I will be heading to the mall as the discounts go deeper, armed with this list. And I intend to stick to it! (I know I will).

Now, is that the path to being a smart, stylish and financially-savvy bride? I say YEAH!

PS—Do try this at home (and the mall)! No expert guidance needed.

In Bride & Style

Bride & Style: All the pre-wedding style madness!

Speaking ChicJuly 10, 2013July 10, 20131 Comment

Gentle reader, I am getting married! And needless to say, I will be blogging about it. OK, maybe not the wedding per se, but the fashion.

Since I’m a fashion buff, fashion will play a HUGE role at my wedding and the related occasions. Clothes, accessories, jewellery, makeup, hair… it’s going to be a tremendous effort to sort these out, and the next few months will test my management and styling skills to the maximum. And I’m up for the challenge! 🙂

Of course I am hoping for a perfect wedding like every other bride, but mine isn’t going to be a grand Rajasthan wedding or a glamourous Bollywood affair. Nor will it be a super quiet affair with five people in attendance. You get the idea…

So what should I wear? How do I get the perfect outfit within X budget? How many outfits do I need in my trousseau? How do I match the accessories and makeup? Questions, questions and more questions a bride needs to answer, and I will be blogging about all of them (and more) over the next few months. So expect my experiences, rants, and the WOW moments, maybe a few handy tips along the way.

Hope you enjoy the bridal “special” and learn from my mistakes. Do leave your advice and tips for me. Thanks!

(PS – Picture from Bhairavi Jaikishen at LFW Summer Resort 2013)

Showing all posts in Bride & Style

IBFW: Hot colours, new looks, WTFashion moments & more…

How I am fighting the SALE shopping temptation

Bride & Style: All the pre-wedding style madness!