Chic Accessory: 1 Versatile Bag, 3 Hot Trends, 6 Easy Looks!

Chic Accessory: 1 Versatile Bag, 3 Hot Trends, 6 Easy Looks!

A versatile bag is what every woman needs. The bag should be great-looking, spacious and compliment the trends of the season. I found one such bag at the Lavie store over the weekend, and the easy style, the comfortable size and the pop of colour made me want it immediately. I was inspired enough to pair this bag with the hottest trends (neutrals, prints and aqua) and the right occasions to wear them, with must-have add-ons and accessories.

Take a look.

Trend 1: Classic neutrals (for office)
The bag will hold your tablet, makeup kit and wallet. The sober colour scheme makes it an excellent pairing for classic and casual work wear, from blouses and trousers, to skirts and dresses.

Look1-Work

(Blouse & trousers from Arrow, dress from Mango, blazer from Vinegar, Earrings from Tanishq, Shoes from Tresmode).

Trend 2: Bold prints (for leisure)
Exotic, tropical, Asian, floral… wear these prints to a movie, lunch date or shopping, grab this bag, and your look is complete!

Look 2- Leisure

(Top from French Connection, pants from W, dress from Zara, cuff from Juvalia & You, earrings from Aldo Accessories)

 

Trend 3: Aqua (for holiday)
You need this Lavie bag for your holiday– to carry your sun block, documents, some shopping and even a snack. And the aqua colour scheme is a perfect contrast for your summery bag (and mood).

Look3 Holiday

(Tee from Forever New, shorts from Only, dress from Elle Fashionwear, Hat from Toniq, Sunglasses from Opium)

How are you wearing your favourite bag today?

Bollywood Fashion: Inkaar’s style will make you want to work in advertising

Bollywood Fashion: Inkaar’s style will make you want to work in advertising

Inkaar’s fashion is kinda agency-style cool. You’ll want to wear Chitrangada’s pencil skirts or Arjun Rampal’s blazers. Either ways, it’s a stylish introduction to ad agency fashion though agency guys will tell you they dress cooler and way more relaxed. After all, they can get away with chappals to office and Simpsons tees on a regular working day.

Inkaar- Arjun Rampal and Chitrangada Singh

If you want to dress for success, join an ad agency, or just know how to dress like either of the two super-hot actors, read on.

Chitrangada Singh: Awkward junior to bitchy boss
Maya Luthra’s transition from a gawky copy writer to National Creative Director (NCD) is documented through varying levels of bitchiness and change in wardrobe.

Inkaar- Chitrangada-Singh

So from baggy printed peasant blouses, messy hair and chin piercing, Maya gradually moves to crisp blouses, designer accessories, formal dresses and blow dried hair. Her put-together look (by Nick Roy) and choice of accessories might be too jarring for a chilled-out work place. Statement neck pieces,  Louis Vuitton belt, and well-coordinated totes would stick out like a sore thumb among the Angry Birds slippers and Fab India kurtas. But hey, Maya’s NCD and I know women would want to dress like her (including me).

Inkaar- Chitrangada-Singh

The only fashion faux pas were the few “revealing” outfits Chitrangada wore. The unwritten “no-cleavage-in-office” fashion rule was broken, and the sari blouses covered way too little though there was good reason to highlight her sex appeal.

Inkaar- Chitrangada-Singh

Get Chitrangada Singh’s Inkaar look:
Team a pencil skirt with a pastel blouse that flatters your skin tone and figure. Accessorize with solitaire earrings (real diamonds if you can afford them), killer pumps in neutral or pop colours, and a statement watch.  Apply nude makeup with special focus on the eyes.

Inkaar- Chitrangada-Singh

My favourite piece: The pencil skirt!

Arjun Rampal: The suave, smart CEO

Arjun Rampal’s character Rahul Verma is a small-town guy who has made it to the top and is now “grooming” young talent (which involves sleeping with the new girl). He seems to be the serious type– staying aloof,  not smiling much, and wearing dark-rimmed spectacles. BTW,  those glasses make him look handsome in a geeky sort of way. The mature look by Niharika Khan suits the actor wonderfully.

Inkaar-Arjun Rampal

His workwear choice is semi-formal and smart casual, such as shirts with smart jackets and blazers. The colour palette is largely blue and grey with some additional subdued colours that a career man would wear. I especially liked the dull green blazer with elbow patches.

Inkaar-Arjun Rampal

Get Arjun Rampal’s Inkaar look:
Wear a lightly-coloured formal shirt with interesting detailing such as a contrast placket, collar or cuffs. Add a blazer in a colour of your choice with slim fit trousers or dark jeans (depending on where you work). Put on a pair of glasses that suit your face shape, preferably with dark rims. Skip the tie, but do wear lace-up or slip-on leather shoes.

My favourite piece: The glasses—they would make any man look instantly mature and sexy! 😉

Chic Review: Bombay High’ s work wear is for everyone!

Chic Review: Bombay High’ s work wear is for everyone!

A Bombay High store is like a large, ambitious project. The three stores I have visited in Mumbai (Warden Road, Linking Road and Oberoi Mall) are spacious, have clearly-demarcated formal wear sections, and start with the relaxed wear line (Bombay High Sport). In the past couple of years, Bombay High has been building its image as the first and last word on work wear.

Bombay High store window

Executive Summary/ The Bombay High Look

Bombay High is about looking smart at office, with a focus on subtle style and tailored looks. Their dresses and shirts are apt for Indian work places, so there are no plunging necklines and too-short skirts, nor super slim and flamboyant shirts for men.

Bombay High AW 2012

Transmittal Letter/ First Impressions

I’m not a stranger to Bombay High, since I bought a blazer from them last month. The blazer fits me snugly, has the right length (I’m on the shorter side), though I needed to get the sleeves shortened (the store did it for free).

On my return visit for this review, the male mannequin near the door was surprisingly styled in a casual look. My guess is that the brand is trying to push its casual wear line, since they are easier to sell. There were jeans and tees for guys, and casual shirts for women.

Bombay High store

Core Competencies/ Best Finds

As you move deeper inside the store, the product becomes more formal. The blazers and suits section houses some of the best pieces in the collection. The blazers’ fits and designs make them worth every buck you spend. They may be a tad more expensive than Mango, and are mostly available in neutral colours, but with one classic blazer you can cover all bases. I flipped for a linen blazer for women, and would have bought it immediately if I hadn’t bought one already. The checkered and patterned blazers are perfect work wear pieces, and not boring!

Bombay High collection

Waistcoats for work may be hot on the ramps, but they haven’t picked up in India yet, and Bombay High has a few in their current collection. I particularly liked one style– it was formal enough, but the neckline added a fun twist.

Bombay High waistcoats

For men, the shirts and trousers are the biggest draw, with some good colour and styling options to choose from. There are dozens of neck ties as well. There are no particular favourites, it’s all about finding your colour and pattern! Accessories have just launched, so expect to see wallets, women’s bags, card holders and folders in the coming months.

SWOT Analysis/ Trial Run

I tried on a couple of monotone formal dresses, and found them affordable enough to be bought at least twice in a season. Unfortunately, some dresses required better fitting on the shoulders and chest.

Bombay High dresses

The best-selling women’s shirts are available in a whopping range of colours, from green to blue, so you can take your pick every morning depending on your mood. The casual shirts seem to be fun too.

Bombay High womens shirts

Men’s shirts have a wider range with lots of styles, colours, fit and fabric variants. With a wide price range from Rs 1199 up to Rs 6000, corporate slaves from across the food chain would find a shirt for them. A guy friend who owns a pair of Bombay High trousers says they are quite good with a different colour, the classy inner seam adds a luxurious feel, and they are comfy all day long.

Footnote: A Word on Design

The Bombay High design team has played safe with styles that would appeal to most working class citizens of this great country- by which I mean those who take few fashion risks. The experimentation in the collection has been limited to higher-priced products and has given good results (like the waistcoat above and patterned blazers).

Inferences/ Parting Thoughts

Bombay High is a one-stop shop for all work wear needs, and you would be happy with the selection, prices and fabric quality. But the brand team will need to carve a niche for Bombay High in a crowded market, and try to make the product more distinct from competitor brands. They can begin by turning formal fashion into a more exciting proposition for 21st century slaves like us!

WIFW A/W 2011: How to wear Day 4 trends

Speaking Chic put some of the outfits and trends from the fourth day of Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2011 through our magnifying glass and came up with some key advice for these select pieces and trends:

White for winter

Sonia Sarin’s all-white collection, with shiny bandanas.

Sonia Sarin at WIFW A/W 2011

Speaking Chic says: White is the (non)colour for all seasons, except the prolonged monsoon.

How should you wear this?: As it is, or white teamed with almost any colour is just as nice!

Florals for winter

Anupamaa by Anupama Dayal had a Mughalflower-inspired collection.

Anupama Dayal at WIFW A/W 2011

Speaking Chic says: Last season, winter florals made an appearance on and off the ramp. Anupama Dayal’s floral collection seems to have a strong summer link (though this is from her Autumn/Winter collection).

How should you wear this?: Only in deeper colours for winter.

Shiny!

Koga by Jenjum and Jasleen’s shiny surfaces were mixed with colours like greens, reds, oranges and blues.

Koga by Jenjum and Jasleen at WIFW A/W 2011

Speaking Chic says: Over the last few seasons, fashion has taken a subdued approach to bling. But they’re still perfect for partying and glam nights out.

How should you wear this?: Only one shiny garment at a time, please!

Tailored formals

Atsu Sekhose showcased a largely formal wear collection with tailoring, along with detailing like ruffles and sequins.

Atsu by Atsu Sekhose at WIFW A/W 2011

Speaking Chic says: Fine tailoring, colours like purple, maroon, teal, midnight blue and black make for great formal wear. The bling factor is right for the night.

How should you wear this?: Any way you like—formals are never out of style.

Wooden fashion

Alpana and Neeraj used wood-finished mouldable materials to create striated and blistered wood textures. It was twisted, bolted, shredded and interlaced to form the structures and corsets, often getting a 3D look.

Alpana-Neeraj at WIFW A/W 2011

Speaking Chic says: This out-of-the-box approach to fashion gets a thumbs-up from us, though we hope this gets more wearable in the retail version.

How should you wear this?: A bit more fabric and a bit less wood would be more wearable.

Wire and cables

My Village by Rimzim Dadu incorporated metal and plastic fibres for a futuristic look.

My VIllage by Rimzim Dadu at WIFW A/W 2011

Speaking Chic says: If you appreciate Rimzim Dadu’s technique and creativity, then this outfit will make you feel special, powerful and unique.

How should you wear this?: With truckloads of attitude.

Fluid fabrics

Gaurav Gupta used satins and lycra-based jerseys to create fluid and drapey silhouettes.

Gaurav Gupta at WIFW A/W 2011

Speaking Chic says: Drapes got a different twist in the ace designer’s garments, ranging from messy ruffles to a zippered bodice. Super-like!

How should you wear this?: In a draping style that suits your body type.