leather

It may not be the right weather for this sweaty fabric, but Deepika Padukone chose to wear a leather skirt at a promotional event couple days ago. Pairing it with a nautical striped tank top, Deepika’s high-waisted skirt made her look taller than she is (which is a LOT).

Anyways, I’m not a fan of leather for summer, but hey– if Deepika can rock leather, so can you! Here’s how you can get a more summer-friendly “leather look” for under Rs 5000, along with some tips.

(Skirt available on Rock.in; top available at Only brand stores and select fashion retail websites).

A few handy tips when wearing a leather skirt:

If you’re wearing a black leather skirt, experiment with neon or bright stripes. It’s summer, after all.
Soften the hard leather look with a feminine touch- delicate earrings or a hint of lace.
Skip the boots, please– it’s not winter!

In Fashion, trends

Kate Beckinsale wears corset in Underworld Awakening, so how about trying a bustier?

Speaking ChicJanuary 23, 2012January 23, 2012Leave a comment

If you’ve watched Underworld Awakening over the weekend, you couldn’t have missed the super-fit Kate Beckinsale dressed in an all-leather outfit and, most importantly, her leather corset.

It seems that Kate Beckinsale was more concerned about fitting into the leather corset than the daredevil stunts and the heavy-duty action scenes. Not surprising, considering that the first Underworld movie was shot almost a decade ago.

Nevertheless, if you think Kate Beckinsale looks sexy in this (I certainly do), there’s an easy way to get the corseted look without time-travelling to the Victorian era or holding your breath.

Say hello to the bustier!

Ok, not this bustier (from La Senza), but the ones I’ve written about below. Read on…

Why a bustier?

Sure, bustiers are usually associated with lingerie (they give the woman a higher bust line and a shapely waist), but as innerwear transformed into outerwear over the past few seasons, bustiers had a coming out of sorts (pun intended).

Bustier v/s corset

So what’s the difference between a bustier and a corset? For one, a bustier lacks the lacing and “boning” of a typical corset (they give shape to the wearer). Secondly, a bustier usually ends at the ribs or waist, while a corset can be of varying lengths.

If you want to wear a bustier to get a more defined torso, take your pick from the options below.

Bustier as a dress

Bustier dresses can be fitted or A-line, long or short.

Below: Denim bustier dress, Sabrina bustier bandage dress both from Forever New; Winter Love strapless dress from French Connection, gown from Jatin Varma (LFW W/F 2011)

Bustier as a top

I spotted a number of bustier tops at Bebe recently, and they looked absolutely fab! They ranged from sporty to sexy, and the satin ones were especially attractive. 🙂

Below: Space dye bustier top, Embellished pleated bustier, heart-shaped satin bustier, all from Bebe.

Bustier as a camisole or Indian-style blouse

Wear a bustier as a camisole under a sheer blouse, shirt or jacket. Or wear a bustier as a blouse with your sari or lehenga this wedding season.

Below: Lace bustier camisole from Forever New, look from Satya Paul LFW S/R 2011

Bustier warning!

Wearing a bustier as outerwear is not easy, especially in India- it takes guts and a good figure. 🙂 So here are a couple of tips when you’re buying or wearing one.

A garment can only enhance what you already have—being in shape really helps. And not all bustier garments give good support. So be careful what you choose.

Innerwear matters: A bustier top or dress may require additional support from within especially if you’re a curvy girl. So shop for the right lingerie to look shapely and smart in your bustier.

Cover up: Bare shoulders and plunging neckline are not exactly appropriate or acceptable street wear in India. So wear a matching shrug or jacket over your bustier when you’re out, which you could take off when you’re indoors at a party or dinner.

Accessorise right: There’s nothing cooler than a long necklace to go with a bustier top or dress. Very flattering if you got the right curves!

Below: Feather charm necklace from Toniq

Are you ready to wear a bustier?

In Bad Fashion, Dance

Dance: Amazing acrobatics, bad fashion

Speaking ChicAugust 25, 2010Leave a comment

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Speaking Chic recently headed out to a Chinese acrobatics show, expecting to be enthralled by the mind-numbing movements. And while the young Chinese acrobats from the China National Acrobatic Troupe performed well (though they weren’t flawless), we left the show with mixed reactions.

We liked some of the balancing, juggling, spinning, and even athletic acts the troupe did, but a couple of glaring mistakes left us feeling the show was far from a true glimpse of the Great Chinese Culture.

Firstly, the music was far from the sweet, melodious Chinese tunes that I’d have loved to hear. Instead the acts were performed to loud, throbbing techno-pop-electronica you hear in a bad night club. And the garish costumes just drew attention away from the talent on display. No flowing silks, none of the Chinese prints and embroidery patterns. There were sequins everywhere, bejewelled leotards and similar—the kind you see dancing starlets wear at a Bollywood awards night.

And here’s the fashion disaster of the evening—a Chinese teenage boy dressed head to toe in leather! The teenager juggled shimmering hats while sporting a leather jacket, tight leather shorts, and thigh-high leather boots, blingy all over. Eeeeeesh! Take a look:

The performance was organised by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China and India-China Chamber of Commerce & Industry, to mark the 60th anniversary of India-China “diplomatic relations” (the less said about that, the better—Speaking Chic does not discuss politics ;-)).

Meanwhile, check out some of the other body- and mind-bending acts below: straw hat juggling, skipping giant ropes as a pyramid, a rotating human pyramid, umbrella kicking while balancing on someone else’s feet and a really young contortionist. Some of them made me go Wowwwww!