Bollywood Fashion: Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’s Kareena Kapoor dresses quirky, Imran Khan goes formal

Bollywood Fashion: Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu’s Kareena Kapoor dresses quirky, Imran Khan goes formal

I watched Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu over the weekend, and found it a refreshing movie in more ways than one. The movie was fun, and the actors’ wardrobes were stylish, which is what you’d expect from a Dharma Productions film.

Kareena-Imran Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

I was happy to note that Manish Malhotra (Kareena Kapoor’s designer for the movie) managed to bring an element of fun, quirkiness and style to Kareena’s wardrobe. Here’s a breakdown of Kareena’s look.

What Kareena is wearing:

Kareena plays a hair stylist Riana in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Now if you go to the salon I go to, you’d know that most young stylists have their unique way of dressing showing their creative side. Riana is just like that. She wears a range of colours, dresses casually, and looks like a chic mess. 🙂

Kareena in blue Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

In Las Vegas, Riana’s staple wear is layered tops with a jacket and short skirt with dark tights (it’s winter). In Mumbai she wears jeans and tees with light cotton shrugs.

Key trends:

Striped tees: Simple striped V-neck tshirts are a huge trend globally (you see them more in Europe and US than in India). With these tees, Kareena gets an instant international look.Kareena striped tshirt- Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Jackets: It’s December in Vegas, so Kareena wears all kinds of outerwear- waistcoat, leather and fleece-lined jackets.

Kareena in waistcoat- Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Tight mini skirts and shorts: Kareena has curves now, but that doesn’t stop her from wearing denim and lightly-embroidered minis with black tights. Good news for us normal-sized girls.

Kareena printed scarf ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Layering with colour mixing and lace: Manish Malhotra has very layered Kareena’s costumes by mixing colours. The looks are really colour-coordinated or matchy-matchy. Also, the ace designer has innerwear-as-outerwear a more relatable spin by giving Kareena camisoles and slips with lace on the neckline, then adding tshirts to layer. Loved that!

Accessories:

Jewellery: Kareena wears two rings on her right hand (one is a pearl) and a watch on her left. Her dangling earrings mostly comprise little charms like dull gold leaves.

Oversized bright bags: Yellow, fuchsia, blue… yum!

Manly shoes: No stilettos or sexy heeled booties for Riana, because she wears rugged men’s shoes! I loved the scene in which Kareena tottered around in Imran Khan’s shoes and complained they were too big. 😀

Scarves and stoles: Patterned and bright!

Kareena pink stole Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Hair and makeup:

Kareena’s hair is wild and astray, which she keeps in check with clips and pins. The red highlights suit her skin tone and style, while her lined eyes and light glossy lips keep her “real”. 🙂

Special Mention:

In the song Auntyji, Kareena Kapoor wears a gorgeous royal blue wrap dress that is feminine, classy and doesn’t reveal much (she’s out with her family after all). You can’t help liking that one!

Kareena wrap dress Ek Main AUr Ekk TU

Imran Khan’s look:

Styled by Shiraz Siddique, Imran Khan is all grown up in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu. Dubbed appropriately as a “tightass” by Riana, Rahul is formal and stiff. His colours are mostly black and grey and he wears only slim fit shirts, trousers and cardigans. That’s right, no jeans or tshirts for Imran Khan.

Imran Khan grey shirt Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

The only hint of colour was the green V-neck cardigan Imran wears while hanging out with Kareena in Vegas.

Imran green cardigan Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

But if there’s one thing I could steal from his wardrobe, it would be the light blue shirt with white collar he wore in Mumbai. Paired with khakis, that was as casual or semi-formal as Imran’s character could get.

Imran blue shirt Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Chic surprise of the movie: Statement neckpieces

Whoever thought Ratna Pathak Shah could be so convincing as a South Mumbai socialite? This talented woman plays Imran Khan’s mother with a chic hair do, lots of attitude and is always dressed to the T. Most importantly, she can’t do without her Louis Vuitton luggage, and has a penchant for oversized neckpieces, which she carries off with a high-brow pout and smirk.

My favourite neckpiece is the one she wears at the formal dinner she hosts, large baubles and all. (Sorry, couldn’t find the picture). But here she is on the way to the opera.

Ratna Pathak Shah in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

What did you think of the costumes in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu?

Sonam Kapoor covers Vogue India… again!

Sonam Kapoor covers Vogue India… again!

There’s only so much you can ask or write about a fashionista’s take on fashion. But then the rules are different for Vogue.

vogue india sonam kapoor

Actor Sonam Kapoor is Vogue India’s November 2011 cover girl yet again, this time in a Louis Vuitton blouse and skirt with diamond-onyx earrings. Sonam was last seen on the Vogue India cover in January 2010, wearing Roberto Cavalli.

I was mighty disappointed to know of yet another Sonam Kapoor piece in Vogue India, especially since she’s been there, done that. Besides, Sonam’s a regular in most fashion magazines—as a style icon, trendsetter or “how to wear” kind of pages. Are we on the brink of a Sonam-as-fashionista overload!

Thankfully, the Vogue people got “fashion-challenged” journalist Anil Thakraney to interview Sonam, perhaps to get a different perspective on her sartorial sensibilities. This isn’t an interview asking for fashion or style tips, so don’t rush to the page expecting any.

What I did read, though, were some wonderful nuggets of “wisdom” (and some gossip). Sample this:

Indian men don’t understand fashion unless they are gay.”

Umm… I think that’s kinda true.

Currently, the actor wants to save up for a solitaire diamond (don’t we all?) and wants a Valentino gown designed by Valentino himself (wow, she dreams big!). Luckily for Sonam, a lot of the clothes are free.

Some fashion lessons we picked up from the story:

  • Sonam Kapoor is well aware of her body type and flaws (she says she has big feet)
  • She’s got loads of the right attitude which permits her to be a fashion rebel of sorts.
  • One fashion tip she does offer directly: “Never bare it all. You have to retain the mystery of being a woman. That’s why Katrina Kaif is who she is—a mystery. Men like mystery.”

That’s enough to keep fashion lovers busy for a while, but hey, Vogue India—can we see less of Sonam Kapoor henceforth? Would be good to see some more unusual fashion icons that aren’t done to death. Thanks!

Stay chic.

Chic Poll: Will you ever buy a fake designer bag?

The other day I decided to do a random fake-designer-bag test. So I showed a picture of typical Bottega Veneta handbag (one with their trademark weave) to a colleague and asked her if women in the local train carried that bag. “Ohhh, almost all of them have this!” she replied.

Bottege Veneta tote Louis Vuitton handbag

I don’t have much to say about this ugly (and unfortunate) trend of carrying fake designer handbags, but here goes anyway:

Fakes have been around since ages, but it’s only now that I see almost every other person toting such a piece.

I’m not sure why so many more Indian women are now carrying fake Louis Vuittons, Guccis, Fendis, Burberrys and Bottega Venetas, but I suspect it’s a lot to do with the desire to be part of the so-called cool and hep crowd. Louis Vuitton fakes have become so common that not a single day goes by without me spotting at least one. (To be fair, a number of women aren’t aware of these brands per se, they just know that it’s some popular design of some phoren brand).

My stand on fake designer bags is pretty clear—I would be pretty uncomfy buying one. It’s not the real thing, and it’s kinda sad that anyone would want to buy one. Yes, designer bags are gorgeous and make you feel classy, sexy and powerful. And yep, most of us can’t afford those bags without making a serious dent in our bank balance. The heart wants what the heart wants, right?

But ladies, ladies, ladies—don’t you think by opting to buy such a bag you may be err… kinda kidding yourself about who you really are? There’s nothing to be ashamed about shopping at Mango or Guess or other similar brands. It’s what you make of your fashion budget—with a good eye for bargains and trends, you can get some great bags. The best part of our 21st century consumerist society is that there are plenty of fabulous and chic bags, purses and clutches out there to suit all budgets.

And then think of the thrill when you save up for months for an awesome bag and you finally buy it with your hard-earned money. Nothing is more powerful than that feeling!

So yeah, I’d rather buy a high street (read affordable) accessory or dress with my head held high than fake it out.

What do you have to say about this? Would or do you buy fake designer bags? Or will you never buy one?

Come on, take our poll. We won’t judge you for it—and hey, you’re anonymous. Dying to know what you think.

Chic OMGs: Venus Williams in lace jumpsuit at Wimbledon, Sephora coming to India?

In yet another tennis fashion disaster of the Venus Williams kind (ahem!), the American player has got fashion critics wagging about her new on-court outfit. Here’s what it looks like:

DV_To_Getty_5044692_0 venus williams jumpsuit back

The outfit is a very low neck sheer lace jumpsuit (or playsuit, as some would say) with a gold zipper in front, crest on the upper left, coordinated innerwear, and cut-out sleeves and back. Accessories are dangling earrings and a superthin belt.

And then the lady says:

“Right now I’m really trending towards simplicity. I’m not sure why. It’s just how I feel right now. Everything is getting more simple.”

Really?

We’re not anti-trends, and while we think a lace jumpsuit is actually quite sporty cool, we don’t like:

a) Its presence on the tennis court (sheer is a look ALL sportspersons should avoid.)

b) Trying to make making it work too hard with too many trends

c) The cut-outs are a bit too glam to be on a tennis court

Not sure how long it will take us to get over this one.

Sephora coming to India?

Ladies, we’re not sure when this will happen, but the corporate grapevine has it that LVMH is in talks with Reliance Brands to bring Sephora (one of our favourite beauty stores) to India. (FYI: LVMH owns Louis Vuitton, Sephora and a gazillion other fashion and beauty brands). They’re even scouting for store locations!

It’s been a while since Reliance Brands jumped on to the retail bandwagon, tying up with foreign brands and retailers interested in paving their path to India. Cases in point: Diesel, Steve Madden and Timberland.

No news yet of how long this will take to materialise (if it does at all), so keep your fingers crossed! Meanwhile, here’s couple of photos of my recent Sephora makeup haul:

Sephora makeup haul

NARS blush from Sephora

Chic OMGs: Venus Williams in lace jumpsuit at Wimbledon, Sephora coming to India?

In yet another tennis fashion disaster of the Venus Williams kind (ahem!), the American player has got fashion critics wagging about her new on-court outfit. Here’s what it looks like:

DV_To_Getty_5044692_0 venus williams jumpsuit back

The outfit is a very low neck sheer lace jumpsuit (or playsuit, as some would say) with a gold zipper in front, crest on the upper left, coordinated innerwear, and cut-out sleeves and back. Accessories are dangling earrings and a superthin belt.

And then the lady says:

“Right now I’m really trending towards simplicity. I’m not sure why. It’s just how I feel right now. Everything is getting more simple.”

Really?

We’re not anti-trends, and while we think a lace jumpsuit is actually quite sporty cool, we don’t like:

a) Its presence on the tennis court (sheer is a look ALL sportspersons should avoid.)

b) Trying to make making it work too hard with too many trends

c) The cut-outs are a bit too glam to be on a tennis court

Not sure how long it will take us to get over this one.

Sephora coming to India?

Ladies, we’re not sure when this will happen, but the corporate grapevine has it that LVMH is in talks with Reliance Brands to bring Sephora (one of our favourite beauty stores) to India. (FYI: LVMH owns Louis Vuitton, Sephora and a gazillion other fashion and beauty brands). They’re even scouting for store locations!

It’s been a while since Reliance Brands jumped on to the retail bandwagon, tying up with foreign brands and retailers interested in paving their path to India. Cases in point: Diesel, Steve Madden and Timberland.

No news yet of how long this will take to materialise (if it does at all), so keep your fingers crossed! Meanwhile, here’s couple of photos of my recent Sephora makeup haul:

Sephora makeup haul

NARS blush from Sephora

What should I wear: sari or dress? Or both?

 

Priyanka Chopra in Louis Vuitton on cover of Vogue India November 2010

If you think Priyanka Chopra’s wearing a sari made into a dress on the cover of Vogue India, you’re not the only one. The big hoarding on Mumbai’s Peddar Road had me convinced the smart fashionistas at Vogue India had tailored a sari into a dress for the actor. Turns out that the corset-and-skirt are from Louis Vuitton’s India-inspired capsule collection. Another dress from the collection below:

Louis Vuitton sari dress

The pictures I saw got me umm… excited, to say the least. I got thinking on which of my Mom’s saris I would like to make into another garment, and drew up a wishlist:

  • Brocade sari: Dress (but not a sheath—it’s overdone), flared dress (that can double up as a kurta to wear with churidar), or mini skirt
  • Chiffon sari: Loose tunic or layered dress/ jacket (like Nachiket Barve often does)
  • Net sari: Loose-fitting blouse
  • Sequinned sari: Sexy party dress
  • Lace sari: Blouse or waistcoat (to be worn over a solid tee/ shirt)

 

Which sari would you tailor into another garment? Tell us!

Chic Trend: Mad for plaid

From Louis Vuitton’s plaid skirts and jackets to Christian Dior’s equestrian-inspired pencil skirts, plaid (unevenly spaced checks) made their presence felt on the Fall 2010-11 runway. Glimpses from their shows:

Louis Vuitton plaid wool skirt Christian Dior plaid riding jacket DKNY plaid dress

From left to right: Louis Vuitton plaid wool skirt, Christian Dior double-breasted riding shirt with epaulettes, DKNY plaid dress

Though I’ve never owned a checkered garment, I think it’s time to go hunting for a non-wool, plaid-inspired skirt or shirt for my wardrobe. Maybe even a trouser. After all, plaid and checks are perfect for winter.

Are you wearing checks yet?

Coming up next: How to wear plaid/ checks

Street Chic: Simple style with LV

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Speaking Chic kicks off a new feature: Street Chic! In this feature, we’re going to hunt for great looks and outfits worn by people we spot at restaurants, theatres, malls and the streets, of course.

We bumped into Kanika at a hotel and were immediately taken in by her little LV! She chose her brand-new bag to be the centrepiece of her look and keep it muted with her knotted blouse and skinny Esprit jeans.

Street Chic-1

Besides the eye-catching bag (colour not so great in the photo), we liked her other accessory– her criss-cross strappy high heels. They’re a great take on the gladiator style that’s so popular these days.

What do you think of Kanika’s understated chic look? Tell us!

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