Get Taapsee Pannu’s fashionable look in Manmarziyaan

In Manmarziyaan, Taapsee Pannu plays a character whose fashion journey is as crucial as her personal journey. As she evolves, her clothing choices reflect the different stages in her life, and finally when it’s time to make a big decision she makes a style decision to reflect her state of mind.

Manmarziyaan’s costume designer in Prashant Sawant.

Pre-wedding style aka Rumi the Carefree

Rumi, played by Taapsee Pannu, is a tomboy and a badass. She plays hockey, goes for a run through Amritsar, rides a Bullet, works with her uncles at their sports goods store, and sneaks around to hang with her passionate boyfriend Vicky (Vicky Kaushal). She doesn’t hesitate to give non-committal Vicky a piece of her mind and a few kicks and punches when he pisses her off with his reluctance to take things forward.

Taapsee Pannu as Rumi style in Manmarziyaan
(Photo by Khamkhaphotoartist)

In this tomboy avatar, Taapsee wears men’s shirts as kurtas paired with loose patiala salwars. Makeup is markedly absent, while her jewellery is only a pair of tiny earrings. In her daily life, Rumi wears plain cardigans and hoodies over her shirts and rolls up the sleeves to look tough.

Rumi has streaks of red in her hair, perhaps to match her boyfriend’s blue highlights, and it’s a curly mess (her aunt calls her Amritsar’s “Laal Pari”). What’s just as outrageous is her pair of bright-tinted sunglasses (I found them bold!).

When Rumi carries a dupatta it’s completely mismatched with the rest of her outfit, showing her nonchalance for anything sartorial, too feminine or too conventional.

Taapsee Pannu fashion in Manmarziyaan
(Photo by Khamkhaphotoartist)

But guess what is Rumi’s most out-of-sync style choice? The sporty sneakers she wears with her salwars!

Want to adopt Taapsee Pannu’s pre-wedding Rumi look in Manmarziyaan? See our style picks below.

Checked shirt by Roadster available on Myntra

Checked womens shirt for Taapsee look

Patiala by Go Colors available on Myntra
Blue Patiala salwar for Taapsee Pannu look

Sneakers by Clarks available on Jabong

Post-wedding style aka Rumi as a Married Woman

Every Punjabi bride gets a trousseau from her family with clothes and jewellery that the bride will need in her new home, and Rumi gets a set of 21 outfits. Since Rumi doesn’t seem to be fashionable types, I get the feeling that her aunt chose her trousseau.

Once Rumi gets married, she wears her new outfits as she must, albeit a bit reluctantly, complete with her bridal chura and some jewellery. The little studs give way to small jhumkas but there is very little attempt otherwise to keep up the appearances of a blushing bride or bahu.

Taapsee Pannu Rumi in Manmarziyaan song
(Photo from Manmarziyaan official Facebook page)

As soon as they reach their hotel in Kashmir for their honeymoon, Rumi pulls out sneakers from her suitcase, ties them up and off she goes running, music in her ears to nurse her heartbreak.

The post-marriage wardrobe upgrade expands to smarter jackets, bright-coloured wedding embroidered kurtas and salwar kameez sets with (ahem…) matching dupattas.

Meanwhile, Rumi’s hair is still a mess but then there’s a hint of lipstick, nothing too obvious, just a nude shade to make her look a bit more well, married and grown-up.

As Rumi’s marriage goes through a series of ups and downs, her clothing choices fluctuate. At her family’s home, she is pretty much her old self. But as rapid changes happen in her life, she seems to grow. She begins seeing things more clearly and she makes some changes to her wardrobe to keep up with her newfound maturity.

Most notable is the final scene of Manmarziyaan, when Rumi heads out to woo her man (no spoilers here!). Rather than her usual careless look, she makes an obvious effort with her appearance, but without compromising on her crazy personality (she still asks impertinent questions and speaks random stuff to throw off people).

In this scene, Taapsee Pannu wears a knee-length straight-fit kurta with little embroidery motifs all over and carries a somewhat-matching purse. Then she applies lipstick and wears earrings, even though she doesn’t need to. Clearly, it’s a woman in love putting herself out for her man.

Get Taapsee Pannu’s post-wedding look in Manmarziyaan. Here are some suggestions.

Kurta suit set from Biba
Biba pink suit Taapsee Paanu in Manmarziyaan

Zaveri pearls jhumkas available on Myntra

Zaveri-Pearls-Jhumkas for Taapsee Pannus look Manmarziyaan
Lipstick by Kiki Milano available on Nykaa
Kiko Milano lipstick Taapsee Pannu in Manmarziyaan

What do you think of Taapsee Pannu’s look in Manmarziyaan?

Drool-worthy sports shoes are here!

There’s been a sudden surge of sports shoes at home recently. Between S and me, we have five pairs of various brands. Throughout my 13 years of schooling, I only had one sports pair: white canvas with laces, which had to be polished with thick and gooey white polish. We called them “tennis shoes”.

The few times I did go shopping for sports shoes, we’d fix a budget in mind and make a trip to Vama at Peddar Road. I’d try on a few pairs and then the most comfortable and “sensible” white pair was selected.

And then, for many years, I didn’t really need to buy sports shoes (I’ve never been a sporty or running or jogging or walking person). The sports shoes came out of the cupboard for holidays, vacations, picnics etc. And the shoes remained white and nice (and boring) for a long time. And then last year my white Nike pair (with a blue sswoosh) gave in, after several years of faithful service and support, and it was time to go sports shoe shopping again. I had started walking and jogging a bit and wanted good, no, great shoes. But when I went to the mall to take a look, I was blown away. I saw a mind-boggling range of sports shoes- different colours, textures, designs, some with fancy names, some with cool technology… and with several different uses. Shoes to wear with jeans, shoes for running, for walking, for tennis, for football, for fancy clothes… I was spoilt for choice. I finally settled for Reebook’s ZPump shoes in pink. Yes, PINK. And they look great, fit wonderfully, and have been holding me up for very long walks and runs.

Meanwhile, S needed to replace his old Puma pair. Again, white shoes, red logo. He’d decided to take up running (completed his first half marathon last week, yay!). S has bought three pairs since last year, two black and one blue, and he’s already looking for the next pair.

The transformation of our shoe rack (and our fitness level) has been incredible. We now own a colourful shoe rack filled with awesome-looking sports shoes.

Here are some awesome sports shoes lining up the stores these days, each with something “new” to offer, guaranteed to make you stand out in a crowd.

Colour crazy: Boys, make a statement with these black and gold MetaRun shoes from ASICS.

Asics MetaRun

Texture play: The two-toned mesh of the Skechers GORun Vortex shoes look super dynamic on the field.

Skechers GoRUN Vortex

Sporty but feminine: Ladies, here’s the purple sports shoe we’ve all been dreaming of! From Power Shoes (available at Bata).

Power by Bata Trail Zion (3) - INR 3499

Stars and stripes: When textures and colours abound, can prints be far behind? These patterned sneakers from Vans’ Americana collection will go great with jeans.

Vans Americana sneakers collection

High on tech: You just can’t go wrong with Reebok’s ZPump Fusion shoes (I own a pair!). The shoe molds itself to my foot and use the pump for cushioning and no-pain running.

Reebok ZPump Fusion - Rs 10,999

Which sports shoes are you planning to buy?

My shoe story and new season wishlist

I have only two pairs of shoes right now, not counting my sports shoes. I’ve been living with just these two pairs since four months now (no kidding). Besides, autumn/ winter collections have hit the stores, so it’s time to invest in a new pair. Or two. Or several.

But I’m a fussy shoe buyer and there’s good reason for that. I have tiny feet with a difficult size, and so when I buy shoes, I have to buy a pair that looks great, fits wonderfully, and lasts me a long long time.

Sigh… here in Yangon, like almost everywhere else, size is THE main problem, but that doesn’t stop me from checking out shoes like my life depended on them. As they say, if you can’t wear them, admire them. Okay, I just made that up.

Anyways here are some droolworthy shoes I’d like to own. You are welcome to drool too.

I can see these slip-ons from Accessorize jazzing up all my casual outfits.

Accessorize slip-ons

Sexy pumps from Aftershock. Now all I need is a party invite…

Aftershock London pumps

… And a lunch invite to tote these gold loafers from Tresmode.

Tresmode  gold loafers

Every girl needs sensible ballerinas, and I like this pair from Lavie.

Lavie blue BALLERINA

Now this is what I call comfy, edgy chic from the Vanilla Moon stable.

Vanilla Moon  TANIA

Just one word: prints! Clarks X Orla Kiely is killin’ it.

Clarks Orla Bella Blue Floral shoes

A red-hot pair from Metro that will knock him over.

Metro red heels

Oh-so-versatile classy block heels in black from Marie Claire (available at Bata).

Bata block heels

SUMMER CHIC: 20 pretty pieces you will love

Pastels, pops, prints and pinks,

All these chic choices make me blink,

In wonder I look at these summer faves,

Twenty reasons to make me rave!

Enjoy these drool-worthy picks for summer. 🙂

Pretty Prints

Dress from French Connection, Peplum top from Trendy Divva, Sling bag from Toniq.

French Connection printed floral dress

Trendy Divva Black Printed peplum top

Printed sling bag from Toniq

Pretty Pinks

Tunic dress from Label by Ritu Kumar, Shorts from Elle, bra from Amante.

Tunic dress Ritu Kumar, LABEL

Elle pink shorts summer

amante Serenity Bra, Pink Sherbbet,Rs.1395

Pretty Palettes

T-shirt from Being Human, Dress from Superdry, Bag from Holii.

Being Human tshirt

Superdry TIE DYE MIDI DRESS

Holii Hyacinth white orange bag

Pretty Pops

T-shirt from Ed Hardy, Studs from Fida.

Ed Hardy printed tshirt

Studs from Fida accessories

Pretty Pastels

Polo from US Polo Association, Pencil skirt from Miss Selfridge, Shoulder bag from Viari.

Yellow USPA tshirt

Miss Selfridge yellow pencil skirt

Viari Santorini summer shoulder bag

Pretty Pairs

Heels from Clarks, Ballet shoe from Melissa, Sneakers from Superdry.

Clarks Coral heels

Melissa metallic ballet flat

Superdry sneakers

Pretty Purses

Tote from Hidesign, Tote from Accessorize, Cutwork bag from Lavie.

Hidesign orange tote bag

Accessorize mirror tote

Lavie cobalt blue cutwork bag

Which pretty piece are you buying on your next visit to the mall?

5 men’s summer fashion tips for newbies

This blog post is dedicated to all men who hesitate to experiment with their look (you all know who you are!). These mini-lessons will show you the way to an updated look for the season without stepping too far away from your comfort zone.

Ladies, if you know such hesitant, reluctant and boring men (and I’m sure you do!), use this guide as an inspirational piece to experiment on the men in your life, or push them to try out something new. 🙂

PS: Don’t miss the newbie tips, specially written for very reluctant men.

Think beyond checks: Printed shirt

So, printed shirts have been around for a couple of seasons already. But of course you’ve been sticking to solids and checks, right? You know something? Prints are not bad. Chosen carefully, the right prints for your personality and body type will make a strong statement about you.

Newbie tip: Florals freaking you out? Opt for “safer” prints like little dots and squares, or tiny abstract patterns. Just make sure the prints aren’t too big, too colourful or too eye-catching.

Shirt from 16stitches.com

16 stitches printed shirt

Get summer-ready: Linens

Linen blazers are a no-brainer for summer. They can look formal, and can be dressed up for an outdoors wedding or dressed down for a summer soiree.

Newbie tip: Choose a light, neutral shade that will go with almost all your shirts- such as off-white or light beige.

Look from Arrow

Arrow beige linen blazer

50 shades and more: Coloured shoes

Too many men have only black and tan shoes in their wardrobe. It’s time to add some colour—greens, beiges, blues… they’re all there!

Newbie tip: Start with a colour that’s already in your wardrobe, such as blue. Select a pair of shoes that’s similar or goes well with the chosen colour…. And you’re set.

Shoes from Mochi

Mochi green loafer shoes

Be playful: Round sunglasses

Aviators are a classic statement, but everyone’s wearing them all the time. If you’ve got the pizzazz, you can carry these off. And no, it won’t make you look girly. But it might just make you look like the cute teen you were once. 🙂

Newbie tip: Play safe with a round-ish frame with neutral colour rims.

Sunglasses from Fastrack

Fastrack red round sunglasses

Go retro: Bow tie

Maybe it’s to do with the Downton Abbey craze (of course men love the show too). Bow ties are making a comeback. And not just with tuxedoes or black tie events. The 21st century bow ties are quirky, cheeky and easy to wear. It’s perfectly alright to wear the “readymade” ones.

Newbie tip: To start with, choose a no-frills bow tie without patterns or prints. Wear your bow tie with a light-coloured solid shirt (such as white or baby blue), and stick to a similar colour scheme.

Bow tie from The Bro Code

The Bro Code Blue Bow Tie

Anushka Sharma’s style pick for a road trip

So, the NH 10 trailer starring Anushka Sharma and Neil Bhoopalam just hit YouTube and the film’s premise seems thrilling. Anushka Sharma is on an unexpectedly dangerous road trip, and luckily she’s dressed perfectly for it, with a HOODIE.

Anushka Sharma in NH10

Anushka’s bright yellow hoodie gets dirtier as dangers loom and she faces growing threats. The hoodie is perfect for a road trip because it keeps you comfortable and warm, and can be taken off when it’s hot. And a hoodie is totally fashion-appropriate as well: it’s sporty, outdoorsy and super stylish! Check out these chic options:

Hoodie from Superdry available on Myntra.com

Superdry-Women-Hoodie-Myntra

Treble green hoodie from American Swan.

American Swan green hoodie

Nike hoodie available on Koovs.com

Nike sporty hoodie

Wake Up Competition blue striped hoodie available on Jabong.com

Wake-Up-Competition-Blue-Hooded-Sweatshirt

And BTW, here is a complete breakdown of Anushka Sharma’s complete road trip look in NH 10:

Striped tee + light neutral cardigan + skinny jeans + light sneakers + brightly-coloured hoodie.

Anushka Sharma in NH10

And here’s the trailer of the film NH 10. After the hoodie, my eyes are on the sneakers. What about you?

INSTANT STYLE: Get Jacqueline’s looks from Roy now!

In her latest film Roy Jacqueline Fernandes plays a double role with each character dressed in a distinct style. Here are both the looks decoded, and how you can get them.

Jacqueline Fernandes as Ayesha Aamir, film-maker

Jacqueline Fernandes in Roy

Clothes and accessories

This bohemian film-maker loves her crop tops, loose blouses and shorts (she is in sunny Malaysia, after all). Her accessories of choice? Geeky glasses (they come on and off), stacks of bracelets and open sandals. She also accessorises with dangling earrings or the quirky-cute studs. And oh, the few times she’s at work, she’s in a comfortable cotton shirt.

Hair and makeup

Jacqueline’s hair is coloured and carefully unkempt to complement her boho look. Makeup is minimal in a number of scenes though sometimes you will spot a hint of lip colour.

Jacqueline Fernandes in Roy

Get the Look

Girls on Film rose print crop top available on Koovs.com

Floral crop top

Denim shorts from Elle

Elle denim shorts

White open sandals from Footin

Footin Metallic Flats (White)

Necklace and cuff from Ayesha Accessories

Ayesha accessories cuff & necklace

Jacqueline Fernandes as Tia, socialite

Jacqueline Fernandes in Roy

Clothes and accessories

This uber-rich socialite lives in a mansion by herself and has classy style- elegant flattering dresses, crisp white shirt with skinny jeans with killer heels and silk scarves. Her go-to jewellery pieces are her gold and diamond studs.

Hair and makeup

Jacqueline’s bold red lips are the most prominent feature of her “Tia” look, followed by her volumised blow-dried hair.

Jacqueline Fernandes in Roy

Get the Look

Dress from Dorothy Perkins available on Jabong.com

Dress for Dorothy Perkins on Jabong

White shirt from Forever New

White shirt from Forever New

Sunglasses from Tom Ford

Sunglasses Tom Ford eyewear

Diamond studs from TBZ The Original

TBZ diamond in gold solitaire studs

7 awesome facts about Team India’s Cricket World Cup jersey

The Indian cricket team kickstarted their ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 campaign this weekend with a big win over Pakistan, and we all celebrated! 🙂 As noteworthy as Virat Kohli and the team’s great performance on the field were the distinctive team uniforms.

Nike India team jerseys

Team India’s kit is high-tech, lightweight, comfortable, and much much more. So here are some wondrous facts about the Indian team kits and why they are totally awesome. Read on and boast these facts at the next match you watch with friends (February 22 against South Africa at MCG, Melbourne).

Fact #1: The kit is custom-made

The kits are designed by Nike, official apparel sponsor of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Nike has been designing team jerseys for years now, but this kit was especially developed for Team India.

Fact #2: Each kit is sustainable

Each Team India kit (jersey and pants) is made of approximately 33 recycled plastic bottles. Sustainable = Fantabulous.

Fact #3: The design is insight-based

The Nike team designed the jersey with the help of inputs from several cricketers including ODI captain MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.

Fact #4: Different strokes for different folks

There are separate shoes for batsmen and bowlers. The batsmen’s shoes are called LunarDominate. The shoes have an enhanced grip, ultralight soft and responsive cushioning, a toe “bumper” and plush sock-like fit.

Nike Lunar Dominate shoes for Team India

Fact #5: Special shoes for bowlers

The bowlers are wearing LunarAccelerate, whose main feature is the midfoot strap that locks down the ankle and prevents forward foot slide. That strap is the unmissable “pink stripe” you see on bowlers’ shoes.

Nike Lunar Accelerate for Team India cricket

Fact #6: High-tech kits for optimum performance

The Team India jersey is truly innovative. It’s got Dri-Fit Prime Lite lightweight fabric with laser ventilation holes and breathable engineered knit to keep players dry and comfortable during the match. (Dri-FIT is a microfiber, polyester fabric that moves their perspiration to the fabric surface, where it evaporates. (And hence, we have “cooler” players on the field.)

Nike Team India 2015 world cup jersey

Fact #7: The kits are loved all over!

Tennis ace Roger Federer owns a jersey! As do other famous fans. Take a look:

Roger Federer Bleeding Blue Nike

Deepika Padukone (actor)

DEEPIKA PADUKONE_BLEEDBLUE

Vikas Khanna (chef)

VIKAS KHANNA_BLEEDBLUE Nike

Subbalaxmi (cricket player)

SUBBALAXMI_BLEEDBLUE - Nike

Go Team India!

Team India kits are available at select Nike India retail stores and on nike.com.

WINTER SPECIAL: 15-plus winter essentials & style tips for busy men

Busy, busy men. You’ve got no time to shop, confused about what to buy, or simply hate shopping? In this mini-catalogue of winter wear there are over a dozen ready-to-wear, fuss-free choices along with some handy tips. So your shopping becomes easier, quicker and stress-free.

Happy shopping!

Cardigans and sweaters

Style Tip: Stick to basic colours, but experiment with textures and detailing.

Textured full-sleeved sweater from TM Lewin

TM Lewin sweater

Multi-pocket cardigan from Arrow

Arrow cardigan

Knit with buttons from Ed Hardy

Ed Hardy cardigan

Coats & Jackets

Style Tip: Look out for fur trims- they add a luxe touch to your coat. Belts look great, but look best on leaner guys.

Parka coat with faux fur trim from Zara

Zara men's parka coat

Belted coat from French Connection

Black coat French Connection

Jackets and vests

Style Tip: Puffed and quilted styles are classic winter outerwear, but if you’re looking for trendy pieces there are lots of styles- try a layered or colour-blocked jacket.

Puffed jacket from Calvin Klein Jeans

CKJ puffed jacket

Quilted jacket from Splash

Splash quilted jacket

Dual-layered jacket from Guess

Guess winter jacket

Leather jacket

Style Tip: Plain leather jackets are so dull. Try jackets with lots of zips, pockets or varying textures.

Leather jacket from Rara Avis

Rara Avis leather jacket

Shoes

Style Tip: High-top shoes for men are super hot right now. Wear them over skinny or straight-fit jeans.

Lace-up shoes and leather boots from Clarks

Winter shoes- Clarks

 

High-top lace-up shoes from Estd 1977

Estd 1977 Black shoes

Winter accessories

Style Tip: Neutral winter accessories- patterned or plain are worthwhile investments for this winter and the next.

Hats and scarf from Aldo, gloves from River Island

Winter accessories-Men

SHOE STORY: A Day in Aerosoles

Like every woman on the planet, I’ve struggled with finding the right foot wear. Shoes are either too tight, too loose, too drab, too blingy. But mostly, they’re uncomfortable. And in my experience, the comfort of any pair of shoes is inversely proportional to how good-looking the shoes are. So the prettier the shoes, the less comfortable they will be. At least that’s what I thought before I got introduced to Aerosoles.

Aerosoles shoes India

Aerosoles are touted to be stylish and comfortable shoes (yep, both features in the same pair!!!). Given the dozens of shoe bites I’ve had, ill-fitting shoes I’ve worn and owned, and the horrible foot ache that shoes give me, I decided to put a pair of Aerosoles to test for its claims. The test was simple—I would wear a pair of Aerosoles for a day and blog about how my feet felt during and at the end of the day.

9 am: First impressions

These Aerosoles are a no-fuss pair with great texture and subtle metallic shine. Can’t wait to wear them. I’m already making a mental list of outfits I can pair my Aerosoles with, or where I can wear them. So far I’ve listed: shopping, errands, luncheons, meetings and parties. This covers a lot, doesn’t it?

Aerosoles shoes flats and heels

10 am: Meeting time, the first test

I slip into the shoes. First reaction: soft, natural, and great fit. Of course, that all means COMFORTABLE! But will they be just as comfy throughout the day? Too soon to say. Fingers crossed. I pair the Aerosoles with a shirt and black trousers for a meeting. The shoes go well with my formal attire and work bag.

12 noon: Shoe bite? Nah!

The meeting just got over and guess what, no shoe bites yet! The last time I wore a new pair of shoes on a Monday morning was a month ago, and I was in intense discomfort throughout the meeting and after- painful shoe bites! But in these Aerosoles I don’t even feel a slight pinch. Like I said, perhaps they were made for me? My phone buzzes, there’s a last-minute lunch plan with the ladies. I quickly rush home to change.

Comfortable Aerosoles shoes for shopping

1 pm: Lunch-time perfection

I changed into a peach light knit embroidered top (brand new!) and beige pants, but forgot to put on a matching pair of shoes, so I’m still in the Aerosoles. But as my mom points out, they look perfect with my outfit. Yay! Comfort level still high. (An aside: Little-known trivia- Aerosoles have been brought to India by Tata International. Yep, surprised me too!)

3 pm: Easy peasy driving in Aerosoles

After lunch, I’m headed to a fashion bloggers event at Infiniti Mall. It’s a long drive with some serious traffic, which can be very tough on my arms and feet. Driving in heels is usually a pain, but today I’m wearing my Aerosoles. When I get off, I feel like I wasn’t driving at all. 🙂 I guess it’s the patented diamond pattern technology with the tiny shock absorbers and the cushion comfort that have made my long drive easier.

Driving in Aerosoles shoes India

4.30 pm: No pain, no problem!

At the mall, I’m running between the store and the press conference, and again to the store, but no problem! It’s like a mini-marathon, except that my feet are cooperating despite the heel. In Aerosoles shoes, the heel rests on a platform so your calves won’t ache.

6 pm: Fresh as a daisy

I head back home after the fashion event. It’s been an action-packed day but my feet are loving the soft feel of the leather thanks to the fine fibre structure. Why can’t I have more such shoes?!

Aerosoles shoes at mall

7.30 pm: Romance in Aerosoles

The husband’s booked tickets for a play so we head to NCPA at Nariman Point. Since we’re early, he suggests we take a stroll on the Marine Drive promenade. On any other day, I would have said a firm NO on account of the shoes, but today I say “Let’s do it!” We enjoy the sunset and gentle breeze while we walk down the picturesque stretch. A truly romantic moment at the end of a super busy day, and it was possible because of the diamond flex soles in the Aerosoles.

10 pm: My feet thank me (I mean, errr… the Aerosoles)

We head home after the play and I get into into my home slippers. It occurs to me that the Aersoles were more comfy than this pair. I get into bed with my book after dinner and for a change, my feet and calves aren’t screaming in pain. Also, the leather Aerosoles don’t stink or smell. And that’s when I realize- the Aerosoles shoes are not just any pair of shoes. My feet didn’t feel them at all, these are shoes like they were meant to be made.

Aerosoles are available at select stores of Regal, Inc 5, Metro, Mochi and Westside across India. Price range from Rs 1900 to Rs 5500.

Shoes courtesy Aerosoles.