Showing all posts tagged tops

In Celebs, Fashion, News, Shopping

The fabric you need to wear this summer- Liva

Author Speaking ChicPosted on Leave a comment

I have a whole list of summer clothing pet peeves- no denim, no clingy clothing, no itchy fabrics for me please. Of course, this doesn’t leave me with too many fashionable choices for summer.

Hopefully, this summer will be better because I’ve discovered a new age fabric that will make my summer (and other seasons) easier. This new age fabric is called Liva, made with natural fibres and developed by Birla Cellulose.

Fit for ‘Queen’

Liva’s ambassador is the talented actor Kangana Ranaut who wore this statement-making outfit at a Liva fashion show last week.

Kangana Ranaut for LIVA

Oh, Liva!

The fabric has got sheen, feels cool and soft against my skin, and is super comfy. Thanks to Liva’s fluidity, clothes won’t stick or cling to my body, nor make me feel warmer than it is. Luckily, several brands are already using Liva, and I got a closer look at the clothes.

Liva clothes

No more boxy looks! No more discomfort!

So what’s common among these dresses, kurtas and tees? For starters, they fall well, so no more weird fits or square shapes. And they’ve got a nice sheen that adds a luxe touch to any look.

Liva is being used by several fashion brands such as Van Heusen, Global Desi and 109 F (among others) and all Liva garments would be specially tagged so you can identify them while shopping.

Printed tops with Liva

Van Heusen dresses with Liva

New designs

Moving from high street to high fashion, fashion designers are already using Liva in their collections. Last week designers Anita Dongre, James Ferreira, Puja Nayyar, Sohum Dave and Narendra Kumar presented capsule collections made entirely of Liva. Their looks varied from easy flow to complex drapes, bold colours to vibrant prints. And the clothes? Tops, tees, tunics, kurtas, saris, pants… you name it, and it can be made with Liva.

Liva fashion show collage

If LIVA has you intrigued then please do get in touch with Media Moments for further details!

In trends

Chic Trends: Spring summer recap in 2 minutes!

Author Speaking ChicPosted on Leave a comment
Chic Trends: Spring summer recap in 2 minutes!

It’s SALE time everywhere, which means the fashion season is coming to an end. I thought it would be the right time to look back at the fashion highlights and trends of spring summer.

Hottest summer colours: Neons
Almost every fashion brand had a hint or more of neon. I even spotted Indian wear with neon touches, from Masaba to Namrata Joshipura. They are such fun colours for saris!

Last summer hangover: Sorbet shades
The average girl on the street wore mostly pastel and sorbet shades, the delicate colours from last year. I was bored of the soft feminine look already, and it’s still around. Sigh.

Predictable summer trend: Sheer
We would have liked to see some cool options beyond sheer for summer. When a friend and I went looking for nice tops for work, we came home empty-handed because all we saw were transparent tops. Not cool for office, and layering is time-consuming.

Magazine and street faves: Lines
Thick, bold vertical stripes caught on and every gal wanted to wear black and white lined pants, tops and blazers.

In the mags, not on the streets: Crop tops, sporty chic
How many of us have the abs, confidence and the right audience to flaunt our midriff? And as for sporty chic pieces, I am still getting over the Juicy Couture track suit fixation (remember that fad?). So sporty looks for regular wear is not happening.

Old trend with a new twist
Florals with fresher prints like daisies and blossoms. From flowers, the focus shifted to leaves, grass, the garden, or the forest. And all very Oriental and tropical.

Most coveted fashion piece
Printed pants. I spotted floral, tropical and even animal prints on trousers and denim.

The new animal print…
Birds! The winged creatures flapped their wings on tops, dresses, pants… you name it.

In Fashion

Chic Holiday Guide (Part 1): 15 simple packing tips for a stylish vacation

Author Speaking ChicPosted on Leave a comment
Chic Holiday Guide (Part 1): 15 simple packing tips for a stylish vacation

If you’re packing for a vacation now, you’re probably confused and your room is a mess. What should you take and what should you leave behind? While I’m not the perfect packer, I’ve put together a list of tips to make the most of your space (and weight!) restrictions. Some of these tips I’ve picked up from reading travel blogs and websites, but most of them are my own. Let me know what you think!

Packing tips for holiday

(Picture courtesy: Arrow)

  1. Make light tops and tees the building blocks of your vacay wardrobe and try to plan the rest of your things around them.
  2. Try sticking to solids, light prints or tops with light detailing.
  3. Prints can be tricky to style. So if you’re carrying any, make sure you have the right pants / jacket or top to pair with the print.
  4. Skip the jeans, pack coloured trousers instead (or very light denim). They weigh less, occupy less space and are way more stylish.
  5. Make sure your trousers are matched with your tops before you pack. You don’t want to look mismatched, even if you’re on holiday!
  6. Linens are great as tops, shirts and pants!
  7. And so are maxi dresses.
  8. Light cotton and linen fabrics are best for all-day wear. Keep the synthetics at home.
  9. For footwear, you will need sneakers if you will be walking a lot, and comfy loafers that go with everything. Open flat sandals are great too.
  10. If you plan to party, carry an LBD or black sequinned/ embellished top.
  11. There should always be scope for interchanging looks and garments in case something gets soiled or damp. So make sure you carry a pair of neutral pants and a white or beige top.
  12. If you’re going to a shopping destination, travel light. You can always shop there, and plan your itinerary accordingly.
  13. The only accessories you need are a spacious bag, couple of cuffs and tiny studs. And a watch so you don’t miss your flight.
  14. I always carry a couple of tops or pants that I need to discard. So I wear them out and get rid of them while travelling.  This way, I have space for my shopping, and a reason to shop! 🙂
  15. No makeup please! Just a light compact powder, lip colour and mascara will do. Eye liner, if you must.
  16. Don’t miss the the sunblock and moisturiser. You will always need them.

Coming Soon: Chic Holiday Guide (Part 2): The old and new vacation essentials

In trends

Chic Trend: Take a bite of your favourite citrus fruits!

Author Speaking ChicPosted on Leave a comment
Chic Trend: Take a bite of your favourite citrus fruits!
Orange, lemon and sweet lime are juicy, sweet and the right of sour. And this summer, they’re delicious enough to wear. An easy balance of colour between neon, sorbet and pop shades, the citrus colours of orange, green and yellow can easily be worn as dresses or separates, and can be paired with each other.
Take a look at Speaking Chic’s citrus picks and read some handy style tips below:
Some tips to wear citrus:
  • These colours should be worn with a light neutral shade like beige, white or khaki. So if you’re wearing an orange top, try on a pair of beige slim fit trousers.
  • For citrusy pants, you could wear a contrasting coloured top or printed blouse.
  • Citrus + citrus = Yummy! (Warning: Take your husband/sibling/ mom’s opinion before you step out in a top-to-toe citrus ensemble).
  • If you’re wearing a bright orange or yellow dress, make that the key piece of your look. Which means your bag, shoes and earrings should be subtle. Nude pumps or a tan belt would look great!
In 2013, Fashion, trends

Chic Trend: 10 best floral pieces for the season

Author Speaking ChicPosted on Leave a comment
Chic Trend: 10 best floral pieces for the season

Ever since European queens donned floral ornamentation in portraits, flowers have appeared in hundreds of stylised forms, and have persisted even as the fashion cycle changes. They were popular in the 1940s, 1960s, and recently then in the last decade.

With girls around rhe world wearing florals this season, how do you embrace the pattern and still stand out? I’ve made it easier with some of the best floral fashion choices for the season, in dresses, tops, and accessories. Florals this season are bright and dark, modern and vintage, delicate and bold. Match them to your mood and have fun!

Take a look:

Psstt… My pick from these floral pieces is the top from French Connection. Love the colourful artsy print on the dark background!

In 2013, Fashion

Chic Preview: GAS Spring / Summer 2013

Author Speaking ChicPosted on Leave a comment
Chic Preview: GAS Spring / Summer 2013

What to Expect

How much can you experiment with denims, especially in summer? After all, denims are not usually the right fabric choice for warm weather. But with light washes and a strong focus on the colour offering for both men and women, the casuals at GAS seem interesting this season.

lookbook 13129 - Copy lookbook 1315 - Copy

The GAS Spring/Summer 2013 collection experiments with all shades of indigo, and treatments of varying intensity from raw to a strong wash. The bright colours of the women’s collection are a homage to spring, playing with strong contrasts between light and dark colours. The GAS folks call this the “chiaroscuro” effect (pronounced kia-ros-kuro).

Meanwhile, the surprise addition is pastels for men, since lighter hues have not exactly been the choice of colour for Indian guys. But I think at least a handful of cool Indian men might be willing to wear coral, peach and aqua green. The “raw used” look continues, and so do dusty, neutral shades of gray and light blue.

What to Buy and How to Wear

lookbook 1318 - Copy lookbook 13130 - Copy

Wear the GAS fluo jeggings with sleek printed tops; or pair neon blouses with neutrals.

The printed reversible jeggings are best worn with feminine blouses in light hues of yellow, pink, green and light blue

Pastels for men: Pastel chinos + denim shirts OR Pastel tees + dark jeans.

In 2013, Fashion

Chic First Look: Vero Moda Spring / Summer 2013

Author Speaking ChicPosted on Leave a comment
Chic First Look: Vero Moda Spring / Summer 2013

What to Expect from Vero Moda’s Spring/ Summer 2013 collection

Get stylish casuals to dressy club wear at Vero Moda this Spring / Summer. They’ve got a wide colour palette (bright fuchsia, mint green, white) in simple easy-to-wear silhouettes. The prints include two-tone bold stripes, ombre effects, tie and dye and the ever-popular florals.

Vero Moda WP STRIPY LS LONG SHIRT rs 1995

Detailing includes beading, with lace and neon hints on lightweight and sheer fabrics like silk, satin and organza.

PS—British model Poppy Delevingne is the face of Vero Moda for 2013, chosen for her fresh look and easy elegance.

Poppy Delivigne - new face of VERO MODA 2013

Bang on Trend

The “True Summer Look”: Lots of soft hues in pinks, whites and washed blues, seen on light fabrics.

Vero Moda BALCONY SL TOP IN RS 1695 (2)

Vero Moda GELLER HW ZIP LEGGINGS rps 2295

Updated Florals: They’re on dresses, tops, pants and shorts—but get a 2013 summery twist with the new colour palette.

Black and White:  This classic combo gets a bold edge at Vero Moda from Spring/ Summer 2013, with larger-than-life stripes and prints.

Vero Moda WP BLACKY SL SHORT DRESS rs 2295

What to Buy

Floral printed pants and shorts

Vero Moda printed pants GAMBLER LW CURVED YOKE FLOWER rs 2695

Black-and-white pieces (as stripes or colour blocked dresses)

Vero Moda WP YANNI BLAZER STRIPED rs 2295

Feminine white tops (the basics for the season)

Vero Moda AMELIA LACE 34 TOP- NFSC2 rs 3495