Retail Therapy goes Online - An Ethnic Treasure Trove !

Living in the USA has its pros and cons. While there are a number
of advantages and opportunities available to you, there are always
those simple yet extremely joyful events that we often miss out on.
Before you think this post is going to get all senti on you, let me explain.
Amongst other things, one that I miss most is going out shopping to the local markets in India.

Yeah malls are fun and cool and all...but what can compare to hurriedly scampering out a day before a festival to hunt for the perfect pair of matching bangles, and on your way back stumble upon some cute mojris (footwear) that go with your elegant white churidar.






See? Took you on a trip down the Memory lane of Nostalgia Boulevard, Didnt I?

That is what I am talking about!

I do make it a point to shop till I drop during my visits to Bombay, but
so often come those urgent moments when I need to get something nice
and ethnic and have no idea where to look.
I have been to New York's Jackson Heights, New Jersey's Oak tree
Road and Chicago's Devon Street.



The entire roads are closely dotted with Indian stores, beauty
salons, restaurants etc, which is all very good. But I somehow find that most of the Indian outfits and accessories we see here have unreasonable prices and lots of their stuff are out-dated.
The latter reason has been enough for a fashion-slave like me to look for greener pastures.
And little did I know the greener pastures lay right on my lap and inside my laptop;-)
In the last couple of years I have started hunting for online stores that sell Indian outfits and accessories. I have begun to discover that online shopping, sitting in the cool confines of my bedroom with an easy click of the mouse, can actually be exhilarating.
It is fun to browse the entire store in sometimes less than 15 min's flat
and with endless hours, even days allowed to make up your mind, what
more can I ask for? And all this can be done while wearing your comfy zebra print pajamas! Convenience at it's peak, I would say.
The only thing to ask for remains some good online stores that sell good Indian stuff.
I have researched a lot and over the last few months I have come across a couple of
good stores and have actually had first-hand experience shopping through them.

I would like to share with you about a relatively new online store called Sulbha.com

What you will really love about Sulbha are their prices. They are perpetually at all time
clearance prices for good quality clothes and accessories. What's more,
they even have a separate clearance area to top that.
I have shopped there a couple of times and been satisfied.

You will find all kinds of colorful ethnic long skirts starting at as low as $25.





There are some lovely kurtis, in chikan, silk etc priced at about $20-$30.





Check out their accessories, long bollywood style earrings and big, bold bracelets.




I have also seen some beautiful, extravagant chaniya cholis and sarees for less than $100. Not bad at all!

They have Indian footwear like mojris.




Besides all these, they also sell home furnishings (cushion covers - some for $5 only) scarves, stoles, handbags, salwar suits etc.
They offer free shipping for orders over $45.


To add to all the good things in life, I have a special coupon, good for a
10% discount for anyone who would like to buy something from Sulbha.com
All you need to do is enter it before checkout. Here it is: SAB011708


So get traditional and ready to rock-n-roll to Bollywood beats!

Go Desi!

The Trench Coat - A Timeless Trend !

An absolute must have on your fashion wish list this year has to be the Trench Coat. You totally need to buy one if you don't already have, and even if you do, one more wouldn't hurt.



The trench coat has always been one of the most sleek, stylish and sophisticated looks of the winter months and also the most resilient. There have never been too many winters where they were not in style.
Let's go back to the history of the trench coat. According to Wikipedia - A trench coat or trenchcoat is a raincoat made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton drill or poplin, wool gabardine, or in some cases leather: it generally has a removable insulated lining; and it is usually knee-length or longer.



Now this definition so does not do any justice to the trench coats we see today. Designers from all over the world took it upon themselves to refurbish and reinvent this style over the years, and what we have today is more or less a reincarnation of the classic trench coat. They have transformed them into a modern must-have, while maintaining its timeless connotations. Using new materials, bright new colors, bold prints and creative embellishments, the trench coat has confidently stepped into the 21st century.

While researching about the origins of the trench coat, I chanced upon an article that said that originally the trench coat was worn to protect the fighting British from the cold and wet conditions of warfare in the trenches of World War I, which is where the coat gets its name...Aah Ok Now we get it!

As with any other timeless style, celebrities have been leading the fashion bandwagon. Jackie Kennedy and Greta Garbo were famous for wearing them stylishly with huge sunglasses and headscarves.



Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) sported them regularly on Sex and the City. I loved her unique style and remember one polka dotted trench that she wore in one of the episodes (could not find a picture of that particular one)

Ah, Carrie in Sex and the City. The untold damage she must have done to personal cashflow around the world.


Anyways! The recent celebrities are seen wearing trench coats in various colors and the experiments with them seem to successfully go on. Some metallic trench coats that made an appearance last year seem to be the rage this season.






Since trench coats were invented by Burberry in 1901, though pretty pricey now, their coats are unique and stand the test of time. They are expensive nonetheless but definitely are a worthy investment.


One great thing about trenchcoats is that men can wear them too. No, dont fret ladies..they wont make your man resemble a foreign correspondent, Private I or a clueless detective of yore. Trust me, Inspector Auguste Dupin wouldnt have a clue about how to wear the new trench.
In fact, as discussed before, they were made for men. I am guessing this is one of the rare trends that were meant to be worn by men but the style was stolen in the years thereafter (and how!) by women.

At a time in fashion where the line that defines what a woman or a man can wear is blurring, there is no better item to have at hand than a trench coat.




I bought my first trenchcoat a couple of years ago and have since been addicted. The first one I had was very basic, but a lovely plum color with bright satin inner lining that peeked out in the wind. It was fit for the rainy (but not too cold) Seattle weather. I loved the way it gave a very defined and proportioned look to the figure. I went on to buy more trench coats, for the winter, for fall, for fun!



Trenchcoats can be worn by all body types as they are extremely forgiving and create an instant hourglass look, thanks to the cinched belt. Today we have so many different options, the short trench, the longer trench, the thick woolen trench and the lighter colorful ones. They come in all sorts of fabrics and prints and have become such a fashion statement on their own, that I guess, when you sport one nobody ever bothers about what you have worn underneath. You could just keep the coat on all the time.




I have seen really nice coats everywhere this season to suit all sizes and wallets.

Go get yourself one this year and get style, comfort and convenience rolled into one.
And now that the trench is for all seasons and reasons, you don't even have to pray for rain.

Happy New Year !!!

Tis the season to be jolly. Or merry. Or goodwilly or something. Apparently.

So friends, we are only a few hours away from 2008. I love this time and often wonder - why does changing one digit at the end of the date make things feel like they could be so different? I don't even really want 2008 to be too different from 2007. It's been a great year, for the most part. But it's exciting, getting ready for the next chapter.

I love the build-up to the New Year. It almost feels like the celebration begins with the start of the month of December. The malls are crowded with eager shoppers, zealously trying to spot deals. I love to go shopping this season, not only because of the decorations and discounts but mainly for the air of goodwill and cheerfulness floating around.


New Year gives us all an opportunity to start over. To rectify our mistakes and to make better what is going good. The first day of the year makes you feel as good as new ( well unless you sloshed yourself on New Year's Eve, spent the night with your head in the toilet and woke up with a bad headache at 5 in the evening!)
Personally I prefer to spend a quiet evening with my loved ones and close friends and welcome the New Year bright and alert.


On that note, Here's Wishing all of you a Bright, Prosperous, Very Happy, Fun-filled and above all Stylish;-) New Year.
May all your desires and dreams come true.
Love ya,
Ciao
Saby

Bringing back the days of yore !

Bollywood ( Nickname for the Indian Film Industry)is rocking the churidar-kurta look this season.
Last year, it was all about saris with sexy halter necks or sleeveless blouses. This year, the 50's and 60's came calling and it's the elegant and ethnic looking churidars teamed with flared kurtas.


If this sounds Greek to you, you are not alone. Mostly it's only Indians and Pakistanis that would know what a churidaar kurta is. The sari? That's an altogether different topic. Everyone today, all over the world, knows what a Sari is. That beautiful 6 yards of fabric that can be draped around so cleverly on a woman, making any plain Jane look like a sultry siren. Practically that's what a Sari really is, don't we agree?



But today we are talking about one of its equally charming cousins- the churidaar kurta.
There are plenty of types we could discuss. The long A-line kurtas, the short fitted kurtas worn with loose (patiala) salwars and the long flared kurtas( the kalidaar ones) worn with tightly cinched at the ankle pants (the churidar)
For some time now, the salwar kameez and churidar kurta has been replaced by what can be typically called fusion wear. We have witnessed a resurgence of short kurtas worn with loose trousers, even among older women and those with not-so-perfect bodies. The tunic-like kurtas are a rage on runways.
Which is all very good, but the same fact also makes it a welcome and very refreshing change to see something totally very Indian in origin, made popular by celebrities, socialites and models.



Celebrities and fashion shows in India have been lapping up the Kalidar, Mughal and Anarkali style kurtas for a couple of months now and we are absolutely loving it.

I promptly sent some pictures that I found on the internet to my mum in Bombay asking her to find someone to stitch one of those for me when I visit. She said the stores are overflowing with these styles and it's easier than ever to go pick ready-to-wear sets rather than to wreck your brains over getting them stitched by your local tailor.

You see, the kalidar kurta is not an easy to cut and stitch kind of a garment. Only experts would know which panel goes where, the symmetry needs to be maintained and unfortunately it's something that can easily be messed up. The worst part being, you need yards and yards of fabric to get one complete outfit and hence if it's ruined, there goes your fabric too!



The authentic kalidar kurta is supposed to have at least 10-12 kalis or panels sewn into the waist to widen the flare. There are of course many versions of these available that manage to make them without panels. The sleeves are usually longer than full-length and tight, to allow cinching along the wrist, though I personally like them with shorter/cap sleeves. This style of kurta is generally worn with a regular tight churidaar in order to balance the wide-flare top.
The best part about this look is that it can be worn with all kinds of figures.



For those of us who can no longer wait to lay our hands on one of these, check out some excellent designs on www.utsavsarees.com

The not so sinful mini !

The one trend that I am absolutely crazy about this fall is the Minidress - coupled with opaque tights. I cannot get enough of this look and have seen it all over Chicago and New York in the past few months and am sure it's the rage everywhere else too.


An advantage with this look would be that you could easily transition from summer to fall to winter. The mini dress which you loved wearing in summer all by itself, could be worn with leggings or tights and pumps in early fall and later with skinny jeans or tights paired with uggs/knee-high boots or booties in the colder season. Isn't that a blessing for us women who practically very often regret having to put away our summer favorites in the closet simply because they cannot be used in the fall and winter? I think it is!


I have seen some excellent mini dresses for really good prices at H&M. I know they are everywhere in the malls but the ones at H&M seem trendier, with unique colors and patterns and convenient pockets. I picked up a yellow and white one recently and it has the cutest double pockets and huge green buttons. Sounds tacky? Well maybe, but since you are most likely going to wear dark jeans or tights with them, it should be fun to play with brighter colors. I am a huge fan of fun colors like yellow, red, pink and orange. I call them my 'cloud nine' colors. They never fail to lift my spirits when am wearing them.




The mini dress is definitely another big comeback trend from the 60's and 70's - the boho, carefree and hippy look which has been accepted with open arms on runways and streets alike. This rock n roll chic look seems like it's here to stay so why not join in.

As I have always pointed out in my earlier posts about the idea of merging fashionable new trends with modest dressing, I should mention here that the mini dress can be quite versatile for the modest dresser. If you are conscious about showing your legs in summer, you could wear it with a pair of 3/4 tights and if tights are too tight(pun unintended) and not your scene, you could go for skinny jeans with a mini dress, which looks awesome and classy. Although personally I am not a big fan of the whole skinny jeans trend (I think that I will stick to the regular styles myself) but I do like the idea of wearing them over a dress or tunic...and for the many of us who want to stay on top of the fashion bandwagon - here's another incentive to wear one more very "in" trend.


So there, the verdict seems to be that the mini dress is an all tastes, all seasons outfit that simply cannot be ignored. Go get one and get more stylish y'all.
Ciao,
Saby

After the Sabbatical

Yes, it's been a long, long time... And my apologies for not writing for so long...
And no, I haven't gotten pregnant,eloped,checked into rehab or been kidnapped by a flying unicorn.... worry not ma friends!!!
What has kept me away? Procrastination! - I wouldnt deny. That ol devil.
That, coupled with staying busy with family and friends(my in-laws were here visiting), a vacation to Orlando and Canada( Montreal is wicked beautiful!).
Life has been mostly no work and all play for the past few months, much to the envy of my madly busy hubby.
I throughly enjoyed the summer and every new fashion that I noticed, did tweak me to get back to my website. I'll especially mention here, the fashion sense on the streets of Canada-seemed very french and elegant - will write a whole new post regarding this soon.
Well..am back now and an entire tunic and the wide-leg pant dominated summer is behind us already.
Fall is here in all its splendour, some unique new styles have been noticed this year and some very unusual colors have been the rage...Cobalt blue is one example.

Oh well..this was going to be my I am back post, so I will try not to start analyzing the trends on this one.
Will write soon..keep watching this space.
Take care
Saby

Hooray for headbands!

Headbands and head scarves are the undisputed rage this summer.
I find myself to be crazily in love with them and have accumulated a neat bunch already. You see them everywhere, in drug stores, grocery stores and of course in malls.They not only make a sleek fashion statement but also can make any woman look elegant and dressed up.Moreover, they work as saviors when your hair is a train wreck--on bad hair days, after a day at the beach, after a drive in your convertible or a sweaty workout at the gym.

What I love about girly headbands are just that..they remind me of school days and girly fun. Wearing one almost immediately transforms me into the days of yore, school days - when many of us,hated wearing headbands, but yet wore them to keep hair in place in classrooms and labs. Of course, the headbands today are much more comfortable as compared to the uncomfortable plastic grip ones of yesterday, but they still do remind me of school and this is one major reason why I love them.
Others of course, might have their own reasons.

Celebrities are totally on the trend.Sienna Miller started wearing them about a year ago with her boho look. Eva Langoria sported one on Desperate Housewives last month. Madonna wore glamourous bejeweled ones last season.





Headbands have evolved from a hot trend to an accessory de jour. According to a research conducted for hair accessories manufacturer Goody - in 2006, their sales rose up to 52% and this year sales have already shot up 45%.

The original headbands are in but a cool variation are the headbands with attached scarves.




They make you look cute as a button when worn loosely with the scarf tied sideways.



Very beachy,yet elegant.In fact, full cloth tie-up headscarves are not bad too, only it takes more skill (and hairpins!) to wear them and keep them in place. Not for me.

Remember that headbands should be proportional to your face. Wide and thick ones look best on round and oval faces whereas skinny ones are good for delicate faces.Also it advisable to tone down the rest of your accesories when wearing them.






They come in a variety of materials-fabric, leather, lace, ribbon, metallics -- and adornments -- buckles, bows, flowers, feathers and Swarovski crystals.I love the crystal ones for a little bling.

You can find stylish ones at www.nordstrom.com, wwww.saks.com and if you are going to go to the mall, Express has some really nice skinny ones in summer colors on SALE. In fact I picked up some colors that complement each other and sometimes wear multiple skinny ones together and they look pretty cool. Also I recommend Forever 21 for inexpensive,trendy headbands.

So girls,get headband happy and lay your hands on a couple of them. Here's a trend that's not only cute and inexpensive but also stylishly convenient.