She’s got the look

An exasperated female cry, “I don’t have any clothes to wear”, after staring helplessly (for an hour or even longer) at a closet full of vibrant and varied outfits is a very familiar sight especially at the outset of the wedding season! Well dressing up is not easy, in fact dressing up right is all the more tricky. The big fat Indian wedding is a grand celebration with many a jamboree, giving the women ample opportunities to glam up and to flaunt an array of styles, ensembles and finery.

What is “in” now can easily be “out” tomorrow, trends come and go; fashion has a short shelf-life. Picking the perfect modish piece of clothing and making heads turn (without stealing the bride’s thunder!) can thus be a challenge. Nevertheless elegance can be showcased effortlessly by keeping things easy – s for simple, s for sophisticated and finally s for sari.

Sari is forever a la mode and can never be passé. Several styles can be experimented with this exquisite 5.5 yards long piece of cloth. A sari, be it cotton, silk, chiffon or crepe, exudes grace and finesse. Choosing the appropriate color and material in accord with the occasion can make you look like a million bucks by spending only a couple of thousand bucks! A pastel or even a bright chiffon sari teamed up with a shiny backless or halter neck blouse and chandelier earrings (or traditional jhumkas) can make you look simply wow! Once the attire is decided on, just fix up minimum shimmer make up with a hint of bronze/peach radiance, dark deep lipstick, well-defined eyes with smoky effect and/or matching eye color, tie up your hair or just let those long tresses bounce off your shoulders (or flutter gently with the breeze) and you are all set to dazzle the crowd!

To be a crowd-puller make sure you wear your attitude and you smell awesome; choose a perfume as per your likes but with an intense base blended with light, romantic, floral notes. To enhance your grandeur and poise stick a big round bindi on your forehead, wear a dozen (or more) bangles in your right hand and big round dial watch with modest bling on the left wrist. Don’t forget to slip on that over-sized cocktail fingering! The bindi will surely bring out the sexy diva in you and undoubtedly you will be the gorgeous goddess at those sundown revelries!

Oh so Hoot!

Disclaimer: I’m sincerely indebted to my colleague APD for this new found muse (the Owl) of mine!

No, I’m not talking about any drop-dead gorgeous starlet or a man with killer Greek god looks here. In my eyes the hottest fashion icon today is none other than the wise old “Owl”! Why - Owls are dominating not just t-shirt chest prints and jewelry but there are silk saris and ethnic ensembles with embroidered and patch-worked owls as well as owl-inspired kitchen and home linen. Very moda if you please!
The owl, in flesh and blood would have never attracted so much female attention let alone interest. Its sole runway to fame and limelight was restricted to a really small number of National Geographic photo shoots. A couple of years back party animals would have never even dreamt of (probably even ridiculed) this nocturnal species of birds making it to page 3 had the pretty women of tinsel town not donned them at all the fancy events and galas and made the bird a big hit in fashion circles.

The owl, commonly branded as the harbinger of the dark power also epitomizes wisdom and mystique. However, with the changing times (read trends) the cute little creature (or should I say a celebrity) now represents nothing else but effortless chic.
If Old McDonald actually had a farm today, all he would say is “hoot hoot here and hoot hoot there!”