Dress Desi But Stay Sexy

  Up until last year I would raid my sisters closet each time I had to attend an Indian wedding (Who am I kidding? I still do!!!) Somehow, I just never ended up buying Indian outfits. I guess there are mainly two reasons for this, the first being the fact that they are ridiculously expensive and secondly I just never felt that they flatter me. I dunno somehow I always felt older and sooooooooooo not sexy in Indian clothes. And now I know why, its coz I never really spent enough time or money trying to add my style to these outfits. So last year when a friend was getting married I decided that there would be no more ill fitting hand me downs and boring outfits for me at this wedding. So a month before the "Big Fat Indian Wedding" I started working on my clothes and at the wedding I actually felt great. As you know Indian weddings have a long list of functions and a huge to do list that goes with all of them. And also the degrees of the amount you can expose at different functions vary. For example the Sangeet is the one where you can go bold and sexy but the actual wedding is the most conservative. Don't ask me how I know all these unwritten rules, lets just say I have learned the hard way!

I have just spent the last three days being part of a dear friends wedding and this time I was well prepared!!! So usually every Indian wedding has at least 3 Basic functions - The Mehendi, The Sangeet and The Wedding which is usually followed by the reception. Now-a-days the list is definitely much longer with new additions such as a cocktail party and a youngsters and some people even have a morning wedding and the reception in the evening which only means one thing...More outfits!!

I'm sure lots of you are as lost as I was earlier, so I am going to show you some of my Indian outfits, so you can turn yourself into a sexy desi girl too...

 This is one of my newest Indian outfits. Its a lengha saree that I bought from Surat. It looked so royal and gorgeous at the store that I had to buy it. And guess what I bought it for only Rs. 5,000. (If your visiting Surat then go to a market called the Bombay Market for amazing cheap Indian clothes) I got my tailor to make me a sexy bikini inspired backless blouse to complement my saree and my curves ;)

Up next is my all time favorite orange kaftan. This kaftan was given to me by my sister and I just can't stop wearing it. I like to team it with dark skinny jeans, nice big Indian earrings, a gold bag and kolapuri chappals. Its super comfy and so different from your regular salwars and kurtis. If you want to be bold and sexy you can even wear a gold bikini top under it since its sheer. (But only at a Sangeet!)

I never thought I could look good in an Indian outfit until I wore this beautiful Arpita Mehta anarkali. I was lost and clueless when I went to her and the only things I said were I'd like a bright color and a sexy low back  and voila!!! I love the purple and pink combination and the sexy low back make it look young and funky. I wore it two days ago and I can't tell you how many people loved it!!! Thank you Arpi!!!!

 I absolutely love love love Sabyasachi 's clothes so I was very excited when I found this blouse in my sisters closet!!!! I  teamed it with an old red saree. Just look at the back of this blouse!!!! Need I say more!

I got this bright pink leheriya saree as a gift . Leheriya sarees are beautiful and they come in lovely bright colors. I got my tailor to make me a nice backless blouse with sleeves and it looked great with the saree. I also made a fish tail braid to complement my fun and fresh look. Its looks great and its really easy to make, I actually learned how to make it on YouTube. hehe

 Last but certainly not the least is my oldest Indian outfit. I had this lengha made 10 years ago for my sisters wedding and I still wear it!!! I keep changing the blouse , here I am wearing it with a silver Shaina NC blouse.

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Here is a video of the Lengha Saree look

 

The Neon Life

Missing that pop in your outfit? I know just what you need. I am currently obsessed with this serious 80's trend and you should be too. NEON!!!!!! The runways at New York Fashion Week (Spring 2012) were full of intense pops of electric neon colors, stars such as Freida Pinto and Sarah Jessica Parker have been spotted wearing  this trend on the red carpet as well,  so what are you waiting for? If a head-to-toe electronic neon get up straight from the 80's is not your thing then don't fret. A pop of neon mixed into your everyday ensemble will definitely turn a few heads.

If you have got some bucks to blow then you can really go crazy with this trend. There are countless options, right now the stores are full of neon stuff, you can get everything right from neon nail paint to underwear! So go live the neon life. If you haven't heard about the Cambridge Satchel , its time to get acquainted with Summers new "It" bag available on asos.com

Any fashionista on a budget (like me) knows that accessories are the best and the cheapest way to test a trend without emptying out your wallet. Pair fabulous neon accessories with a nude dress or a white vest with jeans for maximum impact. Here are some fab neon options to add a pop of color to your life!!!!

     Cambridge Satchel for Rs. 8,860

12 Piece Carved Rose Stud Set by Forever21 for Rs. 245

Neon Belt from Asos.com for Rs. 690

Pink Wing Cuff by Forever21 for Rs. 335

  

 Neon Tights by ONLY for Rs.395

Calvin Klein Cross-Body Bag for Rs. 6,600

 

 

Neon jeans from Asos.com for under Rs.  2,800

Neon Flip-Flops by Forever21 for Rs. 370

Necklaces from Forever21 for under Rs. 350

Pink Threaded Hoops from Forever21 for Rs.187

Neon Girl T-Shirt from Zara for Rs.1,150

Neon Laptop case from Asos.com for Rs. 1720

River Island bag for Rs.2,200

Neon Nail Paint by Barry M

Neon Watches from Asos.com for under Rs. 2,200

Fashionably Fit

This is the picture Nandini took!!!! Don't you dare laugh!!!

             Up until a few months ago I use to think shopping for work out clothes is a waste of money and I use to just throw on an old T-shirt and wear the same old track pants that I used for my athletic training in college.  In fact I use to always question my boyfriend Vaibhav's fitness buys at Nike and Addidas, I would say, "You have so many tracks, you don't need them, buy something cool". Being a fitness enthusiast he would always buy great workout wear but I somehow never understood the obsession. A few months ago I took to running again after a long break. Initially I wore the same old comfy tees and tracks, then one day I bumped in to my close friend Nandini who couldn't stop laughing and whipped out her blackberry to take a picture of me dressed in that. And to be honest when she sent me the picture I couldn't stop laughing at myself. Now that I am a total fitness junkie and workout 5-6 times a week I felt it was time to get "fashionably fit".

I think I looked better than Hilary Duff at least!

             So  over the past few months I have gone berserk buying workout clothes and I love it. Now its hard for me to walk into a  sports shop and not buy anything.  In fact I spent half an hour trying to decide what to wear for the Mumbai Half Marathon this year. What? I needed to look good and be comfortable. I know fitness clothes don't come cheap but if you want to fashionalize yourself like I did  then now is a good time to start. I think all the fitness stores are on SALE right now so you can shop guilt free!!! Let me tell you what you can get where coz I'm a sucker for sales!!!

Old Navy sports bras from Kalapi

Sports bras- Ok I am sure many of you like me have walked in to Nike in search of a sports bra and thought that its ridiculously expensive. So where does one  buy a good cheap sports  bra???? There is this shop called Kalapi  between Cafe Mondegar and Metro Plaza on Colaba Causeway that stocks export rejects and they have the coolest Old Navy sports bras for less than Rs. 300!!! They are super cool in neon colors and don't worry about getting your size coz they have everything from XS to XL!

Will somebody plz buy Miley Cyrus a sports bra!

Don't you just love Fergie's red and blue combo

Tops- I still prefer my regular cotton t-shirts or ganjees to the dry fits you get at the store. But I like to wear bright colors and chop off the sleeves . ;)

Ashley Olsen wears an oversized shirt to work out. For once the fashionista got it all wrong!

Track pants / Bottoms- Addidas has the best bottoms, you can buy everything from running shorts to track pants . They have great tights too, I just bought two pairs of really cool tights for for my jogs. I wore my black pair to this year's Mumbai Marathon.  And guess what guys Addidas is on sale!!!!

Eva Longoria getting ready to hit the gym

Me at the marathon in my green gangee, black Addidas tights  & my Asics!!!

Windcheaters-  I know when I say you must go to Nike your gonna say she's trying to mention all the fitness brands but its true, Nike makes the best windcheaters. They are quite expensive normally but if you can make it to a Nike store soon you will end up getting last seasons stock (Yes, even fitness brands have seasons!) at 50% off. They do their signature windcheater in different colors every season, so it doesn't really matter if you buy from the old stock, its a steal so go grab one.

Nike windcheater

Shoes- Ever since my boyfriend introduced me to the world of Asics I knew I had to get my hands on a pair. And guess what I finally did  about two months ago and I  will never buy another pair of sneakers from Nike, Addidas or Puma EVER again! The sad part is Asics aren't availiable in India officially. There are a few dealers who stock them but if you want a good variety when you shop then I suggest you buy them when you travel abroad or buy them online on sites such as  http://shop.nordstrom.com or www.myntra.com. They tend to be a little more expensive than your usual sneakers but they are totally worth it.

Jessica Simpson wearing Asics shoes

Our bollywood babes getting fashionably fit