5 Ways To Style A Lehenga

Published on July 6, 2019 by Lavanya Pulijala3 Comments

And, here I am, back with another blog on fashion after a significantly long break!!
To answer all those who have been asking me whether I quit blogging, NO, I didn’t, as I love doing it for myself and for you guys!! 😀

Isn’t it sad enough to spend like insane amount on purchasing one lehenga and not being able to use it, multiple times!!?
Well, let’s talk about it this time.
It’s going to be about how one can use a single lehenga for different occasions or make it look different everytime you wear it!!

Few Useful Tips Before We Start:

Get two plain lehengas stitched – one in black and one in beige/off-white. Also, get one plain simple blouse stitched in both these colors. These two sets, would help you make in-numerous looks suitable for every possible occasion. You can call them “Ethnic Basics”
Also, pick a fabric that is either extremely soft like fine net, or go for, plain uppada silk, georgette fabric as we want to keep the lehengas flowy
Dupattas with heavy work or overall design would go extremely well with either of these lehengas.
You just need to match colors and you would be good to go!!

Almost 90% of your dupattas could be matched with black/beige, which is a saviour as it helps us to create a different look, every time, we just change the dupatta.

Let’s just get into how we could style one such black lehenga in multiple ways :

1. Use A Dupatta As A Shrug

All you need is a couple of safety pins, to attach each end of dupatta to the centre along the edge, with one safety pin each. We are done with a shrug now!!
You could flaunt this, at casual get-togethers or garba nights!!
Pair with some indian jewellery and you would be good to go 🙂

2. Dig that Boring Buttoned-Down Dress Out Of Your Closet

What could be a better way to make a lehenga look casual!!
Wear that pretty bright buttoned down dress as a coverup over your lehenga and you are good to go 😀

3. Give the lehenga a monochromatic look

Who said that a complete lehenga outfit can’t be monochromatic!!
You can wear a lehenga with a blouse and dupatta of same color, but ensure one of them is highlighted with self-colored embroidery or some heavy glitter. This would make a great piece for a cocktail dinner or any sangeeth function.

4. Pick that beautiful heavy dupatta

Pair a plain lehenga with a bright-colored embroidered or printed dupatta.
Add a heavy neckpiece or earrings to accentuate the look (Always, remember that heavy necklace and heavy earrings, at a time, is big NO)
This would go very well for family functions at home 🙂

5. Top it up with a structured coat and a scarf

This might be for someone who likes to step out a little bit from the main stream lehenga look. All you need to do is add a structured coat of similar color palette over your plain lehenga set!!
It would look amazing if you could play around with different shades of the same color range as your lehenga . As I currently have only a single shade of black, I chose to add a pop of color with a bandana around my neck!!

Hope you like these looks 🙂

Feel free to ping me on my Instagram or email me for any more travel/styling tips or details 😀

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Photos by Rishabh Kumar, Siddharth Khera

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Ways To Style A Kurti

Published on August 29, 2018August 29, 2018 by Lavanya Pulijala6 Comments

Well, it’s almost been a month since my last post and I am now back after having some quality time with myself and of course, with new content 😀

While I was trying to figure out your interests on my Instagram, quite a few wanted to know the ways to style a kurti.I heard you and I am back with some good feasible ways of manipulating your kurti to look different every time you wear it 🙂

This time, I have chosen to style the kurtis in such a way that it works for any working woman, a college going student or for that matter, anyone who is obsessed about wearing kurtis but at the same time, is bored of wearing it, the usual way.

Also, I am skipping the usual ways of wearing kurtis with chudidhars or leggings because I know, you are already better at styling that way 🙂

Here we go :

1. Tuck that kurti into a skirt

This is the most easy way to make your kurti look different. Tuck that kurti into your skirt and make it look like a top. Spend your money on some neutral color skirts like beige, white and black. Voila!! you can pair those skirts with most of your kurtis 😀

2. Turn that kurti into a dress

Grab that kurti and wear it simply as a dress. Cinch it around the waist with a belt or a safety pin to make it look more structured 🙂

3. Pick calf-length trousers instead of mainstream leggings

These mid-rise calf length trousers are both comfortable and chic . I usually prefer linen cropped trousers to pair with my kurtas. You need to stock on the basic shades of off-white, black and beige so that most of the kurtis could be matched with those 🙂

4. Don’t forget those harem & dhoti pants

Yeah!! aren’t they too comfortable to wear all day long??!! Match those printed dhoti pants with a similar pattern kurti ( Print-on-Print, of course).

Few Styling Tips:

If you choose high-neck kurtis, try not to use any neck-piece. It would just make it look clumsy
Own a plain black kurti, it can be of great use (Basic colors are a mandate)
If the entire outfit is single colored, add a pop of color with juttis or kolhapuris
It’s always better to own a pair of neutral colored juttis and kolhapuris – works for most kurtis

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Previous post : Exploring Lisbon!!

Kurtis : Sanghria (Jabong) |Cropped Trouser : W | Skirt : Global Desi | Kolhapuris : Bandra thrift store | Earrings : Colaba Causeway

Exploring Lisbon!!

Published on July 21, 2018July 21, 2018 by Lavanya Pulijala1 Comment

After a tiresome road journey of 12 hrs from Madrid, Portugal welcomed us with an impeccable view of the sunrise over the huge expanse of Tagus River on Vasco Da Gama Bridge. It just reminds me of how sleep deprived I was and how my eyes couldn’t stay open but that view was too mesmerising that my mind started shouting, ‘You Moron!! Look at the beauty and skip your sleep for sometime!! ‘ 😀

Cobblestone streets that are lined up with pastel coloured houses having balconies that flaunt the most colourful bunch of flowers are just a visual retreat in the older parts of the city. This hilly capital city with coastal beauty has a lot to offer!!

The essence and the actual culture of any city could be best witnessed in the older parts of the city. Go to such place and walk around to experience the best!!

We had 3 days to spend in Lisbon and I am a person who is not so keen on visiting the historical monuments unless it is highly highly recommended. So, if you are expecting that from this blog, then 😐

LISBON

4 days and 3 nights stay

Accommodation : Hub Lisbon Patio Hostel (The worst maintained among all other hostels I have been to, so please avoid it and search for some other option )

Main Places To Visit :

Alfamas – It’s old Lisbon and it literally takes you back in time with the trams on the road, old buildings, century old cathedrals ,castles and not to forget some old wine shops!! Visit the famous Lisbon cathedral if you visit Alfamas – the interiors are sure to impress you!!

Miradouro das Portas do Sol – This is the one of the best view point to see the entire rooftop view of Alfamas. Must visit!!

Bairro Alto – The streets have such a lovely vibe with Fado (Traditional Portugal music) being played by people and is lined up with some amazing restaurants!! Again, walk to experience 🙂

Cais do sodré – Best riverside neighbourhood to walk around and relax!!

Sintra – This place is on the countryside which is 40 min from Lisbon by train and is totally worth visiting. It has fairytale streets lined with tall and lush-green trees, not something you could see anywhere in Lisbon. Visit Pena Palace in Sintra for the incredible view it offers from the top!!

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Things to Do :

A walk in the streets of Alfamas

Try pizza and portugese red wine in Bairro Alto – totally flattered!!

Watch the sun go down with live jazz in background at Miradouro das Portas do Sol

If you like to just sit and watch the Tagus river, Praça do Comércio and Cais do sodré are the go-to options

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Previous post : Backpacking Trip To Spain

Maxi : Shein |Saree : Suta Bombay| Sneakers: Nike | Heels : Zara | Neckpiece : Jaipur thrift store

My Wardrobe Whereabouts

Published on May 26, 2018May 26, 2018 by Lavanya Pulijala3 Comments

One constant question which I keep receiving from many of you on my Instagram and other channels is about the places where I source most of my outfits. And, finally in the process of creating content based on the ideas that most of you guys suggested on my Instagram, here we go starting with the most frequent request 🙂

There is no such single brand which I count on, for all kinds of outfits. There are specific brands which I look forward to for each dressing style. Giving you guys a brief overview of my shopping pattern, I am not someone who usually spends a bomb on each piece of clothing. I try to spend money to get high-quality basics since those are something which I use literally everyday. Definitely, not an impulsive shopaholic.

Let’s quickly get into the whereabouts 😀

1. Basics

Basic jeans, solid black and white t-shirts, basic nude heels, black heels – these are fashion staples. And, when it comes to staples, it’s always suggestible to invest in good quality brands. I personally prefer Zara for all sorts of basics and for jeans, Levis is my go-to brand. Both brands are definitely worth the money you spend and the kind of attention that these brands pay to the fit is something I fall for.

2. Blouses or Tops

I prefer shopping online for most of my blouses, crop-tops etc. or Zara during Sale or Forever21. Shein and Forever21 are two of my current favourites to find something unique and interesting in terms of designs. The best part of both of these brands is that they offer products that are completely affordable. Shein, sometimes has few styles copied from Zara at a much lower price (of-course, don’t expect Zara quality at such low cost :P)

3. Jeans

I absolutely swear by Levis, Westside Nuon Brand and Zara. I would rank Levis on the top for fit and comfort followed by Westside. I would prefer Zara only for any unique design of jeans.

4. Skirts and Dresses

Forever21 and Zara are my go-to stores for skirts, skorts, dresses or trousers. They have such unique designs and flattering fit that I rarely divert from these brands.

5. Fusion Wear

When it comes to fusion wear, I rely completely on Westside: Bombay Paisley brand for most of my ethnic handloom dresses or formal solid coloured kurtis. They have a really good collection of fusion wear.

6. Dupattas

I had few of you ask me about the places where I source my dupattas from. Most of them are from handloom exhibitions or are something which I pick from local stores when I travel to different places as I consider them as souvenirs. Westside and FabIndia have a good collection of duppattas. FabIndia is however, a little expensive. If you happen to go to any place in India, search for government tourism stores which sell clothes and are specific to that place. That’s where you can find the gems. Visit Biswa Bangla if you happen to be in Kolkata.

7. Sarees

Most of the sarees I wear are something which I happen to pick from any handloom exhibition. Some of them are from Suta ( http://www.suta.in) which has an amazing handloom sarees collection. Personally, a great fan of Suta.

8. Men’s wear

Shirts and T-shirts from Levis or Jack and Jones. Blazers from Zara. At times, I pick sweatshirts from HnM Men’s section. Linen shirts from Marks and Spencer Men’s Collection.

I hope this resolves all your queries. Let me know through Instagram DM or Facebook if you want to know something more in detail 😀

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Previous post : An All-White Look

An All-White Look

Published on May 7, 2018May 7, 2018 by Lavanya Pulijala1 Comment

“You need minimum color for maximum effect”

As it was rightly mentioned by some great fashion icon, minimum colour can create an incredible impact provided you understand how to add certain elements to the look which will help ace that thin line separating the boring single colour outfit and a striking single colour outfit.

Styling Tips:

When one is getting dressed in separates of exactly same solid colours, accessories play a major role.

For an all-white look : You can pair a white slogan tee/ plain tee with a white wide-leg trouser or a white short or a white skirt or a white pant suit
In case of an all-white look, add a pop of colour with one accessory if you want to give a casual vibe (say, a yellow clutch or green heels etc)- Remember that it should be only one accessory in focus and not all of them
If you want to go for an elegant / official look, stick to nudes for your footwear and makeup ; add some dainty jewellery
For beach all-white outfits, add some colorful tassel jewellery and tie-up footwear to create that bohemian vibe

This look that I have created is based on my recent favourite trend of pant suits. An all-white pant suit has been on fashion runways and also in many of the major fashion icons’ wardrobes. I am revealing one such look in this post while the rest of the possible looks will be going up on my Instagram next week. So, keep following me on Instagram to stay updated 😀

I have paired a white solid tee with white wide leg trousers and a white blazer. I chose to keep it less loud in terms of the colours of the accessories. So, picked nude heels and delicate jewellery to complete the look. If you opt for plunging necklines, layering of neckpieces would help to accentuate the look.

Here goes the look-book 😀

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If you do try any of my styling tips, do send in your pictures through email or Instagram!! I would love to see them 🙂

Blazer : Forever21| Top, Wide Leg Trouser, Heels : Zara| Jewellery : Thrift Market |Wrist Watch : DKNY

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Photos by Arun Premkumar

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‘P’ For Plaid

Published on March 17, 2018March 17, 2018 by Lavanya Pulijala1 Comment

‘Plaid’ is one word which has been doing rounds all along the recent fashion weeks in London, Milan, Paris and New York. For those of you who find it hard to interpret this term, it’s basically patterns of colored checks and intersecting lines. Considering that 90’s fashion is back in loop now, pant suits , bell bottoms, plaid and sequin are current season favorites.

I have completely fallen for the pant suits (trouser + blazer) trend. It’s so elegant and just on-point. It’s been quite some time since I posted something about fashion. So, here I go , introducing the latest trend of plaid, pant suits and various ways to style a blazer.

Most of the power dressing looks that are created using paint suits require minimal accessories. The look should be kept as minimalistic as possible with fine jewelry, pointed heels, and a mini handbag.

I have created looks where I have used a plaid blazer with cropped jeans, plaid trouser, and a basic black tee. I chose tan colored pointed heels and a black mini handbag to complete the look.

Power dressing styling tips:

Go with sleek hairstyles for official purposes, else go wild with a wavy hairstyle
Subtle nudes play along with power dressing so well. However, if you want to use the same outfit for an informal event, go for darker shades of lipstick and smokey eyes
Go for fine jewelry
Definitely a thumbs up for pumps or ankle-strapped heels as footwear
A big NO to huge totes for this look

I have created looks both for formal and informal events for this post. Without any further delay, let’s dig into the looks 😀

Look 1:

Blazer + Jeans + Basic Tee : Instead of wearing the blazer in its complete shape, just throw it over your shoulder to give a casual look.

Look 2:

Blazer + Jeans : Wear a blazer as top if you know you can handle the plunging neckline.

Look 3:

Pant suit – Blazer + Trouser : Match the color palette on blazer and trousers. You may choose a plaid blazer and go for a plain trouser in dark color palette of the blazer.

Look 4 :

Blazer + Basic Tee + Trouser : Match the blazer and trouser color palette and patterns.

Hope you enjoyed reading it as much I loved creating it 🙂

Hope it also helped you get an idea about styling blazers 😀

Blazer, Trousers, Heels, Bag, T-shirt : Zara | Jeans : Levis | Shades : Shein |Wrist Watch : Armani Exchange

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Previous post : 5 Things To Do In South Goa

Weekend Getaway To Guhagar

Published on January 31, 2018February 16, 2018 by Lavanya Pulijala2 Comments

If you are staying in Mumbai/Pune and would like to quickly escape to a less crowded beach and a good resort for a weekend, then this post would help you plan one 🙂

We wanted to just chill and relax at any place with a clean and isolated beach for two days and also, wanted to explore beaches other than Goa.

We started exploring the places along the Konkan Coast and finding resorts along the coast. We were not intent on travelling a long distance ( not more than 300 km from Mumbai).

Accommodation

Mango Village Resort

The resort had villas spread over a huge arena. It was secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city and it was exactly what we were yearning for – a quiet and relaxing place.

You should definitely try this resort if you are planning to explore this place.

Travel

If you are in Mumbai/ Pune, a long car drive would be the best way to reach this place.

Chiplun is one of the major cities near Guhagar- Trains heading towards Goa stop at Chiplun and there are also a lot of MSRTC buses which can get you to Chiplun from Pune/ Mumbai. There are local buses/ taxis which can take you from Chiplun to Guhagar.

We preferred travelling by car over train/ bus just so that we could enjoy the route as per our convenience.

Guhagar – Places To Visit

Guhagar beach is the main attraction and it is completely worth to visit this place to chill. A continuous stretch of tall trees guarding a beach is a perfect visual retreat.

It’s a pretty small village and hence, a walk through the peaceful little lanes would be enought to explore this place.

We limited ourselves to exploring the resort and beach as we wanted to have a lazy and relaxing weekend instead of hopping around a lot 😛

Hope this helps 😀

DM on my Instagram if you need detailed information.

Skort & Skirt : Zara | Tops : Shein | Mules : Koovs | Maxi & Tops & Shades : Shein | Hoops : Colaba Causeway

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Previous post : 5 Ways To Ace A Simple Saree

5 Ways To Ace A Simple Saree

Published on January 13, 2018January 13, 2018 by Lavanya Pulijala6 Comments

Those who are more inclined towards a simple saree and who find it difficult to make a statement with such sarees, these tips are going to be your savior so that the next time you wear one, you can be sure that you are going to ace it 🙂

1. Statement Jewelry

Find one piece of jewelry, could be a stunning pair of earrings or a perfect neck-piece or may be even an embellished clutch. Make the statement using just one type of accessory but not all statement pieces ( You don’t want people to be confused on which accessory to focus- keep it clear- one statement accessory 😀 )

2. Heavy Blouse

If it is a simple plain saree, you can make it work wonders if you could find a heavy blouse to go with it.

And yeah, if you choose a heavy blouse, never choose a heavy neck-piece as it just spoils the beauty

You can probably go with statement earrings/ maang-tikka instead of a heavy neck-piece.

3. Bold Makeup

This just works miraculously to brighten up that otherwise boring saree. Pick those bold reds or the badass deep wine lip shades – I promise it is going to be kickass.

While you are trying these bold lip shades / eye-shadows, you can actually concentrate less on other accessories.

Wearing a deep wine lipshade

4. Saree Shape-Wear

If you are not a pro in draping a saree, then this should be something you should really invest in. Get a good shape-wear for a saree since that helps you define the draping and also makes it easy for you to get that perfect draping style.

A nicely draped saree could be a highlighter all by itself, more than any other accessory.

5. Apt Hair Style

This is quite important and it is going to give a finishing touch to your masterpiece. This needs to vary according to your face shape, accessories and blouse.

If it is a high neck blouse or if you are wearing a heavy neck-piece, you might want to go for a hair bun/ up-do so that the focus is on blouse/ jewelry.

If you have a round/ square face structure, go for loose hair or any hair style that slightly covers the sides of your face to give that structured jaw look.

Tried messy hair look here so that my no-accessories look doesn’t look boring 🙂 A normal up-do

Hope these tips help you in making that boring saree look jaw-dropping 🙂

Also, If you are someone who wants to try those expensive designer labels but doesn’t want to spend so much on just one outfit, then DateTheRamp has the solution. It is an online rental platform for authentic designer apparel and accessories. It hosts a huge range of collection from apparel designers like JJ Valaya, Shantanu & Nikhil, AnjuModi, Ritu Kumar, Satya Paul and also a number of accessory designers like Outhouse, Valliyan and several others.

This website not only helps you indulge in those designer label outfits but also allows you to do so at a very low rental cost with great service. I personally had a really good experience with them where I rented two of these Satya Paul sarees at a very reasonable price.

Yeah, if you have to attend your best friend wedding or a party and don’t want to spend insane amount on designer lehengas or sarees, you need to try renting an outfit from DateTheRamp .

Sarees : Satya Paul ( Rented from DateTheRamp ) | Neck-piece & Ring : Jaipur Store | Mustard Mules : Koovs | Black Mules : Ajio

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10 Tips To Pack Outfits For A Beach Vacation

Published on December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 by Lavanya Pulijala2 Comments

Are you someone who hates tagging along heavy baggage to your vacation? Do you love to know how to optimise your packing list so that you don’t have to carry a lot of clothes but just pick few basics and style them differently to create new looks!!

Bingo!! I heard you 😀

December is here!! I guess most of you would be planning for a vacation and majorly, it is a perfect time for a beach vacation!!

So, here I go with all the styling tips which I am going to splurge at you for your beach vacation 😀

For me, an outfit includes clothing and accesories. These tips include all about those 🙂

1. Whites Will Be Your Saviour

White has that cool vibe which syncs in well with the beaches and adds a touch of boho vibe as well.

Whites !! Whites 😀

2. Choose A Pair Of Comfortable Shorts

Pick a pair of light-colored shorts-say, white or light-colored denim which could go with most of your tops

My go-to pair of shorts

3. Carry One Bohemian Shrug In Neutral Color

Preferably, a white shrug.It would be great to flaunt in a beach 🙂

All white lace shrug

4. Carry A Couple Of Floral/Embriodery Skirts

Since, our basic whites don’t add that pop of color, try to choose a couple of skirts which bring in that colorful essence to your outfit.

Floral/Embriodered Skirts- you can go for flowly skirts as well 🙂

5. Pick Good Shades / A Straw Hat

How can you miss these and that too for a beach vacation unless you want to get tanned!! Also, these accessories give a complete different look to your outfit.

Straw Hat

Shades

6. Carry A Mix of Neutral and Colorful Tops

Since we stuck to neutral colored shorts and shrugs, pick a few tops which are colorful and if you choose to carry a colorful shrug, pick light colored tops. Choose these tops such that they go with the skirts as well. Pack Less!!

A mix of light and bright colored tops

7. Don’t Forget Flip-Flops or Any Comfortable Pair Of Flats

I choose a pair of white mules which go with almost most of my outfits. You can choose even gladiators or boho sandals. Comfort should be your priority 🙂

8. Bohemian Backpack/ Sling

I prefer a backpack or a bucket sling as I can dump in a lot of stuff. Try sticking to tan colored bags as they can go with most of the outfits 🙂

Bohemian backpack

9. Convertible Dress

This is one boon if you could find a dress which can be converted into a shrug or a maxi which you style as skirt. You can easily create a minimum of 2-3 looks with such a dress.

Used a buttoned dress as a shrug

10. Bunch Of Bracelets and Rings

These are absolutely going to accentuate the look. Go clumsy with bracelets and rings and stay subtle with chains or go for a heavy boho neckpiece and ditch other accesories.

Never go heavy with all accessories. Highlight one and relax the others 🙂

You can clearly see that I have used the same pair of shorts for completely different looks and same is the case with tops.I choose tops and bottoms in such a way that they can be interchanged.

Hope these tips are helpful for you guys 😀

Shorts : HnM| Mules : Koovs| Jewelry : Street Buy | White Shrug, Hat, Shades and Yellow top : Shein | Backpack : Pushkar Market | Embriodered Skirt : Zara | Floral Skirt : Forever 21 | Blue Dress/Shrug : West Side | White top : Sarojini Nagar

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Previous post : Tunes of Bohemian

Tunes Of Bohemian

Published on November 22, 2017November 22, 2017 by Lavanya Pulijala1 Comment

Every aspect in fashion creates its own vibe and each detail has its own significance. Bohemian is one such trend which demands more attention to details. It’s more about playing with a mix of colors and accessories.

Before I could jump into how to ace bohemian styles in my next articles, I thought that I need to release a bohemian lookbook just to give a brief idea for the bohemian amateurs.

As you know, I like keeping my lookbooks precise 🙂 (Thank God!! Not much to read 😛 )

About Look

For Bohemian looks, try to choose outfits which are easy-breezy and it’s your choice to decide on the amount of detail you need on the attire. The more the details on the outfit, the less you accessorize.

I choose an extremely comfortable printed jumpsuit and focused more on accessories. Also, metal mixing in accessories is something which I gave a shot in this look (Do let me know your comments about it 🙂 ). A statement neck-piece, a pair of mules and mix of metal bangles – these complete the look !!

Here we go 🙂