Tag: toraan

Ombre Kaftan Dress: from my ‘All-Time Top Ten Favourite Dresses Everyone Should Own’

Hello everyone.  We all own clothes that we commend ourselves for purchasing; they represent a shining symbol of our style prowess and we love them for it. They become even more enduring if we managed to buy them on sale. This kaftan dress fits both these criteria and therefore, is a solid member of my ‘All-time top ten favourite dresses’.

The main reason I have chosen to lookbook this dress today is that I believe it would be a great dress for a destination wedding. I have been running a series on destination weddings (not a great response to it as my numbers indicate so a cheeky promotion is in order) and in my last post Destination Wedding Guide Part 2: What to Wear and Why? I mentioned that I would lookbook a dress that works fabulously for a cocktail evening or an Indo-fusion look with Indian jewellery.

I adore the ombre lilac colour shades which add a marked regalness to the dress.  The fitted inner with the loose drape on top gives this dress a lovely sweep and swing as you walk.  It is a versatile blank canvas piece (which I always love) and can be accessorized with a variety of pieces.  Here, I have accessorized it with these beautiful earrings from Toraan – I love the flower drops and how they add a pop of colour to the ensemble.

I bought this dress many years ago, so I am not sure it is still available. If you like it, get it touch and I can refer you to someone who may be able to make you a replica.  Also, I get many enquiries for my photographer so if you are considering getting some blog like photos done, get in touch and I can put you in touch as well.

I hope you enjoy this look and thank you so much for visiting my blog.  Have a great rest of the week ahead!

Clothes and Accessories:

Dress – Halston heritage

Earrings – Toraan design 

 

Merry Christmas 2018: Mixing and Matching Cheer

Hello everyone.  I wanted to reach out this morning and wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope that Santa and other benevolent beings bring you all that you had hoped for and you have a wonderful day filled with laughter, loved ones and lebkuchen (I love those treats).

A festival is a festival and festive dressing should be a celebration of style, occasion and special pieces that exemplify the festivities. I have made no secret of the fact that I am a fan of fusion dressing and mixing ethnic and western styles is an exercise I always enjoy. I often heard friends bemoaning the fact that Indian costume jewellery is underutilized in their daily lives. This Christmas, I wanted to attempt a festive look that combined the Christmas spirit with some complementing ethnic jewellery that many of us have in our wardrobes.

In this lookbook, I have paired an off the shoulder red jumper with black wide-leg trousers and boots.  I have topped it off with my favourite cream coloured teddy coat of the season and a trusty green clutch as a nod to Christmas colours.  Finally, I have accessorized with this beautiful jewellery from Torran design to help set the look apart.  This is not a pairing that I would wear every day but given the festive season  – it’s a great statement outfit and one that’s sure to stand out from the crowd.

Have a truly fabulous holiday season and I hope that you enjoy the festivities to their fullest. Thank you so much for reading my blog – your support is truly appreciated.

Clothes and accessories:

Jewellery – Toraan 

Teddy Coat – Warehouse

Jumper – Karen Millen

Trousers – Zara

Clutch – ASOS

 

 

 

Handloom Love: Why this Gorgeous Saree is a Lovely Present

What makes a fabulous present? With age, one quickly learns that cost, size and name brands do not automatically a great present make. A great present is one that delights the recipient and brings an instant smile to the face and a warm glow to the heart. In my opinion, a heartfelt present demonstrates the givers understanding of my likes and dislikes and their intuitive ability to transform that knowledge into a present that will knock my socks off!

This stunning saree was the perfect present from a perfect lady who came to visit this summer. G, maybe my husband’s cousin but our mutual love of fashion makes us soul sisters.  The saree in this lookbook is a linen Jamdani saree hand-woven in a village called Phulia in Bengal. The talented weavers of Phulia are applying the Jamdani technique on linen fabric to stunning results.  Dola Mukherjee is the force behind these sarees – she is passionate about the weaving crafts of India and works directly with many clusters in India to preserve and promote their crafts.

My reaction to this present – I almost keeled over in delight when I saw this saree. The colours are exactly up my alley and I had no such saree in my wardrobe previously.  Furthermore, the saree was a delight to wear, the fabric moved with graceful ease and felt fabulous against the skin.  Here, I have paired it with my trusty Indian pink blouse to make the outfit pop (also because I love to mix and match from my wardobe) and these gorgeous gold and pearl earrings from Torran.

Thank you G for this thoughtful present – it has taken place of pride in my saree cupboard and I look forward to wearing it for years to come!

I hope you have a great weekend, perhaps receive a present or two and as always, thank you for reading my blog.

Accessories:

Earrings – Toraan 

 

Indian Summer: In Easy-Going Ethnic Mix and Match Combinations

Hello everyone! I hope that you have enjoyed this glorious summer as much as I have. While there may not be too many days of summer left – I am enjoying my summer wardrobe to the maximum and making sure that I wear as much of it in the next few weeks as possible.

It will come as no surprise to readers of this blog that my love of ethnic clothes spans across the entire spectrum of  Indian wear from formal attire to everyday clothes. I do find that sometimes, in our quest for formal Indian clothes, we overlook the beauty and comfort of everyday Indian-inspired fashion.  I am a huge fan of summery whimsical ethnic wear that epitomizes summer in simple prints and elegant cuts.  I have always championed the concept of mix and match across my wardrobe and nowhere do I enjoy doing this more than with the various Indian pieces that I have amassed in my wardrobe over the years.

I bought this pretty summer skirt with a bold border many years ago in Mumbai and I love pairing it with different tops for a great ethnic boho look. I have paired it here with a simple white kurta to create an uncluttered canvas for showcasing some of my lovely silver jewellery. I bought this blue kurta from Westside in Mumbai many years ago and I love the simplicity of the cut and the timelessness of the pretty print.  I want to bring your attention to the beautiful earrings that I am wearing with both these outfits that impart the perfect boho element to my overall fashion statement.  They are from Toraan and I cannot get enough of the feminine designs of these gorgeous pieces.

Like the many reminders we set ourselves, sometimes we have to remind ourselves to wear our simpler Indian clothes to everyday occasions – such as a family barbecue. They may not be your first fashion thought but given an opportunity, they always pack a powerful fashion punch and remind us that simplicity is always in vogue.

I would love to hear your thoughts on your daily Indian wear and how much use it gets during the year.  I hope you enjoy this styling and thank you so much for visiting my blog.  I am also stepping up my Instagram efforts so please do follow me on Instagram @ishasverdict

Accessories:

Earrings – Toraan 

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