A day downtown

A fine long day with Rajma Chawal at Samovar Cafe, shopping at Aarna, Colaba Causeway, Fashion Street and Bombay Electric (it's on sale!)--everything a girl can ask for.
 

Sonu wore a maxi dress with a cropped summer jacket

 Dress, Fashion Street| jacket, Kenneth Cole (last worn here)| sandals, Catwalk| bag, Mango| necklace, DIY| glares, Raybans| watch, Guess

 - Maxi dresses are not only comfortable, but also allow you to work with all kinds of problem areas and body types.
- While tube styles for petite women and tank styles for tall Indian women are ideal, drape style dresses look great for the evening as well
- Wedges, thong sandals, jewelled gladiators and booties make great accompaniments
- Sling purses and totes are risk-free bags to wear with your maxi dress
- Cropped jackets and boyfriend blazers make interesting coverups for your maxi dress. If you want to skip jackets then a nice scarf or stole also looks great.
- This pendant is actually a wall hanging which I slid into a silver chain. I think it makes for a novel neck piece. Keep your eyes open to simple innovation like this.

Jasleen wore comfy knee length shorts with Oxfords

Shorts, United Colors of Bennetton| ruffle shirt| bag, AND| oxfords, Bangkok| necklace, Aldo| bracelet, Forever New

 
- It' s hot and it rains so these shorts paired with a shirt seemed like a good idea for the entire day.
- Shorts are not only for casual days and beach parties but can be dressed up for fancy dinner parties and clubs even.
- A sequinned pair in gold, black or silver is a basic buy to show of those legs in.
- You can of course vary the lengths to fit your body type and comfort.
- High-waisted shorts worn with a bright blouse and pumps is ideal for brunch.
- Short shorts with a boyfriend blazer and a graphic tea could look fun for a day out too.
- Shorts are very versatile so make sure you own a couple of pairs.

Style Yourself

When Sabrina Yeung, an editor with Weldon Owen, a San Francisco–based book publisher emailed us a few months back, little did we know about a big surprise she had in mind for us. We are now part of an international fashion book -- Style Yourself-- that features style bloggers from around the world. It was an absolute honour to be featured with other featured bloggers Jane Aldridge, Adeline Rapon, Alice Point, Karla Deras, Nadia Sarwar, Kelly Framel and more! Once again, we have to thank all you guys for reading, commenting and supporting. Do continue your support and love!

This is a treasure book for all you fashion lovers. It has information, inspiration and remix ideas from over 95 fashion bloggers. You can get your own copy here. We have a Giveaway planned for our lovely readers. You can win this book by:

1. Follow Fashion Bombay on the blog, Facebook, Twitter and Bloglovin.

2. Like the Style Yourself page, here.

3. Comment on this post and tell us why you deserve/want this book.

One lucky winner will be randomly chosen and announced on July 10. 

Here's a glimpse of the book

Bright Pops

One white shirt

We all know the white shirt as the quintessential basic, but how many of us wear it outside of the blue jeans-white shirt or white shirt-with-high-waist-trousers combination. Here's a fun project in collaboration with FirstRow.in to reinvent the white shirt in many many ways.

The first take:

 Jasleen wore her white shirt with a tube dress

Dress (last worn here) & long necklace, Forever New| shirt, courtesy: First Row (Pretty Things)| bib necklace, Aldo| bag, Fashion Street| Kolhapuris, Ethnicity

- A romantic yet morbid take on the white shirt. The black and white combination is classy and the stone bib necklace with the shiny bead strings in the neck was very old school.

- The satin little orange bag with the lavender kohapuris were my touch of colour and boho.

- If I had to wear this look outside, I would just change the length of the skirt to an ankle or right-above-the-knee length and keep the other things the same.

- A white shirt looks gorgeous with flouncy skirts and fun shapes although the natural instinct is to wear them tucked in with pencil skirts.

- I love mixing Indian footwear with Western wear, I think its perfect to wear with a skirt. For the traditionalists, pumps still stand.

Sonu wore her white shirt with sweat pants and a poncho

Shirt, courtesy: First Row (Pretty Things)| sweat pants & bag, Mango| heels, courtesy: Paver's England| poncho worn as a shawl, Fashion Street (last worn here)| watch, La Mer

- This look is more fun and ideal for a day out with friends. I added the poncho and wore it as a light-weight shawl to add colour to beat the monsoon blues.

- White shirts look great when worn with shorts of different lengths. You can variate between formal and informal with the choice of shorts and footwear.

- Gold sequins shorts worn with tan pumps and a white shirt are abosolutely delicious for evenings, while tan shorts worn with a white shirt and Swarovski gladiators are so chic during the day.

- Many people consider ponchos as a passé trend, I find them rather interesting. They are comfortable, breezy and so dramatic. It makes for a must-have, at least for me.

- For more tips to revamp your ubiquitous white shirt in 7 different ways, read our article on MumbaiMirror.com here.

The Marie Claire party

We spend our Saturday evening at a fun party we were invited to at the Trident, Bandra-Kurla Complex. Marie Claire hosted their Fitfth year anniversary bash with an open bar and a yummy dinner spread. With an intimate guest list we got a chance to catch up with designer Nachiket Barve, Narendra Kumar, fellow blogger Nidhi Jacob, socialite Nisha Jamnval and the Marie Claire staff.

The highlight of the evening was the gorgeously framed photograph of every guest in a Marie Claire cover page format. We have fun wherever we go and so it was an evening to meet many friends and a couple of new people. Here are some pictures of the evening.

 

 

Sonu wore an all black suit look with a hot pink top

Jeans, c/o Calvin Klein| blouse, F21| blazer, H&M (worn here & here)| heels, Bandra| clutch, Kashmir novelties| watch, Tommy Hilfiger| bracelet, SOBO Fashion Store| cuff, Swarovski

Jasleen wore a blush pink drape dress with jutties

Dress, Attic| jutties, Delhi| bracelets, Kazo & Forever New| bag, AND| brooch, Curio Cottage| nail paint, Blue Lagoon by Colorbar

We like to dress in semi-formal evening wear to events like these.

The semi-formal evening must-haves:

1. Basics like a little dress in any solid colour, nothing that shows too much skin, it should be chic and conservative.
2. A blazer in a bright colour or with fun elements like rivets or studs.
3. A pant suit combination in monochrome.
4. Try and not wear basic blue jeans, instead pants, candy coloured pants or cotton pants make a better wear.
5. Comfortable shoes that you can walk around in all night long.
6. A sling bag in a basic or neon colour.
7. A statement neck piece, a cocktail ring, an over sized cuff, a brooch or a nice hair accessory
8. A nice blouse in a basic colour or a bright pop. A collarless shirt or shirt with interesting lace or crochet details is also a great option.

W for Woman

It's surprising how we see lesser and lesser young women wear Indian clothes. Although, we know that many would agree that there is little else that makes you feel comfortable and also looks flattering on any body type. We had a great time reviewing the W for Woman store at Phoenix Mills. Here's a list of some tips and quirks on Indian and Indo-Western wear.

Here are some trial shots:

Indian wear trends:
1. A tunic in a solid colour without slits.

2. Basic coloured leggings/churidaars in cream, black and a bright pop of colour like sunflower yellow or a pretty pink.

3. A kitschy kurta in an umbrella or straight style.

4. A patchwork or thick multi-purpose dupatta.

5. A pair of mojris closed mojris in brown or black.

6. Printed kurtas look gorgeous during the Indian summers. Our all-time favourite are paisley prints.

Indian trends this season:

If you're looking at wedding wear or some fashionable Indian wear then these are your optional:

1. Ankle and floor length anarkalis in pastels like pinks, yellow, lime green, sky blue etc. are in fashion. On the other end of the spectrum there's also a lot of electric colours that are in vogue this season.

2. Churidaars have taken the backseat, making way for Pakistani ankle length pyajama pants with anarkalis and straight kurtas.

3. Lehengas with long kurtas instead of short cholis.

4. Long Indianised gowns in crepes and nets with or without churidaars that can be worn with Kolhapuri wedges.

Wishful -- a new range dedicated to evening wear.

5. Saris are still doing the rounds in nets with brocade blouses and silk borders.

6. The monochrome trends with pops of colours are seen in Indian wear as well.

7. Sherwani styles with pants, drape styles with pants and kurta style pant-suits are some timeless Indian fashion.

8. Embroideries are limited and are seen only on the neckline or the sleeve cuffs or as heavy dupattas.

9. Nets, stretch satin, stretch crepes, georgettes, georgette brocades and digital print satins are the choicest fabrics.

10. If you like wearing cottons then cotton viscose with and without lycra, linens, malmals, cotton silks are good options.

Location courtesy: W for Woman @ The High Street Phoenix

The denim guide

Denims are a part of everyone's wardrobe and yet finding the perfect pair of jeans often seems like an impossible task. So, we decided to dedicate another post on the task. This time, in collaboration with the experts @ my-wardrobe.com we have some fabulous tips for denim shopping.
There's so much choice, but somehow it can always prove tricky when trying to find a pair which both looks great, and fits comfortably. However, with cuts to flatter every figure and prices to suit every budget, there are just a few guidelines which you should aim to follow when looking to purchase a perfect pair.

1. Stick to basics

If you're buying an everyday pair of jeans, you should aim to stick to a basic design which is comfortable and doesn't feature too much detailing. Designers such as Acne Jeans are known for their minimalistic style, and offer a great ranges of both men's and women's jeans at sites such as my-wardrobe.com. If you're keen to keep your everyday jeans for a good couple of years, then it is also worth investing in a pair which are of a high quality, and don't closely follow any specific trends or fads.

2. Trend watch

Of course, if you're willing to update your denim more frequently, then there is often one particular style which is considered to be the most current for that season. Styles such as skinny, bootcut, flare, high-waisted and low-rise jeans (and that's just the women's range!) are often all featured in a number of high street stores throughout the year. Of course, some styles will be more flattering on certain figures than others, and it is important to realise which cut works best with your own body shape.

3. Measure up
However, no matter what style of jeans you have decided to go for, you will need to make sure you know your measurements before you begin your search for the perfect pair. Don't simply look at the size on the label of your previous pair of jeans, as not only is it possible that your body shape will have changed, but denim can also often stretch over the years.

The most important measurements which you will need to know is your inside leg measurement and your waist measurement. If you find buying jeans which fit well to be particularly difficult, then you may also decide to take note of your hip and thigh measurements.

4. Fabrics

Another important point to take into consideration is the type of denim which is used for any particular pair of jeans. Traditional denim can be very heavy, and often too warm wear in warmer weather. However, more modern 'stretch' denim alternatives can often be a more comfortable option for women, although they are not always particularly forgiving.

If you take each of these points into consideration, it shouldn't be long before you are able to find just what you're looking for!

A big thank you to the style experts @ my-wardrobe.com for the tips!

Shades of life

Even in the cacophony of the city you can find your inspiration: the buses, the crowd and the colourful skies. We personally love to see the beautiful mix of colours in our environment. Inspired, we both tried our hand at mixing colours.
-- We've done several posts on adding colours in the past here, here and here.
-- Curerntly, colour blocking is very popular. Read our earlier post for more.
-- Be open to different colour combinations. Our current favourite is aubergine with red!
-- It's easy to get over board with colour so if your ensemble is bold and colourful then keep the rest very subtle.
-- Don't mix too many colours to avoid confusion. The more the colours the more you cut your body only to look shorter and wider. Stick to two to three colours.
-- For those of you who prefer muted colours, use pops of favourite shade by adding a pair of bright orange stilettos or a electric blue purse.

Jasleen wore a colourful printed blouse with baggy jeans

 

 

Blouse, gifted| jeans & gladiators, Zara| bag, Kalapi| watch, Bangkok

Sonu wore bright colours with flared jeans 

Top & shirt, Fashion Street| jeans, Lee| bag, Oberoi Shopping Mall| sandals, Catwalk| glares, vintage Raybans| necklace, Curio Cottage| ring, Aquamarine