The party style guide

Dressing up to different kinds of parties can be challenging. Here are some quick party looks we cooked up for you guys and included tips of hair and makeup as well.

Look 1: Trial & Error (while shopping)
Style: Comfortable

Dress in the most comfy outfits with minimal accessories. Avoid layers and too much jewellery, you'll thank us when you are in the trial room. Stick to dresses or tunics with pants/shorts combination since you need to be fast and comfortable in the dressing room. Wear flats and carry a sling bag or a messenger bag for all the ease you need while shopping.

Makeup & hair:
Minimal or next to none. If you want to flaunt an even complexion without foundation, try the many primers in the market that leave you with a soft glow.

Look 2: Casual dinner party
Style: Casual chic

Nothing beats the classic combination of a blouse with denims for a dinner party. Chic and minimalistic yet extremely stylish, add a touch of your personality with your accessories. Wear links or a statement necklace with peep toes or wedges heels.

Makeup & hair:
Keep your makeup minimalistic with the main focus on your eyes with a winged liner and a wear nude lipstick. Try somkey eyes in green, blue or purple instead of the same old black. For your hair try an updo for a fresh and glamorous look.

Look 3: Theme party
Style: In character

Not sure if it’s The Big Bang Theory hangover or what? But we're definitely doing a ‘geek chic’ look for our next theme party. If you’re not a big theme party fan like us and look for easy-looks then this may come to your rescue. It’s simple yet in ‘character’ (well... at least for us) and super stylish. For your next theme party, look for character you relate with like Rachel from Friends or Sonam Kapoor from Aisha. In this way you can recreate from your wardrobe, without feeling uncomfortable in the party.

Makeup & hair:
Fill your eyebrows for a masculine touch with matte makeup and lips. For your hair, try a middle parting loose low bun. Bright orange or pink lips in powder matte can finish your look.

Look 4: First date
Style: Girlie

First dates are romantic and dreamy, so be girlie and elegant. Try an LBD but refrain from a very tight fit, you want to look graceful. Add a belt to show off your curves with a thin necklace. Add kitten heels to complete your look. To be honest there are no first date dressing rules, the idea is to stay comfortable. You can’t be pulling your dress if it’s short or pulling your top if it’s low. Stay true to your style, so if you’re not comfortable in a short dress wear pants or a maxi dress.

Makeup & hair: Keep it fresh and pink. Wear your plum/peachy blushes with fuchsia or hot pink lips. Try a side braid to add to your feminine attire. Keep your eyes simple and dewy with a pencil liner in pink or glitter.

Look 5: New Year’s Eve
Style: Glamorous

Get glamorous and sexy dress for your New Year party. Give your boring LBDs a rest and think sequins, metallics or deeper colours like teal or maroon. Depending on your personal style, pick the length and silhouette of your dress. Don’t match your accessories, add a contrast instead. So pick a maroon clutch with a gold dress like here.

Makeup & hair:
Go for dramatic makeup with bold eyes and lips. Our favourite is a bright red shade with metallic eyes. Leave your hair open and show off your tresses and don't be afraid to curl them for maximum effect. Poker straight hair is a boring option. For metallic eyes, the Indian skin tone looks best in gold or copper bronze.

Look 6: House party
Style: Effortless

House parties are cosy and warm, so keep your look similar. Since you get to chill and chat on couches avoid tiny dresses or skirts. You’d rather be safe with denims or palazzo pants. Wear a statement tunic/dress as a tunic to be part of the festive mood. Opt for wedges or platform heels to complete your look.

Makeup & hair:
Keep your complexion luminous with a liquid foundation and add a cheek stain instead of powder blush, it looks natural and gives you naturally flushed cheeks. Also, you can add a soft gloss to you lips or layer with vaseline and a thin layer of your favourite matte lipstick. Dab lipstick with your fingers for a natural looking colour.

All these garments are available in FCUK. Get shopping ladies!

Happy holidays

Our sincere apologies for being so MIA these days. We've been busy with last minute work before the holidays and with some events. A few weeks ago we were lucky to be the stylists for a Crocs event in Infinity Mall, Malad. Amidst the Christmas decorations and several colourful footwear, Jasleen and I styled, recommended party looks and makeup tips to many of our readers and friends.
Click here for more images.

Left: Sonu is wearing tunic from Quirk Box @ Attic| jeans, LEE| blazer, Zara| footwear, c/o Crocs India
Right: Jasleen is wearing shirt from Fashion Street| pants, Only India| blazer, Giasaysthat's Shop| footwear, c/o Crocs India

Before we leave, we promise you the last post of 2011. Stay tuned for our next post for different party looks, moods, makeup and hair tips. Merry Christmas to all our lovely readers!

Delhi diaries

We didn’t know that a weekend in Delhi could be this eventful!

Day 1
We began with Sarojini Nagar since we had heard so much about the place. Unfortunately, the cold weather meant that the market was filled with stylish coats, woollen jackets and trenches. Now for all those who do have a place to wear these in, the Sarojini Nagar market was a great investment. From copies (or export rejects?) that looked like Burberry to Chanel to simply very fashionable designs we fell in love.

But alas, the lack of space and weather in Mumbai dissuaded us from making the purchase. We luckily found one tiny gullie that still had some stuff leftover from the summers and that’s where Sonu and I let loose. From basic shirts to neon blouses and thick stripes, we managed to haul back a decent amount of stuff.

The next halt was in Old Delhi’s Chandini Chowk where we had to abandon our hired cab to be able to get anywhere in the throng of people. In one row, we saw a temple, gurdwara and masjid coexisting in their traditional splendour.

After asking around we realised that Neel Patra is the best place to buy Indian suits and that’s where we started to head but in between all that the sights and wonders were beautiful to behold. From tiny lit up gullies, green balconies, freshly baked naankhatais and the parathewalli gullie, we ate our way to the market, stopping observing and what not. Beautiful embroideries and saris for as low as Rs.1,500

At night my cousins Amitesh, Preeti and Rashi were nice enough to take us to dinner at Privileged Punjabi that served some of the tenderest chicken that we’ve had the chance to eat. Our verdict: the Delhi Indian food is way better than what we get in Mumbai.

Day 2
We then headed to the W for Woman store for the styling event at South Ex 2 and even before we started we decided to get lunch at this street vendor Qureshi who was preparing fresh rumaali rotis. We ordered paneer kadai with a ton of malai and sat in the Delhi chill on plastic stools to enjoy what was perhaps the best meal of our lives.

At the W for Woman event, fellow blogger Sushmita and Fashion Bombay reader Ayesha decided to drop in to say hello.

Other than that, what we did realise in Delhi though is the complete lack of humour. Sonu and I think we're incredibly funny with our one-liners and usually draw a smile or a sympathetic laugh but at Delhi we only saw people getting offended with our humour. Besides that, Delhi was welcoming and a trip we are not going to forget, ever!

For more images click here.

1940s v/s 1990s

We couldn’t be more chalk and cheese to this afternoon meeting where both Sonu and I packed drastically different eras into our looks.
While Jasleen wore a strict dress with Oxford heels, Sonu decided to wear neon (also a current hot trend). Here’s how we wore them.

Sonu paired her neons with purple jeans

 Jeans, Colaba Causeway| tank and necklace, Fashion Street| bag, Kashmir Novelties| shoes, Bandra| bracelets, Curio Cottage & Colaba Causeway

- Colour overdose is not a thing of the past as long as you balance your colours well.
- Mix saturated colours with brighter/ lighter pops  to keep the look from seeming OTT.
- Pairing interesting accessories with your look can determine the right amount of freshness.

Jasleen wore her 40s inspired dress with a big satchel bag

Dress, Fashion Street| Oxfords, PAX | bag, Dharavi| watch, Aldo Accessories| brooch, Colaba causeway

- The 1940s were stricter with long hemlines and a slim waist.  This flared style suits an apple body (narrow hips) because it gives volume to the lower half of the body.
- The volume also gives the illusion of a slimmer waist that works well for thick midriffs.
- The brogues with shoes add the right amount of drama to make it a complete period look.

The Party Jean

If you think showing legs in a sexy little dress is the only way to party this season then you couldn’t be more wrong. Jeans are super versatile and sit really well on a woman’s curves (when you buy the right pair) and can look extremely ravishing.

Here’s how you do it right:

THE RIGHT FIT:

1. The right pair of jeans should not have love handles sticking out and should sit well on the crotch.
2. The length of the jeans should be altered to fit, churidaar like wrinkles are very unbecoming. However, if you like an American fold on your denims, that looks chic too and you can keep the length.
3. Camel toe is the biggest problem with Indian figures so beware. Extremely low slung jeans are for really skinny frames so opt for something that fits right under your navel.
4. It’s always better to buy jeans that are slightly tighter because they take the shape of your body and also loosen slightly with washed.

PARTY STYLES:

1. Usually darker denims suit the evening look well, solid dark blues, black or white jeans are good options. Fade washes and rips look too casual so be careful while picking those for a party.
2. Rhinestones, studs and a bit of bling on the denims is a personal preference but again, be very careful that it’s done tastefully and is very minimal. Studs only on the back pocket for example look good.
3. Having lycra in your denims helps the fit to a great extent so look for stretch in your denims. For parties, ankle length styles look the best and also work well with high heels.
4. Jeggings and elastic waistbands are a complete no for the party season if you plan to wear them with short tops. 

PAIR IT WELL:

1. A classic silk blouse in nice colours looks great with denims. Fabrics that are very light and sheer also spell sexy. Open a couple of button and pair statement accessories to be ready in a jiffy.
2. High heels can make anything look stunning so opt for the usual suspects like hot pink, red, orange that look great on jeans. A ruffled top, a sequinned tank can be great accompaniments.
3. This season the sequinned boyfriend blazer is doing the rounds, pair a number in silver, bronze or gold with a simple top, statement earrings and swept back hair to complete a chic party look.
4. For a more conservative setting, pair your favourite dressy tunic with your jeans and opt for close toed pumps  and a small sling bag.

All jeans: courtesy Calvin Klein Jeans| Location courtesy: Calvin Klein, Bandra

Lunch Break

Doing an afternoon meal in this heat is a task in itself so when Sonu and I decided to do lunch in Colaba, we knew we'd wear comfortable, airy clothes to last us through the greedy afternoon. These were our comfy ensembles.

Jasleen wore white linen pant with an animal print t-shirt

Top, Zara| pants, Mango| flats, Janpath, Delhi| bag, gifted by Sonu

- When you know the only way to beat the sun is in those quintessential white pants then you have to wear them with a statement piece.
- Since my look was simple, I decided to wear a statement t-shirt and accessorise with a gold bracelet and necklace to make the look a little dressy.
- This is also a good tip for those who want to convert easy day looks to an evening movie or quick dinner. Simply a chunky neck piece, an oversized ring a nice bracelet or a pair of high heels will have you ready in no time. Remember, a natural blush and hydrated lips will freshen up your face instantly.
 

Sonu wore a bright maxi dress with a vest

Dress, self-made (last worn here)| vest, Forever New| bag, Oberoi Shopping Mall| flats, Aldo

- You know my weakness for layering, but since the heat wouldn't budge, the vest was a good idea to layer versus a blazer or a light jacket.
- A maxi dress is your best friend on days when you haven't waxed but still want to look girly and romantic without the discomfort of tight pants and jeans.
- A maxi dress suits all body types as long as you know how to wear it. Read here for more tips.
- PS this is the same location as this post.