Ode to My Fashion

Have you ever Google "Black women"?  I have. Sometimes I Google images of black women to get inspiration on style. The first images that appear on my screen  are all related to hair, then come pictures of curvy black women, and finally pictures of women wearing almost nothing, in sexy poses. At the very end of the search, you can find pictures of famous black people, celebrities like Halle Berry or Oprah or the latest darling of Hollywood, Lupita N'yongo.     Is that it? Are all black women across the world about hair, being curvy and posing provocatively? Is it how we are perceived? Are we falling yet into another stereotype? Because I can tell you right now, I am a black woman but I am not about hair, being curvy or posing butt naked. What brought on this, is the fact that I barely see someone who resembles me on the Internet. I gave up a long time ago trying to find someone who looks like me on TV. As a matter of fact, I grew up watching people who had nothing

I miss thrifting. Back when I was living in the US and Japan, it was one of my favorite activity. In Japan, it was so addictive that I did not purchase anything new for a long time. In Pune, I do not get to thrift a lot. There a not many places where you can go and score used clothes. There are what we call flea markets but they are not the real deal as they never sell anything dirt cheap or pre-owned there. Everything is new and can turn pricey. The closest I get to thrift is when I check the street vendors on M.G.road. They have many imitations but sometimes you come across the real deal. Plus it is never really expensive. What do you except, it comes out of a cardboard box. But recently I discovered a new place to thrift. There is this lane at the end of North Main road in Koregaon Park with street vendors offering cheap sandals and other knick knacks. Some of them sell western clothes. Sometimes you go and you can score, other times their selection is really boring. Recently I

Hello there readers!  I have some exciting news. I have been asked by an e-commerce menswear company called Bonobos to participate in their Fall Style Challenge along with other bloggers. The challenge is to style different looks for women that would complement any items from their Fall  men's suit  line. This is a no brainer because I love Fall: it not too cold, not too hot and you get to layer. Plus I have to say their Fall line is very nice even if I am no expert on men's fashion. They have some pieces I know the hubby would have liked. Who am I kidding, they have some pieces I would have picked for myself (if the price was not too steep). Anyway, based on the Bonobos Fall lookbook,  I decided to style these following outfits: (and they all come with a story!) Casual Sunday Bonobos Tweed Blazer It is Sunday. You and your man want to have a lazy day: sleeping in, then going out for brunch at your neighborhood cafe, maybe end up antique shopping. He is

I am stuck. In a dress routine. I wear the same thing over and over and sometimes the same way. I wanted to dress better this year, wear more of the clothes that keep hanging on my closet. Basically have fun with the clothes I neglected. For a while I was trying. I went on Polyvore and made styling boards of different items that I have problems wearing. And it worked. Dressing up was fun and so much faster in the mornings. But these past weeks I have been wearing the same thing maybe because I have been busy. I grab these Jeans my Hubby bought for me from the US and a top. Sometimes when I have more time I throw on a blazer on and some heels. Truth is I love the jeans. They are a nice dark wash and not too loose or too tight. They are perfect. But I was trying to get out of my comfort zone and avoid the jeans uniform. Not stay in.  I hate routine. But I am not comfortable with change either. The truth is I would love to just change my entire wardrobe and start from scratch. But that w

"Life is too short,  buy the shoes!" I wished I could live by that moto. I often deprive myself of little pleasures just because. I see a fabulous pair shoes at the mall but I do not get it. I see the red velvet cake I have been eying at the bakery but I resist it. I have coupons for the spa waiting to be used but I do not go. Why am I doing this?  Why am I always denying my self? What am I so scared of? True, I have too many shoes and really do not need to buy more. But one more pair of shoes will not hurt me and my bank account. If I end up never wearing them,  I can sell them. And if I wear them, they will make me happy. And what about the spa? I do not have much time to enjoy a full body massage and all that jazz but I could get a mani pedi.  And that is what I did today. I went and got myself a pedicure. It was not my first time getting one.  But I never got to enjoy the full experience on previous occasions because it easily takes two hours. And who has time for that?

A while back,  I decided to watch the VMAs. I was shocked after the first five minutes.  Arianna Grande,  Jessie J and Nicki Minaj did the opening act.  It was the usual girls wearing almost nothing and grinding on stage.  Obviously Nicki Minaj 's performance was so raunchy it was censored whether by MTV itself or the Indian channel, I would never know.( Judge for yourself  here  and while you are at it watch the whole thing for more raunchy performance by female singers including Beyonce).  And watching the real Anaconda video recently, I understood why. (it is a must see to say the least) But it got me thinking about female singers lately. They are all so oversexual. Last year we all screamed when the former Disney child actor turned pop singer Miley Cyrus twerked in Robin Thicke groins.  We were equally shocked when Beyonce opened with her butt hanging in the air at her performance for the AMAs. But this has become common practice. Now if you want to be a successful femal

During our trip to Goa I got to listen to this song Cool Kids. I am not even sure who is it from but it was a pleasant tune and even my kids were singing it after hearing it for the first time. I got me thinking about me and my youth. I was never part of the cool kids. They were a bunch of  handsome and rich (or upper middle class)neighborhood kids who spoke French like the French themselves and live their lives like they were the cast of 90210. I used to hang with the cool kids, long enough to envy their lifestyles but also to discover that they were not what I needed in my life at the moment. At a very young age I had to make a decision whether to keep on hanging with them or find other friends that were more suitable to what I wanted. I was barely 15 and I witnessed them going to clubs, having sex and creating dramas. Moreover I always felt that I was never really a member of their gang. I was more like the girl they tolerated just because my best friend at the time was a member of

Just before school started again,  we went down to Goa for a few days.  I did not think we would have fun because of the rain but we did.  That is why I am sharing 5 things I enjoyed doing in there while it rained: 1-Drive You would think that after 10 hours on the road,  I would be fed up with driving (or being driven). But a two hour drive to Palolem beach just reminded me how much I love just driving.  Plus the scenery was beautiful: luscious greens,  colorful houses,  even the tumultuous river was a sight not to miss.  Plus listening to the radio made it so fun. Which brings me to my number two. 2-Listening to Indigo radio I actually  discovered this radio on my 1st trip to Goa and urged the hubby to check it out.  He loved it and said that it reminded him of the radio in the US.  They have all the latest hits but also some good oldies like How will I know from Witney Houston or Pray by Take that.  I just wished I could have this radio in Pune as well. 3- Eat If you g

They say if you love something, buy it in two. I love my polka dots blazer bought less than a year ago at Max. It comes in a soft lightweight fabric which means that it is perfect for layering in Summer. Back when I bought it, the store carried another version in leopard that was really cute. But for some reasons I could not let myself buy two blazers that day. I chose the polka dot because it would have been easier to style than the leopard one. And made a mental note to purchase the leopard one a few weeks later. But when I went back to the store it was sold out. I have been looking for a leopard blazer for a while now but saw nothing that interested me. Yesterday I went fabric shopping for my business and I spotted a really nice leopard fabric. I bought 3 meters thinking that I could make a maxi dress. At home, I played with the fabric a bit thinking about all the things I could make instead of a maxi dress (I am getting a tad bored with them) : jumpsuit? Not sure I am confident e

Every time I wake up in my hotel room, I cannot help but feel happy because it is truly a beauty. The grounds around the room leave me breathless and I cannot help but take pictures after pictures. As a wannabe fashion designer I find our hotel to be excessively inspiring. Actually I find the entire city of Jaipur to be inspiring from the architecture,  the vibrant hues,  the locals. Everything makes me want to reach for my sketch book and draw collections after collections. Pool area Dancing girl painting  Garden View  Painted ceilings in the bar area next to the pool Day 3 in Jaipur was spent in Amber fort at the outskirts of the city.  The fort was perched high on a hill that could be reached either by walking,  elephant ride or car. Thankfully our driver took us all the way to the top.  The fort itself is imposing with barricades similr to the wall of China running around it for miles. Inside the f our t has a huge court, two or th