I know what you've been thinking, Where have I been recently? Working! No, not working in the "I'm a student working in the lab" sense. Instead, I've now got a job. My first ever real office job! Yes, crazy right?! The last few weeks have seen me busy with office (omg! its weird even saying that) and wrapping up my academic commitments and there's a whole new set of rules I need to know and follow now. Obviously, one of the key ones is office dressing! The new job came with its own set of dos and don'ts for what is and isn't appropriate at the workplace. Whoa! Quite a challenge for a girl who likes her grunge jeans! Let the hunting begin!!
On my little hunt to find office wear that was chic and in my price range, I came across Dress4Less. So impressed was I with the items on the site (and the prices too), that I decided to get in touch with the beauty and brains behind the store, Naina Seth Jain. Naina is one of the nicest people you'll meet and she told me a little bit about the collection! She curates each piece and tries to offer the quality that you may find in a boutique in UK (she lived there for a few years) to the Indian market. A lot of her pieces are similar to collections I've seen on high street stores such as River Island and H&M, but don't have the price tags of those brands. You should definitely check out the tops section for some interesting pieces (read cute crop tops and a minions and cartoon print vest I'm coveting!!
Now, onto how I got on the site in the first place (and my outfit of course), there are some really amazing blazers in a very affordable price range. I've spent loads of time looking for blazers and other officewear bits recently, and let me tell you, finding one that doesn't fall in the 3-5 grand range is a challenge. Dress4Less has some unique pieces in the 1.5k price range. There are also some great bags that are office as well as pocket friendly. Oh, and for those evening dinner parties, there's some interesting gowns too! With easy shipping and returns options, I found the store to be a simple, hassle free shopping experience.
On my little hunt to find office wear that was chic and in my price range, I came across Dress4Less. So impressed was I with the items on the site (and the prices too), that I decided to get in touch with the beauty and brains behind the store, Naina Seth Jain. Naina is one of the nicest people you'll meet and she told me a little bit about the collection! She curates each piece and tries to offer the quality that you may find in a boutique in UK (she lived there for a few years) to the Indian market. A lot of her pieces are similar to collections I've seen on high street stores such as River Island and H&M, but don't have the price tags of those brands. You should definitely check out the tops section for some interesting pieces (read cute crop tops and a minions and cartoon print vest I'm coveting!!
Now, onto how I got on the site in the first place (and my outfit of course), there are some really amazing blazers in a very affordable price range. I've spent loads of time looking for blazers and other officewear bits recently, and let me tell you, finding one that doesn't fall in the 3-5 grand range is a challenge. Dress4Less has some unique pieces in the 1.5k price range. There are also some great bags that are office as well as pocket friendly. Oh, and for those evening dinner parties, there's some interesting gowns too! With easy shipping and returns options, I found the store to be a simple, hassle free shopping experience.
White Shirt: Rs. 150, Stall outside Andheri Station
Black Fitted Trousers: Rs. 1499, Vero Moda in the sales
Blazer: Rs. 1499, Dress4Less (buy here)
Necklace: Rs. 300, Colaba Causeway
Heels: Rs. 600, Hill Road, Bandra
Bag: Gift from a friend
Total Outfit Cost: Rs. 4048, which is about ₤41.
Photo Credits: Mario Durando
Naina was kind enough to let me style a blazer from the site for a look that I think works for those office meetings that I'll now be a part of on an everyday basis (Eeep!). I kept the look simple as I think this blazer has the whole power dressing thing going for it, with a bit of an edge. The leather accents make it unique and the cut is very flattering! (I've had a hard time finding a flattering cut recently, but that's another story). Oh, and a quick word about this shirt if we may? I found this guy right outside andheri station who sells only formal shirts in all the colors of the rainbow, all for Rs. 150! Check him out if you're in the neighbourhood.
As for Dress4Less, I think the store has a lot to offer in terms of quality. The site doesn't have a million products (which does get overwhelming at times to navigate) but instead offers a capsule cohesive collection. Overall, I would definitely recommend the site for a welcome break from the run off the mill multi-brand online store collections.
P.S: While I was having a chat with Naina about the store, she told me how she's actually going to be starting her own Couture Label and Dress4Less will be merged into the same. I'll have more updates (and exclusive sneak peeks into the new collection) soon!! You can get in touch with her on Facebook too!
Have you shopped from the store before? Tell me your views in the comments!
Oh, and don't forget to drop by Mario's page for some exclusive images from the shoot!
