Chiconomical

Pleated skirts are my life! No seriously, I've been crushing over pleated skirts for years now and think they're simply such great and versatile pieces that I can never have enough. (as demonstrated in my recent post ft. a pleated metallic skirt) However, there are times when I've seen people get into something of a rut with these and I decided it was time to get my frugal fashionista brain working and give you three unique and fun ways to style your Pleated skirt. I pulled out my Forever 21, thrifted from Spoyl pink skirt for this post but I believe that you can replicate these looks with almost anything that you've got in your closet.




Look 1: The Working Girl





The most classic way of wearing a pleated skirt is with a simple shirt. I picked out this polka dot cropped shirt for a bargain on the street and paired with the skirt and heels, this outfit is perfect for a working brunch or even a post work date. It's the perfect outfit for spring and can easily be a great first date look. You can even pair this with a solid white shirt and a statement necklace for a look that can literally be worn to any event and still look great!

Look 2: The Model-Off Duty




Throw caution to the wind! Wear your pleated midi skirt as a mini skirt! It's simple. No Really. All I did was to turn the midi skirt into this was pulling it upto my chest and zipping it. I then added an oversized tshirt, my geeky glasses (buy them here for a bargain) and pulled my hair up in a messy bun and done! I absolutely love the bit of pink peaking out from below. Love it!

Look 3: The Practical Gypsy



My favorite kind of outfit, as you all know, is the slightly gypsy kind. I decided there was no way I wasn't going to atleast attempt a more polished version of a gypsy outfit. I added a simple striped tshirt (stripes go with everything), a little jacket and then my bohemian coin necklace. I also decided to do a bit of trend mixing and added a pair of floral flats to complete the look! The overall effect is still very clean and modern, which is inherently something you'd associate with a skirt like this, and then simply added elements that were very 'me'. That's what being a modern bohemian is all about, in my opinion!

Happy Monday folks! One of the things that I get asked about the most is how to dress for work in a way that you can take the same look from work to a party. It's always hard to find an outfit that will work in both cases. However, sometimes you come across that one piece that will take you from day to night and give you a completely different look! That's what I discovered when I found this absolutely gorgeous piece in the Zara Sale a while back. I've worn it multiple times to work already and believe me, its an absolute go to piece in my wardrobe for lots of occasions!



Look 1: The Day Time Look




This first look is all about the working girl. This striped with its cap sleeves and extremely demure neckline is perfect for wearing under a blazer. Yes, I'd only wear it with a blazer and you'll find out exactly why in a bit. You can wear this with a classic pencil skirt (which is a complete essential if you're a working woman) and a structured blazer. You could also wear it with your staple black trousers the way I am. Personally, its a versatile piece that works with anything. Oh, and did I mention, the vertical stripes are also great for making you look slimmer!

Look 2: The Night Time Look






The second look is something I'm super excited about. I told you you'd need to wear this top with a blazer right? Well now you know why! The easiest hack you can find to take a look from a working day to a night party is to flip it around. Think tops with interesting back details like this one, or an interesting neckline. It's such a simple hack that you literally can look like you've put in the effort to dress up without doing anything more than take a quick trip to the restroom! Yes, I think these tops are lifesavers when it comes to taking a look from day to night! Actually you can wear your off shoulder tops with jackets to work and then just shrug out of the jacket for a night time look!

That's it folks! Next time you're out shopping, keep an eye out for a top with an interesting cut. It'll be an investment that will pay twice its price. In case you have such a top in your closet, go explore how you can wear it differently!

I don't usually read non-fiction. It's never been my cup of tea and I'm a believer of the 'there's enough reality in real life to be dealing with the same in my free time'. Give me a dragon or a good magical story any day. Obviously, its quite surprising then, that I even picked up this book to read in the first place. I blame it on being bored and stuck with a bookshelf that had barely anything that I hadn't already read. I picked up the book around 24 hours ago, with the thought that I'd read some and then simply move on (I was waiting for a friend to finish her phone conversation you see). Imagine my surprise right now when I've been through the book and find myself reviewing it for the world to see.

An Unsuitable Boy is a book you'll read in Karan Johar's voice. If you've seen him on any of the talkshows or reality shows (and I'd consider it a rather grand achievement if you haven't seen he seems to be everywhere) then you know that he has this personality that is actually just him. I've always felt that it isn't contrived like almost everyone else out there (yes, I think every single star has at one point of time sat down and listed what their brand adjectives should be and then worked their butt off to reach it!). This is why I liked reading the book and this is why I think An Unsuitable Boy works. It's not trying to be intellectual, its not trying to be a gossipy bestseller, its simply a person talking about their seemingly extraordinary life.

Karan Johar, the quintessential 'townie', that's what all of us ordinary suburban mortals like to call people who live 'townside' or in 'SoBo'. Townies are people who have it made, their life is what you see in movies, their life is what people think lives are like in Mumbai. The book starts with this exact same vibe. I think where you grow up is something that gets ingrained in you. While I know a lot of people look at him as this spoilt rich brat, I don't think that's the case and this belief that I had about him (no, I do not know him but we all have opinions about people right?) gets reinforced in this book. I actually love the vulnerability that comes through in his younger years while still being set against the backdrop of a plethora of well-known people. Hey, I've even met one of them, Natasha (who is an absolute delight btw) and I couldn't help but recall the one time I saw her and wished I could afford to make her my fulltime hair stylist simply because she has such a positive energy! (nope, still not have that much money in the bank!)

Yes, the address and the connections definitely help when it comes to finding yourself. I would love to take a couple of months off to go find myself but then that's not a luxury most of us can afford. But then that's ok too. You don't need to actually go away to find yourself. You need to communicate and have that discussion with your inner self to be able to find joy. Yes, coming back to the book, this is something I think comes through in the book. There's a whole chapter on Bollywood and how its evolved and grown into a place where communication is a little lost.

One of the most talked about part of the book was the Love and Sex chapter. Well, what's my take on it? I think it takes a lot of courage to talk about your personal life on a public platform. There's a part that talks about how you need to build a connection with the masses and I think this book in general tries to do that. Especially when he talks about his personal life, he seems to have this honesty about what he's gone through but still an ability to look at himself and be comfortable in his own skin.

So was there something I didn't like in the book? First, there's a 'became' that should be a 'because' on pg. 180. I really get frustrated when this happens, especially in print media. Second, sometimes I think that the book goes into a sort of self-adulation zone. Yes, I'm a firm believer in loving yourself but since I don't know him personally (hey, this could be his personality in real life too), I find it a bit pompous. However, this still doesn't take away from this feeling of reliability in the broader scheme of things and that's exactly why I'm here writing this piece.

Should you go buy it? If you like a book that doesn't try to take itself too seriously then yes. If you like your autobiographies to be these aspirational guide books, then no. This isn't for you. If you're a movie buff or a Shah Rukh Khan buff, then this is for you. If you're just like me and want to read something that isn't pompous (no matter how pompous people call the writer) then go ahead, take a peek into the mind of one of the most celebrated movie makers in our country!

Hello hello! Hope everyone's having a great Sunday and getting rejuvenated for the week ahead!
Summer is well and finally here down in India. If you’ve ventured out even at 10.00 am, you know that the sun’s practically burning your skin and no matter how much sunscreen you’ve applied, it still won’t be enough. However, everything isn’t all scorching heat and melting ice-creams, its also the perfect time to hit the beach for a nice early morning run or a walk. The evenings are also much longer and you can enjoy a beautiful sunset a lot longer than you can during winters. This definitely calls for a summer outfit and that’s exactly what I found.



While I initially wanted to share this dress as a #ThriftOnThursdays find (because it totally is!) I felt it deserved a lot more than a single post so I decided to come up with a complete outfit. The whole look is so perfect for spring/summer and the fact that the dress costs less than what I paid for lunch today,absolutely is the cherry on my cake!

• What to wear your tshirt to work on Casual Friday? You can! All you need to do is style it with a structured blazer and you're good to go
• Prints are your friends! Embrace them, and bring out the bold prints on Fridays to really show your true self.
• Bold makeup? Well this is a bit tricky. I'd say wear bolder colors on Fridays but make sure not to go over the top. Nobody wants a face that's painted on but a bright lipstick is always fun! 
• Blazers and jackets can save the day! No really, they can. A structured blazer with your denim joggers is yet another great way to style business casuals while being comfortable. It's all about balance.
• Still confused? Try this trick! Always wear one business piece with two ccasual pieces. It's as simple as throwing on your bright pink blazer with your tshirt and jeans and adding a pair of heels or a structured bag and you're done. Yes seriously, its just that simple.