Chiconomical

Hello you lovely people! We're back and it's Day 2 outfit ideas and I'm over excited! Yellow is such a beautiful colour and while I always think that I look a little washed out in yellow, we're taking the style challenge and getting our Garba gear on! So first things first, I did this massively popular Yellow dupatta styling for Navratri last year and you guys, you HAVE to go check it out! It's one of my all-time favorite posts!!



This look is all about getting your draping on and still wearing something that's super comfortable.

I love taking an completely western outfit (the base of this look is literally a tank top and a pair of trousers) and then added that one hero piece that simply screams Indian.

My best friend got me this phulkari dupatta and I was dying to add it to a post. For this look, all I did was drape it the way you would for a regular lehenga. The way you do this is that you tuck it and drape it the way you would a regular saree. Next, pleat it at the other end and then wrap it around your neck. Finally, add a couple of pins to secure it in place and you're done!

PS: This outfit is actually perfect for people who like to dance a whole lot during Navratri!


  
    Look 2





So the final look is actually honestly this great only because of the headband. This is for anyone who goes to the Navratri party straight from work (because let's face it, we've all done that and that's actually what 80% of the people who can afford expensive Navratri parties do).

To create this look, all you need is literally that holy grail of bohemian chic, the embroidered vest and you're all set!

While this headpiece adds a hole lot of drama to the look, you can actually switch it out for a pair of nice long earrings and an updo instead and look just as good! Honestly, the vest trick is something you definitely had used at some point if you had last minute Navratri plans and had nothing to wear!










That's it folks! I hope you liked these looks and will recreate them in your own way.

In case you still need a bit more style inspiration, go ahead and check out my other posts about styling yourself for Navartri on a budget. You can see Day 1's Look HERE.

If you do decide to style yourself taking inspiration from these looks, don't forget to share the look with me on social media.

My handle is @QuirkyEngineerR on Instagram and Twitter and I love talking to new people!

Join My Pinterest Community to get instant style Advice from me! It's free and I will help you as much as I can!  

Day 1! Every single year I get over excited when it comes to Navratri Dressing. While I don't always enjoy the dancing bit (and my sister will attest to that fact loud and clear), I do enjoy the outfits. Last year, we did a 9 day long crazy series where I styled three outfits for the colours for each day and of course, after the massive response I got to those posts, I decided we'd do it again this year! There's going to be a lot of pieces that we'll reuse by style differently so you've got more looks to choose from! I'd love for you to swing by my posts from last year and check them out here.


Well, time to dive right in to today's colour. We're starting Navratri styling with a bang with one of my all time favourite colours, Royal Blue! Now, this is a super bold colour and while I have accent pieces in it, I only have one complete mad piece that is my royal blue jumpsuit! It's never really made an appearance on the blog before so I'm super excited to share it with you. While this particular piece is sold out, there's a few lovely ones you can still get your hands on like this one that's only Rs. 525 or this one that's got some dainty straps!

1. The Minimalist Maven




So you've actually gone to the Navratri event after spending a few hundred hours slaving in the office and obviously have your work bag that has no space after you've added that laptop, notebook, five packed 'healthy' meals (cos we all know we spend all our time in the office), that old guitar pic (how is that even there is a complete mystery) and that last minute makeup for when you've not had the time to put it on (erm...everyday). Well, this is a look that is minimal and can be created by literally carrying the pieces you need in a corner of your handbag. Honestly, I love a minimal look and while navratri outfits can be all about being over the top, there's something quite lovely about just a minimalist, clean look.

2. The Boho Balika


Well I know twirling is a major part of Navratri. There's just something magical about an outfit that can twirl. Well, why not give the regular loud skirts a fresh twist and wear them as a long top instead? I actually used an aline kurta and wore it one shoulder on top of my jumpsuit. The trick is to either add a belt so that it helps avoid any inadvertent peep shows while you dance or just layer it on top of a piece such as a jumpsuit the way I did. Either way, don't forget to twirl and show the pretty flare (even if I haven't quite managed to master the twirl on self timer shot yet).

3. The Mashup Queen




Well, this is honestly the look I'd have when I want to stand out, be over the top and still look bohemian AF! Navratri for me is all about fusing traditional and modern aesthetics and is a festival that holds a special place in my heart. For this look, I decided to wear a simple cotton saree as a half saree on top of my jumpsuit. Then, to keep everything secure and give me freedom to do pretty much anything while still wearing a saree (that I usually am super nervous about) I added a belt to keep all the pleats in place. A few accent pieces and a messy updo and you're ready with a fusion outfit that is unique but practical too!

And that's it for today folks. In case you're interested, I'd highly recommend checking out my other Navratri posts. There's over a dozen outfits in a wide variety of styles that can help you figure out fresh way to style your existing pieces. We shall meet again tomorrow! So stay tuned!

Don't forget to swing by the Instagram feed since I do have several more style ideas that I'll be posting there daily through the entire festive season!

PS: Need some serious help in styling yourself this Navratri? Just join my free Pinterest community and I'll instantly help you with any style problems you might have!

Last weekend (which is now actually about 3 weekends ago since I've been a terrible blogger) I posted a picture on my Instagram that was actually just me being a super lazy person on the weekend with a hat to hide my ugly hair (5 days and no washing cos work was demanding like that!). Sometimes you just need a lazy girl outfit and a tshirt dress is the perfect way to be cosy, comfy and still super chic when it comes to weekend dressing.



A t-shirt dress currently all the rage and it's available in several prints. I literally just picked this ombre dyed one from the black of my closet. It's about 3 sizes too big for me and if you've got an older brother, it's perfectly acceptable to steal his clothes are pretend they're a dress too! (I usually just go get a couple of tshirts from the mens section in XL or XXL sizes and then just wear them like I 'borrowed' them from my older brother!)

Anyway, sneaky tips to wear your brother's clothes aside, let's dive into the three ways to wear a t-shirt dress... no matter what you're doing!

The Business Casual Look

A white shirt is a complete game changer and when it's ironed and tucked in, you've got yourself a sure winner. This white shirt is a lovely piece that has black detailing that almost makes it look like I've got suspenders on. I swapped out the heels for my staple black pointed flats and pulled my hair in a severe bun. The result is a chic look that works well for the office.
PS: You might want to get your hand on my White Shirt Style Guide for some more inspiration. It's completely free and it'll possibly change your weekend dressing game!

Look 3 : Put a Peplum on It

I'm a geek at heart! There, I said it. I'm a book reading, nerdy glasses wearing, fandom merchandise collecting geek. Behind the fancy fashion blogger you see, I'm making crazy faces, reading endlessly or generally just goofing around in my Doctor Who Tshirt! But there are so many people out there who feel that just don't look cool when they flaunt their fandom and I'm here to tell you, you can do it! Today's post heavily features my books n beyond box Poirot Tshirt. Yes, instead of going the regular Harry Potter/Lord of The Rings/Doctor Who (I love you Doctor!) route, I've decided to rock a tshirt that actually talks about one of my favorite literary characters. I do love Agatha Christie who has probably been a companion to every reader at some point in their lives if they're people who like fiction.



1. The Polished Friday Casual Look


So this is a look designed to make you flaunt your fandom at the office. A blazer instantly makes everything look so much better in my opinion and a simple black blazer can take your everyday going to the market look and make it more work appropriate (okay, Friday work appropriate if you're a boring corporate like me). In fact, you can probably put on some makeup to take this look out for a spin on a Friday night round town!

2. The Feminine Flirty Look



I'm a person who loves creating feminine silhouettes and that means pairing an almost grunge tshirt with a pretty skirt and telling the world to guess my fandom. Yes, I'm a girl who can look sexy and still be a total geek in her head. I'm actually the most comfortable in a simple maxi dress or skirt and an oversized t-shirt. For a little bit extra, I added my Caraval bag to the look. This is a great outfit to wear on the weekend to a casual brunch or every with a pair of pretty heels for a night out!!

3. The Grunge Look


Yes girl, if the first look wasn't for you then this is something I hope that's more up your alley! I absolutely love a monochrome outfit and can't imagine not creating a look for other girls like me who at times just don't like colour. I still wanted a feminine silhouette almost like a cute grunge if that makes any sense and so I went with this a-line skirt and added my piano keys beanies and boots to complete the look. Take this outfit for a spin to a concert by simply replacing my t-shirt with your own favourite band and be the coolest girl at the party!

And that's it folks!

I hope these looks have given you a little bit more inspiration to flaunt your regular old t-shirts! Remember, you can always create new and interesting outfits even if you have a super limited wardrobe. For instance, I shared 7 ways to wear the same pair of pants and still create a different look every.single.day! Yes, you can totally get yourself this free style guide by clicking the image below! Hope you enjoyed the post guys! See you on the other side with yet another freebie (yes, we're just giving these away for nothing!) that's going to be out real soon!

Happy Monday folks! We are back to regular programming on the blog and that means we've got a workwear style post! But to make it even better this has the flavor of stuff that's usually spread out through the week and it's got a 3 7 ways to wear, a street shopped piece and style tips to wear the same trousers every single day of the week!! Yes, you heard it right, I'm showing you ways you can survive a week and rock a pair of pants for any occasion!

Since it's a workwear day, the first look is today's my absolute favorite, a workwear look with a clean minimalistic vibes!



Mondays are hard and that means you need a kickass outfit to ace those meetings and work engagements. A simple style hack is to pair your pants with a classic blazer and a vest. Summers in Mumbai are hard when it comes to workwear because you've got the AC on in the office and you've got sweltering heat outside, a blazer with a camisole or vest underneath is a look that can make a quick transition from travel to work.



However, let's take a second to admire these trousers. These pants are a street buy! Yes, I bought these off the street and let me tell you, they are a sure winner! However, I do think you'd do well to make a bargain with the seller to exchange/return them if they don't fit because I bought a second pair and they just don't fit. So yes, size them out, measure the crotch to waist fit and do all those weird things for sure before you buy them! These green ones are however a winner and that's why we're gonna be wearing them all week!


Now since writing about each look would make for an insanely long post and you'd have to keep coming back to the website each time you wanted to check a detail, I made a free downloable for you! Yep, click the image below or follow this link to download your free style guide so that you can rock those pants all week!



Hope you love all the looks and get some inspiration to wear them through the week! Don't forget to
share your take on these style tips using #Chiconomical!

A day at the beach in India is riddled with people covered from head to toe compared to other beaches out there. Of course one of the most iconic Indian items of clothing is a Kurti but I know a lot of people frown at the thought of wearing it to work thinking it's distinctly 'aunty' clothing. Read on to know how you can be trendy and still wear it to the beach!


With the temperatures rising, I'd say it's time to forget these ideas and bring the kurti to the beach with all the fanfare it deserves. I personally LOVE the idea of upstyling a kurti so that it's on trend and stands out! Just to prove my point, every single look here was actually shot at the beach and a couple of variation of these looks have been worn by me over time to the beach. Let's dive in

1. Kurti + Shorts

You know those side slit dresses that have taken over the fashion world the last couple of years, well kurtis were doing it before the fashion gurus caught on! The easiest way to wear a kurti to the beach and still look on point is to pair it with denim shorts. This gives you an easy way to rock the kurti while still being beach friendly and most certainly not dowdy. Add a pair of pretty flats and tassel earrings and you have a simple, clean, modern look with a desi twist.

2. Kurti + Palazzos
Okay, so this is something that you definitely think falls in the old lady category but here's the thing. If you choose colors and prints that work for you, you can definitely wear a look like this and still feel young! Palazzos are the modern girl's answer to salwars and when worn in bright colors like this one, make for a pretty outfit. Yet again, pairing it with the right accessories is the key thing. I paired mine with these gorgeous earrings and then of course, added my 'I don't leave home on weekends without this beauty' straw bag. This was a full price buy but I have absolutely loved it and it's been more of a 30 wears pieces!
3. Kurti + Skirt
Okay, so you're not a kurti person but love weary breezy dresses to the beach? Yeah me too! Try a bit of clever layering and turn a kurti into a pretty dress. I paired this kurti with my pleated pink skirt (also seen in this other 3 ways post from last year) and voila, there's a pretty interesting dress that's just asking for a gush of wind to float in it's glory.

And those are three super easy, quick ways to style a kurti folks. The idea is to take something that you'd never wear to the beach and make it beach friendly. Honestly ladies, it's better to reuse the things you already own rather than going and buying new things for every ocassion. Remember, always shop your closet first before you decide to hit the streets. I know I always do!


So what are you waiting for? Dip your toes in the cool waters, wear a scarf if your hair flies and enjoy your pretty day!

PS: Do you always end up a disaster like me at the beach?

Just download my personal guide to the beach with a handy checklist of things that'll have you out of the house and on the beach in minutes!