Chiconomical

Happy Monday folks!! I'm so happy you could spare some time to drop by and take a look at today's post. The current heat wave in Mumbai has been literally melting our faces off and while we may have strong air-con in our offices, it still begs for weather friendly outfits. I happen to have a super strong air-con (it literally feels like Antarctica at work) but then every time I go out of the building for some work, I'm melting in the summer sun. That's exactly why I've started a series for this Month that's all about dressing for work in Mumbai.

My favorite print for any season, as you all know very well already, is stripes! Now I'm not usually much for full price shopping (and even if I do buy something full price, I have to be super convinced it's worth it) but I still find that I love some brands simply because they do make quality products. Warehouse is just one of these all time favorite ones and while I can almost never afford anything Warehouse (it's just so expensive, even on sale!!) sometimes I put my pennies together and get myself a little treat. This dress was exactly that and while I may have worn it in real life, I didn't feel comfortable enough putting it on the blog. However, since it represents the part where it's okay to splurge (as long as it's not everything full price) sometimes, I decided to put it here. It's not my usual street buy, but it's still worth every penny simply for the joy it sparks!






A simple printed dress is the best option when it coming to summer dressing in India. Since the weather is too hot for anything else. Look for dressing in thicker fabrics since you don't want to end up in a transparent outfit at the end of the day. Think cotton or linen fabrics, think simple cuts and cool colors. Honestly, I think Mumbai summer will be spent wearing whites and more whites. If your office doesn't support cuts like this dress, I suggest wearing a thin kimono or cotton jacket on it for work. A pair of classic pumps and a structured bag and you're done. It's just that simple.

The length of this dress makes it great for work and the tie-belt at the waist is great for clinching in the waist. Overall, a dress like this makes workwear simple, easy and weather appropriate.

Workwear in monsoons is superbly hard. Honestly, I wish I could wear a little skirt with my gum boots to work, however as "corporate" goes, these things are a big no no. Hence, the need to come up with alternative workwear solutions for the summery rains.





Today's outfit is all about my absolute favorite trend, aka stripes. I paired a light striped shirt with some casual striped jogger style trousers. Add a bright bag for some color and a pair of airy crocs and I'm ready to face rain or shine. I think a pair of crocs are a must have for officewear since they are rain proof, formal yet super comfortable. Another must have in monsoons are quick drying fabrics. I'd suggest you invest in a few loose fitting trousers in quick drying fabrics so that you don't end up spending the whole day at work in damp clothes. While almost every online search will tell you to carry separates to switch into for work, I don't think that's feasible especially in a city like Mumbai where we're always running to meet deadlines. A better solution is always plan an outfit in a way that it dries quickly if its pouring or doesn't stick to you if its sunny. Also, always remember, if you love how you look, everyone else will love it too!

Today on Stripey Saturday, I thought of doing something different. Instead of the usual outfit post, I thought it would be a good idea to do a sort of striped round up. While I have quite a few striped things already, I still have a lot few on my wishlist that I hope to check off soon.

Here are my top wishlist things! Almost all pictures are from Pinterest or Instagram!

First of all, there have been a few issues with posting my pictures on the blog, so this week's Stripey Saturday post is a little late. I apologise. That being said, lets get on with it! Now I don't know about you guys, but somehow, when people say stripes, I always end up thinking stripes in monochrome. While this is true for most striped things that people remember, I rather think its good to feature something that add a bit of color to things! This dress is such a pretty, simple, weekend outfit that I just had to show it on the blog. I've worn it a number of times already during the start of "winter" last December and with a pair of tights as seen here, its quite cosy.

Stripes, stripes and more stripes. If there's one design I've always been a fan of, its gotta be stripes. So during a rather random discussion with a friend, I decided to have a series on stripes and all their glorious possibilities!

Its not always that I go shopping and find an entire outfit. Honestly, most days, I find one piece that I like and then it waits in the cupboard till I manage to find some interesting things to pair it with. However, on some rare days, when I'm really lucky, I try an outfit in the trail room, love it, and wear it almost exactly the way I did in there. This entire outfit is worn here, just like I did in the changing room, and I still love it as much as I did when I wore it the first time.






I think a striped skirt is a cool, versatile piece in any girl's closet. In this outfit, I wore it in almost a formal setting. I feel the peplum top adds the bit of office to the outfit. The rest of the accessories are fairly standard. The bag and the necklace add little pops of color and make it a bit more interesting. All in all, an outfit that can work well in a lot of different settings!

Tips To Wear a Striped Skirt: 

• Choose the correct style of stripes. If you're skinny like me, you can actually pull off horizontal stripes, but if not, choose vertical stripes, they're rather flattering and will give you a slimmer silhouette. 
• If you are wearing horixontal stripes, pair it with a solid color or a flowing top in order to balance out the top and the bottom.
• A little bottom heavy but still wanna wear horizontal stripes? Try a flowing maxi skirt in a chiffon or equally light material. These aren't figure hugging and hence, won't add ten pounds to your shape.
• Striped skirts work well with small prints. Be bold and mix muted florals with stripes. 
• Wear a half tucked in shirt and a backpack to make a skirt like this, work for the weekend. 
• And finally, experiment with the styles you try and Always have fun! 

Every person who works in corporate world will swear by casual Fridays which are to be the days for "smart" casuals. Now I'm nowhere close to a real job yet, so that basically means I can get away with wearing lots of "smart" (And not so smart) casuals everyday. My Uni isn't exactly short stuff friendly,so you will usually find me in a pair of jeans or tights, with an oversized top. This outfit post was shot impromptu on a day when I was having a really bad (read puking twice in the bathroom) day so I apologise for the peaky face in advance.

First off, let me start by saying a big thank you to my friend for taking these pictures! I absolutely loved the location and I wish I could ask you to take pictures of my outfit posts everyday!! The outfit is nothing fancy, but still looks put together if you pay attention to details.












The best way to pull off smart casuals is to find a good pair of jeans. Add a simple striped top and a statement necklace with heels, its the fastest way to look put together, without the effort of chucking half your wardrobe onto the floor. You can also wear a peplum top with printed tights. There are also some gorgeous overall options out there right now if you wanna go for the laid back look. (I'm still looking for that perfect pair of ripped jeans n overalls that don't make me look like a street bum). And finally, don't forget to wear your confidence. Casuals are all about comfort, so if you don't feel comfortable, don't wear it!

What are your go to smart casuals? Tell me in the comments below! You can also talk to me on Twitter and Facebook!

By now everyone and their mothers have a variation of these geek glasses. While I'm always on a hunt for bigger glasses, the last few weeks have made good glasses a necessity. So when my brother offered to give me anything for Raksha Bandhan(yay!! cue bed jumping joy!), I jumped on the chance to get a new pair of peepers! First off, THANKS a million bro!! They've made long hours in the lab much more bearable (read now changed to various states of sleep deprived, minus the creepy red eyes).








The other new bit is the twirly skirt. When I laid hands on my Jabong shopping goodies (read my shopping review here) one look at this skirt and I knew it was going to be a geek chic outfit. I feel this look could be excellent for a casual date lunch(also where I casually show off how nerdy I truly am!). I added a bit of color to the outfit with my new blingy blue bag that was gifted by my cousin when she came down to India. The skirt is a perfect blend of flirty and feminine and can be worn in many different ways. Overall, a very versatile piece to have in your closet.

What's your take on casual date outfits? Tell me in the comments below. You can also find me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER and INSTAGRAM

PS: Just like the previous post, a quick reminder that the Jabong.com team was kind enough to provide me with a shopping voucher for Rs. 500 for my review. All views in this post as well as the previous one are unbiased and my own.