Chiconomical

Layering is my favourite thing and winter is the perfect excuse to try this out! If you live in a tropical country you'll know that the temperatures can change drastically from one city to another and that means you definitely need some form of expertise with layering especially when it comes to random weather. Today's post is super specific to what I personally think is a great piece to layer. The jumper. Now I know that while all those bloggers look really cool in their layered #OOTD instagram posts, in reality, you'd probably look like a sack because let's fact it, we all have lumps and bumps and real life isn't an instagram still. That's why I've created this post to help you figure out how to layer jumpers over dresses like a pro and look great even when the camera isn't on!

1. The Side-knot



Okay, this is a trick that is my all time favorite when it comes to giving myself a little bit of shape. The trick is to knot the jumper over your dress so that it hits the smallest part of your waist. This literally takes about a minute to do and it will definitely change the outfit from shapeless to giving you an imaginary waist.

2. The slouchy layer



Okay, so I wish we were all cool enough to make this look as great as it does on instagram models but I'm not ashamed to say I'm not. If you don't feel brave enough in the winter to knot the jumper, this is another trick to add a bit of waist. All you need to do is wear the jumper normally and then add a statement belt or a bumbag(?) on top. I always just turn my sling bags into a belt. The smaller ones work great as stand-ins for the fanny bags that seem to have come back in style (and how!). All you need to do is wrap them around your waist, knot it at one end and simply tuck it into the bag. Yes, simple yet still very stylish!

3. The belted croptop


Finally, this is possibly my favourite way to wear a jumper. This works for jumpers that are not very chunky if I'm being completely honest (for super chunky ones you'd be better off sticking to the second style in my opinion). For this look, I folded the jumper and used a statement belt to hide the fold. This look works well for when you don't really want to invest in a cropped jumper but still want to pretend that you do. I like how the belt gives me a bit of extra defined waist to be very honest! I've worn variation of this look several times during my stint in a cooler city for work. Trust me, this trick can give you a waist even if you don't have one!

And those are some of my favourite ways to use a simple jumper and dress combo to work for you. Looking great in several layers is a task that we've all faced so I hear you girl! I hope you can use these tips to get some more use out of your wardrobe and if not anything else, just add a few fun twists to an otherwise similar looking outfit.

Stay tuned for next week's post with another #ThreeWaystoWear with this gorgeous maxi dress. I'm giving you all the scoop on how to make a maxi dress work for you in winter.

Don't forget to follow me on my Instagram for a few more shots of these outfits. I try my very best to keep the images unique to each social media platform so you get closer look at it and yes, even the ugly blooper shots we're all a little scared to share with the brutal online world!

Outfit Details: 
Jumper: Rs. 499, Vero Moda Sale
Maxi Dress: Rs. 899, Shein
Boots: Rs. 1199, Zara
Belt: Rs. 299, Koovs sale
Bag: Gifted, The Label Life
Bamboo Bag: Rs. 899, Bought second hand from Elanic

I've never been a poncho person. My first tryst with the Poncho came while watching Ugly Betty where she's sporting a loud poncho on her first day of work at Mode magazine. Who else remembers that entrance?? Anyway, obviously that made me feel that there was no way I could ever make a poncho look good so I never tried. Then last year I went to a city that's got much lower drops in temperatures than I was used to and I found myself wearing my cosy knits and belting them at the waist to add a bit more definitions. Suddenly, I realised I was making ponchos out of my scarves in a way. Cut through to today and I'm the proud owner of one poncho and seriously contemplating buying a second!



First off, ponchos are super cosy!! Secondly, don't believe the old me who was scared of styling them, they are actually superbly versatile pieces that can be styled many ways. I decided to wear mine for a full out winter day with my over the knee boots. These boots haven't been used enough in my book this year and I am praying I get a chance to wear them some more before the winter is gone. I wore a little lace skirt and a polo neck but a poncho works great with strappy tops too. If you live in a place where there isn't a full on drop in the temperatures, consider wearing a poncho with your sleeveless tops and you'll be layered to keep warm or jump in the pool, as the occasion demands!

If you don't own one yet and aren't willing to make the commitment, go ahead, try belting your long scarf the way I belted my poncho and see if you like it. Honestly, if you've ever draped your blanket scarves over your shoulders, you'll probably like ponchos too.

Hello Winter. You've snuck up into our daily routine with a slight nip in the air. Those five extra minutes in the morning as we struggle to get out of bed not wanting to leave the safety of the covers, and face the day have become very real.

Hello winter, you've tricked us with the scorching heat and bring us back to the essence of living in a scorching city. Mumbai is bouncing between hot and cold and settling firmly in confused somewhere.

Hello winter, you've heralded the season of happiness. There are weddings all around, red cups in the coffee shops and pretty fairy lights in stores. You made everything a little sweeter by just being.

Hello winter, you've had us dig out our boots and scarves. You are a constant companion in those long journeys in the train and even in the endless car rides inspite of aircon being on. We love that its cooler outside when we step out of the car at night.

Hello winter, you've given us an excuse to layer and pull out our knitwear that's usually only utilised on fancy trips.
Hello winter, you've given us an opportunity to properly utilise said layers to hide all the holiday and wedding binges we go on and still pass off as fashionable. We love that we can wear our slouchy jumpers that can hide our body fat and beanies that can hide the bad hair days we have ever so often.

Hello winter, thank you for giving us a chance to justify having hot chocolate with little marshmallows in bed while we watch our favorite tv shows under the quilt.

Hello winter, please stick around a bit longer this time!