In work mode again, and as always last minute rush to get out of the house–of course I am the person who never ever plans out what she will wear until she actually has to pull it onto her body.
So for this interview with the very lovely Sunny Leone for SheThePeople.TV’s BOLD series, I pulled on my standard lifesavers, blue denims, a black vest and topped it with a Bhutanese black and copper Kira with gorgeous sun motifs that my sister in law had picked on a trip there. I don’t pin the Kira like it is supposed to be, but prefer to wear it like a regular jacket, though undoubtedly it would look much better worn pinned together.
And to my surprise, Sunny was dressed in a black biker jacket and jeans too, with a red t-shirt that completely stole my heart, emblazoned with ‘Feminist’ across it.
Another no think pull it all together quick look for a casual day out, where you want to look just that bit put together is this all denim look. Mid wash jeans in a comfort fit, a soft denim shirt, roll the legs up to expose your ankles, roll the sleeves up to your elbows. These are old, old clothes I’ve had forever but never tire of, although by merit they should have been handed their golden watch and sent into the happy vales of retirement by now.
I prefer to combine denim with brown and tan accents, and that’s what I’ve done here. Add a tan rough stitched belt, a pair of high shoes, and a structured brown bag and you’re good to go. Yes, this is a laptop bag that I end up using as a regular bag most times–because I don’t ever work on a laptop–blame it on the dinosaur I’m, or the klutz I am, end up dropping it, spilling stuff on it, leaving it behind most times. After having lost a couple of laptops in the distant past, I now steer clear of them gadgets outside of the house, except for my phone, which I soon hope to be able to do without too, and switch to an ancient clam shell, push button version, so to finally get offline when I’m offline.
This floral off-shoulder top from Aeropostale is one of my favourites because it is both versatile and flattering. Be it a casual gathering with friends or a formal dinner on a cruise, it fits right in. I also love the fact that it takes the attention away from the belly area and highlights my shoulders and collar bones, which happen to be well-toned 😉
Here I’ve teamed it up with a classic pair of black ankle-length trousers from Charter Club and comfortable black sandals from Clarks for an easy-going yet formal look. Since I find it difficult to carry large, heavy earrings, I wear my hair short and jazz up my outfits with statement necklaces, scarves and bracelets. This silver neckpiece was picked up from the street markets of Bhutan. Also, I wouldn’t be caught dead without a bright lipstick. The one I’m wearing in this picture is a beautiful pinkish-peach shade by Estee Lauder called ‘Rebellious Rose’.
The easiest go to look at work for me is a jacket over trousers–with me make those jeans. I seem to be wearing jeans with everything, regardless of appropriateness of occasion and coordination–I don’t recommend it, but I am guilty. The formal trousers that came with this jacket languish in the cupboard, unloved and neglected, calling my name every time I open the door.
But, what the hell, if you’re comfortable with jeans, go right ahead. I’ve worn jeans to wedding receptions and earned the steely disapproving eye from some matrons, and sharp censure from my embarrassed mother, but I milk the eccentric author tag to the fullest in such situations. Here I have on a pair of comfort fit mid wash denims, worn with a formal long line grey striped jacket, with those dratted things, shoulder pads, and my trusted old Bata tan wedges that I seem to be wearing with everything regardless of whether it goes with it or not. In retrospect, I should have worn a pair of black pumps, but I think it was a grab what is immediately visible on the shoe rack kind of rushing out of the door that day.
Here I am with the very fabulous Tara Kaushal, she of the sharp repartee and the never ending legs, for an interview we did for the BOLD series of interviews on SheThePeople.
And yes, this is the bespectacled look, now that the LASIK I had done all those years ago has given up on me and my number has come back in all its glory–this means I either go for vanity and end up not recognising anyone (dry eye syndrome cannot wear contact lenses anymore) or wear my specs and have people come up to me and ask if Kiran Manral is around somewhere.
A simple light cable knit pullover from H&M, soft old broad leg denims from Old Navy, so old actually that the Old in the name is actually God’s own truth, tan wedge heels that are good for running around while giving me the precious few added inches that I need, and a small white bag of indeterminate ancestry because I’ve had it forever and ever. This is a look that works in a rush for a casual evening out, and is comfortable and practical. Keeping the palette neutral and pastel works. The make up stays low key for this one–light brown liner and a nude lipper.
Don’t grudge me this last ditch bid to pretend that we have a winter in Mumbai.
I was most excited to meet the very wonderful Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni the other day, on her whistle stop tour of Mumbai for the launch of her latest book, The Forest of Enchantments, based on the story of Sita, or the Sitayana as she likes to call it.
As always, when I’m in a bit of a rush and too confused about what I should wear, I picked up a black and grey animal print chiffon shirt, and wore it over cropped black trousers, layering on a black waistcoat for modesty. On my feet I had a pair of black espadrilles, the most comfortable pair ever, from Clarks. Jewellery and accessories, I’m terrible about, just had my usual stuff on, the cameo pendant on a gold chain I wear everyday and my gold rings and bracelet. Someday, I will get organised enough to keep changing my jewellery with every outfit, I promise.
And yes, the first pic is the offspring’s valiant attempts at photography given that he and I are still learning this pose and shoot business. I sometimes feel he clicks my best photographs and perhaps it has something to do with the softness with which I look into the camera when he’s clicking? What do you think?
Let me be the first to admit that sarees terrify me. I have a constant fear that I will trip up, smash my nose in, and go through the rest of my life looking like an ex-pugilist. Or that the drape will suddenly unravel in public no matter how many of the dratted safety pins I put into them, risking injury and bleeding if they ever do open up and pierce skin. The few occasions I’ve worn sarees in public, I’ve been most uncomfortable with the tucking, the pleats, the pallu. This, I realise, is so ironic because my mother wore a saree everyday of her working life, and I remember her taking barely five minutes in the morning to perfectly drape and pin her starched cottons, and impeccably pleated at that.
I also don’t have any sarees, never buy any for myself, and most of what I wear are filched off my mother in law and sisters in law. One of my resolutions though, for 2019 is to get into more ethnic wear, and sarees are one of the things I need to master. Can’t be heading into my 50s and not knowing how to drape a saree myself yet!
I’ve always been a great fan of the red check and denim look. I think I’ve always owned a shirt with red checks, forever and ever. Oh well, ever since I was in college I think. The style is resolutely the same, a red checked shirt with tiny buttons down the front, fitted a bit. I wear these with either tan corduroy jeans or plain medium wash denims. Sometimes, I throw on a denim jacket. If the jeans are ankle cropped skinnies like these from Only, I will wear my high clogs (from Catwalk), or risk looking like something on a toothpick. This is a safe look that always works for a casual day out, without too much thought going into it.
And, as always, big sunnies, and a bigger smile, if I don’t hate everyone on and their grandparents on that particular day.
One of my favourite impulse purchases, spurred on by the offspring has been this camouflage jacket, which has a nice sheen to it. I saw it and baulked a bit, but the offspring was insistent and had me buy it. And this was last year before the camouflage trend really hit us here in India.
I paired this here with a long sheath dress with a turtleneck that falls straight to the ankles and my all time favourite chocolate brown platform shoes. In fact, this jacket is such that I tend to wear it with everything. Jeans. Black trousers. Tan trousers. A solid long dress. A long tunic and tights.
God help me if I can remember where we bought it from, though. Some store in Infinity 2 in Mumbai is all I can remember and the label I chopped off, like I do most labels because they annoy me!
As a blogger, a corporate trainer, Teacher-trainer I have events , workshops and commitments that require me to dress according to the occasion on multiple events. I am a great believer in dressing according to the event and mostly, the dress depends on my moodboard!
Fashion for me is inherent happiness and physical fitness, vigour or call it what you will- boils down to how you carry yourself, be it in the plainest of garment. It is a definite plus if a touch of your personality is reflected in your sartorial selections!
Look 1
An evening with a slight nip in the air mandated a cover up- a royal blue ensemble was chosen with a warm poncho over it but not without my touch of buckling up with a wide leather belt. I found, the drape worked well for contouring, without compromising  the warmth or the style quotient- easy-peasy look for a cold Delhi formal do! Threw in extra blue liner and mascara, left the neck bare and slapped on some danglers for a little bling!
Look 2
Who and how can you go wrong with a saree? A regular concoction of different textures of chantilly lace, net, in the baroque vintage style, got me a saree innovatively put together that gave it a designer look, without costing me a bomb! Black and grey is also  combination that I heart- finished with a  silver choker and I was ready, as ready can be!
Forty+Fashion 