Decluttering your wardrobe !

Closet

How long has it been since you have removed those unnecessary items from your wardrobe, in the hopes that such items would suit you some day? Well, the truth is if it hasn’t suited you till date, chances are that it wont suit you in the near future also, unless you are really working on that particular piece, for it to suit you up well. For instance it had been quite a long time since a hot pink short dress was lying in my closet until I gave it away citing that it didn’t suit my personality !

Umm… but giving away some beautiful unused dresses can be heartbreaking and I totally agree to that but then look at the positive side to this, you’re ultimately making more room for the new dresses, hence making a way for the new you !

As for me, I declutter my wardrobe twice or thrice a year or to be very honest when I actually have a lot of time to do that ! so point one to be noted, this task needs some good amount of time !

Take everything out of your wardrobe (carefully) or may be you can work up section wise - I prefer the later one cos it makes this easier to pile up stuff, so empty a section on the floor and pile it up, go ahead and make section wise piles !

Quick Sort !

Sort up your wardrobe into lounge wear, casuals, denims, formals, party wears or as you prefer !

To keep or not to keep !

Thats the tricky question, to keep that pretty dress or to give it away since its not going to come back in fashion again or you may never fit back in that dress again !

Ask yourself one question, if you were supposed to buy this dress again, right now, would you buy it? if your answer is yes, then you keep the dress and if it is otherwise then give it away ! 

If you’re confused on that one, then ask that broadminded bestie of yours to get the confusion cleared. If your bestie is too busy to reach you, then use the technology and send across a picture of you wearing that dress and wait for the review ! Remember, change in perspective can very well clear a confusion in this context !

If theres a piece which you feel would look great upon alteration, then have no second thoughts about it and pile up such “Alteration required” pieces together and make sure you get them right !

Make sure you clean the “Keep these” piles and organise them properly before you put them back in your closet!

Discard the “Give away” piles by donating them to needy people/organisations or exchange them (if that works). I keep some exclusive pieces for my children & grand children cos I feel those are too precious to give away ;)

Once you’re done with all those piles … step back, breathe and bask in the glory of your totally renewed, trendy and fabulous wardrobe! Make yourself a cup of coffee and admire your lovely closet, I am sure it would give you pure joy which would be second to none :)

Be Confident & Body Smart !

Apples or Pears, Triangles or Squares - we all have different shapes and sizes - mastering the art of looking perfect and shopping for the appropriate dress would have been easier if you would have known your body type. Having said that, the fact is - we are constantly bombarded with the latest trends or the picture perfect models that we see on televisions or magazines, but come on !! it is their job to be fit n perfect, isn’t it? While for women like me who are working in the corporate world, it is all about time, deadlines & then there are so many other females who are either stuck in house hold chores, family traditions or different careers. I feel there is so much to do that makes the idea of attaining the picture perfect figure almost unachievable.

Every woman suffers from low confidence and self-esteem at some point of time in her life, but don't dwell on the negative in life, get up and work towards it. The purpose of this article is not to encourage anyone to participate in the next ramp walk in town but it is to help you look gorgeous and the key for looking gorgeous is dressing beautifully as per your body shape. Dressing according to your body shape can help you improve your look with minimal amount of efforts.

Get ready to learn about your body shape but before analysing your body shape, remember that focusing on the problem areas like tummy, arms, bottom, thighs etc can cloud your judgement when it comes to seeing the whole picture. It's important to view yourself as a whole so that you can define your body shape.

Apple Shape - Not as bad as it may seem to you !

You know you’re an apple shape when 

• Your shoulders and hips are around the same width
• Your waistline has the same width or is wider.
• You probably have slender lower legs and arms.
• You gain weight mostly around the waist as compared to the other parts of your body.

Celebrity connection - Kate Winslet ( Rose from the classic Titanic) , Jennifer Hudson

Dos & Donts

Outfits for Apple Shape

• Avoid body hugging, plain tops.
• Make sure you don't tuck in your tops and they are long enough to cover your tummy.
• Kurtis can be your best friends in case you want a slimmer look.
• your legs are the centre of attraction, so go ahead & wear those mini skirts, short skirts etc.
• Opt for tops and dresses which have ruching, wrap around cut or V-necks !
• Go for A-line anarkalis with broad hemline borders.
• Stay away from stiff fabrics like tissue, brocade.

Pear Shape -  Classically feminine !

You know you’re a pear shape when

• Chance are you have got narrow shoulders, a small bust and slim waist.
• But your hips are the widest areas of your body.
• Your thighs will be wider.
• Your bottom is the part where you’ll find you put on weight most easily.

Celebrity connection - Beyonce, Sonam Kapoor

Dos & Donts

Outfits for Pear Shape

• Wear dresses which grab attention to your upper half.
• Wear tops with details around the neckline.
• Wear dark colored bottoms to make an illusion that they are skinny.
• For more details on denims, refer the denims article.
• Make use of jackets, blazers as they give more structure to your shoulders and make you look great.
• Opt for dresses that sung around the waist area with A-line skirts. You’ll look gorgeous in it !
• Like Apples, even pears can opt for A-line anarkalis as they flare at bottom hence giving you a slimmer look.

Hour Glass - The archetypal female frame!

You know you’re a hour glass when

• Your shoulders and hips are around the same width.
• Your lower hips are wider than your high hips.
• Your buttocks are rather round
• Your thighs are full but narrower than the lower hips.
• You generally gain weight though the hips and above the waist.

Celebrity connection - Jennifer Lopez, Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra

Dos & Donts

• If you have a good height, you will look great in 



Outfits for Hourglass Shape

• floor length anarkalis
• Long Kurtis
• Jumps suits
• gowns
• Opt for sheer, soft, clingy fabrics which fall neatly on your perfect curves.
• Avoid turtle necks as they draw away attention from your waist. Remember you have to emphasise on your best assets.
• Pencil cut skirts would definitely look fab!
• well fitted jackets or blazers will slim down your look and will emphasise your figure beautifully.
• Avoid baggy styles
• You can carry any type of anarkali dress,

Inverted Triangle - The athletic shape !

You know you’re an Inverted Triangle when,

• You have small bust, slim hips
• Your shoulders are broad, straight and are wider than your waistline or hips.
• Chances are, you have flat buttocks
• If you gain weight, it is mostly through the torso and back area.
• You have an athletic build.

Celebrity connection - Kareena Kapoor,Demi Moore and Renee Zellweger.

Dos & Donts

Outfits for Inverted Triangles

• You have wide shoulders, so you can opt for V-necks, wraparound cuts.
• Pleated, Peplum, A-line skirts would look fab!
• Opt for tops or dresses with halter necks that snug you around the waist. You’ll look great !
• Avoid tube tops/dresses.
• Avoid fluffy sleeves and Big collars as these will emphasise your widest region.
• Button down shirts will make you look elegant.
• You can also go for anarkalis with v-necks or halter necks with a broad hemline border near the waist.

Rectangle - Enviable if not flattering !

You know you’re a rectangle shape when,

• The width of your hips, waistline and shoulders is the same
• You have an athletic build and a small bustline.
• Rectangles gain weight evenly. 
• You have straight shoulders.

Celebrity connection - Anoushka Sharma, Kalki Koechlin and Cameron Diaz.

Outfits for Rectangular frame

Dos & Donts

• If you have small bust size, opt for tops/dresses with details around the bust area like sequins. ruffles or other embellishments .
• Opt for blazers with shoulder pads as they would give you a wide effect hence an hourglass kinda illusion.
• Jackets that fasten with a sash or a belt to create a waist.
• Avoid baggy pants, big loose tops.
• You can opt for frock style, layered anarkalis which will give you more curves and volume.

Remember, many women do not fit perfectly within the above body shapes so be prepared for slight variations and combine your style and needs accordingly. Also remember if you are still a teenager, then your body shape might change in near future as many teens have a rectangular frame before they start to develop more curves.

Don’t forget to dress according to your body shape and love yourself for who you are because anyone can look good and Remember to keep it simple, yet stylish !

Denims !

Jeans are as American as apple pie, Jeans have always been in fashion and continue to be. These are easily accessible to anyone and may be thats why are meant to be a Girl’s second skin ! Jeans can give you a rugged look as well as a complete feminine look !

As we all know, The “denim on denim” look has been in trend for a while now, But before you all catch up on the trend, Do you have the right pair of Jeans? I feel it is must to have one great pair of jeans before trying on the trends.

Finding the perfect jeans :

If you are like most of the women, finding the perfect jeans can be quite stressful. I have experienced and seen women trying on at least 4 to 5 jeans before zeroing in on the suitable one.

Firstly, take out sufficient time when you are buying a jeans and make sure you are being accompanied by someone who would be your best critic (avoid diplomatic relatives or friends)

Don’t hesitate to ask the sales girls about how you look in a particular fit or what you should try, since they really know their stuff better and there are high chances that they’ll suggest you the best fit.

Consider the body type before trying out the different cuts and styles. A few suggestions as per body types are listed below,

Apple Frame : Girls with apple frames have to pay special attention to the “rise of jeans”.  Higher the waist line the better. Basically look for those flat-frontend styles, make sure the jeans fits perfectly around the waist line, it should be snug enough to give you shape and smoothness. Remember, picking up a low-rise jeans can create the dreaded muffin-top effect on you (when your middle spills over the waistband of your pants). I would suggest you to go for the Trouser jeans since they are tailored to look like traditional trousers since the wider waistband helps your tummy to be intact in place and the wider legs help to balance a top heavy figure or you can even go for the Boot cut jeans as it shows off an apple body's slim hips and creates a smooth line down the leg.

Hour Glass : Choose a regular rise jeans, avoid picking up too low rise since they will give you the similar dreaded muffin-top effect as it gives for the apple-frame. Make sure your jeans sits right on your waist line as you have the perfect waist line. Snug it up with a belt and let the natural shape glorify your feminine waist. My suggestions are boot-cut, wide-leg. You may also choose a tapered leg instead of a skinny one to flatter your hips.

Pear Shape : Similar to the hour glass shape, pick up a mid rise, easy fit jeans that will flare up the legs and draw attention away from your hips. Keep away from capris or tapered pants, which conversely would draw attention to your big hips. I would suggest wide leg style, boot cut.

Inverted Triangle Frame : Don't hesitate to try different washes, colors and styles like the boyfriend style, distressed, baggy, flared, boot cut, wide leg etc.

Petite Shape : Its a myth that girls falling under this shape shouldn’t wear cropped jeans. Ankle-skimmers should not be avoided at all as long as they are the perfect ankle skimming jeans. Run miles away from those capri pants which are proclaimed as ankle skimmers, avoid taking risks if you don’t get the genuine ankle skimmers. Go for high rise jeans which offer you a slight flare hence giving you a tall effect. I would suggest slim boot cut jeans or jeans with those straight leg fits which would make your body look slender and make you look taller.

Plus Sizes : There are number of brands which offer plus sizes. look for at least 2 to 3 % spandex content in your jeans, spandex is an elastic material which keeps your body in place, this is also recommended for apple frames. Most of the plus size women are afraid of narrowness at the legs, if it is your concern then go loose on the top or go for a tailored blazer which will ultimately give you a balanced look.

Focus on the fit, not on the labels, remember one manufacturer’s definition of boot cut or regular fit can be slightly different than others.

Remember the trick is to go for a style that has a close fitting near your hips, irrespective of what shape you are so that the gap between your jeans and your back is reduced to give you the perfect shape and comfort! And if it is not so, get it mended from the tailor. Levis provides such customisations.

Special note for those who are willing to choose the distressed jeans, be mindful while wearing those bleached, distressed jeans since that will emphasise on those particular areas of your body, for instance if you have such spots on your thighs, it’ll make your thighs look bigger, Avoid them.

For Corporates/Business look : Though there has been a debate on considering jeans as a part of business casual look, if you are trying to create such a look, go for a darker washed jeans, wear it with a feminine blazer (charcoal, grey, sea blue or camel color) can look great !

For Trendy Look : If you are willing to go by the modern trends, wear your jeans with a crop top, pair it up with high heels or a statement necklace.

Lastly, if you find the best fitted jeans, don’t hesitate to pile up the similar style cos am sure you don’t want to regret that your fav line has been discontinued or is out of stock for a very long time. (I remember Levis Curve ID going out of stock )

Where to buy from? ( Based on the price range )

Low cost:  Try Nuon, Jealous, Max

Moderate cost: Check out Levis, Pepe, Wrangler, UCB

My Choice ~ Zara has a great variety of skinny jeans which are light weight and I personally love them.

What is Trending - #denimOnDenim,  #whiteJeans

#whiteJeans is coming back in trend, thanks to the rising mercury. Keep checking this space to find more about how to sport the white jeans.

Coming back to the denim on denim look, Gap’s executive vice president of design, Patrick Robinson says, “The trick is to mix fabric weights and washes” . I completely agree by that statement !

Don’t keep the entire look heavy and monotonous. If you decide to wear a heavy (in terms of fabric weights) denim then pair it with a lighter denim top or jacket.

The formula for wearing denim on denim fashion is balancing out the shades of denim as well, try lighter shades with darker ones but also keep in mind your body type while doing the same. Remember, dark color denims give you a slimming effect and lighter denim shades draw attention to those body parts.

How to accessorise for the perfect Denim on denim look ?

Don'ts :

•Denim Accessories are a big No No as you don't want the matchy - match look.

•Well, it doesn’t have to be one of those cow boy looks either, so avoid cow boy shoes, cow boy hats!

Do's

•Loafers (Yellow Occur, Beige, Nude) , Stilletos.

•Wear Red/Pink Lip color

Wear the Denim on denim look like  :

Kate Bosworth, J-Lo,  Miranda Kerr, Kim or Reese Witherspoon - I personally wear it like Reese does ( A polished look, indeed).