Tied Up

Most young men don't seem to own more than a skinny black tie and a vague printed one they stole from their dad for that one annual day.

I think (and this has to do with girls too), once we hit 20ish, we need a grown-up wardrobe. And we need to stop borrowing. I know for a fact that my mother keeps her cupboard keys with her at all times so I can't steal her perfumes or jewelry.

Anyway.
I hope this infographic (That I made - CC ONLY PLEASE) helps you guys out.
It consists of ties that you need to kind of build a collection instead of blindly buying them for occasions.

Good luck!

12 essentials for your grown-up wardrobe

This post is dedicated to my cousin who gave me the idea.

I claim no credit. :P

Okay. So I moved out of home…yesterday? And when I was packing, I realised that I have some semblance of a big girl wardrobe. It is by no means done, but there are a lot of staples I feel will really fit into my post-22-working-girl set of clothes. They’re a lot of basics, which multitask and can be used with a wide variety of looks, no matter what your style spirit animal is.

If any of you are making the transition from college to work, I think this list will help you.

1.       A Blazer

I’m an extremely small person, so most blazers drown me – especially with the shoulderpads. I found this gem in Delhi on the streets. It’s cropped, and it fits like a dream. I throw it on whenever I want to fool people into thinking I have my life together. Works every time.

2.       A well fitting black tank

A MUST HAVE. It goes under tops, sheer shirts, blazers, cardigans and with skirts, jeans, trousers…it’s endless. Invest in a couple.

3.       A silk or silk imitation non-iron blouse

This is a lifesaver for when you’ve got an impromptu meeting and nothing to wear. Very low maintenance, looks extremely chic.

4.       A transition blouse or top

On those days where you know you’re going to be going out after work, this top does the job. Still fits in with the semi-formal work restrictions and can be styled up with some jewellery and darker makeup for the evening.

5.       Black pants

Goes with everything. Be it work or play. Get something stretchy so you can show off them legs.

6.       A printed skirt

An alternative to a dress for an evening/night out. Not exactly work appropriate (mine isn’t, purely because of the length) but can be worn with a multitude of tops and you can dress it up or down as per your liking.

7.       Bandeau bra

This is a lifesaver for those sheer/low armhole tops when you don’t want to wear a slip, but you still want to cover up your chest business.

8.       Kurti

The best option for those days where you want to look like you made an effort but you really didn’t. A nice kurti can do wonders when you’re over the whole formal wear situation and want something a little different.  Slap on some kohl, put on some nice dangly earrings and you’re good to go.

9.       A nice statement necklace

Always have a couple handy to add some drama to your outfit. Keep a couple in your bag/workplace to throw on when you need to go out.

10.   Nice perfume

It’s just right of passage to have your own ‘smell’ when you get older. Invest in a nice perfume that becomes your signature scent.

11.   Grown up watch

I know. We all have cellphones that tell us the time. But a watch is irreplaceable. There’s something really nice about wearing a watch on your wrist. I tend to look at that more than my phone these days.

12.   Pair of black heels

Invest in a pair of nice heels that you can wear to work (yes, work) and still wear with LBDS/LSDS/LRDS. Makes you feel like a million bucks.

IMHO: Top fashion/style websites

When I'm spending (wasting) time on the laptop, there are a few tabs that will constantly be opened the second my Chrome fires up. Apart from the usual social media, these six sites are what give me my input of fashion and style information from all corners of the globe, apart from the ten million blogs that I read.

I've met quite a few people who are not in fashion but love it and would like information that doesn't come in the conventional form of Vogue/Elle which, awesome as they are, they are only monthly magazines. These sites update themselves daily, providing the reader with an absolute trove of information that gets you oohing and aahing over the latest styles on the street, the runway or from the past.

I recommend quite a few of these sites, if not all, for those of you who are into this sort of thing. Especially fashion students - it is essential to stay updated and be aware of what's going on. I swear they should start putting these sites into course curriculum in schools for kids who want to do design or fashion instead of making them balance ledgers and code programs when that's clearly not what they're into. </end rant>

1. Who What Wear

A great one for runway bytes, street style, beauty and celebrity fashion. It has those buzzfeed-esque list compilations which make for happy scrolling time and inspiration. They do a really good job in making runway fashion and stories understandable, highlighting key ideas, trends, make up looks and where to find knock offs.

2. Lookbook

By far, my favorite street fashion compilation site. Users from all over the world post OOTD photos and share them for inspiration and viewing pleasure. If you're stuck on styling a particular piece in your wardrobe, chances are, someone here has done something similar.

Some of these users have links to their own blogs, which  I always find an interesting read. And if I like them, I'll proceed to stalk them on Bloglovin' and Instagram. And Twitter.

3. The Cutting Class

This one caters a little more to students of fashion and design. It has posts on details, patterns, drapes and stitches that designers have displayed on the runway along with a really nice analysis and the occasional how-to. Really pays attention to detail and the pictures are absolutely brilliant. Lovely minimal layout too, I must say.

4. Style.com

Another all-rounder in terms of content, this one really gives you all the runway news as SOON as the shows come out. When the world was watching the World Cup, glued to their televisions, I was sitting up on my laptop, waiting for the pictures of the Fall/Winter couture shows to surface. They cover almost EVERY designer's fashion show, with pictures of every single look. A real designer's encyclopedia. 

5. The Fashion Spot

I find this similar to Who What Wear, actually. But I still go on it. You can never have enough of these sites in your life!

6. Tokyo Street Fashion

Somewhere deep inside me, is a Gothic Lolita begging for release. I wear far too much black, lace, black lace, have an obsession with 19th century literature, fashion and life and absolutely adore the Lolita style. Sigh.

But aside from that, I adore Japanese fashion. More specifically, street fashion. The streets are teeming with youngsters who redefine fashion and change conventional aesthetics every single day. The tiny little micro trends that they start in the east on the streets of Shibuya are often scouted by some trendspotter for H&M or Forever21 and then copied and reproduced on a mass scale. The streets are rich with inspiration and theatrics. This site is a street photography compilation of just that. Maybe you won't dress EXACTLY like them, but I'm sure you can find some crazy trends that you can incorporate in your own way. I know I have!