The Indo- Western Ratio.

As much as I love Indian wear, I rarely get the chance to go all out and dress up in ethnic wear. So I try and work with versatile Indian pieces like a heavy bordered skirt , an embroidered dupatta or a kurta and incorporate it into my daily outfits.
Take this skirt for example. I paired it with a crop top and to add definition to my waistline, I hitched the skirt up so I don't look like a rectangle and can still show off some curves while I move around. I've added in red suede kitten heels with a pointed toe to sit with the midi skirt. A modern satin over-sized clutch and antique Indian Jewelry pieces look great against the dark color and high neckline of the top.
You can even wear a similar skirt with a strappy vest and a denim jacket over it . The idea is to be creative, but still keeping a good balance between the two extremes.
I also love wearing heavy embroidered dupattas as shawls with jeans and flats on a casual day. Some over-sized sunnies ,a messy top knot and a classy tote and you can pull off an effortless look in a matter of minutes!
P.S: See a similar post from one of my older posts here.

The SHIRT

You may think that a crisp shirt would only suit a working environment but think again. These days, you need to wear a shirt as casually as you would a t shirt to be on trend! A shirt is the most versatile piece of garment that anyone can own.
Here are a few ways you can sport a clean shirt in different ways:

The work shirt: Tailored crisp shirt tucked into pencil skirts or trousers and kitten keels.

The dinner shirt: Dark colored shirt tucked into a sequinned mini skirt, killer heels and wild hair! Don't forget to undo the first two buttons for a more relaxed look.

The holiday shirt: Semi crushed, open buttons worn over a bright tank and denim shorts with flip-flops.

The casual shirt: Tucked into a fun skirt, sleeves pushed up and strappy sandals for a more casual-chic look. Something like the images supporting this post.

The wild child: Only for the daring- Peek a boo bustier, shirt ends tied into a knot over the navel with a mini skirt/ hot pants with knee high boots. P.S, you must be able to pull off this look with an edge , else you give off a completely different vibe!

I'm all about cotton shirts this season and I'm extremely picky about the fit! Remember it's the fit that makes or breaks you.
Until the next post ( which is my favorite ) , lots of hugs. Ciao for now.

Shirt: Camaieu, Skirt: Zara, Shoes: French Connection, Cuff & Necklace: Macy's, Bag: Furla

Fully Fledged Summer.

I'm not sure about you guys, but I personally prefer prints and textures over solids any day! Which is why I decided to welcome summer 2014 with florals and neon! I used to hate neon as it makes me look darker. Yep. Neon makes dusky women darker so unless that's what you're going for, try wearing the color in moderation. I've started accepting neon over the last year and my hate for neon completely vanished when I chanced upon these gorgeous loafers from Zara! Ever since, I've tried to wear neon in moderation . For example look for neon in subtle prints or details on a dress . Accessories work too- choose from necklaces , bags or even shoes to add a bit of "POP" and stand out from the crowd!
Show me how you guys wear NEON by tagging @askthestylecouncil on Instagram with the hashtag #thestylecounciltaash and get a chance to win nothing , but hey, at least we're sharing ideas :)

On another note, I'm totally crushing on Zayn Malik. Yes. I know, I sound so 16. But - it's always nice to be young at heart!
Until the next post, x's and o's !

Blouse, Dress( hitched up) : HM, Leggings and Shoes: Zara, Bag : Monsoon Accessorize, Hand accessories: Mango, Camaieu, Accessorize.

What's on my dressing table?

Here's a look at my dressing table. Fun fact about my dressing table: It's about 10 years old. Yes. this bad boy has n number of  scratches, chips, nail polish stains and nail polish remover stains on it. And guess what? I'm not planning on replacing it anytime soon. Vintage? I think so! :D

Summer calling.

As we enjoy the last few days of good weather, I'm trying to sort out my 2014 Summer must-have list. So far I have the color white and lightweight jersey t-shirts.
A breathable, lightweight tee in quality fabric is a must have for summer. Think linen - mix and viscose tees. They're so comfortable and can be layered up easily.I'm  more of a skirt gal and I only save shorts for vacations so I'm not going to add shorts to my list unfortunately. Yes, you can all boo me now.

Moving on, I love the combination of a light color and khaki. Khaki is one of my personal favorite summer colors apart from white, tan and denim blue.I paired this lightweight tee with my favorite khaki skirt and threw on a waterfall cardigan to a casual brunch date with my girlfriends last week. This is a good example of my lazy-day outfit.(Lazy days include Saturday afternoons and Sundays).

Tee: Hobbs, Skirt:Camaieu, Cardigan: Mango, Shoes: Kenneth Cole, Bag: Monsoon Accessorize

BLUE mood.

 So the "it colour" breaking us into Summer is Blue. Not the shade I'm sporting, but Powder blue to be exact. I've fallen in love with baby blues and pinks and the reason I've decided to do a brighter blue is because some women out there hate the idea of lighter colors.
So one way to add in lighter colors into your outfit is to buy light colored basics. Think denim, vests, tee shirts you can layer and even a few statement jewelry. That way you can get away by pairing it with a darker shade of blue.
Don't get me wrong, but I love powder blue and how great it looks on dusky-darker skin tones.Take Lupita Nyongo for Eg. in this beautiful pleated baby blue gown at the Oscar's recently. She looks so fresh and chic and was the most talked-about celeb by all the fashion critics for how beautiful she looked.
So girls, if you're a darker skin shade and are afraid of wearing lighter colors, it's time to break away from that fear and invest in some key pastel pieces.YES.

I cant wait until I bring out my chiffon sundresses and blossom printed blouses. Although I detest summer, I miss playing with color! Have you guys got a favorite summer color? Mine is white, and always will be!

Jumper: Camaieu, Jeans:Hobbs, Bag: Accessorize, Necklace: BHS, Bangles: Macey's, Accessorize

Black to Basics

Black is undoubtedly my favorite color. Although I have reduced wearing too much black in the past 2 years, I cant help but pull off an all-black outfit every now and then.
Because black accessories would be a little too over-whelming, I added in hints of nude to tone down the look. Silver accessories to match the embellishment on my neckline and the tucked in blouse make the look slightly more formal.
This is exactly what I would wear to work on a day when I'm confused about the look I'm going for. Over-sized blouse tucked into mid-waisted trousers and all in black! A mannish watch and minimal jewelry to complete the look is all I need.
Since we've already started phasing into summer and all the dark colors would slowly start fading out, I decided to go all- back one last time before the sun is up at it's brightest!

P.S: You can even work bright colors into an all-black look. My personal favorites are neon yellow, red and hot pink. Try the look by wearing some thing black and keeping the color of your shoes and handbag the same in a fun hue!

Blouse, Bag and Shoes: Mango, Trousers: Camaieu, Watch: Parfois, Bracelet: Pandora