In Life and In Fashion

It’s Only Fair

Kena Paranjape — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:34:37 +0000

We all have those days when we look in the mirror and hate our hair/skin/body. We let our critical inner voices tell us LOUDLY that our skin is blotchy and we really should get a haircut. Sometimes that inner voice can follow us all day, shouting mean things whenever we look in a mirror. But what about those days when your hair looks amazing or your skin is glowing or you have a killer outfit on, and you know it? Why should your critical voice get all the airplay, all the time? Why not let your complimentary inner voice lavish you with well deserved praise? How about just saying, "Why, thank you!" when someone compliments how lovely you look today? You may call it vain, but I say, it is only fair.

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The Lazy Fashionista

Kena Paranjape — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:01:34 +0000

When you are a self-proclaimed style expert, you are supposed to walk the walk and talk the talk and practice what you preach. It would not do, for example, for me to wear rubber flip flops on the street after my post about Style Do's and Don'ts. But I have a confession to make: I am not a fashionista (a term I actually loathe) in the true sense of the word. I am what you could call a Lazy Fashionista. There are days when I don't apply mascara before heading out the door and there has been more than one occasion when my sister has looked me up and down with eyes that say, "what are you wearing??". But let's face it. There are times when your outfit is the last thing on your mind. You are a complex person with important things to think about beyond what shoes go with this skirt. So, I would like to pass on a few tips for those days when life choices outweigh your earring choices.

1. Throw on a scarf (see above): a scarf is the easiest accessory in the world. It can add colour to an outfit, keep you warm and add personality to the most boring t-shirt and jeans. This season go for an over-sized cashmere or chunky knit version.

2. Wear shades: Celebrities' favourite trick. Throw on a big pair of shades on days when you just can't bring yourself to apply your five-minute-face.

Eva Mendes hides behind dark shades

3. Blush it up: A punchy dab of blush can wake up your face and make you look fresh and relaxed even if that is not how you feel.

A Lovely Blush at Carolina Herrera

Any other ideas?

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Inspired by Jay-Z

Kena Paranjape — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:49:31 +0000

I saw Jay-Z in concert this past weekend. It was inspiring, invigorating and can't-stay-sitting-down fun. Maybe he is just that great of a showman, but I could feel his awe that he had made it from the projects in Brooklyn to a stage with thousands of fans cheering for him. His message to the crowd was to dream big and not let anything or anyone get in the way. But he has obviously done a lot of things right beyond just dreaming. Here are some of the keys to his success from my point of view -what do you think?

1. Surround yourself with successful, like-minded people. I read somewhere that the success of your five closest friends reflects your own potential for success. Although Jay-Z is absolutely self-made, he has created an even larger personal brand by hitching himself to other stars across various genres and within the hip hop community: Coldplay, Linkin Park, Rihanna, Kanye West, Alicia Keyes, just to name a few. Many of these collaborations resulted in his biggest hits.

2. Hustle! ie. Work your a$$ off. Malcom Gladwell wrote in his book Outliers, that it takes at least 10,000 hours of practice to truly master a skill. No matter how talented he is, he couldn't have made it without consistency, persistence and just simple hard work.

"I'm far from being God but I work God damn hard" - Breathe Easy, The Blueprint

3. Fully invest in his passion. In a recent interview with Oprah, Jay-Z talks about a point when he realized he would have to fully give up dealing drugs to pursue his passion for hip hop. It sounds funny (slash scary), but drug dealers were the role models in his neighbourhood because they brought in cash. He had to have long term vision to realize that if he wanted to follow his dream, he needed to fully commit to his passion. He continues to do that today by looking for new ways to grow in his music.

“Treat my first like my last and the last like my first and my thirst is the same as- when I came.” - My First Song, The Black Album

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Inspired By Eva Mendes…The Girl Knows How to Wear a Dress

Kena Paranjape — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:36:30 +0000

Whatever you want to say about Eva Mendes' acting skills, go ahead. But the girl knows how to wear a dress. From Yves St. Laurent, to Oscar de la Renta to Calvin Klein, she wears them all and wears them well. What can we learn from her? Work with your body type! Eva plays up her curves by choosing waist-defining styles and almost always goes sleeveless to highlight her toned arms. She adds a belt where there might not be one and keeps jewelry to a minimum to allow her (and her dress!) to play the starring role with a fun clutch as best supporting actor. Hair is kept relaxed and sexy. Oh, and great posture, as always, goes a long way.

This post is dedicated to my friend Shelina who is a fan of Eva Mendes and also really knows how to wear a dress.

In Dolce and Gabbana

In Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti

In Valentino

With Anna Wintour

*Photos courtesy of style.com

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Wear This: My New Column

Kena Paranjape — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:32:16 +0000

Exciting news! I recently started writing a weekly column in t.o.night, Toronto's new free daily afternoon paper. It is a style column called Wear This and every week I will be writing about style trends in both fashion and beauty. It has always been a secret dream of mine to write a column (sorry to be cliché, but picture Carrie Bradshaw sitting at her window) and I feel very grateful for the opportunity now. As a kid, I used to write a lot because I a) loved it and b) was good at it, but as I entered university I abandoned the hobby only to pick it up with this blog almost ten years later.

Which begs the question, what did you love to do as a kid? What were you naturally good at? Perhaps now is the time to find a way to bring it into your life again. You never know where it could lead...

PS. If you live in Toronto, you can find t.o.night being handed out just outside major downtown subway stations.

PPS. Thanks to Shaireen for inspiring my first article! xoxo

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Now is the Perfect Time to…

Kena Paranjape — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:50:17 +0000

A perfect outfit for a fall day

...go for a walk with your sister (or Mom or close friend). Take advantage of a crisp sunny day, bundle up in a sweater or a fall coat, and throw on your shades and a big cozy scarf. Catch up on life, make plans for the holidays, inspire each other to get moving on plans you have been putting off. Soak in the last bit of warm sunshine. Choose a quaint neighborhood, a country road or path and get moving. Top it off with a hot coffee or warm cocoa or cider at a neighborhood stop.

Wrap up in a cozy scarf, Anthropologie

Find a beautiful country road

Warm up with a hot coffee

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12 Ways to Live Each Day to the Fullest

Kena Paranjape — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:08:30 +0000

On any given day, someone is in a tough meeting at work, someone else is at the bedside of their sick child, someone else is cooking dinner for their family. On this day, at this moment, people all around the world are living a wide range of experiences from the devastating to the mundane to the sublime. But we are all encouraged to live each day to the fullest, as if it were our last. It is great advice, but how do we go about putting it into action when we are all living different experiences? I believe that in order to live each day to the fullest, we need to find that peaceful place inside of us. From there, we can choose what is best for us on any given day. Here are some ways to put living your life to the fullest into action regularly:

Laugh as much as you can
Connect with people, see the humanity in all around you
Take smart risks
Spend time doing things you love (even if only for a few minutes!)
Treat yourself to simple pleasures
Hug freely and often (and appropriately!)
Know that you deserve to have a great day
Take what you need from what is available to you
Immerse yourself in one thing at a time
Ask for what you need
When a frustrating situation arises look for creative solutions
Never stop working towards your dreams

The list could go on, but these twelve things as a start will lead you to live everyday to the fullest no matter what your circumstance may be. What is on your list?

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Inspired By: Margherita Missoni

Kena Paranjape — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:59:44 +0000

Margherita Missoni

I have always thought Margherita Missoni is perfectly lovely. I can't tell you too much about her other than that she is the daughter of Angela Missoni, the Creative Director for the legendary knit company Missoni, and that she is a socialite and student living in NY. But I do love her personal style. Despite now living in the world of head-to-toe black, she has stayed true to her fashion roots by:

Wearing colour through beautiful prints (isn't that what Missoni is famous for?)
Adding accessories with a boho vibe
Always choosing an interesting shape or accessory the few times she does wear black
Wearing lots of feminine dresses

Some of my favourite looks are below. What do you think?

With Zac Posen

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Handbag Heaven: The Maintenance Program

Kena Paranjape — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:20:07 +0000

Chloe Flap Bag

Last year, I wrote a post about how to keep your handbag in a clean and tidy state. Today as I dug through my purse and felt loose coins, old receipts and lip gloss rolling around at the bottom, I felt my irritation rise. How hypocritical of me to write about keeping an organized, clean bag, when I haven't managed to do it myself! I asked myself where I failed. And the answer was I that I had not followed the maintenance program.

They say it takes about three weeks to form a habit. So here I go again. From this day forward I will:

Immediately throw out any receipt I know I don't need rather than carelessly tossing it into my bag and allowing them to pile up.
Take the time to put change in my wallet and zip it closed before hopping out of a cab instead of feeling rushed to get out and then finding my whole coin purse dumped into my bag.
Put all cosmetics into one pouch and faithfully return them to their home after use.
Always keep my phone in the cell phone pocket so I don't have to dig around like a maniac every time it rings.

Sounds so easy doesn't it? I would love to hear your tips for keeping your handbag organized. For more ideas on how to cleanse your handbag and start fresh, read here.

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The Beauty of a Bike

Kena Paranjape — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:34:14 +0000

Cynthia Rowley Biking Down the Runway

I've had a bike for about five years now. My husband gave it to me for a birthday when we lived in San Francisco. I used it a few times, to bike along the bay and across the golden gate bridge. It was very fun, but was more of a weekend past time than a mode of transportation (have you seen the hills in San Francisco??!!). This summer in Toronto we decided to head out on our bikes to run a few errands, and suddenly, I opened my eyes to the real beauty of a bike.

Here are six reasons why I am now in love:

In the city, you get around faster on a bike than in a car or on the subway
You get plenty of fresh air
It is good for the environment
You join a community of people navigating the roads on bicycles
It is an efficient mode of exercise (efficient because you are going somewhere anyway)
It is the cheapest mode of transportation - no subway fare, no parking fees

If you have considered buying a bike, or own one and have only used it infrequently, pull it out, dust it off, tune it up and use it to run your errands, ride to work, or head off to meet friends for dinner. A few other essentials:

PLEASE wear a helmet. It is not yet a law everywhere, but why wouldn't you? If an unfortunate accident happens, you don't want to regret making such a simple choice.
Avoid helmet head by making sure your hair is totally dry before putting on your helmet. The minute you get to your destination, whip off your helmet and fluff up your hair.
Buy a really good lock. Don't cheap out unless you are looking for a reason to buy a new bike.

Me on my Bike. And yes, I did put on my helmet!

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