The Aili

Berlin Wall

2013-12-02T23:36:00.001+05:30

Here are a few excerpts of the East Side Gallery (Berlin Wall) from my visit to Berlin. I didn't have a lot of photographs to begin with. It's troublesome to carry the camera around when all you really want to do is get into the vibe of a new city. And trust me, Berlin is a whole universe of its own; immersed in heart-wrenching history by day, interlaced with multi-cultural social affairs by night. Despite its awfully cold weather, I have tremendous love for this city. It's been one of my favourites so far (this is probably going to echo throughout my Europe series).

My French Love Story

2013-12-01T03:08:00.001+05:30

So I'm finally back from ze dead. Well not exactly, given that I've been galavanting across Europe for the past two months, but, one could use that phrase to describe my ever so sporadic blogging habits. And you know, the funny thing is, I've got shitloads to write about, I really do, but I have no idea where to begin.

Let me just start by saying that I'm currently living in the south of France; Montpellier, to be exact, and I'm here for a semester, which basically translates to drowning oneself in alcohol, sleeping in trains, clinking glasses with strangers, and well, just travelling, while I'm not attending class, of course.

I was utterly mistaken when I assumed that learning the French language for 30 class-hours (and securing an excellent grade, I might add) before arriving in this country would do me good. But noooo, no matter how hard you try at saying something in French, it just. Doesn't. Sound. Right. Yes, the language is beautiful when the natives speak it, but it's hilarious, and extremely embarrassing when you're trying to convince yourself that what you're saying is exactly what the French want or need to hear. A major let-down there.

So here's my real story.

I love and hate the French.

Love? Yes indeed. Their sense of style is flawless, they are well groomed, good-looking, classy, and don't get me started on their choice of perfumes. They're god-gifted with that, I tell you.

Their glorious wines and scrumptious desserts are worth mentioning, and so is their gazillion variety of (stinky and repulsive) cheese. Every grocery store probably has a huge section just for displaying the different kinds of cheese.

So why do I hate them? Well, for starters, I have been stranded in train stations multiple times because the labour unions in France decided to call for strikes without any warning whatsoever. They just LOVE to skip work, relax, and have a good time (and they're bloody good at that). It's true. Come holiday season, and we'll all find ourselves falling prey to these lazy madames and monsieurs, abandoning their workplace while we hopelessly wait for another way to get home. Another obvious reason would be, that most of them don't bother to learn English! 'Nuff said!

Maybe hate is too strong a word. Let's just stick to these-are-the-things-about-the-French-that-annoy-me. On another note, I'd have to admit that I do admire them plenty. I do, I do.

This is all.

Au revoir!

Drinking Tea in Style

2013-07-06T22:13:00.002+05:30

Creativity in tea packaging is unbelievably underrated. The simple joy of having a butterfly on your tea mug can be therapeutic too! I've got to admit that I'm largely enthusiastic about innovative packaging, but even as a seldom tea drinker, these oddly attractive tea bags certainly make me want to ludicrously drink more tea. Of course, it's more important to consider the taste of the drink, but geez, I would most definitely like to have a couple of these on my mug as I sip on some green tea, which brings me to another story.

I've never been an avid tea drinker, but green tea with a tea spoon of honey has become a part of my daily mantra. I've come to painstakingly realize that my internal system needed more attention (more like TLC) than I'd been giving it ever since I started college. Students of Delhi University will probably be able to relate to what I'm referring to; ridiculous sleep patterns, binging on junk, oily (x100000) street foods, and constant dehydration.

I haven't seen much change in my sleep cycle, but I've added exercise, green tea and 2 litres of water to my daily regime, which makes me feel more positive about my health and general well-being.

Designers:
1. Yena Lee (yellow butterflies)
2. Maria Milagros Rodriguez (red origami bird)
3. Tea Smiles (snowflakes)

4. Peter Hewitt (tall polyhedrals)

5. Anne-Marie Leger (voodoo dolls)

6. Nathalie Hallman (Lady Gaga tea bags)
7. Soon Mo Kang (Hanger tea)
8. Ori Saidi and Daniel Gassner, OTOTO (submarine tea infuser)

Shadow

2013-05-02T19:00:00.000+05:30

wearing:

shoes - ebay

skirt - forever 21

crop top - american apparel
vest - max

sunnies - sabre

It looks like my blogging momentum is back to zero. Lately I've been contemplating trying new things for the blog, like adding a DIY section, travel section, et al, but I am a complete noob at landscape photography and my DIYs are usually never photographed because they seem to happen spontaneously. Plus, I haven't gone travelling enough, but I should hope to see more non-commercialized places that are worth writing about in the near future.

Till then, here's an outfit I had worn when I was back home. A little too quirky for that little town but then again, it was enjoyable to have it on even for a few hours. Hurray for crop tops, and my favourite white Sabre sunnies.

Throwback

2013-04-20T22:42:00.001+05:30

wearing:
pants & shoes - asos
top - local store

Posting these images from my weekend at The Serai in March, just to keep this blog alive. I haven't had any new experiences in the past few days that are worth mentioning here, except the fact that my vivid imagination of what a chocolate factory would look like, courtesy Roald Dahl, has most definitely ended up in shambles. Reality is always disappointing, when it's set against something that you've created in your head.

Besides that, I'm certainly happy to be living in this part of the city. The weather is mildly troubling, but nothing I cannot deal with. I've also found my favourite shopping sites, in and around Colaba, so as far as thrifting is concerned, I'm content.

My camera hasn't seen the light of day in weeks so I'm desperately hoping that next weekend I have some real-time photos to share with you. Till then, take care!

Midi

2013-04-12T00:23:00.000+05:30

wearing:

dress - asos

shoes & hat - mango

bag - vintage

blazer - zara

Photography by Aglet Design

This is another set of photos from the Grazia feature. Midi dresses are definitely one of my favourite summer staples; flowy, and very 1960s. Also, it can be implied that the colour white resonates from every corner of my closet. It's indeed the freshest shade that can be both bold, and delicate at the same time.

It's past 12 am and I'm feverishly catching up with all my anime episodes so I shall leave my ranting to another time and hope that I wake up on time for work tomorrow. Till then, stay inspired.

Chill

2013-04-08T18:00:00.000+05:30

Wearing:

Blazer & Bag - River Island

Pants - Inmark (store in Bangalore)

Shoes & Sunnies - Asos

I'm immensely fond of wearing lounge pants anywhere and everywhere owing to the comfort and coolness one derives from them. You can't ever be sad when you're wearing them. Honest. Or maybe it has its own charm on me.

Anyway, I've been going around discovering places in and around Colaba and I'm quite liking this part of the city. Hopefully by the time you hear from me again, I would have already covered half of it, and thus, have more to share with you.

Till then, wish me luck in my new pursuit, and all my love to you gorgeous people.

Wooster

2013-04-05T13:43:00.000+05:30

wearing:

vest - max

earrings & bracelet - youshine

shoes - asos

skirt - friend's

hat - mango

Ten days went by in a flash, and I barely remember doing anything except reading P.G. Wodehouse short stories and watching the Lord of the Rings movies in bed (yet again!). Blissful as it was, I've somehow inherited the restless fervour of a 5-year-old. I can't quite put my finger on what it is that drives this newly acquired behaviour, but it would seem like I'm preparing myself for two months in an altogether new city. Funny as it seems, this has affected my sense of style (no kidding). I've been wearing too many mis-matched items, and clothes that neither fit, nor compliment my body structure. I haven't documented these changes in digital memory, but it's safe to say that it's only temporary, although I quite enjoyed being lightly ridiculed by mom and dad for wearing these outfits and going around town. Oh well, it was all in good fun so I did have my fair share of laughs.

You could say that my outfit here is a sober example of what I'd just mentioned. As much as I can, I like to wear that hat with any thing that remotely looks good. I'm such a sucker for fedoras and top hats; another possible influence of the Mulliner and Jeeves & Wooster characters. Yes?

So, henceforth, I shall be blogging from a new place, given that I'm not consumed by too much work or excitement.

Adieu, la belle.

The Flare

2013-03-31T12:46:00.000+05:30

Wearing:

Top - Thrifted

Pants - American Apparel

Bag - Local store

Sunnies - Sabre

Here's a more detailed post on the Grazia's March 2013 feature. I'll be posting the rest in a while. This one's my favourite so I'm sharing it first. A big 'Thank You' to Raghunath from Aglet Design for these shots; I'd never been so comfortable during a shoot. It was great fun.

American Apparel needs a roaring shout because they're they only brand whose jeans fit me PERFECTLY. The only thing that could be an issue is that their jeans cost about $100 with shipping to India. But then again, it's always a good decision to invest in a pair of well-fitted pants, so no complaints here. Besides, they're always sending out discount coupons so watch out for those.

With that said, I wish you all a very Happy Easter. Ciao.

The Serai

2013-03-28T21:47:00.000+05:30

You know those magical weekends one desperately dreams of when she’s chained by work and other commitments? Well, that’s exactly what came to pass a couple of days ago during the Women’s Day weekend. My very own 'fairy god women' from The Serai, Chikmagalur, generously invited me over to spend the weekend at their charmingly picturesque resort with a couple of gorgeous bloggers from Bangalore.

Amidst enchanting candle-lit dinners, adventurous truck rides through the coffee plantations, chocolate making, savoring swims in the infinity pool, and the heavenly Oma Spa, I got to know these beautiful women. Fashion bloggers Smrithi, and Manvi, Travel blogger Ankita, Illustrator Alicia, Food bloggers Tanisha, Margaret and Swapna, fashion blogger/photographer Faiza, and the lovely team from Interactive Avenues and The Serai, Rohita Deepika and Ashvita. They’re such an incredible, lively, and enormously talented bunch; I wouldn’t have had so much fun otherwise.

I’m still in awe of Alicia’s illustrations (they’re extremely adorable and relatable), Faiza’a flawless photography, Swapna, Tanisha (her photography too) & Margaret’s ideas and expertise on food and cooking, Smrithi’s vintage finds, Ankita’s travel diary (more like envious!) and Manvi’s approach to fashion and her remarkable resemblance to Katrina Kaif.

From stimulating conversations about pets that stretched on for hours, to non-stop sounds of the camera shutter, we had a brilliant experience at The Serai, and I would definitely go back there sometime in the future.

Splatter

2013-03-25T13:36:00.000+05:30

Ear rings - Youshine

Sunnies - Sabre

Do pardon my failed attempt at creating the splatter effect on Photoshop. It's just dawned on me that I only use about 1% of what this software is capable of and it's sort of alarming because it's reflective of how I'm not the perfectionist I thought I used to be. Not exactly the kind of realisation one would hope to come across while editing photos, I know, but things like this happen all the time and I don't know if I'm ever attentive enough to notice these things.

With that said, I shall be signing off to tend to my puppies who are presently jumping all over my Mac.

In The Summer

2013-03-16T15:59:00.002+05:30

Dress - Vintage

Cardigan - Forever 21

Shoes - Dolce Vita

Bag - Hidesign

I've been having trouble with a serious case of writer's block for about a month now. Yep. It's true. I had taken these shots in February, courtesy my friend, when the weather was still chilly and incredibly lovely, I might add, but now the heat's bombarded our sweet rendezvous with the winter chill and all I want to wear is my birthday suit. No kidding.

It's inevitable for me to mention here that I have my exams on, which happen every few weeks, so I shouldn't be making a bid deal of it. I also had an amazing weekend treat at the beautiful Serai Resort in Chikmagalur where I met the most animal-loving and fun Bangalore bloggers group. I have oceans of news to share, but I simply don't have enough time to think about what to write or which ones to post first, so pardon my indecisiveness and lack of enthusiasm for fashion/writing at the moment.

Maybe in a week's time I shall get back to blogging business.

Till then, listen to In The Summer by Crystal Fighters and tell me if you happen to fall in love with their oddly creative music.

Feline

2013-02-19T19:42:00.001+05:30

Hairband - YouShine
Pants - American Apparel
Shoes - Zara

As much as I wanted to 'purr' and adopt the 'marble-eyes-with-paws-out' act, I couldn't possibly bring myself to do it. But this faux-pearl studded kitty-ear hairband didn't need it anyway, given how conspicuously catlike it already made me look.

One can derive immense pleasure in prowling around the house, pretending to be Audrey Hepburn's imaginary pet cat and not give two hoots about what this opinionated world has to say. Mind you, I did fight off a potential 'cat fanatic' so I could wear it first and claim the prestige in being one of the feline community.

Besides that, it would not be wrong on my part to admit that a lot of women often admire the sophisticated manner in which cats behave, which also includes hissing and the walk with their head and tails held high. So ladies, don't be afraid to embrace your love for this refined and elegant, yet curious and mischievous class of the animal kingdom, and yes, I'm talking to those who particularly hate/dislike cats.

Storage

2013-02-18T14:35:00.001+05:30

Jewellery: YouShine, FabAlley, ASOS

With my closet in fragments all over the country; parts in Kohima, some in Delhi and the rest in Bangalore, I've lost track of my entire wardrobe content, and I often dream up an exciting outfit only to realize that I don't have the pieces to put together that damned attire. But then again, we all learn to live with what life throws at us, be it lemons or otherwise.

Having reduced the seriousness of life to the shallow domains of materialistic objects, let me move on to finer things, such as this darling of a jewellery stand given to me by two of my best friends. Now this is right up my alley; exactly what I need to glorify the remains of what I call a collection of body adornments.

Often in conflict between whether to display my silver ear-rings or keep them wrapped in cloth in order to prevent tarnish, I've managed to devise a decent plan to decorate my room with this jewellery holder; keep them out till they lose their lustre, have them cleaned and polished, and put them back on the stand again. It's good enough to keep me entertained for a while, given that I seldom have any 'constructive' things to do in my cosy little room.

With this, I shall sign off until I reappear in cyberspace to publish my next post.

Leafy

2013-02-13T00:06:00.000+05:30

Ear Cuff - YouShine

You know the feeling that transpires when you leave the people you love behind? Yeah, that, exactly that. So you can already assume that I've immersed myself in music and tv shows to keep my frenzied mind distracted from this awful, awful homesickness.

On a brighter note, I'd like to share this edgy ear cuff that's well perched on my left ear. This leafy adornment is just what you need to remind yourself of how inspiration can materialize from unfamiliar places. It's probably best fit for special occasions, but I couldn't fight the urge to put it on and start working up that camera of mine. More of the vintage dress I'm wearing soon, but for now, just relish on the beauty of this remarkable piece of art.

After Dentist

2013-02-10T11:21:00.000+05:30

Top - Rooja
Bracelet - YouShine

Pants - Local boutique

Belt - Zovi

Jacket - Vintage

Shoes - ASOS

Hungover on winter and its amenities, I've finally got parts of my wish granted to relive the Delhi chills again. Surely the most pleasant time of the year in this city, I've taken advantage of this good fortune to wear my sheer chiffon blouse and conceal what's underneath it with a well-cloaked coat. Of course, it's not the best idea in the world to walk around like this in Delhi, but after a point, you just stop bothering.

Moving on, as a patient (victim) of a recent wisdom tooth (teeth) extraction, I should emphasize upon the undeniable fact that dentists are frightful beings, so be good to your teeth and save the torture of having numerous tools drilled into your mouth, leaving it bruised and battered. Sigh. I really did have a horrific experience, even though, ironically, my oral surgeon was a sweetheart himself.

Amidst all these recent events, including my midterms, I've managed some artless stances and inelegant expressions to come up with a new post, so I'm hopeful that I have not disappointed my readers.

Garden

2013-01-04T23:40:00.000+05:30

wearing:

pants - precious me love

shoes - asos
necklace - fab alley
belt - zovi
hat - forever21
top - gifted

So the men in my family had some delightfully dreadful things to say about my pants; my brother called me a walking garden, whereas my old man unsparingly pointed out to me that I'd be able camouflage myself if I ever entered the Amazon forest dressed like this. Oh, the joy of being ridiculed while confidently parading around in my fancy pants!

My vacations are over and I'm back on campus, which only means one thing; less or no more blogging till I'm chanced upon by another opportunity to take my camera out and start shooting! But until then, I would assume that I'm forgiven, and missed.

Adieu, la belle.

Red All Over

2012-12-25T23:12:00.000+05:30

wearing:
dress - plumforpolly (closed down for some reason)
boots - jcpenny
sunnies - sabre

It's been a different kind of December for me this year. No Christmas trees, no stockings hanging on the wall, no presents wrapped under the Christmas tree, no exchanging of cards or mistletoes on the ceiling. I've been more engaged in family reunions; visiting graves, and getting to know the names of my little cousins, driving around town, looking back at my childhood memories, and laughing at the silly games we used to play. No, it hasn't been the best, but insightful all the same.

Moving on, these photos were taken by my soul sister in Delhi, where I spent a few days before coming home for the holidays. You could say that my joy in playing dress-up knew no bounds when I could revisit my old wardrobe, which is currently in the form of cardboard boxes and dusty suitcases. Boy, do I miss those days when I had all my clothes and shoes in one closet.

Last but not the least, I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas before today is over.

Cheers.

We Are The Tide

2012-12-19T01:04:00.001+05:30

wearing:

top - ebay

shoes - rooja

jeans - asos

I've got to admit, although I did miss blogging, I secretly enjoyed the prolonged inactivity, and the feeling of not having to take photos every time I wore something nice and went somewhere. I've always been inclined towards being out of the loop and living in my own chamber of sitcoms, good books and wholesome food, so these past few months, I've just being doing that. And a lot more studying and working on projects, but I'd like to delude myself into thinking that I'm not having such a bad time in college after all.

While I've been hastily trying to meet deadlines, I've noticed a whole bunch of Indian shopping sites that have surfaced and made a really good impression. Of course, there's nothing like ASOS and free worldwide shipping, but sometimes I just can't wait three weeks to receive my orders. It drives me crazy, not having a tracking code, and just waiting for the mail to just show up, which by the way only happens when we least expect it. Hence, I'm grateful for new sites like Rooja.com, Fashionara, and Rock.in that make online shopping much more exciting, having the fruits of retail therapy being delivered in just a few days.

Moving on to my outfit, it would appear that I still live in skinny jeans and wedges. Of course, now with the winter chill in the air, I can gladly stroll around in boots and coats, which I've been longing for since the time I packed them away for the summer. Always a fan of aztec prints, I think these Qupid wedges are amazingly comfortable and stylish enough to become my new go-to shoes. I was surprised to find that Rooja.com had Qupid shoes and Rare London dresses in their sale events so I'd give you a heads up to check them out before it's all gone! Soon I shall hope to see some more international brands showing up on Indian sites.

Mirror Work

2012-10-17T13:48:00.002+05:30

wearing:
asos trousers and shoes,
gifted top,
zara sunnies,
f21 belt

Oh, the shame of swimming in the evils of mediocrity! Limitations in taking outfit photos have made me succumb to the cliched self-taken mirror shots, which I may add, isn't as easy as it seems. In the midst of all my academic enlightenment initiatives (if there really is anything of that sort), I've come to realize that there isn't going to be much happening here, apart from the usual 'lust' lists and occasional posts about appreciating the work of geniuses.

I should hope to inspire you in any way I can, and keep you engaged in The Aili.

Lots of love.

Dressy

2012-10-01T21:02:00.000+05:30

wearing:
springbreak dress,
asos shoes

The folks at SpringBreak sent me this gorgeous dress from their collection in collaboration with StyleDrive a while ago. As soon as I tried it on, I got reminded of the Grease Summer Lovin' track that I remember dancing to, in one of our school entertainment evenings. Oh, nostalgia! It makes me want to go back to being a distressed and awkward teen all over again. You'll find myself in giggles whenever I go through all those embarrassing things that we used to do when we were in high school. We could even document it into a best selling novel, we really could, considering the fact that we were such an obnoxious lot with countless ~~first~~ world problems.

Coming back to the dress, I've developed this obsession for broderie anglaise and skater dresses so this fits in so well with it. The neon lining underneath the layer of lace is the cherry on top of the cake really. I could prance around in this all day if I could, just to feel feminine and delicate, for a change.

Bare Naked

2012-09-30T22:43:00.001+05:30

Yet another black and white post, in the midst of my chase after the Escada trio summer fragrances, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, and coping with a terrible case of homesickness. I'm finding it even more difficult to blog with our quizzes starting off this week, and the sinking feeling is almost nauseating. A desperate call for inspiration and material pleasure was answered by these edgy pieces of jewellery from Fab Alley. They have so much more on site, but the rest of the items I would have loved to add to my collection were sold out, no doubt, seeing that they are probably the only Indian online store that are so up to date with the ongoing trends especially with regards to accessories.

Don't you just love this necklace? I was never too much a fan of spikes but I didn't really have to think twice before buying these. And those ear-rings! I love wearing oversized studs on my ears so these are pretty much perfect. Of course, these are all self taken photos, so I haven't done justice to how much I enjoy jewellery of this kind, but I assume that you've got the point. Gee, I do miss my occasional blogging streaks. It won't be long before I stop logging on to Blogger even, although I hope that doesn't ever happen. I've still got some more posts due so you can look forward to a little more activity on this page. Till then, adieu!

Self

2012-09-22T22:59:00.001+05:30

It's been a while since I've taken self portraits. It always seems vain and narcissistic, but nevertheless, fun and delightful. Always take time off to reflect on yourself and learn to love what you have. Most of the time we're so busy trying to meet deadlines and submissions that we often discount the things that we enjoy doing, like reading a book or listening to music. I've been through this over and over again, but somehow this vicious circle never ends; there's always that moment when you realize, you're not spending enough 'alone' time to ruminate over life's pleasures and joys. I somehow wish I could spend the rest of my life only doing what I want. Adhering to rules and boundaries is always a killjoy, but then again, I'm just so good at it, sadly. One day I shall be the Jonathan Livingston Seagull and hopefully reach a 'higher plane of existence'.

Cliche Crochet

2012-09-15T12:58:00.001+05:30

wearing:

top - springbreak

shorts - oasap

Our much deserved term break seemed to have passed in a jiffy. I'm already on my last day in Delhi and unwillingly packing to leave the city, yet again. I've managed some outfit posts although I would have loved to have captured everything else on film.

Crochet shorts are the cutest! I've been wanting to wear this ever since I got them from OASAP, but didn't find an appropriate time to take them out. Also this pink Sprinkbreak shirt is an all time favourite. You can see how unpressed they look in the picture because I've been wearing them way too often.

Would love to blabber a little more, but I've got a busy day ahead! Will be back soon.

Instagram Diary

2012-08-28T19:27:00.000+05:30

Hello there, everyone. One would think that I've been on a holiday, but I've actually been doing quite the opposite. Project submissions and quizzes every other week, with barely any time to reflect on what I've been doing so far; that's my life in a nutshell. I've promised myself that I won't whine about it so I'd say it's all good.

I haven't thought about how to blog more often, but I've clearly been Instagramming quite frequently. Here's what's keeping me going in this new life of mine; A few new shoes, a new room and amazingly lovely weather.