Ok, this is going to be a girly article. It is about looks that I love in various occasions and different places.
1. The not-so-formal look
Even though I wear destroyed denim shorts and flip flops to work, I don't really think that to be very nice looking. I wear it because it is extremely comfortable and it suits my personality and nobody at work cares about clothes! But for work in general, the business casual look is very pretty. You don't have to wear crisp stiff suits and you can still be in a dark blue denim. For regular wear, white shirt with denim and a bright scarf or bright shoes look great. My general idea with colors is the same, keep the background neutral, or sublime and put pops of color in front or in small quantities. I use the same idea while decorating rooms. Anyway, yes, for regular wear, if you keep the larger articles in a cool or subtle shade, you can surely paint your nails with neon colors. For people who love watches, a big bright colorful watch can do wonders to your overall look. So can a big tote bag.
I don't like combining two (or worse still, more) patterns. Nor do I personally like pants in bright colors. I have seen yellow, pink and orange pants, but I'd rather wear white pants and balance that with a bright summery top. Jewelry look good on most women. As long as that piece of jewelry don't overtake the entire look, wear what you are comfortable with. For petites, choose very tiny pieces and preferably not dangling ear-rings.
At work, it's better not to paint nails in neon colors though. Nicely buffed nails or a french manicure looks professional and neat. Same about hairstyles, a classic bob or neatly tied pony-tail looks nice. Bangs covering half the eyes or frizzy curls are neither good to look not comfortable.
Note: Please keep in mind your own figure while choosing pants. Boot cuts would make short people look stubby and tiny. For curvy frames, leggings or ultra skinnies are a complete no-no. If in doubt, reach out for the classic straight legged trousers. (I wear them as I find skinnies to be EXTREMELY uncomfortable and boot cuts make me look, well... tiny.)
2. Absolute casual wear (clothes in which you run errands or walk the dog)
Denim and t-shirt....with a nice flip flop or flat... who says you don't need to look good when you are at Costco? Nice bright colored shorts or skirts are good casual clothing as well. You can use them as lounge wear and also can roam around the neighborhood park. They are cool in summer too. If you wear fancy sunglasses and a big brimmed hat, then you can wear these to the beach as well. In fall, big boots look very nice with shorts and jackets. Another thing I like is pairing lacy white skirts with blue jeans jackets and boots. Dresses worn with denim jackets are cool too!
3. Evening wear
I am not a big fan of evening gowns and stiletto shoes. Firstly, I don't go to parties as such, and secondly this just doesn't suit me. Finally, I'm sure I'll trip and sprain my ankle if I wear stilettos. I like wearing dresses and color-block ones are my personal favorite. They may look simple, but I don't mind. As I have skinny arms, I prefer to wear a shrug or a cardigan over the dresses. If I wear Indian clothes as evening wear, I would definitely reach for a saree. The best thing about a saree is that you can wear it in any style you want. The same piece of cloth can be worn traditionally or in a very stylish way perfect for parties if you pair it with suitable accessories, hairstyle and makeup. I like light sarees, especially silk ones. Heavy ones don't look nice on me and some are too heavy for my own weight too. During my wedding I had to wear a couple of heavy ones, but that's ok for one evening, not for regular wear. I always love to wear jewelry with sarees but sometimes I intentionally don't wear a necklace. It keeps the look light and also displays the border of the saree in a better way.
Note: Even though sarees complement all kinds of figures, we can still choose specific ones depending on our own frames. Petite people should not wear heavy all over embroidered ones, neither should they wear sarees with wide borders. Tall women always have more options. Skinny girls should also stay away from clingy materials like Georgette or chiffon. Chubby girls look good in these fabrics, skinny ones look better in crisp cottony sarees.
Make-up
As I have a very sensitive skin prone to acne (all the time) I prefer to have very little makeup. In most cases all I put on my face are moisturizer and face powder and a little lip-balm. When I do get dressed, I still prefer a natural look. No smoky eyes or dark red lips for me. Actually I look very strange if I wear lipstick. So I only put on lip gloss with a faint tint. For lipstick I have a close to nude shade which is the only one I'd wear. A little black eye liner would be enough too, I don't much care for eye shadows.
The final look
This is the traditional wear that every Bengali girl loves and every Bengali girl looks best in. That is the white saree with a red border. As many many many married women said (in Bengali novels) the only thing they care for is the vermillion (sindur) on their foreheads, the red-white (coral and conch shell) and iron bangles and this kind of a saree. I think that is my most favorite look... even in the twenty-first century!
1. The not-so-formal look
Even though I wear destroyed denim shorts and flip flops to work, I don't really think that to be very nice looking. I wear it because it is extremely comfortable and it suits my personality and nobody at work cares about clothes! But for work in general, the business casual look is very pretty. You don't have to wear crisp stiff suits and you can still be in a dark blue denim. For regular wear, white shirt with denim and a bright scarf or bright shoes look great. My general idea with colors is the same, keep the background neutral, or sublime and put pops of color in front or in small quantities. I use the same idea while decorating rooms. Anyway, yes, for regular wear, if you keep the larger articles in a cool or subtle shade, you can surely paint your nails with neon colors. For people who love watches, a big bright colorful watch can do wonders to your overall look. So can a big tote bag.
I don't like combining two (or worse still, more) patterns. Nor do I personally like pants in bright colors. I have seen yellow, pink and orange pants, but I'd rather wear white pants and balance that with a bright summery top. Jewelry look good on most women. As long as that piece of jewelry don't overtake the entire look, wear what you are comfortable with. For petites, choose very tiny pieces and preferably not dangling ear-rings.
At work, it's better not to paint nails in neon colors though. Nicely buffed nails or a french manicure looks professional and neat. Same about hairstyles, a classic bob or neatly tied pony-tail looks nice. Bangs covering half the eyes or frizzy curls are neither good to look not comfortable.
Note: Please keep in mind your own figure while choosing pants. Boot cuts would make short people look stubby and tiny. For curvy frames, leggings or ultra skinnies are a complete no-no. If in doubt, reach out for the classic straight legged trousers. (I wear them as I find skinnies to be EXTREMELY uncomfortable and boot cuts make me look, well... tiny.)
2. Absolute casual wear (clothes in which you run errands or walk the dog)
Denim and t-shirt....with a nice flip flop or flat... who says you don't need to look good when you are at Costco? Nice bright colored shorts or skirts are good casual clothing as well. You can use them as lounge wear and also can roam around the neighborhood park. They are cool in summer too. If you wear fancy sunglasses and a big brimmed hat, then you can wear these to the beach as well. In fall, big boots look very nice with shorts and jackets. Another thing I like is pairing lacy white skirts with blue jeans jackets and boots. Dresses worn with denim jackets are cool too!
3. Evening wear
I am not a big fan of evening gowns and stiletto shoes. Firstly, I don't go to parties as such, and secondly this just doesn't suit me. Finally, I'm sure I'll trip and sprain my ankle if I wear stilettos. I like wearing dresses and color-block ones are my personal favorite. They may look simple, but I don't mind. As I have skinny arms, I prefer to wear a shrug or a cardigan over the dresses. If I wear Indian clothes as evening wear, I would definitely reach for a saree. The best thing about a saree is that you can wear it in any style you want. The same piece of cloth can be worn traditionally or in a very stylish way perfect for parties if you pair it with suitable accessories, hairstyle and makeup. I like light sarees, especially silk ones. Heavy ones don't look nice on me and some are too heavy for my own weight too. During my wedding I had to wear a couple of heavy ones, but that's ok for one evening, not for regular wear. I always love to wear jewelry with sarees but sometimes I intentionally don't wear a necklace. It keeps the look light and also displays the border of the saree in a better way.
Note: Even though sarees complement all kinds of figures, we can still choose specific ones depending on our own frames. Petite people should not wear heavy all over embroidered ones, neither should they wear sarees with wide borders. Tall women always have more options. Skinny girls should also stay away from clingy materials like Georgette or chiffon. Chubby girls look good in these fabrics, skinny ones look better in crisp cottony sarees.
Make-up
As I have a very sensitive skin prone to acne (all the time) I prefer to have very little makeup. In most cases all I put on my face are moisturizer and face powder and a little lip-balm. When I do get dressed, I still prefer a natural look. No smoky eyes or dark red lips for me. Actually I look very strange if I wear lipstick. So I only put on lip gloss with a faint tint. For lipstick I have a close to nude shade which is the only one I'd wear. A little black eye liner would be enough too, I don't much care for eye shadows.
The final look
This is the traditional wear that every Bengali girl loves and every Bengali girl looks best in. That is the white saree with a red border. As many many many married women said (in Bengali novels) the only thing they care for is the vermillion (sindur) on their foreheads, the red-white (coral and conch shell) and iron bangles and this kind of a saree. I think that is my most favorite look... even in the twenty-first century!
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