STRAPPY LOVE

I've always been a big fan of straps.I love them everywhere,in any form-the noodle straps,the ankle straps,I love them all!But if I've to bring it down to my current crush,I guess I've to give it to my 'boyfriend of two years' gladiators.I spotted them on a fashion show updates on a TV channel and have been completely smitten by this one ever since.I looked in every nook and corner of Kolkata streets but never found one till 23rd nov,2009.Yes,people,that's the day I got my first pair of gladiators.It cost me something around 350 bucks and trust me,it was shit!A crappy black pair with straps that looked like buckteeth.But I couldn't be happier.I started sporting them everywhere.I got a 'not-so-uniform' tan throughout my legs,thanks to wearing capris and cropped denims 24x7.Over years,I've moved on to classier(and costlier) pairs but the love has been all the same.So,when I went to watch 'Pirates 4' a few weeks before and saw my friend Sananda wearing this fab pair which she claims to have got for 170 bucks(though I didn't trust her fully,I told her I'd trust her the day she gets me one as good as hers for 170 bucks),I thought it was time to come clean about my love affair with gladiators.And what better place than here?Fashion pundits say that you shouldn't wear gladiators if your feet're too wide.It makes them look wider which isn't flattering at all but who cares?I had told you many times before that my blog isn't about rules.It's about affordable,feel-good fashion.So,why bother?

WHITEWASHED

Finally,a friend of mine uploaded my pictures.She was sweet enough to take my memory card home.So,though my camera is still not working,I can finally do this long-due post.

                                                                                               I did a post on color blocking long back.But apart from the changing trends every summer,there're a few classics that'll see you through every summer,with your eyes closed.One of them is WHITE.Yes,it's a classic for spring,winter,autumn or every other season too.But it's the GOD of summer.White goes with everything.But that doesn't mean you should wear it with everything.Don't wear white with white unless you're a huge Jeetendra fan.White goes best with nude.So,team your white shirt with a nude bag or pump and you're good to go.But in case it sounds too boring to you,you could keep the white-nude combo and spice it up with a pop of yummy candy colors like pink or orange.Burnt orange works well too.You could also carry a tan satchel or a leather purse.While shopping for white,you could try the following options:

1)The basic white shirt-an absolute classic.Go pure white,no prints or other details.Get a crisp,basic one.Choose full sleeves,puff sleeves or three quarter sleeves according to your preference.

2)The LWD-the trendier and more practical cousin of LBD,a LWD or Little White Dress is another must-have in your wardrobe.You could wear it with nude stilettos in the evening and flats for a day look.Stay away from frills,embellishments,prints,semi precious stones etc.

3)The white blouse-a white ruffled blouse is a chic addition to your wardrobe.Tuck it inside your black or steel grey trousers or cropped pants or denims.A good belt and a chic hairdo should be enough to make you stand out.

4)The white maxi-you must've seen Sonam Kapoor rock this one in Cannes.A milky white flowing maxi dress is all you need to feel feminine and beautiful this season.Wear your hair in a bun.A cocktail ring(not too loud)or a hint of color on your earrings and good heels.Period.But don't try this if you're too short or fat.It won't look flattering.

                             There're plenty of other options you could try with white.Just remember,the golden rule for wearing white is to keep it simple. Less is always more.

CRY ME A RIVER

As much as I boast of my awesome childhood and how I learnt everything(except the study materials that is)before all my friends,how they used to treat me as one of those know-it-all mentors,how everybody used to be eager to know who I was dating more than the cricket match results...the truth is that I've largely been a shy,unpopular,overweight,badly-dressed underdog all my life.My friends couldn't care less about my personal life.Actually,to be honest,I had none.My parents had to work round the clock to get me to a decent school or buy me frocks worth 250 bucks.I never knew what a pizza was until I was ten.But I was always this Cindrella in my head,inventing stories and making everyone believe I had the life they couldn't even imagine.But during my moment of weakness,I used to hate myself and dread living a lie.That's how I developed this unique and really special bond with rain.It brought out the real me.I always felt it was like a holy shower washing all my sins away and comforting me at the same time,'Don't worry,child.You're a good person.Everything'll be allright.'My mom told me that raindrops were the tears of the sky.I always wondered why the sky should be sad in the first place.It can look down on everybody.What else can someone ask for?But then mom told me that the sky cried because it was lonely.She also said that if we don't keep our friends close to our heart or do not help people in need,one day we also will end up like the sky,lonely,abandoned and frustrated but nobody to share our sad stories with.Since then,I've tried not to be rude to people without any reason.I've tried to be there for my friends whenever they needed me.And thanks to her,in all these years,I've earned a reputation for being helpful if not anything else.But it never really did anything to put an end to the long,lonely journey I had begun on 2nd Jan,1990.That's why the rain has always been my best friend.It just made me feel so sad,yet so content.I never danced in the rain when I was a kid.I just sat there in the rain and looked at it until I was all drenched.My eyes used to hurt because of staring at the sky for so long.The raindrops used to feel like Rama's arrows on my skin.But the good thing was that not even my mom could tell the raindrops from my tears.It gave me a sense of purity.It made me strong.As if I've someone to confess everything to and I've been promised a fair trial in return of my honesty.It was scary too.I used to feel like someone was carefully,methodically peeling the layers of lie off me like peeling an onion.I felt naked.The clothes clung to my skin like a snake wanting to choke me in its embrace.I used to cry,cry some more and then came the ultimate feeling of release.I don't know if Budhdha felt the same after attaining 'Nirvana' but I guess he felt something close.Only his sins were far less than me(if he had any).So,it made him Budhdha.I sometimes fell asleep after this.I remember my mom shouting at me and dragging me to the bathroom to give me one more shower so that I don't catch a cold.Years later,my today's experience with the rain has changed a lot.There're few days when I'm at home before 8 p.m.So,rain mostly means annoying traffic jams,muddy streets,ruined shoes,saving my leather satchels,samosas and khichdi for me these days.But still,once in a while,when I sit by the window for an hour or so,the old memories keep coming back and I can see my life more clearly than ever.Yes,I've been ignored,exploited,betrayed,insulted,taken advantage of,dumped...But I've been no better either.I've done most of these things to other people too.I'm not proud of myself.But all said and done,my life is bigger than all these.I'm special in my own way.And I believe the same about the rest of you too.So,there's nothing to be sad about.It's never too late.You're never too old.Life always gives a second chance,and a third,and fourth...

TEASER-II

And with that,you're officially allowed to guess the topic of my next post(if my camera works,that is)!You can post your guesses here or you can mail them to me at soumipaul07@gmail.com.
The winner'll get himself/herself any of the following
i)a phuchka treat(worth twenty bucks)
ii)a chilla
iii)a chicken macgrill
iv)a mac aloo tikki
v)an iced tea
vi)a chance to wear anything from my wardrobe for a day(if it fits you,that is,because most of the time I'm the fattest girl around)

MOURNING THE MASTER OR THE HELPLESS?

The newspapers,the news channels and the internet are abuzz with news on M.F.Hussains death.Some chose to highlight his work,some remembered his special association with Kolkata(specially Azad Hind Dhaba),some shed a tear or two on the tragic life of the legendary artist.They're armed with every single detail of HIS life.I surely don't have any more fact to offer.I'm an absolutely ordinary middle class girl.I've never met him in person,I don't own any of his works(not even their copies),I've not even watched all of his movies.I don't understand art and if you ask me to remember the name of a few contemporary artists,my mind'll probably draw a blank.But my first memory of M.F.Hussain dates back to 1996 when I,then a six-year old,kept wondering why people should be upset with an artist for making a nude painting of Saraswati.Thanks to HBO and Star Movies,I had already watched enough Hollywood movies to know that nude painting should be respected as a form of art and nothing else.Then,out of curiosity,I read a little about his childhood,his obsession with Madhuri Dixit and his love for contemporary art.Before I could realize,I was hooked.I don't remember how many lazy afternoons I've spent staring at a photograph of his from a newspaper article.I always found Budhdha and Jesus in him.To me,he always seemed to be a good man with a passion who was hugely misunderstood.When I was a little older,I asked my father what a terrorist was.He told me that they're some muslim extremists who wanted to harm the innocent common people in the name of 'zihad'.I asked him,"And what do we call the people who tried to kill M.F.Hussain?Aren't they terrorists?"He had no answer.I believe,though he didn't totally support what had happened with Hussain,he wasn't fond of nude paintings of Saraswati too.He managed to excuse himself saying something vague like "it's better not to play with controversial ideas.There're many inspirations for an artist worldwide-the nature and its elements,the great people,the historical personalities and what not.Why land yourself in trouble with delicate issues?".Many years have passed since then.What I've not understood is how we,Indians claim ourselves any different from countries like Egypt,Afghanistan,Pakistan or any Arab countries.Is it because they don't tolerate anything against Islam and we do the same with Hindutva?Hey,people,the religion is different,you see!Besides,we just threaten people,we don't flog them.Nor do we plant explosives.We're civilized and tolerant.I'm proud to be an Indian but at the same time,I'm ashamed to be the part of a country that didn't value its own talents and tried to oppress them in every possible way until they were tired of fighting to save their creative soul and either gave up or went into exile.Be it Taslima Nasreen or M.F.Hussain or Salman Rushdie,it's the same story everywhere.So,on the death of M.F.Hussain,I don't know how I should react.Should I be sad that his last wish of coming to his 'beloved Bombay'  couldn't be fulfilled?Should I be ashamed that we gave in to the power of communal activists and failed to make 'our Hussain' 'our Hussain'?Should I be happy that if India didn't recognise him,the rest of the world did?Should I console myself that maybe if it hadn't happened,he won't have been as famous as he is now?Because,come on,we all know that nothing glorifies an artist's life like a tragedy.Pain enhances their creativity.I don't know because I'm too busy making 'politically correct' statements so that I don't have to face 'fatwas' from either muslim clerics or hindu right-wing activists.And yes,make no mistake,I still live in a 'free country.'

THE C WORD

Have you ever had sweets meant for the 'pujas'(before the 'pujas',that is)?Have you ever had a drink behind your parents' back?Have you ever felt guilt along with thrill and secret pleasure?All of you probably have a positive answer to at least one of these questions.But if I ask you if you've ever cheated on your partner,most of you would say 'no'.There might be two possibilities-it might be a real 'no' or you might be too embarrassed to admit it.I've a problem with this word 'cheating'.What defines 'cheating on your partner'?Sleeping with someone else?Denying your relationship in front of others?Trashing your partner in front of your friends?Trying to seek emotional comfort in someone else's company?It doesn't have any fixed definition,does it?Some girls might consider healthy flirting a good option to save your relationship from boredom.Some might be horrified at the idea of his/her partner even stealing a glance at someone else.And now comes the delicate part-are all cheaters that bad as a person?Is cheating born out of situation or does it lie in the character of the person itself?Some argue that cheaters will be cheaters,irrespective of the situation you put them into.But I beg to differ.During my first relationship,I was as loyal as a cow(or you might make that a dog if that satisfies you more)but it ended up badly.He cheated on me several times,sometimes with my best friend,sometimes with my enemies,sometimes with other girls I didn't know.His parents humiliated me in every possible way.It took me a lot of time to get over him but when I finally started seeing another guy,I knew a part of me had died.I'll never be able to love someone as whole-heartedly as I had loved him.To be honest,I rushed into the second relationship just out of my desperation to move on.As a result,I ended up cheating on him.He gave me enough reasons to justify my act but I've never forgiven myself for doing the same thing to him that had broken my world once.The guy I cheated on him with,used me to cheat on his long-time girlfriend(who had actually talked her parents out of a marriage for this guy).Ironic,isn't it?I used to hate myself for a long time but before I knew it,I was dating a guy even though I had no feelings for him.He was loaded(though I never really let him spend money for me),he went to a good college,he was a good dancer...We had so much in common.If someone interviews me and then does a little research on him,he'd seem to be my perfect partner.But things didn't work between us.I dumped him through his friend,showing as insulting an excuse as possible.Then I found out that while I was busy thinking of less cruel ways to dump him,he was busy sleeping around with other girls.Yes,I've seen enough cheating in my life to last me for a decade,but were they all bad persons?I'd like to believe-'no'.I'm on talking terms with a few of them,with others,I don't even remember their faces.But I've forgiven them all.Because,I believe there's nothing called a 'born cheater'.A baby is always innocent,loyal,honest and truthful.When he grows up to be a bad man,it's our society that has shown him/her ugly things and told him/her that it's okay to do these things.He/she'll still get away with it.So,are they really to be blamed?Aren't they(at least some of them)just victims of situation?Shouldn't we rather go by the saying 'hate guilt,not the guilty'?

TOO BUSY TO CHANGE THE WORLD,EH?

I'm not a student of psychology but I've always wondered why the most famous personalities've always been a disaster in their personal lives.Some didn't care for their children because they thought it wasn't 'fair' for the rest of the country,some were too busy to start the revolution to notice the wall growing between him/her and his/her spouse,some couldn't be there when his/her mother died because their other commitments came first.Most of the kids with a larger-than-life parent found themselves overshadowed by the persona of their parents.They were always under the pressure to prove themselves and most of the time,ended up being a failure and sunk into depression.The famous parents turned their backs to these helpless losers because they were a sign of their weakness,a phase of their lives they weren't proud of.The spouses of most of the historical and political personalities(or celebs in other fields also)weren't allowed to be their usual selves because it might ruin their reputation and show them in a wrong light.But weren't we taught that charity begins at home?If we can't care about our family members,how the hell do we plan to run a country?Why should we project ourselves as a saint to make a place in the heart of the common people?Why should we be termed elitist if we love good wine,golf,fashion or good books and still want to work for the people?Why do we have to roam around in the ugliest saris or dhoti-kurtas to be a 'people's person'?Why can't we tweet about our feelings and still be the Minister of State for External Affairs?Maybe these people're not to be blamed.Maybe the answer lies in our attitude,the way we see our idols,the way we want our leaders to be,the fact that we don't 'respect' them,we 'worship' them.Maybe it's time to stop expecting a leader to be the God.Maybe it's time to accept that they're just common people,like us,with an uncommon motto in their lives.

E FOR EASY

I've been getting complaints from various people that this blog is getting too fashion-centric.True,I had promised not to repeat two posts on the same topic.But the truth is that I had planned the color blocking post much earlier and couldn't do it because of my camera and its tantrums.So,here's something as anti-fashion as possible.
                                                              I weigh more than sixty kgs,I don't follow any diet and I don't work out.If I still have to tell you that I'm FAT,honey,your brain is thicker than me.Being an out-and-out foodie is one reason behind my cellulite thigh for sure.Yes,I love my food but I'm lazy with a capital 'L'!So, sloppy food is the way to go.I don't like to cook much but when I had to pay sixty five bucks for a plate of yucky vada pav at this Shakespeare Sarani joint,I decided to give it a try.I googled a little and with a little help from my mom,my kitchen date was a hit!Here I'll share my recipe of the easiest vada pav under the sun.

Take two potatoes,boil them and mash them with salt,cumin powder,coriander powder,red chilli powder and boiled green chillies.Make flat patties and keep aside.Take besan,salt,red chilli powder and water in a bowl and make a smooth batter,neither too runny,nor too thick.Heat oil in a kadai,dip the patties in the besan batter and deep fry the patties until golden brown.Soak a cup of tamarind pulps for an hour and discard the seeds.Boil the pulps with a little sugar and salt for a few minutes until thick.Strain and retain the liquid.Now make a paste with mint leaves,coriander leaves,green chillies and salt.Make another paste with a few pods of garlic,roasted sesame seeds,red chilli powder and salt.Now bake two pieces of bun lightly.Try not to use sweet bun.Spread the tamarind chutney on one of the buns.Put a potato patty on it,spread garlic chutney on the patty and sprinkle chopped pickled green chillies.Spread the mint and coriander chutney on the other bun and cover the patty with it.Your vada pav is ready.Serve it with mustard.
P.S.a quick tip for the real lazy ones-if you live in Kolkata and are lucky enough to have a 'choper dokan'(a shop selling deep fried fritters)nearby,you can actually replace the potato patty with an 'aloor chop' and you can also ditch the sesame seeds in the garlic chutney.Tell you what,it tastes the same and you feel better.;-)

BLOCK IT IN

After the serious first post,it was time for some fun.So,I decided to do a post on color blocking.As you all must’ve read like thousand times by now,color blocking is THE trend this summer.With the exam over,I decided to have some fun with color blocking.In the first look,I added the grey tee to balance the canary yellow kolhapuris,blue jhola and the
fuchsia pink nail paints.in the second one,I wore my blue blouse with pink pumps and a hint of green on my nails.The camel bag was there to balance these three bright colors.Slim belts’re very in this season(buy one in either tan or golden and the slimmer the better),so is tuck in.Moumita scored full marks with her lovely jhola and very cool funny pants.The black nails and the dash of kohl added just the right amount of goth.The green flip flops might be a little too casual but what the hell?Who am I to judge a NIFT girl,right?

A few quick Dos and Don’ts of color blocking:-

Dos

• Think bright.Think neon.Bring it all.Medium doesn’t exist this season.
• Try color blocking with the accessories rather than the clothes itself.Nail paints,head bands,lipsticks,bobby pins,belts’re safe options.

Don’ts

• Don’t make it too fussy.Keep it simple with two or three colors.
• Add loads of grey,black,white or nude to balance whenever you feel that you’ve overdone it.
• Make sure no color is repeated in your whole look more than once.
• Electric blue,fuchsia pink,canary yellow,burnt orange and parrot green are a few good colors for blocking.



• And last,but not the least,don’t let rules get the better part of you.The whole point of fashion is having fun.Wear whatever you’re comfortable in.If you’re having fun with your look,to hell with others!

A streetcar named desire

We all love the streets.The foodies swear by the phuchkas and chaats and pav bhajis,the fashionistas love the mojris and jholas,the book-lovers can't imagine life without the second-hand books sold on the pavements of Gariahat and Esplanade,sometimes available for as low as thirty bucks.And the bargaining!Man,that's the stuff my dreams're made of.But do we really care about the streets?What do we contribute every other day to keep this culture alive?The problem with us is that we want to have our cake and eat it too.Yes,we love to buy a bag with Louis Vuitton logo on it for three hundred bucks but we don't forget to complain if we're stuck near the pavement and the road is too narrow to walk because of the hawkers.But more on that later.Today,I'll give you my list of must-haves for a 'roadie'(and I beg to differ from MTV people) -
1)A kolhapuri or mojri or jooti-it's an absolute classic for both ethnic and western casuals.Go for floral motifs or kitsch prints instead of solid colors.

2)A jhola or batua or belt-bag(or all of them)-another investment buy.Try organic colors and sanskrit texts.If that's surprisingly rare to find within your budget,go for threadworks and mirrorworks.

3)A harem pant or dhoti pant or funny pant-choose an easy breezy one with asymmetrical prints or stripes.You could choose floral prints too but stay away from common patterns.

4)Bangles-buy them in all possible colors whenever you can.They never go out of fashion.Try wooden,glass or the ones with threads.Never match them with your clothes and always wear a bunch of them in multi-colored hues.

5)Neon nail paints-go bright.Shock the world.Period.

6)Kohl-almost equivalent to anti-depressant for me,hopefully for you too.

7)Funky hair accessories-bobby pins,scrunchie,headbands,buy all you can.And the best part is that you never have to think about budget.

A last word of caution,don't overdo it.Less is always more.So,if you're wearing a strong print,go easy on the accessories and vice versa.Mixing prints can go horribly wrong sometimes.So,be really careful with prints.And if you're not too comfortable,I'd suggest you to stay away from mixing prints.

                                                                         That's all for today,ladies(as I'm hoping no guy'll survive this post so far but if you've(and if you're a 'he'),you've my respect,bro!;-)).Will be back with more soon.Till then,have fun in the sun.
                                                                        Love,
                                                                           Soumi