To see or not to see

To the right of my wardrobe lies a longish oval mirror, placed solely to encourage me to look at myself once or twice a day. The goal is to check, before going out, if everything looks all right. 

All my life, I have seen most men and women looking in mirrors as if it were second nature to them. Duck to water. Sunflower to the sun. To me, it has always seemed like a task. If I catch myself looking in the mirror, chances are, mentally, I am somewhere else. I guess I have always associated mirrors with self-adoration.

Lately, however, I have been intrigued by people who confidently look at themselves in the mirror. Do they just notice their facial features? Or do they, sometimes, also get a glimpse of how they feel? 

I want to be able to look in the mirror and see if it helps in any way. If it helps me take a pause and notice what's going on. But I guess the first step is to be able to tolerate my face. No, actually, the first step is to wipe the dust off that mirror. 

BRB.

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Simplifying Winter Dressing

For some people, putting together a winter outfit is more complicated than an intern trying to figure out their first job or someone trying to find a balance between their cravings for coffee and anxiety management resolutions. Here are three things that have simplified the art of winter dressing for me.

Owning versatile outerwear: Owning a few coats and jackets in colours such as black, grey, tan or navy has allowed me to throw them over almost everything.

Shoes that do the trick: Shoes with minimal design, e.g. black or white sneakers with very little print or typography, or flat boots, can easily go with layered winter outfits.

Solid t-shirts and scarves: When it comes to solid t-shirts and scarves, I think we can opt for almost any colour. If it's muted, it will look like an organic fit; if it's a bold colour, it will add a pop to an otherwise monochrome or basic outfit. 

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Dressing up for winter

During winter, it's easy for my mind to wander off to the grey landscapes of old novels set in Russia or England. It's easier to lie for hours under the quilt, reading, listening to old songs, while taking breaks, only to ponder the shapeshifting nature of life. 

What is not easy for me is to dress up, layer after layer, working with all the thrifted winter pieces in the closet. So, I have found a few ways to make dressing up for winter less painful. And here is the first one - I take a long coat and pair it with a summer scarf! I then find a pair of pants that are some shade of the coat colour itself. If I am wearing a grey dress, I can throw on a coat of some other shade of grey. In this blog post, it's mostly browns. And I think it works.   

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What are People Buying Lately

I have been thinking a lot about money lately. Where it comes from and where it goes. Where it stays just long enough before it makes a swift and sly exit. I recently asked a few people where they were spending their money, and here were the answers.

A long black satin skirt

Something like this skirt from H&M. My colleague wanted to buy something that she could wear from day to night on a vacation. I feel this is a timeless piece.  

A foldable wooden table 

This IKEA wall mounted folding table makes so much sense for a small apartment. When extended, you have a table to work at. When closed, you can keep cute stationaries and a mini plant and let your table corner do all the talking. Money well spent, my friend!

Comforters

Because they are so cozy. And these days they come in so many colours, it's almost difficult to choose. I want to give a comforter to everyone I love.  

This was another random post. Nothing to do with the pictures here. But sometime soon, I would like to write about things I am spending money on. Till then, will save. 

#Lifestyle post

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The Divisive Shorts

Are they supposed to be worn only while riding a bike? Are they underwear/bloomers? As divisive as they might be, biker shorts are not going anywhere, and for all the right reasons.

Whichever category your fashionable self may assign them to, you can't mistake a few distinct qualities these shorts do have. They are super comfortable, unless you are hell-bent on going for a size smaller. You walk, you ride a bike, you take a train, you pump iron at a gym, or even go for a swim, there is nothing you can't do in biker shorts.

Moving on to the shallower aspect of things, biker shorts look good and you don't have to scratch your head while trying to dress them up or down. With a black or white crop top and a white shirt. With an oversized t-shirt and sneakers. With matching blazers and a bralette. With a big shirt and a cute cap. Or with a t-shirt and denim jacket. Real fun shorts that go well with so many things in your existing wardrobe.

The only thing that clearly doesn't go well with biker shorts is the fear that it's not outdoorsy or dressy enough. 

Please ignore the abrupt end of this blogpost. Not a good writing day.

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Blogs of Defiance

Ramble alert. 

My boss once told me that my blog was all about street style with an underlying theme of  "I don't give a ***k." Confused at first, I scrolled through years of content and found (what I already knew) no shred of rebellion. It was only later when I realised he was speaking about what I write, the narrative that goes hand in hand with these as every day as possible clothes actually reeked of subtle defiance, subtle being the imperative word.

The particularly reflective nature of this blog post may have something to do with my state of mind lately. I had always imagined myself to be a lot calmer and more accepting with age. It didn't happen. In fact, I feel I can defy just a little more than I already do. Give just a little less ***ks.

For me, it was never just about fashion. It was also about the life that I live in these clothes, the money I painstakingly save to travel just a little, the walks I walk in these clothes to see a little more of the world. It is about the people I meet along the way, the coffee that I have, the books I read. 

And as I do all this, all I can hope for is to say no more often, not for the heck of it, but because I should. I can hope to live just a little bit more like I want to, because you see, not much has been talked about people who say no, but just not enough, about those who are free, but decide to step into a cage every once in a while. The in between kinds. 

So unlike my boss, i believe that i do give **cks, a lot less than others though. But there is definitely room for improvement. 

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Conversations with an old pair of shorts

Dear pink shorts

I decided to talk to you today. You, an object in the perfect shade of light pink, flaunting old-world crochet, reminding me of the years that went by in almost a blur. 

You were so tiny, that I almost didn't pick you for fear of being judged for wearing next to nothing. But then, somehow, good sense prevailed and I got you. You have been with me for 15 years now. You have seen me through so much - from finding flats and flatmates to switching jobs, moving cities, heartbreaks, losing friends, growing out of hobbies, and whatnot. 

I wore you when I saw the ocean for the first time. It was an evening that served up the best sunset I had seen in my life, the kind you use to compare every next sunset you see, at least in your head.

You go well with shirts and tops of almost any colour - white, grey, black, pink, yellow, multicolored? You are underwear-like enough to be worn under a super short dress. And you look the best sandstained.

Dear shorts, thank you for not letting me grow out of you.

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A Case For The Little Black Dress

If you are a sucker for fashion magazines like me, you must have come across numerous articles serenading the timelessness of the little black dress. I for one failed to see the appeal. As someone leaning towards the brightness of yellows and greens and whites, I ended up missing out on the understated yet noticeable additions of black to my wardrobe.

Fast forward almost a decade and I have black clothes for all sorts of reasons. For starters, it gives you this off-duty model kind of feel. Just pair black leggings or jeans with a black t-shirt, throw in some dainty accessories, and there you go! Carry a large-sized Latte for that extra sense of purpose. 

I have also come to realise that a black dress or an all-black outfit is - for the lack of a better word - a mood. The one that gets you dancing, hints you to go to a book reading, or just makes you feel like taking a walk on the beach.

But for the most part,  this little, in the bud affinity toward all-black outfits may have something to do with the growing up. The color comes in handy when you want to appear like you mean business. By taking some attention away from you and adding a touch of orderliness, it can also camouflage the fact that you are yet to get your shit together. What's not to like?

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The Tired Self Has Left The Chat

 #Notafashionpostagain

Almost everyone today is a part of a WhatsApp or some other group chat. And almost everyone has that one group they want to quit but not sure how to.

A friend I was recently talking to said she would like to give some award to the WhatsApp team which came with the idea of keeping archived chats actually archived. Earlier, even when you muted a group and archived a chat, it popped right on the top and it was almost impossible - unless you were some expert with thick skin - to ignore it. And now you can.

So how did we outgrow group chats? If you ask me, it had a lot to do with the fact that the people in a group and I outgrew ourselves. And after a certain point, you don't have the strength to call out someone because they are being an idiot. But it affects you nonetheless. Every sexist joke, racist comment, jibe against someone fat, unsolicited advice, and insensitive remark triggers us. Some more, others less. 

The only thing that is semi-praiseworthy about these groups is the ease of planning an event where one has to coordinate with multiple people. Or a setup where multiple people need to be informed straightaway. That explains why office groups are probably not going anywhere soon. 

But overall, people would love to leave a chat without anyone in the group noticing. It would be simple. Maybe that will happen one day as well. Till then, people will continue to mute and archive.

 

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Saving the best for the last

There are people in this world who save good things for the last. Now as far as meals are concerned, this practice is usually a great idea. But when it comes to clothes, you never know. Growing up, I used to save my best going out top for an occasion that never actually happened. No event was big enough for the top to be taken out. It was always the second favorite top that got the most attention somehow. You know what the downside of this habit was? Eventually I grew out of that top and gave it away. Sounds like a first world problem? Except that it wasn't. When you own less than a dozen clothes, you tend to be protective about your favorite clothes. You don't want a single thread out of place. And so you plan to wear it less. A bit too less. 

These pictures in a white, borrowed dress fall in the same, best going out top. It has been two years and I have been waiting for some good day to post them. No idea what the characteristics of the good day was supposed to be though. Then the pandemic happened and the frequency of my posts decreased because we all had more important things to do. In the meantime, I was exhausting all my blog pictures because none of us were really going out in the streets, getting pictured. But I was saving this one. Because I loved the pictures. The result? Not much except the anxiety that I will never have better pictures in this life. Yeah, I know, this time, it is almost a first world problem.

Hope you wear your most favorite piece more often than you do.

By the way, it's not the last blogpost here, it's just that I will need post-pandemic images now!

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They are just clothes

The way one is clothed says a lot about them. I wonder how people who are styled by stylists ever get to see their true selves. If they end up liking those ruffles or that shade of cream brings out the colour of their eyes. And then there are those who have colours hidden inside layers. And those who aspire to wear something but so far, haven't gotten their hands on it. Do they ever get to be themselves? 

I know, I know. It is just clothes. But even then. Don't clothes do something to people, adding and subtracting to their personalities?

Have you ever worn something you absolutely hated? Do you remember the feeling? Now contrast it with the feeling you had when you wore something that made you feel like yourself. There. That is what I am talking about. Though I am struggling to write today, but I am hoping you understand. And I am hoping you are having a good dress day yourself. 

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A Dystopian World

Two years back, for getting pictures clicked for my blog, I used to create my own dystopian backgrounds. Not a single soul to be seen. I don't know how I managed that. Something to do with deserted spots, mornings, and of course the good, old crop tool I guess.

Two months back, I had to step out to get some medical supplies urgently. The streets had never looked so dystopian. I am hoping they never will. Even the leaves were still. No dust anywhere. As if no one had walked the road since morning. I didn't need to turn my camera in a specific direction to capture the emptiness of the streets. 

What a difference two years make.  

Sharing whatever is left of my pre-pandemic pictures. Thank you for visiting the blog. For reading things that don't even make sense to me if I read them a few months later. 

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Old World

Riding on bouts of happiness

Singing all along

Waiting for the train to pass by

Hoping to find you on the way

Lying on rooftop dreaming

Hearing you talking to a friend

Feeling the world pause

Getting the heartbeat back

Never uttering a word

Staring at strange faces

Holding the old heart

Living in an old world

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Racing Car

Of late, whenever I decide to write about something, my mind drifts like an anxious dog spinning in circles, then taking a break only to jump up and down over nothing. Absolutely nothing. Writing needs a controlled mind, and nothing seems to be in control in the midst of these uncertain times we are living in.

Who am I kidding? Pandemic or no pandemic, this head has always been like this. The other day I was reading that meditation is especially difficult for a lot of Geminis because their mind is always speeding like a racing car. You bet! I fall asleep exactly after five minutes of meditating.

On a serious note, I am in the middle of a lot of things. Life is 1@**d3kdhb... No matter how much I try, no good, put-together piece is going to come out today. No beautiful imperfection or haute mess. I should just stop typing now...

See you later. Hope everyone who reads this blog is doing okay. If you want to rant, the comment section is all yours. Sorry for wasting your time. Will come up with a better post next month. 

Missing this day on the beach though....

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Zero Talent Days

Is writer's block a real thing? I very much think so. I am not talking about that occasional blank screen or that once in a while mediocrity that makes the words that you type look like a bunch of hybrid plants that no one wants. I am talking about the vacuum that doesn't let even a simple 300 words write-up happen...at times for as long as a week.

I have googled ways to overcome this. But somehow nothing seems to be the perfect cure.

Take a walk

Here is the thing. I walk for at least half an hour everyday. So when I decide to take a creative walk, my system fails to see the novelty. I am full of purpose when I walk, but at the end of it, nope. Nothing.

Eliminate distractions

Since I have this interesting ability to look at things and think nothing, for hours, (remember those scary girlfriend videos of early 2000? Same expression.) I don't really know of distractions. And when i have a distraction - like a real, walking chocolate cake that I see only once in a while - then I put down my pen. Simple!

Play a game

I suck at playing games. I don't understand half of those walking, creepy looking things on screens of all kinds. No, I don't mean to say I don't like them. I mean it literally. i don't understand them. It's like Monica telling Joey about commitment and he keeps saying "Not following".

I am sure if I was a little more flexible and had a little more IQ, I would have done better. Will try the next three ways in the next three months. You guys have a great weekend there.

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Things I Have Learnt So Far in Quarantine

Before you tilt your head on your comfortable side (mine is right), raise your unthreaded eyebrows, and say,"Not another quarantine article!", let me assure you I won't present any data that would make you more frustrated than you already are. I don't know if we are going to emerge stronger - like those forwarded whatsapp messages claim we will- or will play a blink-and- you-miss-it role in a real life version of a pandemic movie. I don't. So I am just taking the liberty of talking about random, not necessarily sad things, I have observed during this quarantine. And here they are!

People Snack! Like a Lot!
So I am a part of a whatsapp group where we can mention the things we need, and a local kirana store guy will get it for us at the society gate. Very good initiative I must say, because that ensures very few people actually step out of the society. For all those who know me and my knack of observing the weirdest things ever, would totally understand why I read the lists sent by so many people everyday! No, I have no role in procuring that stuff, I just read because I can! It's out there in the chat group, for everyone to read. And my latest research tells me people snack a potato pile lot more than I thought. Biscuits, cookies, chips, cake slices, you name it, they are eating it. I must have been living under a rock all these years, thinking we Indians snack less and hence have healthier food habits. Suddenly I am worried more about obesity in the country than corona. I even dreamt of babies eating Nutella pancakes while sitting on a mountain  of soft vanilla cake!

Some people have better WhatsApp statuses than others 
One of the many times I realise I know the worst set of people in the world is when I check out the status section of my WhatsApp, filled with banal, meh content. Why, people why? But before I begin to take you through the streets of quarantine-snobbery, by saying more mean things about people who do not need my permission on the kind of things they have to say, let me be a little bit nicer. Let me talk about the bright yet soft rays of light, about those that upload kick-ass statuses. Mehak Mann, Jatin Khurana, and Hardeep Kaur, you know how to make a forever-irritated, quarantined woman happy. Thank you for existing. 

People are revealing their true selves, almost.
A friend who was gushing about a guy in February, just realised he can only waste so much time on her. Another one has realised how unhappy his job had made him and is already working on something new. Another one I know is going to confess her love to someone the moment all this is over. People are coming out. The flaunters, the singers, the pessimists, the optimists, the potential social butterflies hidden in the garb of loners, the alcoholics, the cooks, the fuckboys, the kind hearted....and so on and so forth. Now is the time you may discover something about your friends. They are all quarantined, masks reserved only for grocery shopping. Take a peep guys. You have the chance to know thy loved ones like never before. 
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