MAKE-IT-YOURSELF-FASHION: Fabric Scrap Earrings

I saw these recently and though they were really cute, especially for those of us who are always looking to try new things! Not sure they'd look as pretty if I was to attempt a try, but I love the thought that went into this! I've been meaning to start a series of posts about do-it-yourself fashion, and thought I'd kick off with these really cute earrings. I love the idea of making your own things, and especially when it's custom-made jewellery or similar, it's always something to try and make something unique (and cheap!)

Not sure I'll be able to make something as lovely as these, but maybe one day I'll attempt to make these...or a less immaculate version of it!

Image belongs to Tiny Apartment Crafts

Nickie Nina's Royal Military Collection Photoshoot by Guddu Shani

I really like military themed outfits (although I can't say that all of these types of themes work, camouflage print is a big no-no for me!), and it's rare to see this successfully incorporated into Asian clothes. So it was nice to see this collection of military-themed outfits by Nickie Nina as shot by Pakistani photographer Guddu Shani for the Sunday Times in Pakistan. While some of these outfits might not be practical for some occasions we usually wear outfits to, I do like how the outfits look smart as well as formal, with an emphasis on rich fabrics and pretty motifs designs.


What do you think of the style of the designs below?

Pics belong to Guddu Shani

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Vidya's 60's Simplicity in Parineeta

Parineeta was Vidya Balan's debut into the Bollywood World, in a colourful 60s style which mainly consists of fitted kameezes and colourful saris. There's not many heavy or overdone outfits in this film, instead it focuses on soft and pretty colours, and simple styles which reflect the time period. There are a few outfits and colours which caught my eye though, especially as Vidya has a very innocent look for this film.

The first suit I liked was this rich purple outfit, with embellishment on the sleeves and a bright green dupatta. I like the fact that this is something we can imagine the older generation wearing, it's something a lot of us have seen before in the past and the colours are flattering without being too bright. I also liked the long plait!

This next sari is a dressy red one which Vidya wears, along with some of the more heavier jewellery which she wears in this film, as we as a rose in her hair which instantly brings to mind the classic (and almost cliched!) style of the 60s. I like the fact that the focus is on the bright red of the sari, and the fact that her make-up and the flower in her hair is aligned with her outfit.

This is more of a romantic pink sari from one of the scenes in the film which is meant to give a dreamy style to the whole look. I like the fact that again, the style is kept very simple, the make-up and hair is kept very minimal and it's something which is very easy to imagine being worn in the 60s.

This is another red sari worn by the actress, again, focusing on the red fabric and the rich banarsi-style fabric of the blouse. Although it's not very dramatic or heavily embellished, it's more realistic in terms of putting together a style which would be easier for the ordinary consumer.

There's a lot of pretty hair accessories also worn by the heroine, which I noticed, which appealed to me most about the look of the outfits and the style of this film. I remember my mum telling me about similar earrings and hair pieces she used to wear when she was younger, and I can certainly see the appeal of wearing pretty hair pieces where you might want to jazz up an outfit!

Throughout the film, Vidya's outfits are pretty yet also quite simple, with the focus being on slightly fitted kameezes and feminine colours which are easy to imagine being worn back in the 60s. I think for Vidya's first film this was quite a successful look for her, it's quite modest and realistic, as well as very understated which allows her character to emphasise herself further.

Similarly, the make-up and and other accessories such as bangles and earrings are kept very simple and minimalistic, with the emphasis being on natural colours and traditional jewellery. I love these two images below, as they give such a lovely example of the style of the film and the amount of work put into the film to make it seem more authentic. Again, these are very achievable looks which are well-put together and give more of a subtle look.

And of course, a cameo number from Rekha in a deep-red numberm which is emphasised by the red rose in her hair and her deep red lips. Not sure how authentic this is for being a 60's style outfit, but I did think it made an interesting addition to the 60s look in terms of the evening-club-dancer look, and the fact that the directors chose an older woman like Rekha rather than a young actress to do an 'item' style number.

All images belong to directors/producers of Parineeta

Some lovely, simple outfits here - although this film may not be the first to come to mind when you think of 60s glamour, it gives a good interpretation of it, and I like the fact that a lot of these looks are very achievable. I also think that this film has some very pretty saris which are worn well by the women in this film, and also accessorised well to emphasise the freshness of the actresses' faces rather than over-crowding it with too much.

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: Beaded Shoes by Dune

I've been shoe shopping (or window shopping even) recently to look for some pretty silver shoes or sandals for my sister's wedding (not long to go now!)

One option which caught my eye were these pretties from Dune (with a matching handbag) which come in a dull silver colour or a dull gold. Not sure how practical they are in terms of being able to wear with my other outfits, and also whether the beads will last, but they do look pretty!

What do you think of these? Would you buy them?

Happy 1st Bloggiversary!

Hi ladybugs (and gentlebees), I can't believe it's already been a year since I've started blogging my 'Kapray Shapray' blog and I still feel as if I've barely started. I'll be thinking of some new things to be doing over the next year, and hopefully write about various things to keep interesting you! I've always loved sparkly things, like the magpie I am, and this has been a real outlet to find out about all the various things I've been interested in, as well as finding out useful things for potential occaisons (basically anything which might involve wearing asian kapray!)

Happy bloggiversary to me! :)

Cake, anyone?

Copycat DESIGNS & DRESSES #7: Red & Navy Velvet Anarkali

It's been a while since I posted one of these, so I thought I'd post about a recent order that I made which I was quite happy with. The design I got wasn't an exact copy of anything specific, although it had parts which were taken from more than one outfit, as I made a lot of changes, but it has a very similar style as these two designs below. I got this dress from one of the designers from the valuable Paklinks site, after a lot of browsing and reading reviews!

The first design is this pretty anarkali from RDC, which I blogged about recently, (although I found it a little too expensive for my taste!). The second design is a little more casual and less embellished, but I really like it because of the cut of the dress, and the fact that it has fitted long sleeves which I find more practical for myself. I also like the drape of the dress and the fact that it is made of panels which give the dress slightly more volume (which can be measured in levels of swishy-ness!)

 

Image from RDC Facebook page

Image from Zeenat Style

This is the final dress as I ended up with it, with all of the things I wanted which were mostly taken from the above two designs. The velvet part looks black in some pictures but it was actually a deep navy blue which I thought would make a classical combination with the deep red - which is different from the dark brown of the original RDC design. I also originally wanted to make the work a dull gold, but against the cool colours of the dress, I ended up picking silver because it looked more striking. I took the main shape of the dress from the second design above (the Zeenat one), while the navy velvet portions came from the first design (the RDC part). I also kept the small flower patterns all over the dress so that it wouldn't look too empty, although I reduced the amount of motifs as this would be cheaper, and also less crowded, and made them a bit more spaced out. Otherwise, this is quite a standard anarkali dress, which came with silk churidar trousers and a velvet lined duppatta scarf.

This is the bodice pat of the dress at the top, which had a really pretty look to the bodice, and also glittered in a nice silvery way without being too glittery or over the top. I love how tightly made each of the paisley designs are, and how neat they look, especially with the added sequins and the small splash of red in the diamontes. The velvet part of the original RDC design was quite heavily embellished, which is one of the reasons why the cost for this outfit is quite high - and this is something which I had to reduce quite a lot to get a reasonable price for.

The design was mainly taken from this pattern image below, rather than copying the work on either of the two original designs above. This was a design which was suggested by the designer after I stated that I wanted a paisley motif, and it was something I really liked the look of. I wanted something quite intricate as well as not too heavy (as this would have affected the cost) and I'm really happy with the way the bodice looked in the finished product.

The hem of the dress is something which I absolutely LOVE, it feels nice and heavy without being too crowded, and was something which was continued all along the back of the dress. Again, this was very neatly and well-made, and looked very sparkly which flashes at the bottom of the dress. I also kept this hem at the bottom of the dress instead of slightly higher up like the RDC design, and wider than the Zeenat design to make it more of a feature of the dress.

The motif of this dress, again, came from a design that I found which I really liked the shape of, as it looks quite intricate and also quite solid in design. I think that the designer managed to capture this motif on the hem very well, and managed to make it look quite sparkly and detailed. I also like how the paisley design here worked well with the motifs on the bodice, which tied them together well and looked quite pretty together.

THE GOOD: The fit of the dress is perfect, and the work is of one of the best standards of metal-work and stitching I have seen for quite a long time. The designer and tailor were quite thorough with the details of the dress, which helped immensely as it helped me be clearer in conveying what I wanted. I also love the fact that this outfit is not too dressy, and the colours used are fairly classic ones, which will make the outfit more wearable over a long time. And of course, the hem of the dress and the paisley designs of the bodice are just beautiful!

THE BAD: I kept the dress length slightly shorter than the current trend of long dresses, since it made the dress more swishy and helped it hang better when I tried it on. I wouldn't have minded if the length was longer, but this is not really a big issue, but rather an afterthough, and was also due to the measurements which I gave. I like the colours I've used as well, although if I had time (and money) to burn, I'd love to look at different colour combinations (I suppose that's what Pinterest is for!) It would also be interesting to see what the dress would look like with perhaps a fuller skirt, although this would have added to the price because of the extra material, and again, this is an afterthought.

THE UGLY: Packing the dress away. I'm terrible at folding!

This is definitely a timeless design for me; although I've adapted two designs which are slightly more heavier and fashionable, I can imagine wearing my outfit quite a few times and being able to dress it up and/or down as appropriate. I also like how the outfit takes into consideration my concerns about modesty, such as the fact that the sleeves were fitted but not sheer, which is the case with a lot of outfits in the shops today. I haven't worn this outfit yet as I only received it a couple of weeks ago, but I'm sure I'll make good use of it during wedding season!

Bollywood Moments...

..That wistful moment of being lost in an another place and era

Image from murkymehr.tumblr

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: HSY Vintage-Style Off-White Dress

Every now and then, I'll see a white dress which I think is lovely, and today it's this HSY design, which looks very prettily delicate and feminine. I love the fact that it looks westernised enough to appeal to a wide range of brides, yet can also be dressed down to be a non-bridal (although still fancy!) dress.
I'm not sure if you can really describe this as vintage-style, but vintage came to mind because of the lovely creamy shade the dress is in and the fine work on it, which reminded me of a lot of the wedding dresses from older eras.
I also love that the dress doesn't need a lot of accessorising, and is something which would look great with a simple hair-style to make it really stand out :)

Image belongs to HSY website

QUIRKY FASHION: The Taming of the Shew in Urdu

This isn't so much about fashion, but I thought it deserved a mention because it I love plays like this, with cross-over themes, and where they are translated in different ways. The Taming of the Shrew has been taken from it's original Shakespeare context and re-interpreted in a Punjabi and Lahori setting. I especially love the fact that after good reviews during its showings in Lahore, the show has come to London as well (and I think will  be visiting other cities) in their 'Globe to Globe' campaign.
I'm considering checking this out as it will be showing next weekend, and the tickets look fairly reasonable - after all, who can resist a girl in a traditional lachi?!

Image taken from here

MAKE-UP REVIEW: Pinky Lipstick by UNE Make-Up

I wrote a while back about a matte lipstick I bought from UNE, and how it wasn't the best one I'd tried. But I believe in giving some things a second chance, and I'm glad I did, seeing as I bought another lipstick which ended up being one of my favourite lipsticks in quite along time!

The lipstick shade I bought was in L05 in Lip Toned Colour, which was the colour I found which flattered my skin best and also was something which was quite natural looking, yet still quite visible. I also loved the fact that it quite pretty creamy, and didn't feel as drying as the last lipstick I bought in this brand. Again, it has build-able colour and comes out as a really pretty pink shade, like a blush colour (which you can see in the pictures below):

I usually tend have to wear something underneath my lighter coloured lipsticks in order to bring out the colour better, and usually a light lip liner does the job, but with this lipstick, the colour comes out quite well without me needing to use anything. I also like the fact that it's very natural looking, it gives a really pretty, soft look without needing too much fuss and I've found that I don't really need to re-apply it much throughout the day.

I've recommended this to my sisters and a couple of my friends, some of them have found this quite favourable, while others are not as in love with it as I am possibly because the colour is a little too light for them. Again, it's a lipstick which has a good creaminess to it, and isn't too shiny which makes it perfect for everyday wear. It's not something funky in terms of colour, but it's definitely one of those solid products which I would buy again if I ran out!

DESIGNER MODE: Allechant by Sehar Khosa

I've recently fallen in love with the long, flowy and beautiful designs of Allechant, based in Pakistan, by designer Sehar Khosa. I love the beautifully made dresses, a lot of these are maxi dresses which have a very pretty cut to them, rather than a lot of designs which I've seen lately that don't really have that 'swish' to them as they don't use enough material.

This is a recent example of their heavier work at a mehndi, which I absolutely adore, I love the pretty colours which are embellished so richly. I'm waiting back on an email to the designer asking for a picture of the full outfit, so fingers crossed they'll send it (although they may not due to their own image protection policies.)

Image taken from Allechant Facebook group

There's a lot of maxi dresses by this designer, which look beautiful on and which I'd definitely recommend you to have a look at, simply because they look so elegant and well-made. They're not tremendously cheap, but the price range I'm seeing seems to start from around £200  for an average maxi dress (although the price goes up, the heavier it is, and is most likely to cost more such as the outfit above), which are still quite a reasonable prices compared to a few other designers.

I also love the fact that a lot of these outfits can be made hijab-friendly without taking the look of the outfit away, or even just made modest. I have a lot of friends (and my sisters!) who always are on the lookout for designs which they feel comfortable in, yet also glamorous, and this for me definitely fits the bill.

The group isn't just restricted to their designs either, there's snippets about celebrities, style tips and fashion ideas as well which I find makes the group interesting as it shows that the designer is trying to keep up with trends and what is popular.

What do you think of this designer's clothes? Would it be something you would consider buying?

IN MY WARDROBE: Lilac & White Anarkali from Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Here's one outfit my mum brought back from Pakistan recently after her (long!) stay there, along with a few other outfits for all the girls in the family. This is a dress from a shop called 'BGNJ Silk Centre' in Rawalpindi, Pakistan which designs a lot of clothes for the Star Plus channels and shows. It's a lilac and off white net anarkali dress with embroidery work and a pretty satin hem in different coloured pattis (strips of material at the hem). This is the dress as modelled by actress Zarine Khan:

And this is the dress itself which I got, which is the same as the picture, which my mum got in my measurements. I like how feminine the colours look together, and the fact that it's not too heavy so it would be suitable to wear for a lot of occaisons. I'm not a big fan on clothes made out of net but I like it on this dress because it gives more shape and works with the colours used and the light embroidery work.

The dress is still a bit big for me so I need to get it altered to fit me better, but it flows quite nicely, and although it isn't as long as the dresses are in fashion right now, this is more of a classic look which would suit a lot of occasions. My mum got me straight, wide trousers as well as a churidar with this outfit as she wasn't sure what I would prefer, and I think both look fine with this outfit because it's not a dressy one and it's ideal for a semi-formal or even light causal look. I'm sure I can find a reason to wear this in the next month or so!

BRIDE COUTURE: Kunal Nayyar and Neha Kapur's Sumptious Wedding

Kunal Nayyar, of the wonderfully geeky US series 'The Big Bang Theory' fame got married last December, in a lavish six-day wedding, to the lovely Neha Kapur, former Miss India. I love how laid-back the couple looks throughout the wedding events, and how much they seem to enjoy themselves (and also how lovely the outfits looked!)

The bride wore a warm orange and hot pink lengha during mehndi ceremony, with lovely, intricate mehndi. I love the traditional touches such as the flowers in her hair and the hair-piece she also wears, as well as the fact that the groom is meant to sit next to the bride so he can feed her while her hands are out of action!

The wedding ceremony itself was of a similar vein, the groom wore a beautiful, rich blue sherwani (and rode in on a horse!), with the bride wearing a matching cream and dark blue lengha outfit, and both look like they are enjoying themselves and each others company. I also love how the couple didn't go for traditional colours like red, nor opt for something like white either, which is also becoming a very popular colour. The fact that they look of the outfits were kept quite 'Indian' in style and weren't too heavy or overdone makes the details of the wedding and the outfits stand out more, and it's something which looks lovely.

Lastly was the reception party after the wedding, which was a lot more relaxed and simple. I really like this sari out of the three outfits worn by Neha (although it may be because it looks great on her tall figure!), because it looks so elegant on her and the fact that it combines a modern look with simple tailoring. I really like the creamy, nude colour, and think that this really helps to make it look feminine and simple, yet enough also pretty enough to still look like a bridal outfit.

Images from People Magazine US, photography by Vinayak Das Photographers

I love seeing weddings like this, where the couple look like they've had a lot of fun, and have kept it fairly traditional with their own personal touches. And of course, the mega-watts smile from both the bride and groom also adds some sparkle!