Fashion Trends & Passions: Pashmina Shawl Statements Pieces

This is something I've been seeing a lot lately, pretty pashmina shawls being used as statement pieces. Not just any old shawls either, I've seen a whole range of embellished, embroidered and velvet ones which I love - perfect for the winter weather too!

If you haven't seen these, here are just a few examples I've seen below - I've even seen gorgeous velvet heavy shawls incorporated into wedding outfits which look amazing. I also really like the fact that some of these shawls are styled with belts for a fitted look, which look really chic - with dresses, short kameezes and even jumpsuits.

I'm really liking a lot of the trends out there at the moment which include contrasting, or making shawls pop out with bright colours against a neutral surface, which can really pull a simple outfit together.

I'm lucky enough to have quiet a few outfit which come with beautiful shawls and dupattas, which are statement pieces on their own. I always have loved the idea of a colourful dupatta with a plain kameez suit (something my sisters and I used to do a lot when we were younger! Net dupattas, anyone...?) so I love that this is back in again. I also find these quite modest - great for a draping on your shoulders or arms if you want a looser look.

I've been looking for a a reason to pull out a few of my pashminas for a while and have been playing around with a few that I already have - luckily a lot of my winter suits have beauttiful thick shawls for me to use. This is an older outfit I have from Pakistani label  Charizma, that I got the chance to make use of recently. I really like this brand because it's pretty reasonably priced, and really comfortable. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get this directly through the website (but looking at the decent prices on their website, I'm tempted to order now!) but I did order this through Brandcentral.pk who are quite reliable.

This is me wearing the outfit, I wanted to use a belt for this but thought it wouldn't go with the embroidered kameez. No heels this time, just flats and a plain hijab!

I really loved the colourful design of this outfit - I'm not sure what I like more, the outfit or the pashmina! I'm definitely going to use the shawl for a more plainer outfit though (jumpsuit, plain abayah, any ideas?) to see how it looks - I can also imagine a light simple white kameez for summer with statement shawls.

What do you think of this trend - would you wear this? There are quite a few vendors out there with these trend and it's pretty easy to put together from your own wardrobe!

FOLLOWING TRENDS: Floral Maxi Dresses (again)

Over the last couple of years I've seen the floral trend burst into into Western and Eastern fashion, and over the last year or so I've seen this translated into various styles and designs which have seeped into the high street. I've already posted about these gorgeous floral maxi dresses from a local store which caught my eye, but they were above what I was looking to spend. I've still got a hankering for a floral dress or maxi skirt which I can wear as a lengha, and it's been great to see more variety in the shops.

I've seen these lovelies in several shops over the last week or so in Green Street, Ilford and Whitechapel (all East London hot spots for Asian clothes!) - all for pretty bargain prices from as low as £69 in some shops to £120 for the embellished ones in others. All in all, these are a pretty good buy for someone looking for something floral and they're perfect for a summery look (I know summer is more or less over but it's still nice to see colour!)

I've been contemplating these for a future wedding, or even Eid, the styles are simple yet pretty and there's a lot of colours and styles available, not to mention being such a good bargain.

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

Make-It-Yourself-Fashion: DIY Your Own Shirt-Dress

I've mentioned before that I love the latest trend of shirt-dresses, and the fact that this seems to be a trend in quite a few stores on the high street.

Although I love the fact that most of these shirts have long sleeves or are modest enough to be layered without looking awkward, I've found that there isn't enough variety out there. I've seen a lot of plain dresses and a few floral ones, but I couldn't see anything which was colourful or a little different, so I got the idea of making my own shirt dress. I've been veering towards making my own designs anyway, since I've been looking for something more unique, and thought I'd experiment a little with what I find.

I've grown up being comfortable with home-made outfits - my mum is an excellent tailor and having a sewing machine in the house was normal in our neighbourhood (a lot of our aunts used to sew as well or work for local warehouses and factories from home). It's strange to see how times have changed; when we were younger we used to get our mums to sew our salwar kameezes from fabrics bought from a local shop or market, usually with minimal work, and either wore the plainer ones at home as casual outfits, or the fancier ones for special events. These days no one does this, 'ready-'made' outfits, which was more of a luxury back then, is now the norm - it's not worth buying nice fabric if you have to spend extra to get it made as well!

Lucky for me, my mum's pretty experienced when it comes to making clothes, although as she's gotten older she sews less and either uses a local tailor, or buys us ready-made outfits from the shop or from Pakistan. Having said that, she'll still turn her hand at making the odd abayah or dress.

I'm always wandering around local shops and markets, Green Street's famous Queens Market has an amazing stall with beautiful fabrics, there's another good market my mum recommends in Romford, and there's always odd fabric shops dotted around in local areas.

I wanted something floral, so had a look around different places to get an idea of prints - these are just some of the ones I found that I loved.

These are some of the fabrics I ended up buying, you can see they're all floral prints in different colours and styles, I wanted light cotton and polyester fabrics which would be ideal for warmer weather, especially because it can be difficult to know how to dress modestly and still wear light outfits when it gets hot.

I decided to make the light green floral one on the left first  - can you believe this fabric only cost me £3?!

I gave the fabric to my mum, who in all honesty, made the outfit for me. I wanted to make the majority of it, but I didn't do much in the end (mostly because she made the whole thing in a day and didn't want to wait for me!)

She made it in a straight-shirt style, the front being higher than the bottom, with buttons along the front and full sleeves. She didn't add a collar to this one, mainly because I hate wearing collars with a scarf (one of the reasons I hardly wear smart shirts!), and also so the top wouldn't be too bulky. The actual fabric is very light and sheer as well, so the material was not structured enough to be shaped into a collar. I did love the buttons on this though, they're big and chunky, and look pretty striking against the fabric. Again, these buttons were from my mum's collection of buttons!

I was really happy that my mum made this in time for me to take it on holiday with me to Greece - it was just perfect for the weather because it was so light. The shirt itself was quite sheer so I still had to wear a top under it, but it didn't feel too layered and I think it worked quite well.

This is me wearing it on holiday, it was a pretty good fit (which sounds obvious, seeing as it was tailored for me!) and was loose enough to feel breezy and comfortable.

EVALUATION: Although I didn't make this shirt-dress myself, I was really happy with how it came out. I didn't need much fabric (I bought 3 metres to be on the safe side, and probably only used about 2 metres). The actual structure of this shirt was very simple - it's literally three pieces for the body, and two sleeves. I've already worn it about 4 times since I made it last month, and it's perfect modest-wear for me - long and loose.

I also like the fact that this was so cheap, and you won't find this anywhere else! Having said that, I know how easy it is to not bother with making outfits from fabric - I still have printed fabrics that I've bought and never got made from laziness or just the fact that getting it tailored is costly.

I'll be trying another outfit soon to make, and will definitely post results of the next one.

What do you think of making your own outfit - would you try it?

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: The Maxi Shirt Dress Trend

I've been seeing a big trend recently of maxi shirts and maxi shirt dresses recently, following on from the kimonos and long jackets I've been seeing. The thing I love about this is how easy the maxi shirts are for people like me to wear, who look for long-length dresses and tops which feel more modest and are amazingly comfortable.

I've seen these hitting the high street over the last few months now, and love the styles that are out there - a lot of them do remind me of kameezes though! 90s fashion seems to be hitting the industry - first with the marsala colours and the dark, brown lipsticks, and now these flippy shirts which were big in that decade.

Here's a few examples I've seen on the high street, and which are available to buy at present - there's lots more but the main similarities I've seen are the long styles with slits on the sides, some with buttons and some without.

I saw a really pretty floral print maxi shirt in high street store H&M, and snapped it up, as it looked perfect - it's long, has full sleeves and is very easy to wear. I wore this on a day out a few weeks ago and found it idea for the warm weather, it's slightly sheer so I wore a vest under my shirt and accessorised with a maxi cardigan, but I loved the look.

I've seen a lot of girls wearing this, and I'm not surprised, it's comfortable and it's a good intermediate for those who want to wear modest clothes or want to transition to to longer hemlines before they start wearing an abaya. And of course, it's very flattering on the figure, it certainly made me look slimmer and longer!

It's also given me the idea to make one of my own pieces like this. I haven't been able to find more printed long shirts like this that I like, there are a lot of plain ones out there and quite frankly, a lot of them were quite boring! So I've been hitting the local fabric stores and markets for some pretty, printed fabrics, and I've already seen a few that I like which I want to get stitched for summer. I'll be sure to post the results of any dresses I end up making, I love the idea of making my own and having a more of a unique touch, and would love to see what I end up with.

FOLLOWING TRENDS: Colourful Capes

I've been seeing a surge of jackets and capes in fashion trends in the last few months, and have been loving the variety that have become available. I've seen these being worn over the short kameez and cigarette trousers look, as well as skinny jeans and a simple top, and love the way it can really make a look.

I recently saw these colourful capes in clothes store Henna Mehndi, which had some cotton jackets in a variety of colours, and took the opportunity to try some on, which the staff kindly let me take photos of. I loved the ones below most, the black, white and pink print cape appealed me to more, but the one on the right was very colourful, and reminded me of a bright, Pakistani truck style pattern which I thought would be perfect to wear to a mehndi.

The print styles are harlequin print styles, and while these look a little like they may belong to the circus, I love how funky they look, and also how bright they were, making a difference from the more sober outfits I've seen!

I decided to try on the black, white and pink one print cape, which was surprisingly longer than it looked on the hanger, but was shorter at the front and had a slight tail to the back. I loved the fit of this cape, it was slightly loose on the sides (and being one size only, there's not much you can do about getting a bigger or smaller size), but it draped quite nicely, and the neon pink border stood out quite nicely.

I also tried another cape, this was a sleeveless one with chevron, zig-zag stripes and harlequin print in black, white, green and red. This one came up slightly shorter on me, and was less volumous than the first cape, but while it looked nice on the hanger, I didn't like this one was much as the first, as it looked a little too random. I do think this would make an interesting statement piece (with red shoes and red lips!) but I wouldn't have bought this one.

I didn't end up buying a cape in the end, as I couldn't decide which to buy, but the prices were very reasonable, with the cheaper cotton ones being £35, and the ones above being between £55 to £60. I think these would make a lovely accessories for summer, especially worn over a plain outfit for a more striking look. I would love to  get a printed cape or jacket for this summer, so I'll be sure to post when I do get one!

What do you think of these capes? Would you buy one?

DESIGNER MODE: Geometric Designs by SVA

It's not often that you see abstract, geometric designs in fashion done well, but in this case, a geometric collection from SVA by Sonam and Paras Modi are pretty amazing, and it's making me covet a piece for myself!

There's something almost boho chic about this collection, understated flowy skirts, printed kurtas, maxi and anarkali dresses and gorgeous fitted jackets.

Most of the collection is in black and white, with accents of gold, but it works wonderfully, making for statement pieces which need hardly any dressing up at all - I can imagine these being perfect for summer weather!

I hadn't realised until I began writing this post and looking up more information, that this collection was actually from last year (see asianfashionblog's post on this at the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive fashion show). Nevertheless, it's still very on-trend, the designs are beautifully made and are a perfect alternative to a lot of the bling and colours which are available in the fashion industry.

I'd love to get my hands on one of these, particularly a printed kurta or printed maxi dress for the summer, While the heavier outfits such as bridals, lenghas and embellished outfits are a bit more pricey, the simpler stuff like the tops and kurtas are not - they range from about $109 (about £73) upwards, which is not too bad for a designer piece.

You can see more of this collection (and buy too!) here, here and here - what do you think of this collection?

MAKE-UP REVIEW: The Matte Liquid Lipsticks

I've never been a real fan of lip glosses when wearing make-up because they usually leave my lips feeling sticky, or the colours don't feel very visible (not to mention getting flyaway hair stuck to my lips!) - I haven't really worn lip glosses since I was a teenager.

Recently though, I've become crazy about matte liquid lipsticks, which look like lip gloss but wear like lipsticks - they're long-lasting, they're matte and they are highly pigmented. I've built up a small collection of liquid liquids over the last few months, especially as these tend to what I reach for when I go to work, when out with friends and even to a few dos - it's convenient that they last all day and I don't have to re-apply or worry about it coming off when I eat (which is a problem with some of my usual lipsticks).

There are several brands which have launched their own collections of matte liquid lipsticks, some which are better than others. I've tried out a few brands which I'll write about below, although there's still a few other brands which I'd like to try.

Lime Crime have a popular range of matte liquid lipsticks, a collection call Velvetines, which started off just with two collections, and which has now grown 7 colours in the collection. I have been hankering after a Velvetine lipstick for a while, and finally put myself out of my misery to buy some. Because this is an American brand, it wasn't easy to find, but for those who are interested, I bought mine from here. I bought two shades,  Red Velvet and Suedeberry, both which looked really good on the swatches I saw online.

The Red Velvet shade was surprisingly not as deep as I thought it would be - it has a slightly coral base to it which made it brighter. When I wore it, it looked a lot like it did on this beauty blogger - although on me it wasn't as neat! Suedeberry on the other hand, was a very bright, orangey-coral colour, which took me a while to get used to. It's also a slightly chalky orange, so I needed some base underneath to make the colour 'sit' properly on my lips and also give a little moisture. The closest colour I can show for the orange shade is probably this (for some reason, on the beauty bloggers I followed online it looked slightly redder). Out of the two, I preferred the Red Velvet shade, it's really easy to wear and suits my skin tone a lot - and it's also a very pretty colour too.

A brand I have been using a lot lately is Sleek, whose liquid lipsticks - Matte Me - I'm really in love with. The colours look exactly the same as they do in the tube, they're easy to apply and very pigmented, and I eventually ended up buying all the colours they had because they're reasonably priced and I found the colours so flattering. The pinkier and purple shades have been a lot more flattering on my lips than the lighter shades though, which I need a base or a lipliner with in order to make the colours pop.

I've also gotten my sisters and sister-in-law to try these, and they've all had various preferences over which shade they like, but my favourite by far has been the purple shade, Fandango Purple. This is how the purple lipstick looks on me, it's a very pretty purple-pink shade which has gotten me compliments everytime I wear it. It also lasts the whole day on me, although it slowly fades away a little in the middle of my lip to a more hot pink shade unless I re-apply at the end of the day or if I have oily food.

I've also discovered a few matte liquid lipsticks by Bourjois, who also jumped on the bandwagon recently with their new Rouge Edition Velvet collection. I found these a little creamier than the Sleek lipsticks, although colour-wise, there were a few similarities. I bought a few hot pink and cranberry colours in this brand, and was also glad to see a dark red shade which I've been wanting to try in a liquid lipstick, especially as most that I have seen so far are the brighter shades of red.

The shade Pink Pong was the most flattering on me, it's a pretty hot pink colour with a slightly blue base which I really liked. I think this is a shade which would suit almost anyone, and it's a very easy colour to wear - the colour on me was similar to this beauty blogger. The other two pinks are a little less bright and vibrants, but are still very pretty, easy colours to wear, both perfect for everyday wear as well as a day out. I only bought the dark red shade Grand Cru recently (you can see the sticker marks on it!) but I imagine it will look very rich and red, something I'm looking forward to trying. The finish of these lipsticks are all pretty good, they feel light without being drying or looking flaky - I've been eyeing up the other colours to see what they're like too.

MUA has also got a collection of lipsticks called MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers, which are the cheapest of the bunch at £3. Like the other brands, there are some very bright colours available, although these may not suit everyone's tastes. I bought one of these in Reckless, which is a red shade that I thought was wearable, but not amazing. I think that for what they cost, they're not bad, but the quality isn't as great as the Lime Crime or Bourjois lipsticks, especially as this lipstick peels lightly as the day goes on.

Revlon has had long-lasting liquid lipstick for a while, their ColorStay collection is a little more sober in colours though. My mum has used some of their nude and pink shades for a long time, and even I have a tomato coloured liquid lipstick in this collection that I use every now and then (I forgot to take pictures of mine though!)

TopShop make-up is another that I've been hearing good things about - I have a highlighter by them which I love because it is surprisingly one of the better ones I have. So naturally, I wanted to check out their liquid lipsticks, which they had a range of, one called Lip Paint (which is creamier) and another called Lip Varnish (which is more of a shiny lacquer). Both are in very bright shades and long-lasting, although I didn't end up buying any because I didn't think any of the shades below would suit me, and the colours that would I already had shades of in other brands. Topshop also does Velvet Lipstick but as far as I can see, it's only in a black shade. I did end up buying a Gloss Ink in a pretty cranberry shade called Smitten which is like a pigmented, glossy lipstain.

I know that there are other brands which do liquid lipsticks as well, although I haven't tried them myself - there are a few higher-end brands like Hourglass and Guerlain; Illamasqua also have a popular liquid lipstick and Stila are also another, and NYX have a big collection which I've been wanting to try out. Lastly, Lush are another brand I've been eyeing up, their products are natural and come in pretty shades, but the down-side is that there is an expiry date of a year, which I'm still trying to decide whether I want to buy or not.

Overall I can see liquid lipsticks becoming more popular, they're not as fussy as normal lipsticks, they look beautifully elegant and they're very flattering. Who knew something which looks like a lip gloss would look as good as it does!

What do you think of matte liquid lipsticks - passing trend or here to stay? Which ones have you tried?

FASHION'S PASSIONS & PATTERNS: Masaba's Camera Print Motif

Masaba is a designer famous for her quirky prints, blocked bright colours and bold designs, so it's no surprise that this outfit which I saw and loved, is by this designer. The one below is a long kurta top with print design of cameras all over, which is a motif I've seen in a couple of places recently (along with other prints like cassette tapes and radios!), and it's something I find quirky but very likeable.

And that's not the only camera print, there's a few other similar designs by Masaba which have various prints and blocking which is something which is quite in trend right now.
Here are just a few variations of the camera print on Masaba's designs (I also love this blogger's way of styling the Masaba camera print jacket!) - I was surprised by how many different styles there are, and how popular it is. This is a motif that I do like, and I would certainly pick one of these up if I saw it in the high street!

 All images from Masaba Facebook Group and Pernia's Pop Up shop

FASHION'S PASSIONS & PATTERNS: Embroidered Jackets

I've noticed a slight trend in the catwalks in recent months, of having beautifully embroidered jackets, usually over flowy skirts or long jackets with trousers. This is not a new idea, as I've seen this stlye of jacket-with-trousers on the catwalk (and the high street!) a few times, but this particulat look of having embroidered jackets is something I've noticed a few times more recently on the Web and the catwalks. Below are a few examples of the more traditional styles of embroidered jacket, which has also been seen in Arab and Turkish fashion trends as well, and which look very similar and very beautifully made.

 Images taken from here and here

I love this look, and I think the best examples of it being seen on the catwalk are these ones below. I'm a sucker for beautifully made jackets, and with something as richly coloured as these, I'd love to be able to wear something like this. I also see it as a slightly 'fusion' style look. as it looks modern yet very, very glamorous.

  Images via AAINA Bridal

 I've seen in in some Bollywood movies, such as Rockstar which released earlier this year, and which I noticed made a lot of use of this style of embroidered jackets. I do also love how the actress in this picture decided to dress down the look by pairing it with some jeans, making it something which would work extremely well in the everyday world.

 Image belongs to producers/directors of Rockstar

I haven't seen anything like this hit the shops just yet (apart from the men's section!) as the jackets I've seen are more about the bling and aren't always as toned down as these. I do love this look, but I'm not sure how well they would work on ordinary consumers for their special events. I love the whole modesty aspect to this, the full sleeves, the high collars and the beautiful workmanship, but it's probably something which wouldn't be very cheap and may not suit all occasions. Is this something you'd imagine wearing - or is it not dressy enough for special occasions?

FASHION'S PASSIONS & PATTERNS: Damask Patterns and Themes

I am ABSOLUTELY in love with all things damask, be they wallpaper, clothes or random ornaments and decorations. A quick search on the internet too, will show you the extent of damask things that are readily available, and the different ways they can be integrated into a look or a style. I especially like the combination of damask patterns with rich fabrics such as brocade and silk, as it adds a touch of luxury, and in terms of clothes they can really give a regal feel.

Here are a few examples of the pretty damask things in my wardrobes, these are mostly dresses and jackets for everyday wear, and I also have a few damask scarves as well.

 And of course I must include my damask patterned make-up bags in the mix:

I have always liked a splash of damask pattern in plain or simple outfits or decoration, and I definitely think this is a trend which is very classic, and therefore also very lasting. It is unlikely to be out of fashion as it has always been present somewhere in fashion for several years, having a timeless feel to it, and it really is a motif which can be applied to many different strands of decor.
When combined with Asian clothes then, I think this adds an extra regal glamour and looks quite beautiful, especially as there doesn't seem to be much of this in the asian fashion industry. While I have seen a several English-style wedding dresses which have incorporated the damask pattern, there are very few of its asian counterparts like this.
I have seen a few examples where it has been used quite cleverly, below is an example of a salwar kameez suit worn by a friend of mine, which was a mix of velvet, net and cotton, a combination that I found beautiful, I also love how the simplicity of the suit allowed the damask pattern to be showcased rather than overloading it with extra detail.

Looking at the Asian fashion industry, there are a few more examples of how this theme as been used, although not many - I have often found that designers tend to use a damask motif on their clothes rather than use it as the focus of the outfit. Although this idea still looks pretty, as it shows a splash of damask rather than looking too overodone, I'd also still like to see an outfit on the catwalk which uses the damask pattern as its focus.

I'm sure you have also, like myself, seen the damask motif incorporated into weddings, and used in many aspects of wedding decoration, from cakes, favours, table linen, candles and even as part of the wedding stages.

Images from Garima Singh blog; Norweigan Phoenix blog and Inspirations Creations shop

The damask theme is definitely a beautiful one, and it's certainly something I'd like to see more of (damask shoes, anyone?) to add that classical glamour to the fashion industry.
More damask outfits to come soon!