KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Khaadi Blue and Yellow Summer Vibes

I love the colourful print trend that's in right now, it's easy to wear, makes a statement and looks amazing for summer. I saw this outfit a few days ago in Khaadi Westfield, which I think is an example of how the company has got the trend right - their outfits are fashionable, comfortable and look gorgeous.

I don't usually go for bright colours (normally because matching a head-scarf can be a headache!) but I loved this summery piece below because it looks perfect for so many occasions - I can imagine it being worn for a special event like Eid, or just for a more casual look at a barbecue.

I'll be keeping an eye out for more designs like this for Eid - I've already seen a few things I like but haven't made up my mind what to buy yet! What do you think of this - would you wear it?

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Royal Blue & White Khaadi Outfit

Now that summer's finally hit London in full force, I've been able to pull out all of my printed kurtas, lawn outfits and pretty summer pieces that I've been waiting to wear. Some of my outfits are a little old, since I've purchased them a year or two ago but they're all pretty wearable and perfect for summer (although that's not to say I may not have a few new purchases by the end of summer!)

This is an outfit from Pakistani label Khaadi, whose outfits I love because of the bright colours and prints, and the which I've always found wearable and comfortable. I bought this outfit last year, since I love the colour and the print design but didn't get much wear last year, so took the opportunity a few weekends ago to pull it out since it was perfect for the warm weather!

This is the outfit - a printed blue kameez with white embroidery on the neckline, which came with tapered pants with a lace cuff. I really like the print of this outfit at the hem and sleeves, which is streaked and has a pretty floral border, and like a lot of other kameezes, the back has a different print at the back which gives it a playful look.

This is me wearing the outfit, which I wore pretty simply, with flats and simple accessories. When it comes to warm weather I don't tend to wear a lot of jewellery or go crazy with my make-up, and this simple look suits me fine! The outfit itself was made from a lovely cotton material which was perfect for the summer weather, and loose enough to feel comfortable.

Here's a quick look at the back of the outfit, which was in a similar print to the front but in a lighter blue and white. I also liked the eclectic look of the floral border strip on the sleeve which matched the hem too.

This was a pretty simple, non-dressy outfit which is perfect for relaxing in on summer days. I bought this from the Khaadi store in Westfield but it was a little pricey for a casual look - I'm looking to purchase some more outfits directly from Pakistan to save a little money this year!

One of the things which has always bugged me about buying Pakistani labels is that oversea buyers such as us in the UK always seem to get charged more. I have bought Khaadi kurtas from Pakistan which have worked out about £25-28 each, yet when buying from the Khaadi stores in the UK or when buying online, the outfits can work out to as much as £50-60 and upwards, which seems a little unfair.

I can understand that we have to account for shipping or the costs of the shop, but it seems like we're expected to pay more because we're oversea - there's a perception that as we live in London (or the UK!) we can afford to spend more, which isn't always the case. I've spoken to a few people about this who feel the same way - it seems like there are other brands out there which seem to have this same idea about buyers in the UK.

Since the rise of Facebook sellers, instagram sellers and online websites which offer cheaper alternatives, I've been looking at outfits which are more affordable and wearable. I'll be doing a separate post about this soon once I've accummulated some more info - but wanted some feedback on your thoughts about this, what do you think about sellers and buying branded labels from Pakistan in the UK?

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Teal & Cream Gul Ahmed outfit

I haven't been wearing as many Pakistani outfits in the last month or so because it's been pretty cold,  and we haven't had that many special events like weddings. Whenever we have had events, I've ended up wearing pretty maxi skirts and dresses which I can dress up, or comfy outfits for most of the events and functions I have attended.

I do have a few warmer outfits which I've been able to pull out though, like this outfit by Gul Ahmed, which is made of a thick cotton fabric which is almost like khaddar, a thicker cotton material. I mainly bought this outfit because I loved the intricate cream embroidery on it, and the beautiful pashmina which went with it which gave it a slight contrast.
I also loved the button detail on it, which makes it feel a little smarter.

The outfit came with plain cream churidar pants, but I opted to wear this outfit with a Khaadi trouser which you can buy as seperates - I thought the lace detailing at the cuff went better with this outfit.

This is me wearing the outfit, I'm sure you can tell how comfortable it was! It was also warm enough for me to wear in the winter weather, although I did jazz it up with some high heels! I loved the deep blue of the pashmina with this outfit,it added some more colour and prints to the outfit, even if you can't see the beautiful quality of the pashmina material.

Outfit - Gul Ahmed

Trousers - Khaadi

Clutch - New Look

Shoes - Kurt Geiger

Although the latest trends in Pakistani fashion leans towards shorter hemlines and tapered (or even flowy!) trousers, I think that this outfit still looks pretty classic, and the trousers go pretty well with it. As much as I love following the latest trends, I do also still love my long kameezes, especially since they are so flattering on the figure, and I think I'll get plenty of wear from this outfit yet!

OUTFIT OF THE DAY: The Khaadi Blues and Floral Prints

I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of the Khaadi brand, mainly for their cotton and lawn suits which are ideal for summer. I've been pulling out my lawn suits now that it's getting a lot warmer, and have been getting more wear out of them now that weekends are busier!

I bought this outfit a few months ago from the Khaadi store in Westfield Stratford (which was luckily on sale!) and thought this was ideal to wear to an iftar dinner this weekend.The outfit was pretty colourful so I didn't bother wearing anything to accessorize, although I did manage to dig out some colourful shoes to match which I'd forgotten about!

I love the print on this kameez, and it was the reason why I bought this outfit - my favourite part is the back with it's motif of flower bunches all over. The kameez itself is a high-low style as well, which is more ideal for today's trends, and is finished off with a lovely hem.

I loved wearing this outfit - it was a really nice fit and looked really slimming on me (although that may be down to the fasting as well!). I wore a nice deep red lipstick with this, which I went well with the outfit. The pants were also a great fit (slightly cropped but not indecently!) and nice and airy for the summer weather!

You can see the floral print all the back, below, which works well with the floral sleeves and the dupatta, which tied it all together.

The best bit about this outfit was that it was a light enough material for summer, but not sheer at all. I never used to wear lawn material before because it either looked sheer, or the material would 'stick' to you and feel slightly papery - the quality of lawn these days have improved!

What do you think of this outfit? Have you bought any outfits from Khaadi before?

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Khaadi Red and White Blossoms

I saw this lovely outfit recently by Pakistani label Khaadi at Westfield Stratford City, and loved how pretty the floral print and embroidery looked together in white and red. I love white and red when it's done well, and on this outfit I though it was done pretty well!

I thought this was a beautiful piece and asked about it at the store, as I have been looking in random places for Eid outfit ideas (I know, it's early!). It's made from a beautiful fabric and the embroidery looks gorgeous, and the cut is pretty flattering. The outfit cost £199.00 which was a little steep for me, but I thought it was certainly a lovely piece.

The main thing which stopped me from buying it in the end was the fact that it didn't come with sleeves which could be sewn on - I never wear sleeveless outfits and I didn't like the fact that I'd have to buy my own material and get them sewn on. The trousers also were too cropped for me as well, while it looks great together, alas, it's not for me!

Khaadi comes to London...!

I'm a bit late in posting about this, as I've heard about Pakistani label Khaadi coming to Westfield Stratford and Westfield Shepherds Bush in London weeks ago. I finally got a chance to visit yesterday though, when I popped into Westfield Stratford for a quick browse.

Here's a look at the store (which was surprisingly quite big) and the pretty kurtas being stocked inside. Some of the clothes were slightly colourful for my taste, but I did like some the simple kurtas and printed long kameezes which looked pretty and summery.

The store itself is pretty easy to browse, the sizes are in the standard UK 8-16 sizes and there is enough variety in colours, shapes and style to appeal to a broad group of potential customers. I also love the fact that everything in the store is categorised by colour, which looks very pretty too!

I can imagine this store being quite popular as the weather gets warmer later on in the year, and it's certainly in with the trends in terms of long kameezes that can be worn with leggings or jeans.
I loved the black and white print kurta (above, left) with the pink hem and cuffs, which I though looked quite chic and pretty - I don't often wear kurtas much but I can see the appeal here. I also really liked the fact that there are canvas bags with funky prints on them, which would be great as book bags or beach bags too.

What do you think of this label - will you be visiting Khaadi anytime soon?