Styling ethnic vest

This ethnic vest I have shown on the blog already and today is yet another variation of wearing this cute little piece of clothing. This time I wore it over a purple cotton top paired with a floating maxi skirt in navy blue. I simply love this vest, such cute details and adorable print.

Ethnic summer look

Today another ethnic look, a cotton set from Biba: a floral print dress, wide ankle length pants and a dupatta. Sometimes I like to wear Indian clothes especially when they are that pretty and stylish as this ensemble. I don't understand those who live in a foreign country and never ever try on what local folks wear. It is always fun for me and I really enjoy wearing ethnic clothes.

Ethnic printed tunic

Hello everybody! It's been two weeks since my last post...I didn't notice it...how time flies, huh? Is it spring? Or is it age? Frustrating...Anyway, to my today's outfit...all in black-and-white which is not exactly my colour palette but the tunic's print brightens up the whole look. There are several patterns mixed together and the front and back of the tunic are absolutely different. Nevertheless all those prints look harmonious.

Embroidered party jacket

I keep adding new pieces into my collection of Indian party ensembles. Today it is a long jacket that is worn over a lehenga (skirt). Not much can be seen of the lehenga itself, only its ornamented hem and a little bit of its body when I move. The jacket is of black velvet and heavily embroidered with silk and metallic threads and additionally decorated with rhinestones along the hem lines. So, thanks to all this decoration the jacket is quite heavy. Plus the lehenga too is on the heavier side. However, I am ready to bear all that heaviness because it looks stunning.

Casual Anarkali

Last April I wrote about our visit to Bhaktapur, one of the towns of the Kathmandu valley that was damaged the most during the big 2015 earthquake . Last Saturday we visited the town again. Have to say that now it looks somewhat worse: many of the survived but too much damaged temples were demolished after all, reconstruction works are about to start and there are bricks and polls, sand and cement everywhere that creates a picture of chaos.

Embroidered evening dress

Perhaps some of you remember the dress that I wore for the New Year Eve party, it was a black dress with a huge sparkling peacock embroidered on the front of it. And today is yet another peacock dress, haha...black as well but with less sparkle and with more peacocks...I saw it in the window of a boutique and those peacocks just stole my heart straight away...don't know why I am so weak for these birds. I have quite an impressive collection of peacock jewelry  and now it seems I have started a collection of dresses, haha...

Indian princess outfit

It's been a long time since I posted an Indian party look. And as you know I do love dressing up for Indian parties. But then I spent three months visiting UK and Belarus and when I came back there was no parties at all - no season. Finally, today I can show you my new party dress and I consider it the prettiest dress I have ever owned so far. Well, actually it is not a dress but a skirt with a long kind of jacket worn over it. But it does look like a dress though.

Indian motifs jeans

Those who know my love for everything Indian will understand why I couldn't resist buying these jeans. They are from Desigual and their price was a bit higher than I usually am ready to pay for jeans. Anyway, the Indian style bright and colourful details plus perfect fit made me change my mind. And I have to say that I simply love these jeans...Here I am wearing them with simple white top from Indian Biba accessorized with Indian inspired bracelets and a necklace from Monsoon. Perfect match!

Ethnic jacket modern way

Just in my previous post I complained about having a nice brown skirt and not having much things to pair it with. And today I'm wearing that very skirt with a new garment that I bought literally yesterday. And I like this look much more better because it is much more "me". The embroidered cotton jacket is from the latest Rabari collection from Biba India. The moment I saw it there was no doubt in my mind about having it.

Colourful lehenga choli outfit

Showing off my new Indian outfit. Such sets of a skirt (lehenga), a blouse (choli) and a shawl are no less popular party outfits here than sarees. I prefer them because they are easy to put on, no fuss as with draping a saree; they show off figure no less than a saree does and they are really stunning. I believe you have heard such a statement that one should not mix more than three colours in one outfit. Well, it doesn't apply for Indian outfits. There may be as many colours mixed up as one wishes. Let's count how many there are in my today's look: golden, red, orange, dark blue, blue, yellow, purple. Seven! Just as many as the rainbow has! And I must say that I enjoy having all these colours together in one outfit!

Yet another Anarkali!

On Monday we were invited to the celebration of the 50th wedding anniversary of an Indian couple. That was the first time that I attended someone's Golden Wedding. What a great occasion! What a great achievement I would say! It is very touching to see two people who spent so many years together, through all the challenges, disappointments, battles, ups and downs that life brings. They looked happy and excited, a little bit confused of all the fuss and attention.

Navy blue maxi skirt: ethnic way

My first photoshoot after the earthquake. What have I been wearing these days? Nothing fancy, of course. Mostly it's been loose pants or a maxi skirt paired with a t-shirt. Or something ethnic such as kurta-salwar combination.
Today again I'm wearing my favourite navy blue maxi skirt that has been featured on this blog so many times already. Yet another way to wear it: ethnic. Add an Indian kurta (tunic) with a fancy ethnic motif, large jhumka earrings, a chunky bangle - done.

Anarkali maxi dress and post-quake wedding

On Sunday we attended a first post-quake festive event: a wedding at our neighbourhood. The party was cancelled but they decided to go ahead with the ceremony after all. Of course, there was no music and dancing, no fancy food. Everything was organised in a quiet, homely manner. I still had not felt like dressing up but for the ceremony I simply had to. And I am glad I did, it really cheered me up. And though there was still tension on the faces and in the eyes of those who came for the event, it was really nice to get together, to forget for a while about what everybody has been through recently. I think people needed it.

Good Morning, Nepal! - IMPREINT's "Portraits" collaboration post

Recently I was invited to join an international photography project "Portraits" started by a London-based artist IMPREINT. The artist collects portraits of different people holding a common item - a balloon. Why a balloon? While painting a project "1000 balloons" a couple of years ago the artist came to the idea that we people are just like those balloons: all different, imperfect yet all beautiful. And he decided to start this new project "Portraits" where the balloon symbolizes the common ground that we all have not depending on age, shape, skin colour, culture background, social status: we all are human beings, we all can love, hate, cry, laugh, feel pain or feel happiness.

A reversed Cinderella story

Bollywood movies are commonly known for their unrealistic love stories that could hardly happen in real life. But let me tell you a real life story that sounds no more realistic than any Hindi movie or a fairy tale. The story happened in the second half of the 19th century in Kapurthala that was a Princely State of Punjab at the time. Princess Gobind Kaur was a daughter of Maharajha of Kapurthala and since childhood had lived in great luxury and splendour of the court of her father. She was married at the age of 12 to a nobleman of great wealth and position. Thanks to her royal status she didn't have to move to her husband's house as tradition required but stayed at her own six-storeyed palace. Nevertheless the life there was pretty boring.

Sleeveless beaded dress for a wedding party

On Sunday it was not only Easter but we were also invited to a wedding party. I like it when such parties happen in summer because there is not need for any scarves or coats or jackets. Finally I got a chance to wear this new sleeveless party dress. It is heavily decorated with glass beads and rhinestones (but on the front only). I would be really happy to wear this dress without any pants but it is not possible. Look at this both-side high slits, no way wearing the dress with nothing underneath.

Ethnic outfit for ethnic theme dinner

On Monday a new year (2071 by the way) started here in Nepal according to the local calendar. On the Eve we went to celebrate to a Rana-era-inspired restaurant famous for its unique interior and delicious traditional food. For such a place I wanted to wear something ethnic. And chose these red Patiala pants that you're already seen (here) and a new kurta-vest set from Biba. When I saw it in their boutique, instantly I liked the vibrant purple colour of the kurta but the vest turned out to be simply irresistible for me.

Sari forever

For some official events here in Nepal wearing a sari is a must for all the invited women including foreigners. I love sari, it is such a feminine, elegant and undoubtedly beautiful variant of traditional Indian dress. Literally speaking the sari is just a piece of fabric of about 4-8 m long and about 120 cm wide. And it is amazing that by draping it around the body it can be transformed into such a beautiful item of women's clothing. Of course, draping a sari requires experience and skills. And that is exactly what I lack. Theoretically I know how to drape it but practically it just doesn't work that smoothly and I have to re-drape it again and again. As a result draping a sari takes so much time for me. And I get tired and often annoyed in the process. But the final look is worth all the effort I guess.

Indian party outfit in red, golden and black

Three wedding parties during the last week. It is like this here: nothing for a couple of months and then suddenly several parties in a row. For the two parties I wore outfits that you have already seen - the "Indian Maharani" and the Anarkali dress. The third outfit is new. It is from the Indian brand Biba. Has the same name as the British fashion store of the 1960s and 70s. Anyway, nothing common between them. The Indian Biba name comes from the Punjabi word meaning "a young and pretty girl with sublime qualities". Actually it is the second my outfit from Biba, remember my "butterflies and dragonflies" summer dress? Also from Biba. I believe you will see more of this brand here as I like their creations very much. And I like their motto "I don't blend in. I stand out. I am Biba"

Qipao, the evergreen classic

Today is the Chinese New Year. And I thought it was a good time to show off my cheongsam/qipao and to tell you about this beautiful Chinese dress. Like Kungfu, Beijing opera, and acupuncture, the qipao is an instantly recognizable symbol of Chinese culture.
The Mandarin word "qipao" means "banner robe" and it was used to describe the long dress worn by women belonging to the Eight Banners (clans) of Manchu. It was a long A-shaped, loosely fitted and squarely cut silk brocade robe adorned with different embroidered motifs that reflected the status, position or title of the wearer.