How to Wear Statement Necklaces with Indian Wear...

My last post was dedicated to statement bracelets and this week were going to look at how to mix statement necklaces with indian wear!! Now believe it or not wearing big statement-ish necklaces with Indian clothes has been around for decades, but theres a new way to accessorise your indian wear. Now some of you guys in the east may be more familiar with mixing more western style statement necklaces with indian outfits but here in the UK its not something that I see all too often! Now the concept of wearing a statement necklace is essentially the same, when you have a single tone or fairly simple outfit lets say, a dark green based anarkali with hints of burnt orange and reds  to contrast pairing this simple silhouette with a chunky and long rustic gold or even burnt orange multi-strand necklace is a great way to add a touch of glamour to a fairly simple outfit without it looking over the top 

In the west when we pair jewellery with suits and saris and we tend to, in my opinion , think a little inside the box, we go for a fairly simple chocker style necklace style, very rarely have I seen long to medium length draped necklaces with indian outfits. 

So I wanted to share with you guys a few simple tips and inspirational ideas so that you can try it out or yourself! I first came across this styling idea when I had a pre-wedding party to go to and I was asking one of my dearest of friends for advice, she was like 'have you got a longish type necklace to go with this, it will look fabulous?' and when she asked I just looked a little confused and she looked at me like 'whaaatt?!' and I honestly just couldn't fathom mixing what seemed to me like two very independent types of clothing with what I considered westernised jewellery. But I went and dug up my very unorganised stack of necklaces and lo and behold she was right - I was gob smacked, it worked and couldn't BELIEVE I hadn't mixed this style before! 

Now its my go-to look whenever I feel like changing things up, read on for my key styling tips: 

• Tip One: Always choose a chunky necklace, and I'm aware that sounds obvious considering its a post dedicated to 'statement' necklaces but dainty necklaces won't do the trick here. It has to be noticeable!
• Tip Two: Colour - colour in statement necklaces always looks fab, but your not going to want to start  clashing different tones! My advise would be to pick on main colour from the indian suit/sari and run with that... 
• Tip Three: Layering/Multi-Layer necklaces: Layering necklaces or choosing multi strand designs are an easy way to wear a statement necklace with indian wear, they give this interesting contrast with the traditional or even modernity of indian clothes. I especially love the mix of enamel stones which we typically would pair with western wear, with the contrast of indian wear. 
• Tip Four: Pendants/ Medallions: don't be afraid of large hanging pendants, like the one shown in the    pictures below wearing the icy blue and red sari. This is often the feature point of the necklace so its the accentuating part! It also adds a rustic regal touch but if your not quite sure, start of with something a little smaller, but like I said in Tip One Chunky is the way to go here! 

Statement Jewellery: Bangles 101

I'm back, I promise! I've been up and down with my posts lately but I've been working on an exciting new project, which hopefully you'll be seeing soon! 

But lets get back to the topic at hand, I've been wanting to dedicate a post to accessories and in particular statement accessories especially with Indian Wear for a while. Sometimes we can get so stuck in what we are expected to wear that we forget to be a bit daring and try to mix things up! So bearing this in mind todays post is dedicated to Bangles! 

As we all know when dressing up to go to a function, not accessoring your outfit is practically a cardinal sin! Indian heritage is so rich and vast in its offering that not putting ANY accessories on is essentially an insult! I love changing up my accessories and trying to accessorise in ways unexpected, and choorian are no exception. As a child I loved chooria, I would sit there for hours playing with all the different colours and coming up with varying symmetrical patterns and matching colours to go with outfits and lets be honest I'm not alone in this! But the time has come to give them an update, no longer are we thinking simple pattern stacking were talking mixing patterns, colours, shapes and sizes of bangles were talking Statement Bangles.

Now you may be thinking well, what exactly do you mean and how exactly go about doing this?! Well here are my key Style Tips for updating your Bangles:

• Statement Cuffs: These are the simplest way to give your accessories an update, one cuff can give an outfit a new dimension, if your feeling confident why not try stacking multiple statement cuffs. Design wise they can be as simple or as quirky as you like but often to give the cuff effect try to be a little more daring and try a design that stands out. Sometimes wearing less accessories leaves more effect and with Indian Wear it can be a nice contrast to put something on that you wouldn't think would go with the look, for example the stack of big chunky bangles with the stunning Gaurang Shah Lehenga is not the most obvious choice but the layered effect looks stunning! 

• Mix Shapes and Sizes: Try mixing large and chunky bangles and cuffs to give a layered and carefree look, adding a textured cuff, like the bell encrusted number below to the mix is an easy way to look effortless, on trend and add some different textures to the look 

• Mix Colours: The traditional way to were choorian are of course to find matching sets that are a perfect colour match! To mix things up stick to one key colour thats in your outfit and use this as the main base colour then try to mix the colour range by contrasting with other bangle colours that are not in your outfit or have only hints of colour in your outfit, by doing this your giving your outfit a whole new look...

• Go Back to Basics: The simple fabric woven bangles are a great way to create a stacked bangle look with texture, traditional stacked choorian can look uniform whereas mixing up the colours and textures keeps things looking fresh!

• Go Dainty: If you want an understated and simple look go for a dainty small selection of beautifully crafted bangles, these will give you the same impact as a large and funky stack but will have the added edge of classic elegance. 

Do you Dare to Wear a Sharara?

Would you wear a Sharara or not?! Debately the most controversial clothing question asked! Okay so maybe a slight exaggeration, but still a highly important question! Shararas never fail to split opinion, and as fashion trends are part of a huge revolving wheel, eventually Shararas are bought back into the spotlight, but it seems to  me that they go out of fashion as quickly as they come in. I think its because it splits peoples opinions, you either love them or hate them, or your really just not sure what you feel about them! 

A Sharara in essence is a top and trouser combination, the defining characteristic of a Sharara are the trousers they are essentially flared/wide leg trousers that when worn often give the appearance of a Lehenga. Personally, Shararas lean towards may aesthetic sensibilities and so I would absolutely wear one, but having said that I'm not a fan of all style and cuts, I am admittedly extremely picky!

Shararas can be a flattering and fun garment to wear if the style and cut are right, for example I'm not a fan of a Sharara trousers that have a band and gathers midway at the thigh, I find they can be  seriously unflattering as they have a tendency to cut a body shape and draw attention to areas that don't need to be! When looking for Shararas I prefer the straight flared style of trouser, these I think are by far the more flattering choice and also the more modern update of the classic Sharara. The length of the top is always an important feature too, the key here is to make sure that its a length that you feel comfortable in! I personally avoid top lengths that are too short, as it wouldn't flatter my body shape! So know your body shape and know what flatters you and what doesn't!

Of late there has been a influx of Shararas hitting the runway and I have to say I'm left with some serious wardrobe envy! My favourite look and style had to be that of Gaurang Shah, he mixes bold prints on the top with neutral trousers that have been carefully pleated to give a fresh and tailored look to the Sharara. This is a look I would LOVE to get my hands on! 

If you really are undecided, I say give one a go! My tips for wearing one would be too:

• Pick a style that you feel comfortable in! 
• Ensure the shape and cut of the sharara flatters you, for example, if you don't want to draw attention to certain areas then try to choose a style that compliments those areas! 
• Accessories are a must, and try to keep it in theme with the style of the sharara, the quirkier the jewellery the better in my opinion, so think chunky and electric styles of jewellery, big chunky hoops or bangles encrusted with bells and beads. 
• Heels are a must too, they'll give you the height and statue you need when wearing a heavy flared trouser, the will help to create the illusion of a Lehenga as you'll see the full shape of the trousers... 
• Lastly Be Confident!: If your daunted by the unusual look, don't be! Shararas are edgy, fun and seriously easy to wear and you'll nearly always leave people wishing they owned a Sharara too! 

This Sharara is by far my favourite, I'm seriously in love with this whole look, everything about this look is to die for, you can see how carefully and skillfully the trousers have been pleated for a full and tailored look mixed with the hand printed top for a contrasting look, I just love everything about this combination... 

This Surendri by Yogesh Chaudry is a quirky update the look, a knitted top gives this look a fun twist ...

You don't get more flared than trousers like this but the effect is amazing, mixed with the short Gota encrusted top is just so fun and vibrant...

This Tarun Tahiliani masterpiece is more classic than the most, but thats what so incredible, Tarun mixes classic colours with classic shapes and leaves you with a timeless vibe...

This is trouser shape that I would personally avoid, but I can't help but like the clash of colours and work on the trousers....

I love this style of trouser, this is a super flattering piece and is incredibly timeless with its simple and understated style...

The length of the top on this Sharara is daring, edgy and usually I'm not a fan of this length but the tight cut and shape of the top adds a touch of interest...

This look paired with a simple head piece and flowing wavy locks would look incredible, its simple clean lines allow for more unusual accessories to really shine, even pairing this with stacks of chunky bangles alone would look georgous with a simple sharara like this....

The work on this Sharara is beautiful, but is a perfect example of a style that I would avoid, it  would just highlight all the wrong the features in my opinion...

Certainly a quirkier style of Sharara, but I find this look to be simple, elegant and completley effortless...

The creamy gold shades with the complimentary embriodary just stuns on this Sharara... 

Sonam Kapoor shows how simple and effortless a Sharara can look and how easy they are to wear...

Designer Spotlight: Amrita Thakur...

Amrita Thakur has fast become one of my favourite designers for a number of simple reasons, firstly she knows 'how' to dress a women, by that I mean she knows how to create an outfit that flatters a women, secondly she creates clothing that is 'wearable.' These two factors together create a magical combination for women everywhere. 

Her collections have graced Lakmè Fashion Week numerous times now and if your not familiar with her work, you should be! Her aesthetic tastes are simple and elegant and she epitomises the concept of ''less is more' to a tee, her pieces look deceptively simple but when wear them, they give you a air of confidence that says 'yes I really do look this fabulous!', she pairs simple silhouettes and designs with plain borders and embroidery, duputtas are lightly covered with work and simple patterns. Amrita Thakur turns the word simplicity into an art form, but the key to her pieces are the wearability, her pieces are neither fussy or over worked they are exactly as they should be, timeless and fun, a combination that is rare to come by! Her ability to create pieces that are so gorgeous is exactly why you should bear her in mind when shopping for a wedding or festival next! 

Here are a selection of a few of my favourite pieces...