Inspiration from India: A Love for Lenghas

Sarees (or saris) are a fairly well known Indian garment and are often the first thing people associate with Indian fashion. While I certainly love sarees, I confess I have never actually worn one. That's because I just can't part with my lenghas.

Anju Modi's work. Left, middle, right.

There are quite a few Indian fashion designers I am in utter awe of, their work filling my Pinterest boards and making me more than a little desperate for trip to India. Above are some of my favourite lenghas by one of my favourite designers, Anju Modi. Her work is just breathtakingly eclectic, and her costumes for the Bollywood film Ram-Leela really blew me away. No one mixes fabrics, colours, cuts and styles quite like her.

Manish Malhotra's work. Left, middle, right.

Manish Malhotra was the first Indian designer to capture my heart, though. While his work may not be the most cutting-edge, it does take the tradition of Indian fashion to new heights of intricacy by honouring the history behind the garments. Luxe, sumptuous and bold designs define his work for me, and probably are what make him the most sought-after designer in Bollywood.

Sabyasachi's work. Left, middle, right.

Sabyasachi Mukherji is a designer who is new to me, as I came across his pieces for India Couture Week 2014. The deep, dusky colours artfully draped and layered caused quite a bit of commotion in the fashion world then. While his work varies quite a bit, these designs from '14 hold a special place in my heart for their heady aesthetic—and I still think the belted lengths are an ingenious reinvention!

Yeah, so that's a round up of my three favourite designers in India, all of their work being magical and (sadly) unattainable, for me at least. All in all, I do find myself increasingly loving Indian fashion for it blends the art of details, history and tradition, within a modern context, so very well.

Swathed in Comfort: Robes

House robes, bath robes, dressing gowns, whatever you choose to call them—I love them!

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So indulgent, so girly and just so, so much fun! 

Of course, I have my very old, very worn but very loved comfort robe (I confess: it's navy and it's polyester!) but I love to pick up a couple of pretty little things here and there!

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 Honestly, sometimes the robes I love are practically confections. Ruffles, ribbons, silk, chiffon, fluff, and lace are all very welcome. Especially if the end result looks like something Lara Turner, Marilyn Monroe or Laura Ingalls Wilder would have worn…

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And I love robes so much, I'm always trying to find ways to either sneak them into my day wardrobe or find pieces that resemble them—like long coats and sweaters!

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Crafty Woman: Scavenger Boots

There is something so satisfying about taking a generic little thing and turning it into something more one-of-a-kind. I have this obsession all my life, where I'll try to turn everything I buy into something that feels so much more my own.

I finally got around to revamping some generic lace-up boots that I picked up. I had wanted to try out this awesome DIY, so I waded my way through various outlets to find the bits and pieces I needed.

And all I needed was a random, pretty but boring pair of boots, some lace scavenged from the bottom of a forgotten old slip, two bargain bin belts and feathers I'd bought and was dying to use. Oh, and superglue.

I am just having so much fun parading these around the house, I can't wait for autumn so I can actually wear them out!

Here's a (sadly blurry) before and after:

I really recommend this DIY as it is sooo easy but looks so great. And you can really put just about anything you want on any boots you want. Basically, you can create some footwear that really feels like an extension of your sole—I mean soul ;)

(I know, I'm terrible).

—Sabbie

P.s. Mr. Kate also has this more hard-core Free People-esque boho boots tutorial here.

The Mean Reds

Confession: I wear wayyyy too much red. Especially in cooler weather. So much so, my friends have made it a game to count the number of red things I have on me every day. But can you blame me for this obsession? Red is the perfect colour.

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But not any red will do, I usually prefer deeper, richer shades. A nice cherry red, a burgundy, a wine shade…I love them all! But bright orange-red (like on a yard sale sign) can be a bit garish to me. One of my all time favourite reds is Raven Red by Revlon. It is exquisite and I spent years looking for the perfect red nail polish until I found this beauty.

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I absolutely adore red poppies in a clear vase on a white table and am looking for some realistic faux stems. Also, my room is basically a medley of whites, greys and reds—further reinforcing the idea that my favourite colour is red (which it actually isn't! I'll always love green best!)

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Great Escapism

You know what? The Tourist isn't exactly the greatest movie. It's not the most exciting. Nor is it anything groundbreaking. But it is beautiful. And I mean, beautiful.

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Elise and Alexander/Frank are such a dashingly, daringly gorgeous couple that you can't help but be mesmerized. It is Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, after all!

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Seriously, all this beauty and glamour in one film! It shouldn't be allowed, for all our sakes.

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Basically, this movie is completely, utterly fabulous. It's so classy it's ridiculous and the setting, the costumes, the characters are to die for! Get it? It's a caper film? Oh, just watch it if you haven't. It's the best eye candy ever!

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Good As Gold

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Stripes, Not Just For Convicts...

L to R: Modcloth, Boden, Iceberg, Thom Brown

Stripes are right up there with polka dots as my favourite patterns ever. Just like polka dots, they can be classy, conservative and sophisticated, and then they can be cosy, fun and playful too! They are simply some of the most versatile patterns out there. I definitely turn to stripes whenever I feel that adult Sabbie  is getting the best of me.

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See what I mean? Instant fun! Aren't these socks just… MARVELLOUS? Can't imagine feeling sad while wearing these beauts!

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And I certainly love stripes in a home! Here you can see three totally different takes on stripes—all of which I'm torn over…Okay, I pick the Union Jack blanket! It's bloody brilliant!!

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I usually despise nail art (sorry!) but these amazing nails are all so tempting! And all of them involve stripes at their subtlest, classiest best!

Well, I hope you liked some of those stripes! My own faves are the socks! Seriously, I own a lot of colourful striped socks but they have got nothing on the ones up there!

—Sabbie

Polka dot joy!

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Do you love polka dots or do you love polka dots?

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Because, I'm pretty mad for them!

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They are my favourite pattern ever!

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Polka dots are an instant fresh breath of air for me! They look

so playful, so happy and so chic that they are one of those 

things that always make things a little better. Ok, a lot of better!

Actually, I think I've got the beginnings of a small empire of 

polka dotted garments in my closet. I've even got summer and winter

versions of the classic black-and-white look. But my favourite is definitely a

red and white polka dot dress! It's just the most fun! 

So, do you love polka dots or do you love polka dots?

Seeing Green

Haha, Seeing Green. I'm quite witty, aren't I?

Maybe not. Well, green is actually my favourite colour but I couldn't exactly incorporate it into my blog's name as "Seeing …", could I? Hm, maybe that could have made for an interesting blog, after all…

In the meantime, I'd just love to share the beauty of green here, anyways! It's such a wonderful colour! I think I once read that, as humans, we are wired to look for green and feel calmer when surrounded by it. It's easy to see why, since some of the world's most important things are green! Green is life, energy and wellness. Most of us gravitate towards it and I definitely know how happy I get looking at just the right shade of green! So, here's some green for all of you lovelies!

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Words cannot express how much I am loving this sofa right now! And I can't
miss that awesome lamp or those perfect plants on the windowsill. White rooms
with a green thing or two are absolutely, fabulously and wondrously refreshing!
(A great big thank you to the great connoissuer behind Dustjacket Attic, for posting this today and inspiring me to do this post!)

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Ah, thank you Pinterest. For blessing my life with this crazy beautiful ship! 

Isn't this just captivating? That shade of green is just brilliant...And now I'm 

listening to more pirate songs, again.

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Green dresses are extra special to me. In my life, red or green jewel-like 

colours are the clear winners for any gown! Sophisticated and fun, at the same time.

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In pretty much all the historical fiction I've ever read, my favourite heroines all wore a green dress at some point or another. Usually made of velvet. Probably why I was drawn to this painting in the first place...

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I pretty much hyperventilated when I found this little treasure online. 

That marvellous green! It just works so well with the colour and intricacy of the metalwork!

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Okay, this is definitely on my list of most magical wardrobe moments in history. 

Keira Knightly swishing her way to the library….or was it dinner? 

Who gets to wear a dress like this, just for a dinner? Might attract a James McAvoy, though!

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Apple green suede shoes! Every girl deserves a pair. I actually bought myself new "elf" flats.
Dark green suede, scalloped edges and a pointed toe. But these boots are still
super high on my list of footwear-heaven!

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Gosh, just add this to my list of things to envy redheads for...I've always wondered 

why gingers don't wear green more often? I mean, green must have been made for them!

—Sabbie

Bringing Creative Back

I'm sure that, by now, I have established that I began college this year. And I probably have mentioned (once, twice, a gazillion times) that I'm studying interior design. Naturally, college is a new experience and it's bound to change me in some ways, right?

But the thing is, I'm pretty sure I have changed in ways I didn't mean to (in fact, I didn't even notice until yesterday!). You see, interior designers seem like pretty sophisticated creatures. Intimidating and powerful with their auras of perfection. Ambitious, talented and professional. Emphasis on professional. And sophisticated. I always think, if you want to find the most well-dressed, trendy and perfectly put-together girls on campus, come to the interior design studios.

Even in the midst of exams, even when we "dress down", we are still dressed up. Hair done, makeup done and accessories on, it seems we must be at our best even for 8am classes. And for a long while, I've been thrilled! Thrilled to be held up to high standards, thrilled to be surrounded by women who pay attention to details, thrilled to be among soon-to-be professionals. But I guess all the perfectionism took its toll on me.

Just like I pared my room down (a lot!) this summer, so I did with my looks. My wild, long curly hair was cut short, brushed smooth and tied back. My colourful collection of friendship bracelets and wrists covered in penned patterns gave way to a tiny pearl ring and some pearl stud earrings. My purple boots and blue sneakers were replaced with a sensible, neutral pair of each. And I began to wear makeup on a daily basis. All in all, I became as simple, smooth and professional as I could be.

But for a long time, I think it really took its toll on me. Probably one of the reasons I felt that this entire semester so far has been one out-of-body experience after the next. I just haven't been myself. My sometimes-messy-sometimes-neat but always a little zany self.

So, yesterday, I challenged myself to tone down the perfect façade and add two (not just one) sets of beaded bracelets to my all-black outfit. Just a little self-prescribed medicine for some mild blues. And my goodness, did it work! Just feeling those bracelets weighing down my wrist somehow made me feel more weightless. A small step, sure, but I felt more like myself than I have all semester.

Isn't it fascinating how our appearances can have such a strong effect on ourselves. Yes, first impressions are made on others. But the lasting impressions are definitely on ourselves. I've decided to stop with paring down everything and just re-exploring my creative side! Time to bring all my bracelets, colours and crazy sketchbooks back! And you can bet I'm growing my hair out again!

I can't wait to see what my next phase of life is going to look like. Maybe it will be as creative and crazy looking as the last. Maybe it won't change much at all. But hopefully, it will be something new. Something that connects the put-together, smooth professional side of me with the slightly eccentric, really artsy side of me!

Here's to finding out!!
—Sabbie

P.S. On the note of physical appearances, I'm happy that Dove released a new video! This one really emphasizes something I think we all forget: that our mothers really do pass on their ideas (insecurities and all!) onto their daughters. Also, it really helps turn a craze of 2013 (and probably 2014, too) into something more meaningful and positively powerful!

Selfie:

A Little Charm

Lately, I've found that my Pinterest account has been swarmed by charming little accessories. I've found myself especially drawn to jewellery for the hands. I've worn loads of charm bracelets, braided bracelets and odd bangles throughout high school but only recently have I really begun to appreciate and crave the beauty of a simple ring (or stacks of them)!

Today, after my only class, I had to go looking for a good puffer coat at the mall next door—I've gotta battle this sudden deep freeze! Instead of a coat, I ended up spending a half hour scouring Ardène's racks for these gorgeous little rings!

I tend to love dainty little rings more (left finger, above) but a great statement piece is a lot of fun as well (right finger, above)!

Isn't turquoise a beautiful colour? I loved all three of these rings at first sight!

So, I must admit that I usually avoid Ardène like the plague but I'm glad some magical force drew me in today! Especially since I got all of the above rings for a grand total of ten dollars!

What a great start to the semester! I wonder, what's next?