Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Savage Beauty: Personal Fashion











Images by Upasana Jain

Dress: Complex Geometry; Shoes: Ashish for Topshop; Lace Unitard: AA

Just saw the McQueen Savage Beauty exhibit at the MET today. Everything that you have heard from every blog or website or newspaper is true. If you ever get a chance, you MUST see it. If you don’t come out of it feeling like every time you use the word “creative” in reference to yourself, you are lying, I will come see your exhibit next. Until then we all need to labor over our arts like bees and never look up from our desks. We have a long ass way to go man!! Lol… Perfection is an understatement for his works.

PS: Yes I did buy myself a mini Armadillo boot. A girl at the exhibit and I where debating on how much Daphne Guinness would charge us to just try on her Armadillo pair. We decided $2000 was fair trade. Beyond that, it would just be worth it for us to steal the pair and then get caught and pay bail.

PPS: My very fabulous and talented roomy has a new rock band called Plastic Spoon. They are playing next Wednesday at @ Littlefiled in Brooklyn. Come check them out. Click here for the details.

DSM's on Twitter if you'd like to keep in touch. 

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Street Hats: New Post for Vogue.In

Here is my latest post for Vogue.In

While roaming the streets of NYC to find creative and unique fashion, I came across these amazing people and their even more unique hats. For the usual, you can check the Internet, for the unique you can come here.






Christina Viera’s Hat by House of Flora

Stephone’s hat is Vintage


Colleen’s hat is by Gold Grace

Teresa Peters, a New Zealand actress/ artist wears a Vintage turban hat. Just look at how much more character this vintage piece has in comparison to the turban headbands sold at every other shop.


My favorite flattop by Kelly Christy
[Image by NURBS for DSM]






My hat from Uniqluo

All of the above images by Shraddha Borawake for Don’t Shoe Me blog unless otherwise noted.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Contaminated Since the Day I was Born: Personal Fashion











Images by NURBS

Dress: DKNY; Hat: Kelly Christy; Shoes: Dolce Vita; Painting; Made by an artist called Sam Sebren who lived in my apt a long time ago.

A mathematical Mad Hatter and her cat. Do not disturb us as we concoct our contaminants to solve the puzzle of the rapture. We create and destroy: all that is beautiful and bitchy. But don’t be scared. We don’t bite. We just claw and what’s a few scars on your fugly skins gonna do?

DSM's on Twitter if you'd like to keep in touch. 

Thursday, May 19, 2011

My FOB Fashion Guide Article for Stylekandy.com

Hellow Lovers!!

I just did a really cute & funny article for a super cool Indian Fashion website called StyleKandy.com
It's on the does and don't of dressing in foriegn countires especially when your travelling out of your country [in this case India] for the first time. Let me know what you guys think!!

http://www.stylekandy.com/Blogger_Prutha_Raithatha.aspx 


THE BIG APPLE FASHION GUIDE

Prutha Raithatha | May 17, 2011


We have all traveled to a new country sometime in our life or intend to do so sometime in the future and the first time we do, we are completely clueless about being internationally fashionable. Whether we like it or not fashion in every part of the world is different and site specific. But there is still a certain gray area that fits all boundaries.

After being in the US for over 6 years and having been one of them I now know how to instantly spot a FOB [Fresh off the Boat] desi in foreign land. For men, the ultra square toed black shoes with rubber soles, backpacks on ill fitted suites and unpleated pants super tight around the waist and butt, flared at the bottom give it away in an instant. The worse is when they go to a formal event like a wedding or just clubbing and think wearing super pointed [almost 2 inches off of their toes] shoes are cool. If that isn't enough the belief that shinny means formal hurts their game with any girl or acing an interview. Shinny "doop chaou" shirts are not to be ever worn in any country, period!! I strongly recommend Indian fashion police to ban them in India too. The world will just be a better place without men being that dandy.

Some pointers for working men: A well fitted classic suit is all you need in a black or a dark gray. Not double breasted. Single breasted 2 buttons or 3 buttons is the best and the bottom button of your jacket should "NEVER" be buttoned, the top button should "Always" be buttoned unless sitting down and the middle button if you have 3 buttons can "Sometimes" be buttoned. A formal business suit should always be worn with leather "soled" shoes, never rubber. Classic oxfords are the best bet because they will never ever be out of fashion even 10 years from now in any country. Stay away from a maroon shirt for the suit. White, grey, blue with a yellow tie and tiny design on it will work perfectly for any interview.

Never follow bollywood trends outside of India. This goes to both genders. Who on the face of this earth told you guys that wearing a combed headband like Abhishek Bachchan did in some movie was appropriate in any world? It was rather embarrassing for me to see people stare at the newly landed in NYC wearing them and thinking they are cool and that's why everyone was staring at them. Poor things. Little did they know. I blame Bollywood stylist and actors for that; it's not your fault.

This I know is something that a lot of Indians wear for religious or superstitious reasons and since I am neither, I can talk about it. Wearing rings with your birth stones all the time weather it goes with your outfit or gender is something to evaluate. People outside of India [rest of the world] have no clue about the concept of birth stones helping your future or miraculously curing anything and yet without the help of any stones on their fingers they still get lucky and prosper!!So how come so many of us Indians [many highly educated] believe that these birth stones on our fingers will help us get a better job or get luckier over 2/3 rd of the rest of the non birth stone ring bearers?

As far as women go, the top list of don't wear bindis on jeans (I actually break that rule myself but you have to know how and why I wear it to understand why I am to be excused..lol], ultra oily hair in braids, jeans 2 sizes bigger with floaters, etc. is a given. Also remember a Kurta / tunic with some embroidery is not formal wear to go dancing in or to your husband's colleague's thanksgiving dinner party. If you are shy about bare shoulders and deep necklines for formal New Year's Eve party LDB, don't buy the dress. Wearing a tee inside of a formal strappy dress or even covering it up with a stole or a duppatta is super annoying. You can get plenty of covered outfits with reasonable necklines in the stores; just get something that you're comfortable in. Learn to wear your hair down without using any clips. And never get out of the house wearing a butterfly clip holding your hair up like your maid does in India. Leave your scrunches at home. A plain non-frill hair rubber band is all you should use to tie your hair in a neat ponytail if you need to. Long nails are not in fashion abroad unless they are fake tips. But I don't feel that strongly about them. It's a maybe.

Best advice to all moving abroad to study, work or marry is that it is kind of a waste of money to shop in India before you move because 90% of the things you buy from India will not be fashionable in the new place. You rather save all that shopping money and spend it in your new land after assessing the trends there. That custom made 2 sizes bigger than your shoulders Dharavi leather jacket is not going to be worn by you even once after you land in any country. So why waste the money. In the mean while stick to the extreme basics.

For Girls: Regular fitted or skinny jeans in a dark blue, white tees or shirts, a basic black boyfriend jacket, black pumps for all occasions, some statement accessories and neutral makeup.

For Boys: Regular fitted jeans in a dark blue, plain white tees/ polos [no silver or gold printed Ed Hardy looking tees please. Ever!!] or crisp white shirts. A normal pair of sneakers, oxfords or boat shoes paired with maybe a brown corduroy sports jacket should do it.

All your other outfits should also be variations of the above classics and once you have been around for some time and get the idea about the fashion in the new place you can go to the local stores and splurge on shopping with the money you saved by not shopping in India. Trust me you will thank me later.

Bon Voyage for your next big trip!!

Delightful Saints: Street Fashion






Images by Prutha Raithatha

Jacket: All Saints; Pants: Target; Glasses: RayBan; Purse: Ninewest

You know why I loved her outfit right? Leather, harem pants and vintage looking glasses, perfect recipe for coolness. Delite's infection with All Saints made me fall in love with her even more. Ofcourse :)

Hope everyone's having a happy week!!

xoxo

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

High Tops: New Post for Vogue.In

http://www.vogue.in/content/high-tops

Check out my new post for Vogue India on  High-Tops for this spring. Have to love the Taylor Tomasi Hill trend set during Fashion Week!!

http://www.vogue.in/content/baroque-wedges

Also here is another post I did the week before on Baroque Wedges and finding a cheaper option for it [not a replica..I would never do that..]. Although I hate to have discovered that my fashion hero icon Iris Apfel just did one of those "inspired" replicas for her new jewelry line for HSN as per Sea of Shoes. I am utterly heart broken to hear of it!! Why oh Why did you do this Iris!! You don't need the money and there isn't anyone more original and creative than you so why copy?? You could have just come up with something so much cooler all by yourself, no?

But seriously people fashion Piracy is totally fucking uncool!!!! Don't do it  or support it!!! Try your hardest to not pick up that Prada look alike dress from Zara or the blatantly copied shoes by Jeffery Campbell!! I know most of us can't afford the originals and that's why we opt for the cheaper options but really we can get other original designs in our budget!! Go for that instead. It's hard sometimes but as anyone who appreciates art of any form or just believes in doing the right thing you MUST NOT support it!! Please!!! None of us are perfect or even aware sometimes of whats copied from whom etc, but we have to try to stop ourselves when we do. Right?


Monday, May 16, 2011

Run Lola Run: Personal Fashion







Sweater: H&M; Dress Inside: Zara; Shoes: Stolen from sister and maybe atleast 8 yrs old.

Tim [my colorist at Curtler Hair Salon] and I went back and forth for like 30 mins on what color I wanted on my hair. Everything ended with me saying, “Brighter”. In the end when he was still confused about how I wanted a shade that was brighter than the brightest shade on his shade card, I asked him, “ Have you seen the movie Run Lola Run?” Tim, “ Wow!! Say no more.” And this is what we came up with. Honestly I have wanted that hair since I saw the movie more than a decade ago. Yes it has been that many years of contemplating and I just ever had the guts.

Thoughts in my Head before I decided to go for it:
1] what form of torture will my parents use to kill me? [I still haven’t told them and they don’t know]
2] What if people think I am just doing this to attract more attention to myself. Cause even though I love being the center of attention I am not one of those who believes in "any publicity is good publicity" reality-TV-stars-type thing. But I do believe in letting myself express myself creatively. However it is.
3] How much damage will this do to my hair?
4] What if I loose my very sane job over my hair?

Answers to 1 and 4 we shall find out tomorrow. Answer to 3 in a few months. And in response to point number 2 which was my major concern I came up with this explanation:

Why do I care about what people think of me!!

[You may not understand the intensity of the above statement but at multiple levels it’s making me a much stronger person. I promise.]

DSM's on Twitter if you'd like to keep in touch.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

iMonsterNYC: Street Fashion


Image by Prutha Raithatha

Bumped into this gorgeous couple at the Brooklyn Bowl a couple of weekends ago during a  Beats Antique concert [must see them perform if you ever get a chance. I danced for like 3 hrs straight!!] . BTW, I looked soo super sane in front of all the brooklynites on a regular Saturday night  at a $10 concert, I was ashamed of myself. I NEED TO MOVE TO BROOKLYN!! 

The girl was so stunning in her outfit and both of them danced like such exotic stars. I forgot to ask them for their names but you can find her etsy shop where she sells super cute monster hats here. Going GaGa anyone?

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Pardon My French: Personal Fashion












Harem Shorts: Zara; Tee: Online; Shoes: Ashish for Topshop; Socks: Urban Outfitters; Bracelet: Aldo

Anything that adds humor to your life should instantly be embraced. At a happy hour my Marathon Team coach Anil walked into the bar wearing this tee and felt it absolutely essential to come and show it to me first. I guess he knew I would get it and be completely amused. I was. I still am, wearing my own tee now..lol

“Benchod” is a really bad word in Hindi [you can check the meaning here] loosely used in hindi slang like the word “A-hole” is used in slang English. I just find the tee toooo funny. I am sure the Hindi speaking Indians understand where I’m coming from. For those who don’t please pardon my French!! Xoxo

DSM's on Twitter if you like to keep in touch.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Pretty in Purple: Street Fashion






Images by Prutha Raithatha

Skirt: Dries Van Noten; Tee + Bag: Proenza Schouler; Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti; Ring: YSL

Preetma found it important to let me know that she used to be a lawyer and that’s how she can afford all these designer things..hehe…sooo cute. But she is now following her dreams to be in fashion and is working as an intern. Can I just say that I love her entire outfit soo much and with that face she really does justice to those clothes. It’s not clichéd styled. It’s a mix of textures, patterns and colors [so many colors] and they all work so well together to form a fun, quirky, pretty impression. LOVE IT!!

DSM's on Twitter if you'd like to keep in touch

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