Week 1: Outfits Roundup

5 outfits per week

Fashion has been a very important part of me growing up. Especially as a child with confidence issues, clothes really became my armour. It became a way of protecting myself, of learning to love myself and soon it became a way of expressing myself.

I in now way want to say that I am experimental with my clothing choices, or that I have an amazing sense of style. In fact, if a person meets me, i think they would say that I am quite basic. The only thing is that, I like dressing up. The act of deciding what goes with what and how can i look the best version of myself today.

In fact, a large part of my grooming was around dressing well. Till a very long time, i didn’t realise that my hair or accessories or makeup is also contributes to coming across as being put together or stylish. This is exactly the reason why you will see that my hair, or my accessories or my makeup are still a lot more work in progress than my clothing is.

Also, I started going to a co-working space for my remote job which has given me a lot of opportunity to play dress up in the morning. So, i’m quite excited to share this side of me here on Substack as well!

This is the first time I took a mirror selfie that I liked and it encouraged me to keep taking more like these thereafter. The weather was transitional and a shirt was the perfect thing to wear. I usually wear my shirts with trousers but was tired of wearing this same shirt with a pair of white trousers so I wore it with this pair of jeans that I got from H&M. The shirt is also from H&M. The belt however is part of a skirt that I thrifted and haven’t worn yet. The belt, however I’ve worn multiple times. I loved how the look came together. Usually I mix my metals, cause I don’t have enough of either to go solo metal but for this I stuck to silver and it looked good.

This is the next day, where I assume I realised that a shirt won’t do. This green cardigan is decades old so are these trousers. They fall under two categories though, the cardigan being an item I’ve loved and worn out. Whereas these pair of trousers I’ve always thought looked a little weird. To be completely honest, I didn’t really know how to style a pair of green trousers I guess. Anyway, I was told that it looks good so it will make an appearance very often. You see here what I mean by mixing metals. Also, these vintagey looking earrings add such a lovely old school vibe.

Indian fits have my heart. This one especially brought out that desi wifey kinda vibe. But bindis are my new thing. Add one, to any outfit and it just elevates it to another level. This outfit is custom made except for the dupatta that my brother got for me from Nalli in Coimbatore. The juttis too, are a gift from my friend. The earrings are part of a jewellery set I picked up in Lajpat Nagar. The thing about outfits like these is that it just makes me feel confident, elegant and more myself than anything else.

The bag will reappear in a lot of my other posts. This is my go to going out bag. Again, it is bought from the streets of Delhi. My favourite place ever to shop from: Humayunpur. The combination of yellow and brown in unmatched in my opinion. Also, matching one element of your outfit with your shoes is a formula I’ve always tried to follow. In this case it’s the top and the shoe colour. However, I prefer it being a little more subtle than this, maybe like a lining or your bag or belt or just maybe your jewellery.

The trousers make an appearance yet again. This top is part of a co-ord set with a skirt which again I’ve only worn once as a set. This look made me feel like luxuriant moss which again is lovely. I could just blend in a garden, maybe even in a forest. The hint of gold is perfect and adds that hint of elegance which is bringing out the outfit. And also, let’s not overlook the folded sleeves, they look so effortlessly chic, no?

This brings me to the end of the post. I am a practical dresser. I repeat my outfits based on washing cycles. I tend to rewear my clothes, especially my trousers/pants at least twice before giving it for a wash because it tends to fade. And, having spend money and seeing my clothes destroyed in front of me is something that I’m not on board with. I am not constantly thinking about buying more clothes or on the other hand, about making sustainable choices. But, in the way we have been brought up, we’ve always been told to use our clothes until they completely wear out or you outgrow them. In the latter case, they often get passed on.

I don’t mean to preach but just elaborate that you can really use your clothes in many ways. And of course, there are misses and there are clothes that you don’t like anymore but like my aunt says, donate, make space and simplify- don’t hoard. It’s a reflection of a mind that is never satiated.

Kay, bye!

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