Tag Archives: fashion blog london

Gym Essentials & How To Keep Working Out When It’s Freezing Outside

“Gymming” is not a dirty word this winter.

The word gym is like a dirty word when it’s freezing cold, windy, and dark outside. The winter isn’t exactly ‘gymming season’ I mean why would you sweat it out when you could be happily snuggled underneath a hundred blankets with a hot chocolate (with a dash of Baileys? Pick your poison). For a long time I was that person who would rather sit than sweat it out, but don’t let the winter get in the way of you and being fit. Just like any other obstacle, the cold is one that you can overcome! I’ve got the perfect tips, and the gym essentials to keep you working out this winter and feeling great. After all there is nothing that can quite replace that feeling of working out and feeling amazing about it after.

Tip #1: There is a solution to any excuse

How many times have you said one of the following: “It’s too cold” or “I’m too tired”? Well, if it’s too cold, put on something warmer (scroll down for the best gym wear and essentials for the season), Too tired? Have a cup of coffee and get your sneakers on. No matter the excuse there is always a solution so remind yourself that there is a way forward no matter the excuse, and that is to get into your work out clothes and power through. Plus you’re going to feel so good after that you’re going to forget about all those excuses anyway! The first step is to get rid of the excuses – don’t let your mind get the better of your body!

In this image:

Ray Ban Sunglasses

Victoria Secret Sports Bra & Hoodie

Sweaty Betty Tights

Tip #2: Visualise your goal

Why are you working out? Is it because you want to stay in shape, you want to feel good about your body, maybe you have a special occasion coming up? Whatever it is, visualise your goal and visualise the way you want your body to look and feel. Use this as your motivation to keep going! Even in the hardest of moments, just keep thinking about what you want to achieve and how you want to feel and it will carry you right through. You have to work hard to get where you want to, but when you get there it’s going to feel amazing so keep going!

In this image:

Bella Kinesis Sports Bra

Victoria Secret Sport Tights

Tank: Bella Kinesis, Sports Bra: Bella Kinesis (matching top!), Hoodie: Sweaty Betty, Leggings: Sweaty Betty (love these too!), Fitness Tracker: Fitbit, Socks: Falke, Shoes: Nike, Fabric Care: The Laundress, Face Wash: Neals Yard, Deodorant: Aesop, Yoga Mat: Mara Hoffman, Water Bottle: Chai Buddy, Headphones: i.am+ Buttons

Tip #3: Do what you love

I have spoken to too many girls who run for the sake of running, not because they enjoy it. In fact a lot of them hate it. I was one of those girls – I am not really someone who enjoys running (Unless there’s a football or something in front of me, I played varsity football- or soccer, whatever you want to call it.. I still don’t like to run for fun though). I tried to run and make that a part of my exercise regiment and I landed up hating it – it felt like such a chore. Instead of doing what you think everyone else is doing, do what makes you happy! Love to dance? Join a dance class! Are you really into spinning? Make that a part of your routine! Maybe you just want to tone? Try doing a HITT work out at home or some pilates! Essentially, by identifying the type of work out that makes you happy you’re more likely to enjoy it, and actually want to do it!

In this photo:

Top and Tights: Sweaty Betty

Sunglasses: Paul Smith

How are you staying fit this winter?

Dress for the Season

It’s that time of year again. Layering time.

Other than the beautiful lights, the mulled wine and the all round Christmas shopping cheer, the other factor that makes the gruelling winter bearable is layering. It’s no secret that I adore layering – it allows for such creative expression and tests the versatility of all the clothes in your closet. You can take an old dress and make it new just by throwing on some layers and some star accessories – you’ll never have nothing to wear again!

For this look I wanted to breathe some new life into a turtleneck dress I bought a couple of years ago. I got this dress from ASOS but you can find similar ones here and here, both under £30 and one here. I managed to add a little bit more edge to a somewhat girly silhouette by layering a really cool asymmetrical sleeve sweater. I got this one from Whistles a while ago but using a sleeveless bardot top like this one, would get the same effect. The extra touch came with this amazing leather belt.

I love the mix of textures between the dress and the sweater – this just adds another element to the look. The belt adds some definition to your silhouette and pulls the look together while refining and polishing it! I also loved the mix of materials with the knit and the leather of my boots! A simple black and white look always appears more interesting when you play around with materials!

How are you layering this season?

Get my look:

Dress: ASOS (similar one here, more affordable ones here and here)

Top: Whistles

Belt: Topshop (similar here and similar here for under £10)

Ring: Bulter & Wilson

Bag: Gucci

Boots: Chanel

Your New Best Friend

Clean lines with some edge. It’s the dream

“Edgy meets sophisticated”

I’ve often been asked “Shloka, what would you say defines your style?” the bound to be asked at some point, Describe your style in three words, question. I usually tend to say something along the lines of classic and sophisticated with a touch of modern edge/ a touch of trendy.

If one were to take the jewellery of Suhani Parekh under her label Misho Designs, and define it in three words, I think you would land on “Edgy meets sophisticated”. With each piece defined by it’s clear lines and geometric influences, the modern and luxurious flair cannot be denied. So, it came as no surprise that while flipping through an issue of Indian Vogue on my annual trip home to Mumbai last year, I stumbled across, and immediately fell in love with Misho Designs.

Minimal yet statement making…

What I love most about this collection is how versatile all the pieces are. You can add any of them to your favourite chunky knit and jeans combo and Voila! You have an incredibly modern and luxe look to carry you through from day to night too. You can add any of them to your favourite cocktail dress at your next holiday party and Voila again! You have yourself sophistication with a touch of unexpected flair. Whatever you choose to do with these pieces, they seem to fit.

My favourite pieces are without a doubt the ear cuffs – I love that touch of edge to a somewhat girly or classic look! I also adore the earrings, which you all loved from my latest Instagram post too! They are so easy to throw on when you don’t know what to wear! The rings are also a lovely for a cocktail party, something minimal yet statement making, love that strike of balance!

Suhani’s success with her brand has come as no surprise to me – You cannot deny the talent and the allure of clean lines that seem to match anything and everything. Just the other day she recounted a story for me where a woman spotted Suhani wearing one of her own pieces and loved it so much she had to have it on the spot!

A lot of you have spotted these pieces floating around my Instagram and have been dying to get your hands on them! They ship worldwide so all you have to do is email info@mishodesigns.com or alternatively check out their collection here. If you don’t spot what you had your eye on, just shoot them an email!

The Coolest Pants Around

I’ve got my smarty pants on today.

I always wondered, what made a pair of pants worthy of the title “Smarty pants”? Is it how smart you feel when you are wearing these styled pants, or just the general smartness that revolves around their vibe? Either way, whatever the rules may be, I would say that these pants are pretty smart. These pants manage to combine round metallic details (Which I feel are always having a moment?) as well as some superb draping, to give you, the coolest pair of styled pants you’ll have in your closet this season. I bet you can’t guess where they are from either…I’ll give you a hint. Starts with Z and ends with.. ara.So what better way to style a pair of perfectly draped pants with a perfectly draped turtleneck? I just adore the way the features of these two star pieces came together to create this look. With my favourite accessories, I was ready for anything and I was feeling pretty smart about it too.

On a more personal note, I was able to catch up with a super dear friend of mine this weekend who came to visit me from Bath. We got to go see Andy Murray play at the ATP World Tour Semi finals which was a dream come true! I’m a huge tennis fan, and my goal is to go see Roger Federer play! I also got to celebrate another super close friend’s bridal shower on Sunday which was amazing. Did you guys see the cake? (It’s on my instagram don’t worry you haven’t missed it!) It was amazing and tasted better than it looked – if that’s even possible? I’m going to start Christmas shopping super soon! Starting with my present for Secret Santa. My recent gift guide is a massive source of inspiration if you’re looking for a gift of your own!

Get the Look

Top: Topshop Pants: ZaraBoots: Dior (similar here for under £100 and similar here too)Bag: Louis VuittonCoat: Burberry (similar on sale here and here)

Let’s Talk Instagram Tips – How I Edit my Photographs

“Shloka, how do you edit your Instagram photos? What are your tips for Instagram?”

Today, I’m all about answering that question. Editing photos for Instagram is no easy feat, and although it seems like creating a perfectly curated feed of #ootds and #fromwhereIstand shots is perfectly simple, it actually requires a lot of thought and effort. You guys send so much love towards my Instagram and I wanted to return that love by sharing some Instagram tips with you today, specifically, what editing apps I use to edit photographs for my Instagram. Believe it or not, but a lot of the photos I take for my Instagram are taken on my Iphone! It’s all about creating the aesthetic you want and making sure that the photos work together to showcase that same aesthetic.

Afterlight

The first app I use is Afterlight. I love this app because it really gives you total control over tools like brightness and contrast – the two tools I like to use the most. The aim is to keep the photo looking as natural as possible so I try not to mess around with the other settings very much. If anything, I like to add a touch of blue to my shadows to just give the photo a cooler feel (I mean that in terms of temperature, not general coolness ha ha!)

The sharpen tool on Afterlight is also really great! Although this is an app you need to pay for, It’s really worth it. I don’t use any of the filters on the app but I know a lot of people love them!

Snapseed

The second app I completely swear by is Snapseed. I know you have to pay for this app but trust me, it’s worth every penny! There are two tools I use the most when it comes to Snapseed; the selective feature and the transform feature. The selective feature allows you to adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation in specific areas of your photos – so you can fix the light in one part of the photo to match the other, or you can make certain colours pop! Trust me, it’s amazing, especially when you’re taking photos on your phone!

The transform tool allows you to adjust the photo so that if it’s taken at a strange angle, you can make sure it looks straight! Give it a try and it’s a great way to fix a photo that looks amazing but you just wish was taken at a different angle!

VscoCam

Who doesn’t love Vsco? If you haven’t been using it already, I suggest downloading it ASAP. The thing with Vsco is that it is so easy to get excited by all the different filter options and allow yourself to just get a bit filter crazy. Don’t forget, the key is to keep the photo as natural as possible! What I love about Vsco is that it allows you to adjust the intensity of the filter. I tend to go for either A8 or A9, depending on the shot, and I like to keep the filter intensity as low as possible.

What’s great is that this way you can ensure all your photos in your feed are using the same filter or at least a similar filter. This is what guarantees a feed that looks cohesive and images that look great together!

Retouch

Retouch is like magic. It allows you to completely remove items in your photograph that you wish weren’t there. Annoying label on the wall behind you? Gone! Cigarettes on the ground? Gone! You just use the object removal tool to highlight or lasso the object you don’t want, and then click Go! Before you know it, it’s the object wasn’t there to start with. There’s nothing worse than silly labels and garbage on the ground to ruin a gorgeous photo!

If you’re looking for an alternative, Facetune also allows you to take out objects using it’s clone stamp tool. The only reason I like Retouch better is because you don’t need to clone stamp the object out, Retouch just does it for you! Facetune is great though to sharpen up certain parts of your image!

UNUM

Of course, your Instagram is more than just one photo – it’s about how all the photos come together in the feed. As I mentioned above, it’s all about making sure your editing is consistent and you use the same or similar filter for each photo. Even so, a lot of you have asked me how I know which photos will go together! There is a super handy app called Unum which allows you to import the photos you want to put in and see how they go together in your feed!

I love using this app because it shows you how all the new photos will go together with your existing feed and helps you plan out your next set of photos too! It also shows you everything on a white background instead of a dark one like Vsco, which really can make more of a difference than you would think!

Would you like more Instagram tips? Would you guys want to read about my flatlays or how I frame other shots? Let me know!

Knitting Around

A go-to classic, the pant and shirt, can be easily upgraded in the most luxe fashion.

Most of us have an outfit formula that we rely on for all those mornings when we wake up and just don’t know what to wear, or rather don’t have time to really think about it. If you’re like me, then you just haven’t had enough coffee to really think about it… When the weather just continues to drop, the usual go to is a pair of pants and a top, but after a while even that look can start to feel stale, Right? Wrong. Even the most basic outfit go-to can be upgraded to create a more luxe look, runway inspired, but for the street. All it takes is a bit of imaginative thinking and texture.

I’m someone who is incredibly inspired by the runway and high fashion, however what’s more exciting about these looks is the way you can recreate them for off the runway – fashion after all is far beyond the ramp. It’s about capturing the essence of the look and creating it for yourself. The rise of loose fits and more relaxed “vibes” makes your favourite pant and top combination a perfect pick, but it comes down to choosing pieces with the perfect fit. To recreate this runway feel, I went for a half tuck with my favourite pyjama shirt. I decided to put a belt on, to peek out from the half tuck, to just add a bit more interest to the whole look and a feel of luxe.

What I love most about this look is that although inspired by the world of high fashion, it’s one that you can easily recreate yourself and is perfect for whatever you need to do today, tomorrow, or any other day this November. The texture that the knit pants add to this combination automatically add more interest to the look and make it more winter ready! So, there’s no need to be racking your brain for new November outfit ideas, you just have to recreate your favourite ones with a few different fits and flares. Don’t forget your arm candy too! I’m pretty obsessed with stacking so always looking for some new additions!

In other news, I was able to get my hands on a beautiful Reformation dress from their pop-up here in London at Covent Garden! So many of you have asked me about what I thought about it – I must say the quality is really great and I love that I’m buying something that is helping the environment while still looking stylish. I also got my hands on one of their pieces from their Net-A-Porter collaboration, so stay tuned for me sharing that! A potential NYE outfit?

Get my look:

Gilet: Monisha Jaising

Top: Topshop (similar here and here)

Pants: Urban Outfitters (obsessed with these and these too velvet ones!)

Belt: Gucci

Boots: Stuart Weizman (similar)

Bracelets: Monica Vinader

Christmas with Hush

It’s that wonderful time of the year again…

Take a little sneak peek into my Christmas wreath making with Hush. Trust me, it was incredibly messy but incredibly fun! Plus by the end of it, I got to scout out the cutest Christmas pieces just for you!

Twas many nights before Christmas but the scene was set. Complete with cozy sweaters, sequins dresses and champagne, I was met.

The Hush Christmas event was the definition of cozy but with the added flair and style that Hush always guarantees. I was most excited about my evening with Hush because we were going to be making our very own wreaths! I had never, up until that evening, ever made a wreath before (Not really ideal weather in India?) Determined to be awesome at it, I got to work, not without admiring the gorgeous winter collection! Scroll down to shop my favourite Hush picks!

Our expert on hand, Augustus Bloom, provided us with the step by step instructions on how to create the perfect Christmas wreath. I did not realise how difficult it was to do, nor did I realise how incredibly messy it is! Needless to say, there was a lot of moss everywhere, a lot of pine, a lot of lavender and a lot of wire… But in the end I think I got it!

I was pretty proud of my wreath by the end of it! I’d say it isn’t a bad first effort! What do you think?

1. Twilight Jumper (£85) 2. Bubble Knit Jumper (£99) 3.Colourblock Jumper (£99) 4.Wool/ Cashmere Roll Neck (£195) 5. Plait Jumper (£99) 6. Eleanor Top (£199)

Click to shop my favourite Hush picks! What’s your favourite?

Get the Look: Winter is Here

Creating the perfect layered look is about having the perfect pieces to do it. Indulge yourself this weekend with these amazing (and affordable!) layers to complete your winter look. (So many November outfit ideas!)

Get the Look:

Sweater: Free People

Eyeshadow: NARS Duo Eyeshadow Cordura

Bag: Diane von Furstenberg

Lace Cami: Hush Homewear

Velvet Trousers: Topshop

Coat: Zara

Initial Pendant: Chaos

Nail Polish: Essie Ready to Boa

Wearing Pyjamas In The Day + Recent Reflections

The past 24 hours have been nothing short of surprising.

Amidst all the thoughts about this pyjama trend driven outfit, there are other topics that seem to be shining a lot brighter in my mind right now. Regardless of what side you were on, or who you voted for, the results of the US presidential election came as a shock to us all. It has governed the topic of conversation on every single whatsapp group I have and has been the go-to topic of conversation at any meal, hair dresser appointment and even spin class I’ve had recently.

Trust me, the air of confusion and fear about the future of the USA has reached London as well. With next to no understanding of what exactly the future presidents policies are especially in terms of trade and defence, the global community is left in a state of shock. It then of course comes as no surprise that a whole generation of votes have taken to the streets to roar their opinions. However, once the overwhelming feelings begin to settle down and the fog clears, there is one thing that none of us can ignore; the only way now is forward. Although a nation finds itself divided by a brutal election season, it is up to that same country to come together, regardless of sex, gender, race or anything else, and pave a path to the future that leads to a better world for generations to come. My hopes now are that the candidate running and the now president elect are two different voices, and that the latter is a voice of reason, understanding and togetherness.

To voice Hilary Clinton, no one can stop you from being who you want to be. Reach far, aim high and dream big. Be sure to be the best that you can be because it is up to us to set the precedent, to set the example and to ensure that we live in a world of love not hate. No matter what, as a woman of this generation, we rise back up and we keep going. I was truly inspired after watching Hilary Clintons gracious speech last night, as I’m sure you all were. Her speech truly rung with positivity and optimism and most of all, encouragement, that there is still hope.

Nevertheless, there was some positive news over the past day as well. Despite the fact that the news was governed by the elections, on the other side of the world one of the biggest democracies of the world took a massive step forward. I’m sure most of you know by now that I am Indian. When I heard the news that all 500RS and 1000RS notes are no longer considered legal tender, I was shocked in the best way possible. The governments action to finally crack down on the large amounts of black money circulating through the economy is a massive step forward in anti-corruption movement that is sure to lead to a brighter and better India. At least that was there to make me smile.

On a much lighter note, I can turn back to the pyjama outfit. (Hah, that even felt weird to write after this little heart to heart above) I’ll keep it brief though – the pyjama trend is one that I absolutely adore because who doesn’t love comfort. As a massive loungewear fan, being able to wear pyjama pants in the day, that too ones that were leopard print (double points!) is the perfect combination of style and ease. To add a balance, I paired it with a more formal high neck top and a fur gilet, striking a balance between trend and classic.

So, what is running through your head about this election? How are you feeling? I want to hear your thoughts!

Get the look:

Top:Ba&sh

Gilet: Monisha Jaising

Pants: Topshop (similar here)

Shoes: Carvela (similar here and here)