The Pulled-Together Bride: Guest Blog - How to Achieve the Perfect Saree Drape

Hey all, I'm at the dentist today *shudder* getting some serious work done (wish me luck!). So I won't be posting today.  I do, however, have a guest blogger standing in for me.  Mallika Singhania of The Indian Hanger has written for numerous newspapers and magazines and covered fashion-related topics for a variety of television shows and channels.  She now runs her own e-tail boutique, featuring her hand-picked selections of the best of Indian fashion, and blogs at The Indian Hanger.  Today she is sharing her tips on achieving the perfectly draped saree.

Breezy Drapes
If you are planning to wear a saree for a wedding function or a formal occasion this summer, I am going to tell you which one to wear. For those who are not in regular touch with Indian fashion, you could be scratching your head for days in confusion over the variety of sarees available.

Images via The Indian Hanger.

If it is a day function, I would recommend a cotton, georgette, soft net or chiffon saree. I am self-confessedly biased towards the chiffon saree, because of its elegant flow, but other soft fabrics are welcome too. Georgettes are easy to carry, and very slimming, while soft nets look nicer on leaner bodies, as they hug the body a little bit more than other fabrics. Also, since the “petticoat” shows through the net, you have the deal with the headache of finding the exact colour you need.

While picking the colour of the saree, choose a bright one that screams, “wake up and look at me,” -my favourites are festive colours like red, fuscia, parrot green or sky blue. I love floral and abstract prints on the fabrics (especially the kind designer Satya Paul makes). Simple sarees with delicate or rich (depending on the event), brocade, zari, beaded, embroidered, and sequinned borders rank high up on the fashion scale, so make sure you hunt one of them down.

Images via The Indian Hanger.

The beauty of a simple saree is that you can wear it with a blouse that accentuates it. Choose an embellished one, or one with a contrasting bright colour, and you are assured to be the cynosure of every eye at the party. Embellishments can simply be around the sleeves and the neckline, or all over the blouse. I personally love over-the- top blouses.

Sarees suit both tall and short people, and the reason I am always giving an acknowledging nod to simple sarees, is for their functionality. They don’t hamper your movement, and actually make you feel light-weight, contrary to popular beliefs about how bogging down sarees can be.

Wear it with- Chandelier earrings and gorgeous stone necklaces- but not both together. Choose one.

Avoid it with- Flats and mojdis. Sarees never look as elegant when worn with flats, as when worn with stilettos. If you can’t sum up the energy to wear dagger heels, at least make the effort to put on kitten heels- your stance will be so much prettier.

Style it with- Strike the perfect style pose with a printed petticoat that shows through a plain net saree. You will ooze elegance, and will get compliments galore for your innovative ensemble.

P.S. – Please get professional help if you have to, while draping a saree. I shudder when I see how tacky sarees can look when they are wrongly or badly draped.

Love at First Sight: Michael Kors Logo Plate Jelly Sandals

You know that feeling? When you meet someone new, and you can't stop talking about him, wherever you are, whatever the topic?  No matter what conversation your friends are having, you find a way to insert his name? And even when they start to look at you a little funny, you can't seem to shake the haze your walking in long enough to realize you have managed to mention his name in each sentence you've spoken since you opened your mouth?

Michael Kors Logo Plate Jelly Sandals.  Image via Michael Kors

I feel a little that way about these sandals.  Everywhere I look, someone is wearing them, and I love them, and I want them, and I need to mention them here. But really, this is bridal fashion blog, why would you care about jelly flip flops?  Even if they are Michael Kors?  Oh yes...maybe you want to add them to your honeymoon wardrobe.  There, you see?  A perfectly good reason for mentioning them here.  Price: $59.00 from Michael Kors.

Tricks of the Trade: "The Essentials" - Lancome Artliner

I wrote a post on doing your own makeup for The Budget Bride, and I promised to recommend some of my fave products for brides on their wedding day, and all the pre- and post- wedding events. I am not a huge products girl, I do not believe in owning everything under the sun and I stand by my belief that if you have a few quality products, modestly-priced, thoughtfully purchased and regularly used, you will do better for your skin, beauty and budget. So I think it's fair to say that I am being realistic in my recommendations.

Fourth in this series of "The Essentials" is: Lancome ARTLINER - Precision Point Eyeliner ($29)

What It Is: A slightly watery liquid liner with a pen-like, foam applicator.

What It Does: Deposits defined, pigmented colour whereever it is applied.

Why I Like It: For makeup artists and junkies, you might begin to notice a pattern with my choices so far.  I pick up a lot of classics, or industry standards.  Part of the reason for this is simple, the tried and true are the products that even the novice can quickly learn to use, and when it comes to liquid eyeliner, who isn't a little nervous? I love this product the pen formulation makes it incredibly easy to control, and it doesn't come out overly slick and dark like you drew on your face with poster paint.  It is very easy to learn how to apply this liner, and if you do need to fix it, it comes off easier than most liquid liners. 

For the Budget Bride: I choose L'oreal Lineur Intense.  This was my first foray into the world of liquid liners, and I loved it because of it's price, which allowed me to experiment with what, for some, can be a scary product. Because this product is from the sister company of Lancome, who manufacture Atliner, it has a similar formulation and application style.  I like that it kind of peels instead off when you rub instead of smudging or streaking, it makes it easier to get rid of mistakes.

Real Bride: Tanvi Weds Vishal by Ian Good Photography

I confess, I am partial to this wedding because the bride got married in Gujurat, India, which is where my parents are right now, and so a little piece of me is there right now.  Tanvi and Vishal had their civil ceremony in the UK last year before travelling to India for the rest of the wedding celebrations.  One thing that's really fun about celebrating in India is the possibility of having little touches like a retro band for your baraat, which is nearly impossible to find in Europe or North America.

Destination and Wedding Photographer Ian Good was on hand to photograph all the events. To contact Ian, you can visit his blog, or his facebook page.

My Weekend: Strawberry Picking in Northern Ontario

Hello everyone!  Hope you had a nice weekend?  Did anyone catch IIFA?  I only watched the "Green" Carpet and didn't bother with the rest, cause I didn't feel like paying the $40 for pay-per-view of a show I knew I wouldn't be able to sit through.  I am more into red carpet shows anyway.  I think I'm with most others in saying that the fashion fell flat.  Unfortunately, it seems bollywood starlets have yet to discover the importance of working with a personal stylist/shopper.  Also, let's face it, they don't really have their pick when it comes to western designers, so it's hard for them to score showstopper designer gowns.

When the weather is good, my husband and I like to get in the car and just drive, either by ourselves or with the kids and look for new and interesting places to visit up north.  We've managed to come across some very nice conservation areas, parks, and sites in this way.  This weekend, we stumbled on Bailey's Country Market in Caledon, and decided to stop for some strawberry picking.  Now I need to come up with recipes for 3 quarts of strawberries.  Any ideas besides jam?

Tricks of The Trade: Red Carpet Makeup Trends from IIFA Toronto 2011

Red Carpet Looks from the IIFA Toronto, or should I say Green Carpet.  The stars of IIFA will be walking a green carpet to show their support for environmental initiatives.  I'll be updating this post regularly, with more pictures throughout the weekend.  Enjoy, and let me know what you're loving and what's not so great! All images are via PinkVilla.com.

Anushka Sharma at IIFA 2011

Genelia D'Souza at IIFA 2011

Hillary Swank at IIFA 2011

Malaika Arora Khan at IIFA 2011

Neha Dhupia at IIFA 2011

Priyanka Chopra at IIFA 2011

RDB at IIFA 2011

Shilpa Shetty at IIFA 2011

Sonakshi Sinha at IIFA 2011

Dia Mirza at IIFA Rocks Fashion

Genelia D'Souza at IIFA Rocks Fashion

Miss World, Kanishta Dhankar at II FA Fashion Rocks

RDB at IIFA Fashion Rocks

Lisa Ray at IIFA Rocks Fashion via TheStar.com

Kangna Ranaut at the opening of Double Dhamaal

Lisa Ray at the opening of Double Dhamaal.

Mallika Sherawat at the opening of Double Dhamaal

Bipasha Basu, Dia Mirza, and Ritesh Deshmukh at the official press conference to open IIFA Toronto 2011.

Mallika Sherawat at the opening press conference of IIFA Toronto 2011.

The Bride's Lookbook: Bridal Makeup that lets Your Personality Lead by Kavita Suri Beauty

Soooo...you read Suhaag Magazine?  Like the makeup?  Want your makeup to look like that?  Why not ask the makeup artist who does all the in-house shoots?  Kavita Suri, founder of Kavita Suri Spa, worked her way up the ladder to become the go-to makeup artist for Suhaag magazine, the spokeswoman for Vasanti Cosmetics and an editor at Asian Woman Canada.  But, like all artists, she has her forte, her roots and her passion. For Kavita, that is bridal makeup.  A quick browse through her portfolio will quickly reveal a lady who knows her way around a brush and even though her brides are clearly made-up, you don't forget that there's a real live human being under all that makeup, am I right?  Personality shines through.

A real bride made up by Kavita Suri and Team.  Photograph by G+H Photography

I blogged earlier on this week about finding a makeup artist to teach you how to do your own makeup artist, so I think it's great that I can mention Kavita actually runs a separate branch of her business called the Kavita Suri Beauty Academy!  To read more about Kavita, or see her work, check out her website and her blog.