Styling harem pants, embroidery top, patchwork bag and ethnic jewelry.

My friend Kristine has just come back from her trip to Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh State in India. She was so fascinated by Indian wooden crafts and clothes that she asked me to help her make an Indian-themed outfit. Kristine dreamed of something modern-looking, as she wanted to wear it to work (she is a landscape architect).
So I couldn't use traditional Indian clothes, otherwise it would look "too ethnic" and Kristine's clients may find it strange. =) I decided to adopt several principles like natural fabrics, vivid colors, embroidery, yellow gold and more. Here is the result:

Indian dresses are very brightly colored and mixing grass green, burgundy red, orange and a lot of gold is considered normal. That's why the bag in this look has all colors of the rainbow in it. Simple mono-colored top and pants balance the multicolored bag and draw attention by their style and embroidery. Wooden jewelry with gold elements are a great example of contemporary design with a prominent ethnic influence.

The top is in Burnt Orange color and has a lovely flower embroidery and lace applique. Shop here: O.S.A., $28  

Harem pants are made of fine quality linen - they are soft and very 'easy-breezy' to wear. They have 4 well-placed pockets and just the right length, so I bet, Kristine would love wearing them when she works in the garden. =) Shop them here:  Vivid linen, $118 

Soles and back parts of Spanish espadrilles are resembling the design of hand-woven baskets sold on Indian craft markets. You may think shoes might be heavy with the way the heel is, but in reality they are very comfortable and lightweight. Shop here: VISCATA hand-made Spanish espadrilles, $69 

The bag is made of top grain lambskin and canvas. It is sturdy, huge and vivid floral patchwork is fun, so be ready for lots of compliments! =) Shop here: AmeriLeather Rosalie bag, $65

These tribal earrings made of sono wood remind me of Holy cow horns. Cow is a sacred animal in Hinduism and a symbol of "wealth, strength, abundance, selfless giving and a full Earthly life." Shop here: 81stgeneration, $23 

Cult arrow head ring looks like it is an antique jewelry piece from the ancient times. 

Shop here: by boe, $19  

Crest-shaped necklace has a unique design and looks pretty antique. Shop here: by boe, $48

The cuff bracelet is bold, striking and absolutely noticeable. I totally love how wood looks together with gold! Shop here: 81stgeneration, $44 

The ring is called "Wooden candy" and the name speaks for itself - it is trendy, magnetic and fun. White, neon yellow and orange are also available and will look great with this outfit. Shop here: Victoria Cors, $30

Styling leather top, lace skirt and lacquered oxfords.

Can a top+skirt combo be a head turner? The answer is "Yes!" Simply try this look - it is sophisticated, powerful and very curves-flattering.

  

The combo of scarlet and black may seem a bit aggressive to someone, but mixing differently textured materials like lace, bamboo, lacquered and textured leather, will make you look softer and more feminine. The look has no central pieces, as every detail here is worth noticing. 

Although a leather top doesn't sound like a modest piece, in this case it is not revealing at all. It fits like a glove and makes the overall look more structured. Leather is only on the front part of the top, back is made of a stretchy fabric, which makes it very comfortable. Shop it here. Calvin Klein, $32 

Made is NYC garment district, the skirt is a one of a kind piece. The lace is inspired by the designs of hand-woven baskets from Uganda. Shop it here: Only Hearts basket weave lace pencil skirt, $25 

Oxfords are breaking the stereotype that skirts look good with the heels only. These ones are comfortable and would go well with most dress shorts and skirts that I have in my wardrobe. The sole is rubber, not the slippery type one and the dark plum color is gorgeous! Shop them here: Charm Foot oxfords, $25 

This bag needs its own runway - it is a well-crafted designer item at a decent price. It is vegan but doesn't look cheap due to a nice shape, bamboo and gold elements and various leather textures - top-grained white, lacquered crimson and textured black. You will love wearing it as a cross shoulder. Shop it from Anne Klein, $57 

Everyone is used to bead bracelets on cotton/silk cords, but pyramid stations and faceted nuggets are something new. The pieces are 18K gold-plated and I like how gold looks combined with the red cord: expensive enough to go with a suit and studded enough to go with jeans and a leather jacket. Shop it here: Ettika bracelet, $28

The bracelet is made of laminated bamboo and it gets additional points from me as it is not plastic. It reminds me of some Ikebana compositions (japanese art of making flower compositions), when pieces are put together making a kind of a fence. =) All pieces are of different shape which makes the bracelet look even more unique. Shop it here: JewelryVolt bracelet, $9 

What accessory can make the summer outfit more polished than cat eye sunglasses? I know none, really. =) So here they are - in lilac fade, which matches dark plum Oxfords. Case is included and lenses are prescription ready. Shop them here: Kate Spade New York, $95

How to introduce parts of 4th of July-themed outfit to your daily wardrobe and not to look like you are wearing a costume.

I have been discussing with my friend Amy what to do with our Independence day-themed outfits. We concluded they looked great but were not suitable for a daily wear. So we could either let them stay in our closets until the next Independence day or throw them away, which is oh, so sad... But we found another way!

Here is how you can make a great office look based on all-over star patterned patriotic shirt owned by Amy. It is suitable only for an office with no strict dress code policy or for casual Fridays.

The print and color of the patriotic shirt catch a lot of attention, so you should balance it with clothes and accessories without prints and in neutral colors, like white, grey or sand. Roll the sleeves down and button the shirt up to make it look more formal. 

Jeans have a bit of Spandex, which means they stretch, so those of you with curves can stop worrying how their hips will look in them. They are very comfortable and the straight leg makes them look almost like office trousers. The boot cut means it is best to wear them with wedges or pumps.

The pumps are made of perforated suede, which makes them soft and breathable. They have a latex foam footbed with pods in heel and forefoot and a rubber outsole for additional shock absorption, so they are one of the best choices for the office wear.

The watch looks stylish and more expensive than it really costs. So if you cannot afford to pay 115 bucks for a white Skagen, go for Breda, a Texas-based watch company. Here they are for you to compare. By the way I think both of them look great!

The bag has a very interesting 3D geometric texture. It has enough room to carry iPad mini, iPhone, a cosmetic purse, a wallet and a magazine.

1- KUT shirt, button-up chambray shirt, has convertible long sleeves with tab keepers, $26

2- NYDJ Barbara boot cut jeans, $76 

3- TSUBO suede D'Orsay pump, $130 

4- HESHE satchel, has a shoulder strap, $50 

5- BREDA quartz watch, $45 

6- Skagen quartz watch, $115 

Why not to extend Independence day celebration to the whole weekend? Another 4-th of July-inspired look.

I hope you had a wonderful 3rd and 4th of July, guys. Independence brings a lot of inspiration, so I decided to make more patriotic yet cute outfits. Here is an ideal "dinner and a movie" date outfit with a patriotic twist. By the way what would you choose to watch: Tammy, How to Train Your Dragon 2 or Edge of Tomorrow? I would definitely go see the Dragon!

The central pieces of the outfit are a crop top and a skirt - they set the main colors, which correspond to the colors of the American flag. I chose pastel violet-blue instead of the Royal blue and stripe instead of star print for the top. This is a way to make an outfit look patriotic, but not too obvious and not to be misunderstood for a "costume". =) Then we have a lot of references like stars necklace, God Bless America bracelet, also stars on the purse and sneakers. These tiny details put an outfit together and will say a lot to a careful observer. 

The top is about 16" long, so you can show off your belly button piercing and/or a toned tummy. Not many people would dare to wear a scarlet skater skirt, but you should definitely give it a try - it looks gorgeous and you will stand out from the crowd. The sneakers, bags and purse are of the same color, which I don't do often, but considering very bright and contrast top and skirt, this is a solution I would highly recommend. 

The sneakers have an open toe that will let your foot breathe. They are also wedges, so your ankles will look very elegant in them and they can be combined with a skirt/dress. They also have a sporty feel, so you can wear them with jogger pants and a bomber as well. I bet they will make your favourite summer pair of shoes if you try them once!

The bracelet is very pretty and its charms represent all things American, like San Francisco, Liberty Bell, Las Vegas, Florida and Statue of Liberty. The chain necklace is from polished stainless steel - it is nicely weighted and not flimsy at all. It is 30" long - this length will look great on the top. 

I suggest to wear a backpack and a cross body bag (which looks same as a backpack to me) with this look - they would go extremely well with sneakers and a skater skirt. An owl backpack has a top handle and can be worn as a handbag. Did you noticed that the lower part of an owl print matches the color of the top? =) You can use a star purse with both of the bags or wear it as a wristlet.

 1- Stylenanda striped crop top, $23 

2- Ditzy Fashion skater flared mini skirt, $16 

3- Maxstar 777 canvas wedge sneakers, $42 

4- Jewelry Nexus God Bless America charm bracelet, $25 

5- Jewelry Pot stainless steel necklace, $76 

6- CUSHOW owl backpack, $73 

7- AmeriBag healthy back cross body bag, $70 

8- LYDC stars studded purse, $28 

Happy 4th of July!!! What are you wearing today?

What are you doing on the 4th of July, guys?
This year we are so lucky that Independence day is on a weekend, because last year it was Thursday, middle of the week. This time we can have more fun and extend the celebration to the whole weekend and surprise everyone by wearing a thematic outfit at work on Monday. =)
My friend celebrated at The Boston Esplanade, but I decided to have a BBQ with my bf, dad and sister. Here is an outfit for the Independence day, especially if you are having a BBQ like me.

Go for denim, as it is usually blue, which symbolises the blue color of the American flag. The other colors you need are red and white, so perfect the look with white sneakers and a red fringe tank.  

The stars and stripes printed shorts are great to show off your pride. The print on the shorts is faded, so they don't look like a part of a costume and you can continue wearing them after the celebration is over.

The vest is 99% Cotton which I associate with good old traditional denim and has buttons styled and coloured as on my old jeans/jackets. The edges of the vest have a really short fringe and look like the sleeves and the lower part of the jacket were ripped off to make it a shorter and sexier summer item. =) The best part of the vest is its back - it has a beautiful eyelet part - it looks like crochet, which is extremely popular this summer. This eyelet part matches the laser cut of the bag and perforated canvas of the sneakers.

Fringe tank is very playful and adds a bit of country music feel to the outfit. It will look even better if you add a gold tone hammered star pendant, that repeats the form of the star print on the shorts.

Take an elegant coin bag in Crema De Vie color with you. It is very small and will just fit your iPhone and/or sunglasses, but the laser cut looks adorable, so it is one of my must-haves this summer. 

1-Lucky Brand denim eyelet vest, $79 

2-Juliet's Kiss shorts, $24 

3-Wet Seal fringe tank, $12 

4-Keds Rally perforated canvas fashion sneaker, $50 

5-Goldtone finish silver hammered star pendant, 18", $20 

6-Kate Spade New York Cedar Street coin handbag, $88 

Let's go on a city tour or A perfect travelling outfit.

When you are planning a perfect trip it's wise to plan a perfect outfit too. My friend Maria is travelling to Czech Republic in July and is asking me for a piece of advice about what to wear. It will be a bus tour and they will be visiting several towns on their way - travelling at night and exploring some town during the day. So here are my suggestions for Maria.

Being on the road requires something really comfortable to wear, so jogger pants are the best choice. Check out these trendy denim pants, that you may have seen at some boutiques. But these ones are really wise-priced. =) They look fabulous when you wear them baggy, but you can also pull them down to cover your ankles if you want. 

The tank is knitted in a beautiful way and has a flirty fringe, that will make everyone notice your toned belly. 

Add peep toe wedge sandals in neon yellow - the suede upper is soft yet sturdy, the rise is moderate, so your feet won't get tired when you will be exploring the town.

You won't feel comfortable bringing much jewelry on a bus tour, besides, you may want to buy some local crafted jewelry during the trip. So bring along something very simple, like a neon yellow silk thread bracelet, that matches the sandals. Don't forget a Buddha style wrap bracelet too - it will shine beautifully on a sunny day.

Cross-body handbag with a print that goes with everything is a must-have for a travel. You will need a small one to carry your documents, money and a phone. Compared to a clutch, it will leave your hands free, when you are taking photos or carrying bags of souvenirs you bought.

That's it. Hope Maria will enjoy her trip! 

1- Soho Girl jogger pants, $30 

2- FULL TILT fringe tank 

3- Steve Madden Corison wedge sandals 

4- Silk thread bracelets with cubic zirconia, $9 

5- LUN NA Buddha style bracelet, $15 

6- Nine West Showstopper crossbody bag, $37