What Do You Wear to Work ?

February 10, 2020

My first job was in an international development agency and at 21, I was the youngest employee they ever had. So, I made it my sole ambition to be considered mature and taken seriously and my work outfits were a major means of communicating that – I mostly wore western formals in blacks and greys and on off-days stuck to the combination of jeans-kurti. I later shifted to a government job in rural development and my outifts mostly consisted of handloom cotton salwar-suits in sober colours to enable me to blend in easily in a government setting as well as field visits in villages. I find it fascinating how we choose our outfits at work to convey our personality, aims and agenda; and that is why I have always been curious what do other people wear to work, especially women? How do they interpret their personal style in terms of their professional responsibilities and how do they use their clothing as a form of self-expression.

I asked 6 women I admire for their work and style, what they wear to work. Here they are:

Saswati
Ocupation : Editor at a publishing house (New Delhi)

“I am an editor of a publishing house and as such, I have to meet authors. So, my workwear is mostly a cross betwen formal and casual. I like to wear simple kurtis with pants/culottes, bright-coloured dupattas and of course, big earrings. Also, culottes or formal trousers paired with both shirts and t-shirts. I love adding a quirky touch (think elephant brooches/the whole ensemble in the same colour tone etc.). The idea is to just have fun with the things I have.”

Divya

Occupation: Banker (Vadodara)

“For me, a saree is perfect work wear because nothing speaks power dressing to me like a saree does. Good days, bad days, the okay days; fat, thin, tall, short; fair, dark, brown, yellow – it never asks, never thinks. The saree wraps itself beautifully around everyone and anyone – making it the most versatile, non-judgemental garment ever! Crisp cottons, ethereal silks or flowy georgettes – when I wear a saree, it makes me feel like I am on top of the world – sophisticated, traditional, modest and humble all at the same time – this timeless garment is my go-to anyday, work or otherwise. Most of my sarees are handlooms from my mom’s own brand.”

Jigmet
Occupation: Sales Manager at a Travel company (Leh)

“My work requires me to sit long hours on a chair so I always choose things that are flowy and baggy. These allow me to sit on my chair cross-legged (literally). Comfort over style is what I go for. But then if I end up being a little stylish while putting my baggy outfits together then it’s a win win situation I guess. Here I am wearing a thrifted blazer for that professional look, a floral maxi dress to keep it casual along with a cloth bag and white canvas shoes. White canvas shoes are a must for me as they go with almost everything from jeans to dresses to long skirts etc.”

Trishnanta
Occupation: Food Photographer and Food Stylist (Hyderabad)

“My job requires me to be on my feet for 8-10 hours and on shoot days I pick comfortable and easy going outfits. Honestly, I can spend days working from home in my pyjamas and tshirt but it’s nice to put some thought into what you wear at networking events. My style is usually really classic colours and things I can mix and match easily. I put this outfit together for an event where I wanted something comfortable yet chic and sporty. Just a simple black top paired with blue jeans and a grey blazer. I am currently completely into white sneakers. They speak comfort and style to me and jazz up a lot of outfits instantly.”

Rebecca
Occupation: Counselling Psychologist and Founder of Begin Again Counselling Services (Bengaluru)

“Being a counselling psychologist, my everyday work involves working with people who may be in a lot of pain. It sometimes becomes hard to leave that pain behind in the therapy room and that’s why there is a huge emphasis on self care for therapist. One aspect of self care for me is being able to dress in a way that makes me happy. I tend to gravitate towards pinks and bright colours. I also need to strike a balance between outfits that bring me joy and what is a distraction so clothes that are bright and comfortable are a happy compromise. In this picture I’m wearing a dress which I love because of the colour and that its really easy to wear.”

Shruti

Occupation : Social Studies Teacher at a school into transformational teaching (Pune)

“Well normally, I would’ve been comfortable in a jeans and a Tee but since my work involves being at a school for more than 8 hours, we stick to cotton leggings and kurtis. The children we teach are from underprivileged communities and are not used to flashy clothes or really bold styles. Also, we are more credible in front of them and their parents during PTMs when we are decked up in traditional Indian wear. I do wish sometimes formal western clothes could be worn, but for that, the Indian mentality needs to progress with the idea of a ‘Teacher’ and so I guess that’s a long way off for now. I normally stick to neutral and soft colours like green, blue, off-white and grey. It makes us more relatable to the children. Also, jewelry is very minimum and make-up, almost zero. In this picture I am wearing a soft mul-mul cotton breathable saree from Hastavem. Nothing is more comfortable than a saree which stays put 😀 !”

Thank you, girls!

What do you wear to work? Do share in the comments below.

xoxo

My Three Best Travel Shoes

July 24, 2019

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Since the last couple of years, I have been looking to pare my travel baggage as much as possible to the bare minimum. I’ve been on the lookout for clothes that require least maintenance and space as well as multipurpose beauty options. One item that I’ve always struggled with is shoes.

See, before marriage, I could go backpacking to a whole country in just one pair of sneakers. But age and being married to an Army officer means I have to cater to the ‘lady’ occasions and having a baby results in an altogether different ballgame wherein I have to not only find something decent looking but which also check the boxes of comfort (gotta run behind the toddler ALL the time), ease of wear (no time for complicated buckles and laces!) and low maintenance (you never know when the baby will puke/pee/poop on it) and requiring less space (because now baby items occupy more space in your bag).

I think I have finally figured out a solution to this complex mom problem and the following are the three shoes I am travelling with currently and super-duper happy with. I think this I what I am going to stick to for a while:

Reebok Sneakers: My husband bought these as the exercise/walking shoes for me when I got pregnant two years ago. They are extremely comfortable, comparatively lightweight and of course, quality shoes, so last long. The mesh outer layer makes it breathable and hence, comfortable even in the summer months. I always wear these when I undertake travel that requires long-distance walking with a baby (esp. airports) and now that I am in a hilly area, I wear them when we go for walks/hikes. (Linked similar one).

Vans Palisades SF Sneakers: Ah, Vans! My forever favourite! I have loved Vans shoes since even before they had launched in India a few years ago. I had bought my first classic Vans about 4 years ago when I was recovering from a fractured foot and needed something sturdy yet stylish for everyday wear. I knew I had made the right choice when I overcame the tiny limp I had in my walk which the doctor said I would never recover from. I have been a Vans loyal every since. But here’ the thing – Vans are pricey. So

, always, always be on the lookout for sale. These particular model are the perfect mom shoes – slip on, washable, good rubber sole and so so sturdy and still so chic!. I literally wear them like all the time – on jeans, on trousers, dresses and kurti-leggings – everything. These are my wardrobe staple and a must buy. If you are not too much into black, they also come in some cute pastels.

Bata Ballerina: I bought these shoes while transiting from Delhi and boy, I’m glad! These are ballet flat with a suede outer body and tiny studded stones in same black colour meaning a perfect balance of bling but not too obvious, making it the ideal understated party wear for a busy mom. Easy to maintain and how we all know black goes with everything! In fact, all 3 of my above shoes are black!

Just these three shoes get me through a lot of walking, running behind a toddler (all the time!), hiking, parties, sightseeing, date evenings and everything in between! In all, these shoes have been one of my best travel finds so far and unless I am going on an occasion-specific trip (like weddings) I am pretty much going to stick to them.

What are your favourite travel shoes?

6 Spring Outfit Inspiration

March 13, 2017

Hello lovelies!

Hope you had a great holi! I didn’t have any. As I am at my in-law’s place, here holi is played 5 days later, i.e. on Rangpanchami. Anyway, as spring is officially here, I have curated some fab spring outfit inspirations. Please note that these western outfits are based on my personal style preference which is basically simple, minimalist and a tiny bit conservative while still being chic. Hope you enjoy going through these images 🙂

The first one of course had to be stripes!

Denim shirt dresses are ideal outfit for a day out.

Team up your midi skirts with basic tees and tops for that perfectly understated yet classy look.

High on my wishlist this year are a pair of white denim and chambray/denim shirt.

Wide-legged trousers and plain-Ts. That is it!

What are your spring inspirations? Would love you to share your ideas below 🙂

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Head Over Heels

October 10, 2016

The song most often used to tease me in school was “Khambe jaisi khadi hai, ladki hai ya chhadi hai”. That is the earliest memory I have of being abnormally tall. Abnormally. That is what I thought of my height for a long long time. Since KG I was always the one to stand at the back of the class line, always the one to sit on the last bench, always taller than 95% of the boys in my class. Always the odd one out. And I didn’t really like it.

Others always admired my height, always wished there were as tall as me, but for me, my height was another one in the long list of things wrong with me; so much pressure we girls put on ourselves, no?

And I continued feeling awkward about myself till I went to England. I was finally not the tallest one. I was among the normal.

But I never wore heels, ever. Not in school, not in college, not even in the UK. Heels was something, in my eyes, not for girls like me. Heels were meant to make short girls look tall.

I don’t remember when exactly did I realize that heels were not just about adjusting your height, but heels were also a means to convey confidence, to feel empowered. So finally I said, “What the heck!” and bought my first heel.

They were teeny-tiny, about half inch heel. They served me well, corrected my posture and taught me to walk like a lady (something I still struggle with, but its okay!).

But above all, heels taught me some fundamental life lessons.

Heels taught me to embrace the woman inside me, as she is. Heels taught me to stand tall for who I was (literally and figuratively). Heels taught me that I didn’t have to live by the rules and I certainly didn’t have to live in comparison to others, but build a joyful, motivating, confident life for myself, just like I want.

Heels taught me, to be myself – to explore, to experiment and embrace myself in all my oddity, craziness and sexiness.

So now I’ve bought my first 3-incher (as seen in the pic above). I’m walking slow in it for now, but I’m loving every bit of it 😀