Pretty Simple Life

Navigating Womanhood In The Modern World

Weekend Links

How have you all been? The soldier is home and we are spending all of our days just cooped up in our home catching up and spending time as a family.

Here are some interesting links from around the web for you:

I really enjoyed watching this particular interview of Ayushman Khurrana.

A hilarious (and glamorous ) instagram account !

The most treasured wardrobe staple of Vogue editors!

This classic tip to make your living room brighter.

Are you turning your house into a toystore?

A very helpful video on minimalism.

Have a good weekend!

xoxo

What Do You Wear to Work ?

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 

Weekend Links

Hello! How have you been this week? We have been good, exhausted, happy and tired. I have been trying my best to keep the bub off the gadgets and having partial success. If you have any tips on how to do it better, please let me know. Meanwhile, here are some interesting links from the world wide web:

I’m hearing such great reviews about this Oscar-nominated film!

How to raise boys in 2020.

What a breath-taking blue wall!

The myth of sustainable fashion.

Thank you, bhau! So heartwarming.

Can’t wait to bake these cookies.

The best 50 ice-cream parlours in the world…yummy!

Robert Pattinson in Paris is two of my fantasies combined..lol!

Vegan gluten-free naan. Interesting and yummyilicious.

What a pretty dress for the coming spring!

(Image source)

Thoughts On Solo Parenting

My husband, a soldier, left for field duty when I was about eight months pregnant. Though I was one of the lucky few Army wives whose husband could make it home on time for our delivery, he left again after a week. So technically, ever since our son was born, I have been a solo parent to him. Or more aptly, the only physicallypresent parent.

Though I had never expected and hoped it wouldn’t be the case, a life in the Army prepares you for any such eventualities. OK, you are never really prepared, but you always just know (no matter how much you try to deny or escape it) that sooner or later, you are going to be parenting on your own with your husband away serving his nation.

So yes, even though I thought I was mentally prepared, when motherhood actually hit me, I just didn’t realize how difficult it was going to be on my own. On several occasions the early days of parenting have been compared to a train-wreck, just no one tells you how terribly horrible it is when you are the only one in-charge of the whole show. Along with recovering from a painful C-Sec surgery I had to be the only one to be responsible for this tiny little child that I was trying so hard to keep alive. If marathon breastfeeding sessions were not enough, burping him was also my responsibility. So was changing his nappies every single time required, even in the middle of the night, being the recipient of all of his reflux-mess in all its newborn glory, unable to even pee or poop in peace because he just wouldn’t stay with anyoneelse.

Sometimes when I see pictures and videos of fathers along with their newborn babies, I feel a longing I do not realize exists in our daily grind. Or when I see dads playing or dancing with their kids, taking over baby duties from mommy, I cannot but feel a tad bit of jealousy laced with a deep sadness for my son. You see, he doesn’t really know what living with his father is like. For us, I am the one who wakes him up, feeds him, dances with him and plays with him, takes him to the park, shops for him, puts him to bed and stay awake if need be. I am the one who travels with him multiple times a year to see all of the family scattered all over the country. I do not have the luxury of just nudging my partner awake to look after the needs of whatever my baby might require in the middle of the night. I do not have the luxury of sleeping even a single minute extra once the baby is up and about because even an extra second of sleep might have disastrous consequences considering babies like to indulge in adventurous activities right when the parent is asleep. I do not have the luxury of someone taking care of my baggage when I am travelling or holding the bub for a while to give me some rest or even when I need to go pee.
I do not have the luxury of having someone to shout at when I am frustrated or cry to when I am sad.

So, despite the fact that I live with my family and my food/housing needs are well taken care of, I am so so deeply mentally exhausted!


I watch with an inexplainable heaviness when the bub prances around any male adult he meets, trying to garner his attention or trying to gain his approval with his antics, something that should have been reserved for his father. Turns out, he does understands and desires the presence of a male adult in his life. The only blessing in disguise has been that the bub has been too young to ‘remember’ his father or understand the meaning of it. Until now!

Also, when the husband is indeed on leave, two issues arise – you suddenly feel that this nice, little daily routine that you have set with your child is suddenly thwarted with the arrival of his charming parent because now the father wants to make up for the lost time by playing beyond sleeping hours or taking him out on drives one too many times or feeding him yummylicious outside food (throwing away all the efforts you’ve been making to feed your child ‘healthy’ diet out of the window).

Also, more often than not we end up fighting because I resent that he has never been around while I got to bear all of the parenting shitload while he had it easy and he feels a heavy pang of guilt for not being able to be around and then trying to prove how good a father he is (which closely overlaps being in a competitive sphere with myself as the mother) – so whenever the husband does get something right about what the bub might be communicating and he exclaims, “See, I know him better!”, all hell breaks loose in my head, like don’t you dare tell me because I have been the one cleaning his shit everyday for the last two years, sometimes several times a day when he is teething!
But if I may excuse my whiny self, here’s the utter truth – solo parenting is any day better than single parenting. I will forever be in awe of and hold in high regards all those moms and dads who have been raising their children on their own. I at least get to speak to my husband over phone on most days, take major parenting decisions together and share every update I get chance to. I really cannot even imagine how parents who are on their own do it! So, hats off to you and bless you!
And if you are a solo parent like me, just hang in there! Life is going to get better. Stay strong and stick to it. You are already doing a great job! 

Weekend Links

Hello everyone!

How has your week been? Do you have any special plans for the weekend? The bub is not keeping well with a stomach infection so we are just going to lie low the next couple of days. Here are some interesting links from around the world for you to read:

This caption has my heart..

India has changed its abortion law allowing abortion till 24th week of pregnancy. Bravo!

My life story, in every party! Haha!

Do you remember VIVA!, India’s first girl band?

Are we over-exposing our kids on social media?

Engagement rings are a scam?

One of my most favourite moviemakers, this video is a delight to watch!

Mark Ruffalo is the funniest celebrity ever!

My sister says this movie  is a must-watch for all women!

A planner that is radically changing my life.

Have a good weekend!

xoxo!

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