OOTD: Student Style

So, my bangs have gotten super long but I don't wanna get a haircut yet. Usually, when my bangs start growing out, I just braid em and pin em back.

As for the outfit, sometimes I like to put together a bunch of basics with one piece that pops - perfect for a day at school! I love, love, LOVE this scarf! Also, if you've seen some of my previous posts, you know I'm obsessed with these boots and this bag.

Outfit: All About The Bag

You know how there are certain pieces that just deserve to have an entire outfit planned around them? Well, I feel like this bag is one of those. Yesterday was supposed to be warm and sunny so I thought I could wear this outfit but it turned out to be cold and gloomy. Clearly, I'm already in Spring mode.

2013 Oscars Best Dressed

As with the rest of the shows this award season, I was generally underwhelmed by the fashion at the Oscars, for the most part. Obviously, my expectations were too high! Anyways, while there were no looks that belong in this list, there were definitely a few looks that wowed me! Here they are -

Before I get to best dressed, I wanna mention Charlize Theron who's in her own category - Fashgasm.

Charlize Theron in Dior Haute Couture. She looks MAJOR and that hair - SO fierce!
She's one of maybe 5 people who can make a pixie look this badass and sexy!

And now onto my best dressed picks - 

My new bff Jennifer Lawrence in Dior Haute Couture. *swoon* I mean, I freakin' LOVE her!
She looks UH-MAHHH-ZING! Oh, and btw Anne, THIS is what a winner looks like!

Naomi Watts in Armani Privé. She looks freakin' fabulous - that cutout is SO major!

Kerry Washington in Miu Miu.
Though I'm not surprised she wore Miu Miu, she def WERQED this look!

Stacy Keibler in Naeem Khan - beautiful and elegant!
I hadn't initially added this to my list but Sheela made me take a 2nd look and I fell in love!

Sandra Bullock, classy as ever, in Elie Saab. Look at the intricate details on that dress!

Also, how excited was I that Olivia Munn stunned in one of the dresses I had picked -

Olivia Munn in Marchesa - gorgeous!!

Now, I don't usually do worst dressed but I'm actually SO upset about this that I'm gonna HAVE to! You see, this is going to go to be one of the worst Oscar dresses of ALL-TIME. So, it deserved a mention, no?

Anne Hathaway in Prada.
Like, are you freaking kidding me? The girl could've worn ANYTHING and she chose THIS?
It's almost insulting! And the nipples? I mean, come on - this is a classy affair!
She reminds me of Wilma Flintsone! Why, Anne? WHY??
Ok, rant over.

Do you guys agree with this list or do y'all think I missed someone?

xo

Dhruvi

Oscars: 10 All-Time Favorite Dresses

I can't believe awards season is almost over, you guys! Crazy, huh? Well, the best is yet to come. In honor of the Academy Awards this weekend, I wanted to mention some of my absolute favorite dresses through the years!
10 All-Time Favorites

Hilary Swank in Guy Laroche, 2005

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford, 2012

Penelope Cruz in Versace, 2007

Marion Cotillard in Jean Paul Gaultiere, 2008

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy Couture, 2011

Julia Roberts in Vintage Valentino, 2001

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab, 2011

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein, 2011

Charlize Theron in Gucci, 2004

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein, 2011

Did I miss any? Which look is your absolute favorite? So excited for the Oscars tomorrow - I hope I'm not disappointed!

xo

Dhruvi

2013 Oscars: 20 Oscar-Worthy Dresses

Initially, I wanted to do a post with only 10 dresses, but there is noway I could've narrowed it down to 10. Btw, I think (and hope) Elie Saab is going to rule the red carpet this year. His Spring Couture collection was out of this world! Also, I think some of the major trends on the red carpet will be -

• All White,
• Red,
• Lace & Sheer,
• Prints,
• Gold,
• High Slits, Cutouts, and Deep Vs. 

That said, here are the 20 dresses I would love to see on the carpet. Let's see how many (if any) of my trend and/or dress predictions are right! :-0

Elie Saab Spring 2013 Couture

Outfit: Florals & Brights

Happy Thirsty Thursday, lovies! So, do any of you guys know how to interpret dreams? Sometimes, I have the craziest dreams and I have no idea why. Case in point - the dream I had last night. It's like I was basically in that movie 2012 - floods everywhere, people running for their lives, lights going out, everyone screaming. It was kinda scary and I wonder why I had such a dream and what it means. Maybe it's because things have been very chaotic for me the past couple weeks?

Anyways, on to the outfit - I'm so excited to debut my favorite skirt from the Prabal Gurung for Target collection! I love everything about this skirt - it's such a great basic piece!

PS - Stop by tomorrow for my trend predictions for the Oscars this Sunday, and the 20 dresses I would love to see on the red carpet!

Outfit: Black & White + Sequins

Hey lovies! So, I had gotten this skirt a while ago and I love it but I couldn't figure out how to style it. Then, a couple weeks ago, while cleaning my closet - I found this shirt and I absolutely had to try this combo. I wanted to style it with patent leather brogues, for a menswear inspired look. Since black & white is such a huge trend for spring, I figured I'd make this a monochromatic look (except the coat, of course!)

Aaaaaand there's the hair tie again! I have GOT to remember to take that off when I take pictures! Lol. Btw - see my review of the Prabal Gurung for Target collection here, and how I styled one of the pieces from the collection here!

Prabal Gurung for Target Review

The much anticipated Prabal Gurung for Target collection finally launched a little over a week ago and I was beyond excited! I saw the lookbook and fell in love with every look! The Target stores by me are closed on Sundays so the day this collection launched, I woke up at 7 am and tried to order items online. But the one item I just HAD to have - Dress 1 - was already sold out online, by 7 am!

I tried my luck at two different Target stores on Monday and finally got the dress! Anyways, between the stores and the site, I ended up getting these 9 items -

After all the excitement and anticipation, I hate to admit that I was not thrilled. I was actually pretty disappointed. I wasn't impressed by the fit of the clothes. I ended up getting Dress 1 in size 2 and I'm most certainly not size 2. Even beyond that, the dress just made my hips look way too big! The same goes for the red dress, although it's not as bad as the white floral dress. I got the 2 blouses and the sweater in size S (I had also ordered all 3 in M for safe measure) and all 3 items ended up being way too big! The blouses also have a hi-low hem, which I'm not a fan of. The drop waist dress doesn't work on my body so I won't say much about that, except that it runs really big!

Now onto the items I actually liked. The coral & aqua dress isn't one I had originally planned on buying but I picked it up anyways and it was a pleasant surprise. I love how it fits but I had to get it in size 6. See what I mean when I say the fit was all cooky? I also love the skirt - although the print and color are very conservative, the silhouette is great! The lace-up pumps are also great! So, I'm going to keep those 3 items.

Overall, judging from the items I have tried, I think the collection is almost matronly and not very flattering or sexy. Everything was cut too big (except the white floral dress) and too long! In terms of fit, I feel lit the collection was not designed for real women. I was mostly disappointed about the white floral dress didn't work out because I had planned on wearing it for my birthday next month! :(

Did you guys buy anything from this collection? What did you think about it?

xo
Dhruvi

PS - See how I styled one of the pieces from the collection here!

Fall 2013 Trends

These semi-annual trend reports give me the opportunity to review all the fashion shows from New York Fashion Week, which is exactly what I have been doing these past couple days. While there are several new trends for Fall, there are also several trends that are carrying over from spring - yay! That said, here are the top trends for F/W 2013 -
Animal Prints

Tracy Reese / DKNY / DVF

White

Jason Wu / Tadashi Shoji / Proenza Schouler

Houndstooth

Oscar De La Renta / Rag & Bone / Michael Kors

Florals

Tracy Reese / Thakoon / Vivienne Westwood

Bold Hues

DVF / Chado Ralph Rucci / Michael Kors

Headgear

Band of Outsiders / Hervé Léger / Bibhu Mohapatra

Military Green

Rachel Zoe / St. John / Prabal Gurung

Leather

Cushnie et Ochs / Christian Siriano / Prabal Gurung

Velvet

Ralph Lauren / DVF / Tadashi Shoji

Black & White

Badgley Mischka / Bibhu Mohapatra / St. John

Fur Collars

Band of Outsiders / J. Mendel / Bibhu Mohapatra

Oversized Sweaters & Outerwear

Alexander Wang / DKNY / Rag & Bone

Photo Credit: Style.com

Honorary mention to peplum which continues to be a trend in the Fall. Also, Red and Black where everywhere on the runways!

I'm so excited that Black & White and Leather continue to be on trend. I also loved seeing all the white on the runways. I also so some metallics, including DVF and Marc Jacobs. And I am, of course, thrilled about military green and animal prints!

What trends are your favorites?

xo
Dhruvi

Happy Valentine's Day

Holi (Indian festival of colors) with my dad

This Valentine's Day is extra special for me. Not because I have a significant other who swept me off my feet but because of what's happened in the past week. Last Wednesday, I woke up, did my chores and what not and then said bye to dad and went to get my nails done. I had just gotten to the salon when my dad called me - nothing out of the ordinary. You see, my dad has a habit of calling excessively for every little thing, because he doesn't wanna forget. Per usual, I grunted a little and picked up and said "Now what dad?" He said "Where are you? Come home right now!", and I said "Why? What happened?". He said "I'm having chest pain and shortness of breath."

I'm not quite able to put into words what I went through once those words fell on my ears. I just remember thinking "It's not what it sounds like. It can't be!". I dashed out of the salon and called 911 - the longest call, EVER! It rang 3 times before they picked up, and then all these Goddamn questions, and then transferring me to the local police department. It took ever ounce of self control in my being to not curse them out. I mean, who the eff cares about my dad's medical history, or his age, or anything else. I just needed someone to get to the house and help him! But I knew I had to stay calm. And so, I did. I answered all their damn questions, twice. My drive home - from 10 minutes away - was also the longest drive, EVER! Of course, every signal turned red and everyone wanted to drive slower than the speed limit. Again, I knew I had to stay calm. And so, I did. All the way home, I was still convinced it wasn't what it sounded like. I mean, my dad is super healthy! He has no medical history, he does yoga, he eats healthy, he works out. But yes, he stresses a lot. A LOT. The American dream, I suppose.

Anyways, after what seemed like an eternity, I finally got home. The ambulance still hadn't arrived but the cops had. I saw my dad laying on the couch, sweating, unable to speak. I'm pretty sure I hadn't quite processed what was going on. The ambulance arrived and the usual procedure followed. My dad was taken to the hospital. By the way, my mom or brother still had no idea what was going on. They weren't home. So, I was the only one with my dad and I thank God I was there.

Well, after several tests and some more tests, we were finally told my dad had had a heart attack. "No freakin' way!", I thought. How could someone as healthy as him have a heart attack? But, it happened. Sometimes, shit happens. Shit you don't expect. That's life. He was in the hospital for five days. Five, long, excruciating, stressful days. Seeing a loved one, in a hospital bed is NEVER a good experience. But I think about what could have happened and I am SO thankful and blessed that he's with us today. He's making incredible progress and he'll be back to his usual self soon.

Yes, last Wednesday started just like any other day but it ended as a day that changed everything. Yes, we love our parents - it's a fact. But we don't always cherish them like we should - also a fact. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't wait till something happens to reevaluate your priorities. And don't wait till Valentine's Day to tell the ones you love, you love them.

So today, I'm celebrating my #1 Valentine - my father!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

xo

Dhruvi

Most Likely To ....

I recently discovered Erin of Shades of Gray and a Pinch of Pink loved her blog right away! As I was reading through, I saw this fun linkup she's hosting and I absolutely had to participate!

So, y'all remember the superlatives section in your high school yearbook? Well, that's pretty much what this linkup is about, except we're talking about superlatives that apply to us now. So, here goes ....

I would be most likely to ....

1. Dive in a pool of glue and then roll around in glitter & sequins (I think I like sparkle. Maybe just a little.)
2. Pack a huge suitcase for a weekend - because my backup outfits have backup outfits. I can be slightly indecisive at times.
3. Not go out with a guy because he's not into sports (had to copy this from Erin because it's super true!) and movies.
4. Walk into a random place, and walk out with like 5 new friends. (I love starting random conversations!)
5. Be out partying till 6 am (and then sleeping for the rest of the weekend!)
6. Be overdressed (Better over than under, right?)
7. Overreact - my bestie's claim! (Um, WHAT?!)
8. Get overly obsessed with something .... for all of 5 minutes and then .... "I'm over it. I can't."
9. Have my food get cold coz I'm too busy trying to take the right picture to Instagram (Yep, I'm one of those!)
10. Correct people on bad grammar and spelling - watch out for the Grammar Police (tweets/texts/Fb posts - nothing is off limits!

So, what are your personal superlatives today?

xo

Dhruvi

2013 Grammy Awards Best Dressed

The Grammy Awards is the only award show I actually watch - for all the awesome performances. For me, the best performance of the night was Ed Sheeran and Elton John's collab, followed by Justin Timberlake! As with all the other awards shows though, I'm most excited about the red carpet. To be honest, I was quite underwhelmed by the dresses tonight but there were a few looks that I absolutely loved!
Image credit (For all images): Just Jared.

My favorite Destiny's Child, Kelly Rowland, was flawless in Georges Chakra Couture.

Rihanna was sophisticated chic in a custom Azzedine Alaïa dress.

I actually can't stand Taylor Swift but this J. Mendel dress is fab on her.

The moment I saw this Emerson dress on Natasha Bedingfield, I was in love.

Karlie Kloss was perfection in Michael Kors. Then again, she is always perfection.

Who was on your best dressed list?

xo
Dhruvi

OOTD: Red & Chambray

I've been obsessed with this combination for a while but had been on the search for the perfect chambray shirt - until I found this polka dot one! So, I was so excited to wear this outfit when I went to hang out with Sheela over the weekend! This is my version of one of the looks from this post.

Also, last week, I was going through pictures from my undergrad days and noticed that I used to curl my hair all the time. So, I decided to try it again - I just wish the curls stayed longer! Do you guys know how I can get my curls to hold longer?

Btw, I hate how I always have this hair tie on my right wrist. It's such a habit and I always forget to take it off when I'm taking pics!

OOTD: Blush & Neon

I wish this picture wasn't blurry!

Happy Monday, lovies! Did you guys watch the Superbowl yesterday? I'm a Giants fan but since they didn't make it, I was rooting for the Ravens so I was so excited they won!!

Moving along .... I'm kinda obsessed with these pumps (scored for under $15!) and the bag! By the way, this blouse used to have one of those bow things around the neck - I cut it coz I just don't like that look on me but I loved this blouse! Btw, this could totally be a Valentine's Day outfit, no?

OOTD: Mint & Purple

Can you guys believe it's February already? So crazy!! After what seemed like weeks of freezing cold temps in Jersey, we finally had 2 warm days and I def took advantage of that! This sweater is such a pretty mint color and I didn't just wanna pair it with blue jeans (y'all know I love colors!) - what do you guys think of this combination? On Tuesday the weather was actually so beautiful that I wore this outfit to school and didn't even need a jacket - I can't wait for spring already!