Thursday 28 August 2014

Men for Vanity

Remember Grandpa? Remember that crusty, old, soot-covered, WWII veteran who grew up during the Great Depression? He was lean and had a face that looked like Black Hills granite. He knew how to get his hands dirty, bust a kid over his knee, chew tobacco, and spit fire.



Man overboard! Did anyone else hear the splash? No, it wasn't a man slapping on aftershave; it was the sound of the modern man going overboard.



 It's one thing to try and look your best. Generally, looking clean and pressed is a good idea. It's another thing to apply expensive moisturizers, powders and creams before bedtime.



Whether we like it or not, looking good, be it for men or women is a commodity we"ll see a lot in future. Couple this desire to look dashing along with the convenience that modern technology has to offer & you've got urself the formula for the modern cool and chic men.




 They keep some vanity for their female counterparts too !! When in a mess they come to rescue !!



The regular stuff that you find in their drawers since ages!! 





If boyhood and youth are but vanity, must it not be our ambition to become men ?


Rose water is not just for women. Men use it in equal amounts to. Talk about equality in gender right !



Its not just women who collect toiletries from the hotels...men do it too !! 



 

Who said the phrase TALL DARK AND HANDSOME.....men wanna look fair too....Or probably the women today want an equally fair looking partner !!


Do i miss the good old fashion hairy hunk men of the past ? I do. But i am not complaining about the slim fit wearing clean shaves either. 
All i know is i give my kudos to those who take active steps to look good. As long as you open the door for me and hold my hand walking on the street, then your in my good book !!!!!

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Third eye : Bindi

I have never seen my mother without a bindi. She wears it when she is working, sleeping, bathing, cooking, cleaning, socialising ....everywhere the bindi is omnipresent with her.
I have grown up with Shilpa and Suruchi bindi brands ruling my mothers dressing table.
The mystic, bindi has its origin rooted in puranas and veddic grants mentioning the goddesses adorned with KumKum.


Red dot: Bindi was supposed to be the power giving source for women. Its the third eye , the mystic attracting energies from the universe.


Kumkum is worn as a bindi and sindhoor is worn on the parting of the hair.


Diffrrent shapes and sizes have become symbols of varoius religions and communities.



Raja Ravi Verma has depicted women with broad foreheads adorned beautifully in a bindi.


The small dot bindi is considered to be very sensuous on a woman's forehead 


Amrita Shergill was beauty simplified in a small dot.


Women on celluloid adorning the bindi!



International acclaim for our red dot !


Torch bearers of the BIndi.
Neena gupta's bindi from the tv serial Saans has been very famous with indian women aping it to the core.


Shobha de has been sporting a snake shape bindi at most of the social appearances.


Dolly Thakore is the epitome of a huge red bindi almost similiar to the size of a coin.


Illa Arun has always spotted tribal shapes with a thick black outline for her bindis.


The Tilak bindi is made very popular by Kirron Kher.


Usha Uthup wears a big round bindi with an engraving inside it. Her bindis have alphabets, animals, and various other symbols in it.


Mallika Sarabhai sports a round maroon bindi with a tilak like long graphic inside it.


Sudha Chandaran is famous for matching her bindis to her clothes.
Red for red and Black for black !














Monday 25 August 2014

lungi dance

South indian garment finding its way into north, west and east india: The bum wrap: Lungi
Dhoti, sarong, skirt, lungi. Comforting, airry, unstitched, easy chic.
An indian tribute, our own cocktail mix for the western man-skirts.
Lets take a look of how the garment has evolved and its fashionable journey penetrating into our lives.



Sri lankan tribe seen wearing sarong like lungi fastened with a belt.


The evolution of sari seems inspired by the lungi. A longer and more complicated version of covering your body.


Inna rascala !!


Criketers flaunting some off field.


Mango men in chic lungi!


Lungi dance for sure !!


On screen , zeenat aman was the first women to sport a lungi. Deepika, vidhya, katrina all came later !!


Aamir in his cowboy lungi avatar.


Salman in a very tribal inspired get up with the lungi.


Kancheverum lungi it is for SRK !


Amala Paul doing the lungi dance her way !! cutee !!


Bum wraps find an international way. Shahid and deepika swaying away with kevin spacey at the      iifa 2014.

Loosen it, tighten it, shorten it, keep it long, fold it, open it ............LUV LUNGI !




Sunday 24 August 2014

Two spirits

Its a two spirited world. Every coin has two sides. The grass is greener on the other side. Its a man's world. Masculine feminism. Gender bending moments. Boys are beautiful. Women are macho.

Andrgyny is here to rule the fashion sense since the world came into being. Lets take a sneak peak into the journey. Its a give an take deal between the two genders, rightly absorbing the true elements to captivate one another.


  Greecian hair inspired by women.


exploration of the gender myth by the early tribes of the world.


 Women sporting masculine jackets and bow ties


  Concept of ardhanarishwara prevalent in hinduism since its very inception. The confluence of shiva and parvati is the very essence of indian androgyny .




Damn creating a red carpet look out of the mens wardrobe.


  Epitome of androgynous fashion :  Galliano



  bow ties and pocket squares intruding the face of women's wardrobe !



Lisa haydon is Monisha jaisingh sasaying the ramp with a tie up white shirt , kaliras, and leather cut work skirt. Quiet a diifrent take on androgyny !!