Dear A,

Despite my best attempts, I cannot keep time still. There is nothing more I want than asking time to slow down a little so you and I can enjoy your childhood a little more. You, darling child, have started asking some mind-boggling questions: Like why are there no girls in your football class? what happens to people when they leave this world? Why your best friend (who is a boy) not interested in ballet? I love these questions and these are just somethings I want you to learn, in no particular order.

  1. You can like dolls. You can like spiderman. And both are fine.
  2. There is nothing like a boy colour and girl colour. Colours are fun, enjoy them.
  3. People will eventually forget who you are but never how you made them feel. Make their memories unforgettable (in a nice way).
  4. Kick ass and don’t be a kiss ass.
  5. Rebel (but try not to do it against me) ;).
  6. Laugh, breathe and let go.
  7. Learn to deal with failures.
  8. Failures don’t make you but neither does success.
  9. Comparisons will steal your joy.
  10. Some girls will have sugar daddies. Don’t be that girl. Work hard and carve your own path.
  11. Despite what they say, feminism is not a bad word.
  12. Do silly things.
  13. Travel.
  14. Run, dance, lift weights. Move your body,  Love your body. It is the only vessel you have. Valentines Day unique ideas
  15. Love food. Don’t make it your enemy.
  16. Have friends from all walks of life.
  17. Speaking of friends; always remember quality over quantity.
  18. Sunscreen and some kohl. And of course red lipstick.
  19. Looks do fade. Character doesn’t.
  20. Love unconditionally. Love deeply. And Love yourself.
  21. Be strong, be gentle and be brave.
  22. Be your own cheerleader.
  23. Don’t dumb yourself down for anyone.
  24. Be Kind. Always.
  25. Be proud but not arrogant.
  26. Use your voice.
  27. You matter.

  28. If someone tells you that you can’t do something because you’re a girl, do it anyway, and do it better.

  29. Learn to say no.
  30. Love does conquer all.

With love, always

Your mum.

In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different–Coco Chanel 

I must confess that I have been in love with Polka dot style ever since I was a child. My favourite dress as a child was a pink polka dot dress which my grandparents had gifted. Some things remain unchanged no matter how far you go and how grown up you become; my love for polka dots have only grown with age. Whilst on one hand, there is something wistfully nostalgic about polka dots, if done wrong it can look exceptionally juvenile too. 

How to wear Polka dots as an adult

How to wear Polka dots as an adult

So, the question remains: how to wear style polka dots as an adult? My best advice would be to link its playfulness with an edgy element. A tie-in waist belt, cold shoulder or ruffles are little details which will give polka dots style the classic je ne sais quoi quality whilst making it delightfully chic. The second tip would be to go for classic silhouettes like an A-line. And when in doubt: opt for monochromes. 

How to wear Polka dots as an adult

How to wear Polka dots as an adult

I got this black and white polka dots dress few months ago. It has the classic A-line silhouette and the tie-in waist-belt gives it an edge. When it comes to accessorising this style it is best to go less. Here, I have opted for statement earrings, an embroidered bag and wedges in millennial pink. If you have been following me on my blog or instagram you would know that I love adding pops of colour to monochromes.

How to wear Polka dots as an adult

Dress: New Look (also like this one), Bag: India, Shoes: Deichmann (old)

Polka Dots were sashayed down once again the runways of Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Balenciaga (to name a few) this year, which only proves that no matter what, this sartorial favourite is here to stay for few more years. 

Thank you reading. Hope you enjoyed this post. Have a great week. Don’t forget to follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

 

Fashion changes, but style endures–Coco Chanel

If you have been wondering why sleeves–one of the most unassuming things in a garment–is becoming longer and longer then it is not just you. Bell Sleeves silhouette has been doing the fashion rounds for almost two years now. And why not? Bell Sleeves are fun, dramatic and makes the right style statement. 

How to style bell sleeves

Yours truly here has been experimenting with dramatic sleeves right from the beginning of this year. You can check out my gingham blouse look. Bell sleeves might look really overwhelming at first. But my top tip to pull this look? Keep everything else simple. 

How to style bell sleeves

 

As said before, bell sleeves are all about drama you need to make sure that it remains the focal point. You can pair a bell sleeve shirt with colourful jeans (like Pink) or ripped jeans for an edgy yet casual look. 

How to style bell sleeves

You can wear it with sleek trousers for a polished office-look. You can even use a bell sleeve top/blouse underneath a slip-like dress. As I always say, possibilities are endless if you just let your imagination run wild. 

How to style bell sleeves

Here, I have kept everything else simple with pink khakis, nude shoes and a simple clutch. This is the kind of look I would go for if I were going out with my girlfriends for a lunch. Although my style changes according to mood, I have an edgy kind of style and bell sleeves allow this without much effort. A win-win, don’t you think?

So tell me, would you be belling the cat on bell sleeves or let this trend pass? 

Thank you for reading. Hope you liked the post. Don’t forget to follow me. You can also follow me on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Elegance is the only beauty that never fades: Audrey Hepburn 

Every year, the fashion circles makes a certain colour their favourite. This year power pink and mellow yellow has taken the centre stage. Earlier this year, Yellow lit up the Golden Globe awards when Viola Davis, Natalie Portman and Reese Witherspoon sashayed this bright hue on the red carpet.  At the Runway, we saw Cate Blanchett in Valentino, Rosamund Pike in Alexander McQueen all strutting in Yellow. Before we knew it, Yellow became the favourite colour of bloggers and style mavericks alike.

For ages, women have held this colour with suspicion as a hue which is difficult to pull off. And does little to their natural skin tone. But now the table has turned. And women across the spectrum have realised that there is whole gamut of yellow shades that will help them to serve the sunny side up.

Personally, yellow is a colour that I feel can instantly brighten up your mood and your wardrobe. It reminds me of sun, beach and happiness and that alone makes yellow a wardrobe hero in my eyes.

Yellow fashion trend 2017

 

Yellow Fashion Trend 2017

 

The trick to wear yellow is to stick to the right shade. Mustard and dark yellows look best on light to fair skin tones whilst medium and olive skin tones should go for bright and vibrant yellows whilst almost all shades of yellow suit tanned or dark skin tones.

 

The beauty of yellow is that it can be easily paired with neutrals or even other fun colours like blue, orange, pink or purple to get a striking statement look. And if you are still in doubt, then you can add yellow accessories like a little clutch, boots or a statement scarf.

Yellow fashion trend 2017

Top: Matalan (old, similar), Skirt: (Next), Shoes: Debenhams. 

So, you see you don’t have to dread yellow. This beautiful shade can bring a ray of sunshine to your wardrobe and your mood in seconds.

Hope you enjoyed reading this post. Have a wonderful week and don’t forget to subscribe Style With Substance.

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With Good Basics, You Will Have Endless Options

I will start this style post with a confession, I started using specs when I was in school as a teenager. Back then I hated it with a vengeance and would conveniently not wear them because I wanted to look cool. Never mind the fact that I could barely read the black board or anything from afar. I quickly transitioned to lenses and now as an adult I have to admit, I love eyeglasses. How people change! Of late, I feel the humble spectacles can be your wardrobe hero and a very underrated accessory if purchased correctly. It is no wonder hence that since 2015, eyeglasses have seen the rounds of the runway.

Glasses Shop Eyeglass fashion

Glassesshop Eyeglass Fashion

From geek chic leading the runway to hipsters donning retro glasses to everyone from Lupita Nyong’O to Merly Streep giving it Hollywood cool status, it is no doubt that eye glasses as a fashion accessory is worth eyeing about. Good thing is both high street and online have a plethora of options that will make you look the queen of cool. Whilst selecting glasses online, it is important to try out the virtual try-on feature. Glasses Shop has this nifty feature which I loved, you could upload your photo and try on the frames you love. You also need to measure Pupilary Distance (PD). PD as the name suggests is the distance between your pupils, they have a detailed section on how you can do this at home.

Glassesshop eyeglass fashion

Glassesshop eyeglass fashion

If like me you wear prescription sunglasses, then you have got plenty of options too at Glasses Shop.com. My current favourite shape are cat eyes. I have always loved feline creatures and hence it is no surprise that I go for this style most of the time.

Glassesshop eyeglass fashion

Glassesshop eyeglass fashion

Remember, to get the most out of your online shopping for eye glasses, virtually try on as many as you want and see what suits you. Now, for the best part, use this code GSHOT50 to make a purchase from Glassesshop.com to get 50% off on eyeglasses and sunglasses with free lenses (sale frames excluded).  

This post is sponsored by Glasses shop but opinions are my own. Thank you Glasses Shop for sponsoring this post. 

A double thank you to my friend Annuka of Annuka’s Photography for these wonderful photos.