Easy breezy denim with Ikat

This is a prime example of a comfortable flu recovery outfit. Autumn is here and with it my jeans have come out to play, one of my tried and tested formulas over the colder months is; pants with bright oversize sweaters or shirts or jackets, silver jewellery from one of my travels and bright bags. This handloom-ed Ikat shirt is one of my most favourite possessions, as is the hand-woven bag from one of the Pacific Islands, this Lamani coin necklace and this vintage army jacket. Some people would say there is too much going on in terms of colours and patterns but I am a believer of more or more when it comes to hand-made goodies.

I like documenting everyday outfits in everyday locations and I am lucky enough to live in a city where clean beaches and rain-forest-y goodness are common location options. I genuinely think bright shawls, colourful bags, bush and beach walks keep me going through winter, without them I'd be lost. There is nothing that warms the soul like a walk on a secluded beach, the crisp salty air, the rock pools, the towering cliffs and spectacular views. We like to use the shorter days to ensure we spend every bit of the daylight hours outdoors on the non-rainy weekends. Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend with heaps of outdoor adventures to feed your imagination for the coming week.

Pochampally & Kutchi embroidery

Pochampally, is a group of many many villages, in Nalgonda in the South Indian state of Telangana where skillfull weavers on traditional hand operated looms make these amazing woven fabrics. They weave stunning silk sarees and cotton fabric that I constantly dream of and ensured that I picked up a bunch of this fabric during the Hyderabad leg of the trip. This top was made from some of the Pochampally ikat fabric I fell in love with, it is a simple shirt/ kurta that I can wear with denim or churidar and dupatta or even wear to work with a skirt. I love the fact that slowly I am creating a wardrobe that includes things that I consider staples; ikat, block-print, bandhani, leheriya, shibori, traditional embroidery etc.

This bag is made by the ladies of a tribal group in Kutch and was picked up in Dhordo a tiny village in the Rann of Kutch. I am currently in love and wear it with everything. All the jewellery worn in this post is silver from various silver-smiths who cater to and specialise in designs specific to certain tribes. While I was walking around the markets one day, an older gentleman was very confused as to which tribe I was from because I was wearing jewellery from three different tribal clans. The cuff that I am wearing on my left wrist is something I haven't taken off in over a year and the jumbled bunch that is my anklets stay put all through summer. I am also wearing a hooked clasp silver key ring at the waist similar to a 'chatelaine'. It is called 'Chabi ka Challa' or 'Chabi ka Guccha' in Hindi I think. The lady of a house wears one of these with all the important keys of the house. Depending on their socio-economic status these could be of 22 carat gold with precious stones or silver with semi-precious stones.

I just don't see the point of changing things that are already perfect. Instead of trying to get my hands on what's trendy every season I try to source traditional jewellery and handicraft items that will last me for years and something that will hopefully be passed down generations. I'd rather spend my money ensuring that traditional craftmanship remains profitable.

I am wearing these with Kolhapuri leather chappals that I bought from a street stall in Colaba, they are destined to be used like crazy over the summers to come. I wish one day I am able to spend extensive time in some places with a rich textile heritage and master some of these crafts, until then I am going to live in them and hope the magic of creating beauty rubs off on me.