Block print anarkalis in winter

Wearing yet another block print anaarkali but have just slightly rugged it up for winter, you have seen similar dresses here, here, here and here. The whole point is that I wear similar things over and over again because they are easy, comfy and make me happy, I needed to feel happy today..let's say I had an eventful Friday night and a painful Saturday morning.

So I just put on a happy block-print tent, drank lots of fluids, hung out at pretty parks by the water in the afternoon and playing with my sketch-book in the evening. What does your weekend look like?

Oversize Lucknowi Kurta with Joggers

I constantly get asked how I wear kurtas in daily life outside of India, I never know how to answer the question except to say; I just wear them. Anywhere, any kind, with anything and pretty much for all kinds of activities, for eg. on the day these photos were taken, we went on a coastal walk, bike ride around Sydney's eastern beaches and exploring markets plus eating street food.

This kurta is a Lucknowi Chikankari kurta that was bought years ago and is still going strong. Chikan is a traditional embroidery style that originated in the North of India in what is modern day Lucknow, I think it started off as white on white intricate embroidery on muslin. These days however one can see it on every kind of colour from the usual pastel to neons. I love the beauty and the practicality of these airy, flowy, light kurtas especially in hot summers but here I am wearing it in the middle of winter in Sydney because I don't believe in seasonal wear. To be honest though, this particular day was a really nice, warm winter day and I layered my Icebreaker merino base layer under it and a merino duster cardigan over it.

I think the secret to wearing anything is that one shouldn't bother about rules, for eg. I have worn this exact same kurta with booty shorts in the summer and with anything else I feel like including but not limited to flowy skirts, wide legged pants, boyfriend jeans, bell-bottoms and as I've worn them here, with joggers plus vans. In my world there are no rules for wearing anything, annoying aunties do glare at me but I have learnt to just tune them out. So if you're looking to wear something just go ahead wear it, I believe we really need to get experimental with our traditional wear, sarees with shorts, kurtas with minis tied to the side, anything that takes one's fancy.

And also I have no respect for sizing, if I like something I will wear it, regardless of the size, I WILL make it fit. I used to like things that fit me and looked like they were tailor made for me but then got tired of being too small to fit into things I liked and have pretty much given up on fitted clothing. Another thing I don't care for is gendering of clothes, I like clothes and can't be arsed with gender specific clothing. For eg. these joggers are from the kids (boys) section and the kurta is extra-large but I like how comfy they were together.

What are your favourite ways to wear your kurtas?

Super soft Lakshmi tee shirt in a rainforest

So I know the Hindu God and Goddess tee-shirts are overdone especially by white hippies (cultural appropriation galore) but I still love and wear them heaps! You've seen them before here, here and here. I love the colours of the them, they remind me of everything that is good and fun about home, Visarjan, festivals, rangolis, vintage hand painted movie posters and just life in general. Here I am wearing one such old and kinda tattered but still very much loved tee with a merino baselayer, jeans and an oversized vintage Chevignon jacket along with a suede bag picked up in Kutch.

Merino joggers and Ajrakh

I don't do winter without merino wool, like hands down it's my favourite cold weather staple, I mean I love duck/ goose down for the warmth but merino wool I love for everything AND I like pyjama-esque pants. So these Icebreaker merino joggers had to show up here at some point. As much as I like the look of fleece (only sometimes), I really don't like wearing it often.

I have some fleece trackies but they are strictly my "all my wool is in the wash" time wear. These joggers though, I wear them to sleep, to travel, to work, basically everywhere, my only problem with them is that they are not available in any other colours. Another thing that I cannot get enough of is Ajrakh, scarves, kurtas, dresses, pyjamas, what have you. This scarf was bought in Kutch and this hand embroidered bag is years old, basically comfort clothing at it's best. What are your cold weather must haves?

Floral block print cotton in a magical rainforest

Remember when I was talking about buying same dresses in different colours over and over again here? Well the dress in these photos is the exact same dress as this one just in brown, when I like something I really like to go all out and get all different versions of it. Do you do that too?