In a kediyu by the bay

This top that I mostly wear as a dress is a classic Indian silhouette, made from hand loomed organic cotton and hand block printed with wooden blocks with natural colours.

This style that is known by various names depending on where one is, lends itself to customisation and can be as traditional or as contemporary as one wants. It is called a kediyu in Gujarat and I have worn it here with a pair of denim cut-offs, I also wear it with skinny and relaxed full-length jeans/ pants, wide legged pyjamas and skirts in varied lengths as well.

The point I am trying to make is, it doesn't ever have to be a choice between traditional and contemporary, everything can be adapted to suit one's style. I find nothing more boring than looking head-to-toe like a mannequin from a shop window, even if it the most fantastic designer's shop window.

Putting things together to suit one's own style is wonderful and WoC should never have to choose between their culture and the fact that they need to fit-in. Fitting-in is over-rated anyway!

Block print jumpsuit in winter

As has been documented here, my love for traditional Indian block print cotton and silks know no bounds.

This jumpsuit in indigo is a great way to be casual and comfortable summer or winter. Perfect for lounging at home all day,going out for brunch or drinks, a stroll in the park or by the beach and even a little hike.

I love it styled with a bralet for hot weather and with a base layer and/or a coatigan for the colder months. The smooth cotton is printed by hand using carved wooden blocks in a stamping method.

Also these indigo prints in cotton just get better with wear and are easy to throw and go. The photos on this post were taken just before spring, hence the beanie and woollies.

Like a lot of kurtas/ kurtis I find them ideal to pack for travel since they require minimal outfit planning. I sometimes wear a cotton/linen button-up over it or a vest pair them with sneakers, booties, gladiator sandals or even jootis.

Kalamkari love

So we had an uncharacteristically warm autumn day this weekend and I promptly put a flowy Kalamkari hand-block print maxi on paired with a hand block-print scarf, beaded Kutchi belt and a carpet bag. We took these photos on a walk around the neighbourhood after eating some yummy organic fare at the closest cafe. Some of the best weekend moments are spent just doing everyday things. Hope you've all had a great weekend!

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.

Jungle Book

Pretending to be Mowgli in a tropical rainforest, chasing creeks, skipping on mossy rocks leading to waterfalls and loving the smell of the forest. I never wanted to leave and can't wait to go back to the mountains and clamber over rocks till I am exhausted. Of course the cold meant, all the layering happened under the block-print dress, beanie came out to play and boots with thicks socks were needed.

Yes, I go camping in flowy dresses, sometimes trip a little bit but my love for block-print flowy goodness means I rarely want to wear much else. What do you wear to go camping?

Roadtrip Day One: Mountain Sunsets

We're back from the outback and really inspired from all that we saw and experienced; being away from most things modern did us a lot of good.We started off from the city and crossed the Blue mountains region to the very centre of NSW and camped in the middle of no where with dusty red earth, barely any cellphone network and a whole lot of fun.

The trip was visually inspiring but also so much more in the sense that one gets so much time to think and reflect while driving past spectacular fall foliage and quaint small towns. Lately I have been feeling the urge to maybe reduce the burden of having so many belongings and go back to having a smaller collection of things that are fabulous to me. Lets see how far I am able to pare back.

I have always been drawn towards comfortable clothing in natural fabrics that let my skin breathe and accesories that mean something to me. The earings in these photos were something I admired long ago on a friend from Columbia who promptly took them off and gave them to me, this vintage beaded belt was something picked up on travels and my various sweaters have so far been worn in multiple continents. I hope to continue to love my things, resist picking up things from impersonal shops and build a collection of truly eclectic items that mean a lot to me.

Here are a few pictures from our first sunset from the trip. Hope everyone had a relaxing break.

Block print and cardies

Cotton block print tunic: Gift, Cardie: Vintage, Bag: Thrifted, Boots: Gift

Its no secret that I love Block-print little tunics but combine them with over-size grand-pa cardies and I am in my comfy heaven. Add a bunch of friendly puppies to my favourite cozy outfit and I've got the essentials covered to long-lasting happiness. All I can say right now is TGIF! Have a happy weekend world.

Shubo Noboborsho

Dress: Gifted, Suede fringe sandals, Leather belt & Fabric and leather bag: India, Jeweller: All over

I don't understand why people shy away from yellow, its such a pretty colour and also I don't understand why people start dressing in various shades of dull-ness once the cooler months start. Not that its getting colder in Sydney, its been sunny but plesant here for the past few days and I love it. I know it won't stay this way for very long and that's why I am enjoying the last bits of sunshine before starting to dress in serious layers.

I hope to still look like myself not the Michelin man once the temperatures start to dip, its very hard though, I have the habit of wearing everything I own in an attempt to stay toasty. Hopefully spring has arrived for all the people who are tired of the cold up North and its getting warmer. I know I look like I am dressing more for spring than autumn but so far autumn in Sydney has just been beach weather so while the sun shines down I am going to be as summery as I want. The title of the post refers to the fact that today is the start of the New year for a lot of people who follow the Solar/ Hindu calender in South-East Asia, to everyone celebrating today, Happy New Year. Have a great start to the week.