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!

The versatile block print chunni wrap

Cotton hand block-printed chunnis (or duppatta, what ever you may choose to call it) with traditional folk motifs earthy colours are one of the most versatile pieces of clothing. The soft cotton weave is large enough to be the perfect oversized scarf, vest, skirt, beach towel, shawl, sarong or throw and it only gets better looking with repeated use.

I've had this one for ages and it is a part of a kurta, salwaar set that has long since been misplaced. The chunni or dupatta is a necessary wardrobe item for a desi woman back home. Normally worn as a long scarf, draped over one or both shoulders with a kurta or kurti, it is usually a flourish of color for any outfit.

I have worn it here as a swimwear cover-up to wade about in the shallow waters of a rivulet that weaves it way through a rainforest, culminating into a spectacular escarpment water-fall. Traditional fabrics and water-falls seems to be a theme on this blog that I am in no hurry to change. I genuinely feel the most content around water-falls with loved ones. What's your happy place?

Waterfall by the beach

We spent a wonderful afternoon at this amazing beach with wonderfully clear water and a little waterfall on the side. I wore the usual hand blocked tent dress that suits the current summer weather here perfectly.

I have the exact same dress in another colour that has made an appearance on this blog post in 2013! I find these cotton anarkalis beautifully flowy in their billowing glory (some may call it shapeless). The fabric gets softer and wonderfully worn-in with every wear and wash and I cannot get enough of these.

Psychedelic skies

As I've said before, I think kurtas are one of the most versatile pieces of clothing that can be worn in myriad ways. Especially ones that are shaped like this one, not too tight but not too loose, I wear it as a dress, as a work shirt and as I've worn here just as a fun top.

This was something one of my closest friends picked up for me (hey Archu) and I couldn't be more in love with it if I tried. I've worn it here with another one of my favourites a pair of leather shorts that I've been told I look ass-less in. But I love shapeless clothing especially if they are worn in buttery leather. We took a few photos at the Sydney harbour and suddenly the skies put on a major sunset show for us and these pictures were a result of the candy-floss psychedelic skies.