Walking by a rivulet in a rainforest

The cold is well and truly here in Sydney and winter has officially begun, which is why I am looking back at pictures of wonderful weather and of wearing bare minimum clothing. Here are some photos of our road-trip during a long weekend, leisurely exploring national parks, walking by rivulets, looking for waterfalls, drinking chilled beer and wearing block print wisps as swimsuit cover-ups.

Can you tell I don't do winters well? Ah well! Planning our next sojurn to the city of lights will have to keep my mind busy and away from the thoughts of puffer jackets and thermal underwear!

Tropical holiday staple: Block print headwrap

The hand block print scarf from Jaipur worn here as a head-wrap is a trusty friend on many of my trips and I never leave home without her or one of her many sisters. You have seen me wear it here as an after swim cover-up and I use it as a versatile classic that morphs into what I need for my every day requirements.

The fabric gets softer and the colours better with every wash, the soft hand-woven cotton dries easily and makes any outfit better and I genuinely feel like it is one of those must-haves I can't do without. This floral print on has been created using natural dyes on wooden blocks with light weight Indian cotton and the sheer weave of the fabric feels light and soft to the touch. Each scarf varies from piece to piece, even the same design in the same colours, making each scarf special in it's own way.

I was wearing it as a head-wrap here to dry my hair post a dip in the sea in Koh Samui. We left the beach to scoot up a hill to get to a water-fall and walked through the tropical jungle to get to this mossy little spot full of abandoned little homes and ancient life size figures.

Along with the scarf I threw on my every day island attire of a random cotton singlet, bright embroidered bag made by the Hmong tribe, denim cut-offs and canvas slip-ons. The scarf was also a little something to keep me warm after a day full of adventures.

Hand painted Kalamkari duster

Last year a lovely friend in Pune (hey Archu!), bought this amazing hand-painted Kalamkari fabric and had this duster jacket made for me. It quickly became my most favourite thing to wear with pretty much everything.

I've worn it here with ripped light wash jeans, a Guns n' Roses tee, a vintage leather backpack and platform brogues from Jeffrey Campbell to go to a picturesque waterfall in a natural park in Sydney's north shore.

What is your favourite way to wear Kalamkaris?

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.

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.

Playing in shallow waters

Weekend sojourns in hard to get to spots by the harbour in one of Sydney's many nooks and corners are the best. Hours spent idly playing in rock pools and shallow waters of shady spots with fishes swimming around my ankles and birds chirping close by are what life should be made of.

Obviously one dresses for lazy days in loungey clothing from the Motherland in bright colours. Nothing says comfort to me on hot days more than cotton, hand block-print flowy cotton to be exact. I have this same block print fabric in the same colours in an anarkali that I love and wear extensively that was documented here over four years ago.