Fashion 1 0 1: Part 2

Part 1.

The maximum number of clothing items that I ever bought in one single year was 10  (clothing items include work clothes/ nightdress/ socks/ undergarments/ scarves/ gym clothes etc). And there have been years that I didn’t buy a single clothing item, the max I have gone without shopping is 3 years - from 2012 to 2015. 2019/2020/2021 are going to be my shopping ban years too. I can create loads of combinations with the quality products that I already have and it gives me a feeling that I am wearing something new every day. The clothing items that you see on this blog are accrued over a period of 15+ years.

And why am I telling you this? I am coming to that.

To be continued...






Tights: Target, Shoes: Steve Madden, Skirt: J Crew, Top: Loft, Sweater: J crew factory

Fashion 1 0 1 : Part 1

The fashion industry is the second largest industry in the world after the oil industry. The owner of Zara Amancio Ortega is the richest man in Europe and the fourth richest man in the world. That says a lot about the world of fashion.

Fashion is also the number two most polluting industry next to the oil industry. It is a socio-economic topic covering the whole world and pertaining to each and every one of us. However, everyone is not aware of things happening in the fashion industry and the way clothing production works. I think the more people know, the better we can work to make a change.

This post grew into a long article over time. That's why I am going to cover it in parts. If I were to invite you to read just one topic on this blog then this would be it.

To be continued...

Dress: don't remember, but it is from India, Shoes: Steve Madden, Tights: Target, Sweater: Forever 21

Women: 5. The Royals

This is the five-part in the series. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3,Part 4.

The Royals

A relative of mine, age 27, has a master degree, got a job three years ago, earns well (most of the software people do), he is very intelligent, soft-spoken, looks great and is a fantastic photographer. He is brought up by a single parent (his mother had to start from scratch when his father left within 2-3 years of marriage), he is not born with a silver spoon.

He is looking for a bride on matrimonial sites and has been rejected over and over again. Reason? Indian girls want this very well settled man who has a house, a car, and a bank balance.

A house in Pune (after just 3 years of a job) is not a joke, especially for people who build everything on their own (he lives with his mother currently). So anyway, I told him to ask the girls the same question - 'Are you well settled? do you have a house, a car, and a bank balance? If not then what makes you think that a boy the same age as yours and with the same number of years of experience as yours will have everything?

Here is my thought - if you want all this then why not earn it yourself, why depend on a man?

I feel this attitude of women is as much wrong as men asking for dowry. I agree that one needs to see that the boy is educated, has a good heart and whatnot but expecting that the man would have bought a house, a car and everything within just a few years of experience is WRONG, especially if you yourself haven't earned that much!

Look at the potential in the boy, would he be able to support and share as much as you (and not just financially but in taking care of household chores too). And then you would be able to build everything together. Do not expect everything to be served on a platter. It is wrong to put men under so much pressure based on (idiotic) gender roles.

Many women expect their husband/father to shower them with presents, like on the occasions of Rakshabandhan, Paadava, Bhaubiz, Diwali, and whatnot, a woman prays the man for her protection and in turn gets a gift, I don't understand these kinds of rituals, I find them very stupid and so I don't follow them. I don't need gifts...I earn them myself. Be capable enough to buy gifts for yourselves, be able to protect yourself! We say we want the equality of the sexes but a certain segment of women in society wish to be treated like royalty by men all the time...

On a side note, some women find these rich husbands and get bogged down by luxuries. Does a day come when they realize that they never took a step to find their own identity and now it is too late?

We, myself included, need to introspect and be the change we want to see in the society. Do not quit your job/business/passion, not for anyone, make your own money, save, enough to cover all your expenses for at least 6 months, for the worst-case scenario, take a break if you want to (men do that too) but work again, treat men equal to you, pay half the bill on your date, open the door for them, don't expect them to spend their hard-earned money on you - be capable of earning and then spending...

Skirt: Modcloth, Tights: Target, Shoes: Steve Madden, Top: Loft, Sweater: Modcloth

Women: 4. The Mom

This is the fourth part of the series. Earlier parts - Part 1. Part 2. Part 3.

The Mom

The ones who leave their jobs to take care of their kids. ***Every case is different, there are situations in some families when the best solution is not to have both parents working full time, in that case, ignore my further comments.

I have a problem with the assumption that only moms have to leave their job for taking care of kids, it could be men too, why not? Only moms go on six-month maternity leave. Why? All companies need to revise their paternity leave policy. It HAS to be equal. From what I hear Microsoft and Amazon do have (about) equal maternity and paternity leaves.

One of the most important things parents strive for is to model for kids the adults we hope they will become. Parents with daughters tell them to work hard in school and strive for a meaningful career. Sons are told the same, the girls who sit beside them in the classroom are their equals in every way. But if you are a housewife then what happens when that does not square with what your kids see at home? When speaking to your daughters about the importance of focusing on a career and striving for professional success, does a credibility gap open up?

You could tell yourself that your kids will be better off cared for only by you, but there is no research that bears that out, and while there are times that intense parental engagement is needed, working parents are able to achieve that, too. It is a myth that only stay-at-home moms take the best care of their kids or have the time to instill the right values. I have seen brilliant achievers even though they have had both their parents working. Although one may think that for any individual woman staying at home might lead to less stress, more happiness, and a better situation for her family, studies confirm that there is more boredom and depression.

When kids go to daycare, they learn social skills and they also get an early start in learning alphabets, being independent, eating with their own hands and whatnot. And the kids of working women develop a respect for the women kind - again my opinion.  Also remember, women working for pay makes it easier for families to live more comfortably. The sooner women realize that they don't need to sacrifice, they can always get help and make the men own up to their share of equal responsibility, the faster our society will progress.

Recently a famous sportsperson Saniya Mirza gave birth and said it to be the biggest achievement of her life. How can it be her biggest achievement?  How many women from India have made it big in sports? Also, have you seen the population of the world? Childbirth is the most natural, common and rampant thing and her calling it the biggest achievement of her life sounds bizarre to me. 

Coming up in the next post 'The Royals', which is an interesting category of women, the extreme cases are called 'golddiggers'. 

To be continued...

Skirt and Sweater: Modcloth, Tights: DSW, Shoes: Steve Madden, Tee: Loft

I am unique...

You think you are beautiful, intelligent, someone with a perfect figure; family; values; principles; skills? Look closely there are a thousand others just like you. You got promoted, came first in an exam, got masters, Ph.D., you think you are the youngest achiever, you traveled the whole world, you been to the moon? Come down my friend, we know many more like you. What do you say? You are special? I don't think so, nothing that you are or do is unparalleled.

Are you too fat, too thin, hurt, going through a divorce, cheated, rejected, failed in an exam, going through cancer? Look around you will find your clones. Why me? It is just me who has to go through all this pain and suffering while life is rosy for everyone else. You are not the only one who is feeling that way. Wake up! Your victim consciousness, shame, embarrassment, shyness, desires, dreams, expectations, aspirations, pain nothing is uncommon.

These females carry off the short skirts high heels so well. I am one of a kind. Huh! Get over with it already. Observe, take a walk on the street, you will find a hundred others wearing glasses, jeans, and sneakers. Oh yes, many more women prefer books to jewelry. Your opinions, perspective, habits, inferiority complex, your strive to be different than the others are nothing but common.

We all go through the same feelings sadness, happiness, jealousy, dejection, fear, love. There is no feeling that you alone have experienced. Is there anything in you or me that nobody else has? Not really, at any given point of time, there are thousands just like us - on this planet and maybe many other planets.

You are a drop of water in this big ocean, just like others. Everyone has to face death, none is immortal. I am not dreaming, I am unique as much as this thought is!!!

(Went overboard with photos today)

Dress: Banana Republic, Tights: DSW, Shoes: Steve Madden, Sweater: J Crew Factory

Good Friends

Good friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget ...

(Now) Jeans: J crew, Top: Banana Republic, Shoes: Steve Madden

6 Benefits of Home Cooking

When it comes down to feeding your body, nothing is superior to preparing your food from scratch, with quality ingredients and made with love.  If you have never experienced this phenomenon then try it out for 90 days and see how you feel. Let’s take a look at why preparing your food is a win-win situation for everyone.

1. Saves money
Packaged and prepared meals cost you considerably more than cooking with raw ingredients at home. Preparing meals at home can save you money.

2. Saves time
In the time it takes to drive to a restaurant, place your order, wait for your order, return home and serve the meal,  or even in the time you eat at the restaurant, you could have made a three-course meal from scratch with time to sit and eat too. For those on a busy schedule, prepare half the week’s meals on a Sunday and the other half mid-week, which can allow time for relaxation or beneficial exercise.

3. Less salt and trans fatsPreparing meals at home allows you to control the amount of salt and oils you use in your recipes. This, in turn, reduces the possibility of weight gain and clogged arteries.

4. Balanced mealsTaking the time to plan your weekly menu not only helps to save time and money, but also provides a way to create meals with a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat, plus all the essential vitamins and minerals needed for the adult and child’s body. When eating balanced meals your body feels satisfied, has fewer cravings and this, in turn, prevents late-night snacking.

5. Hygiene
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 76 million people are poisoned by food each year in the United States. This is caused by food-borne pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can seriously harm you. Forty cents of every U.S dollar spent on food is for a restaurant or prepared foods, which allows for more possibility of consuming cheap foods prepared by inexperienced handlers, posing a greater risk of improper cooking and/or cross-contamination of foods. When preparing meals at home you can better control the temperatures when cooking meats, keep hands and countertops clean and properly wash your raw produce.

6. Weight control
I am not saying this out of my hat- research is saying - that people who eat home-cooked meals tend to be healthier and weigh less than the ones who eat restaurant food often.

2 combos:

Skirt: J crew factory, Top: Tjmaxx, Shoes: Steve madden

Shorts: American Eagle, Top: Banana Republic, Shoes: Aldo

None of my business...

What other people think of me is none of my business. ~Wayne Dyer

2 combos:

Skirt: Gap, Top: Jones New York, Shoes: Kensie

Skirt : Gap, Top: White House Black Market, Shoes: Steve Madden

Hypocrites or a**holes ....

If I like you, life is easy. I take interest in your life and work and am concerned about your well being and supportive towards your goals and I make every effort to keep in touch with you. If I am neutral towards you, life is still easy. I am polite and civil towards you when our paths cross.

If I don't like you or get an inkling that you don't like me/ are trying to avoid me/ are giving me an insulting treatment then - life is again easy because I don't give a second thought about you, I won't bitch and whine about you to people around me but at the same time I ensure that our paths never cross. I do not call you socially, I do not make plans to meet you, you might not even be on my friend or phone list. I do nothing. I don't allow you to occupy my brain space.

You know what I don't get...when people clearly do not like someone or do not agree with their fundamental view on life -professionally/morally/socially - and still continue to be social with them. A lot of people are perfectly fine with everyone around them ONLY they bitch about people on how they can't stand someone or how someone did them wrong (but it can not be told from their interaction with anyone).

If you ask me I am wary of people who are nice to everyone and talk nicely with everyone because you never know who they are really fond of or who are they bitching about... I have realized that straight forward people are considered a**holes (I am one such) but I prefer to be friends with a**holes any day, because if they are friends with me then I know that they are in it with a genuine interest.

2 combos:

Pant: American Eagle

Shirt: J crew factory

Shoes: Steve Madden

Jeans: J crew

Top: Tjmaxx

Shoes: Steve Madden

Keep that phone away

I hate it when you are having a conversation with someone and he/she is not even looking at you. This is however in a social scenario, I cannot even imagine this behavior in the professional world and business meetings. When you take out your phone during a conversation with someone it shows :

• Lack of respect. You consider the information on your phone to be more important than the conversation at hand, and you view people outside of the meeting to be more important than those sitting right in front of you.


• Lack of attention. You are unable to stay focused on one thing at a time.


• Lack of listening. You aren’t practicing active listening, so no one around you feels heard.


• Lack of power. You are like a modern-day Pavlovian dog who responds to the whims of others through the buzz of your phone.


• Lack of self-awareness: You don't understand how ridiculous your behavior looks to other people.


• Lack of social awareness: You don't understand how your behavior affects those around you.

Shoes: Steve Madden

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Top: J crew

Sweater: J crew factory

Jeans: American Eagle

Shirt: J crew Factory

Jacket: Gap

Shoes: Dsw

What the health: part 18 - How to stay healthy continued ...

This is part 18 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14, part15, part16, part 17

3. Sleep (3)

How do you ensure a good night’s sleep -

• Shutdown your computer, cell phone, and TV at least an hour before you go to bed. No gadgets on the bedside.


• Save your bedroom for sleep, rather than work, dining or entertainment.


• Create a bedtime ritual. It's not the time to tackle big issues. Instead, take a warm bath, meditate, or read.


• Stick to a schedule, waking up and retiring at the same time every day, even on weekends.


• Avoid eating heavy meals and alcohol close to bedtime, which may cause heartburn and make it hard to fall asleep. And steer clear of soda, tea, coffee, and chocolate after 2 p.m. Caffeine can stay in your system for 5 to 6 hours. I stopped drinking coffee completely for the last 2 years.


• Turn out the lights. Darkness cues your body to release the natural sleep hormone melatonin, while light suppresses it.

I do have sleep issues - I am oversensitive to sounds, any small sound wakes me up and if I wake up in the middle of the night I have a hard time going back to sleep again (mostly thoughts keep in awake). So the thing that helped me the most with my sleep issues is the app InsightTimer - it has loads of guided sleep meditations/ hypnosis. I absolutely love it, Glenn Harrold’s meditations are my most favorite. Whenever I am having trouble sleeping I play his sleep hypnosis and sleep like a baby… no more sleeping pills for me.

to be continued...

Dress: Esprit

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Tights: DSW

Shoes: Steve Madden

What the health: part 17 - how to stay healthy continued ...

This is part 17 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14, part15, part16

3. sleep (2)

Sleep is the brain’s nutrition. Most people need between 7 and 9 hours each night. Insufficient sleep impacts your hunger and fullness hormones, including two called ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin signals your brain that it is time to eat. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body makes more ghrelin.

Leptin, on the other hand, cues your brain to put the fork down. When you are not getting enough sleep, leptin levels plummet, signaling your brain to eat more food.

Put the two together, and it is no wonder that sleep deprivation leads to overeating and extra pounds.

Then there’s the cortisol spike that comes from too little sleep. This stress hormone signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours that means you are more apt to hang on to fat.

Sleep deprivation makes you ‘metabolically groggy’ that means - your body’s ability to process insulin - a hormone needed to change sugar, starches, and other food into energy - goes awry. When your body doesn't respond properly to insulin, your body has trouble processing fats from your bloodstream, so it ends up storing them as fat.

So it’s not so much that if you sleep, you’ll lose weight, but that too little sleep hampers your metabolism and contributes to weight gain.

to be continued...

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Top: J crew factory

Shoes: Steve Madden

What the health! Part 15 - How to lose weight and stay healthycontinued...

This is part 15 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14

Diet (4)

9. And last but not the least Alcohol - Call me uncool if you had like, I really don't care - but DO NOT drink alcohol (I know it is for some reason considered a status symbol these days), some people drink wine every day saying it is good for the heart, it sounds ridiculous- there are so many better options for the heart like running for example - opt them and not wine.

Alcohol affects the acid levels in the body, it affects the quality of sleep, it can cause many health conditions like heart ailments, it affects the liver and pancreas, it also increases the risk of cancer (throat, mouth, esophagus, breast, and liver). Cocktails and hard liquor are loaded with unwanted calories that you just wanna avoid piling on.

I am high on life and I don’t understand those who are dependent on alcohol to do that job and those who drink do not understand how can one be high on life… some people come under social pressures and drink to give the company, I don’t do that (not anymore). I have been asked many times at parties that if I don't drink alcohol or carbonated beverages then what do I drink. Stupid question. I drink many things - tea, coconut water, lime juice, freshly squeezed orange juice, turmeric milk, buttermilk, and mostly water!

I am not a fun bob (someone who needs to be inebriated to have fun, loose inhibitions or enjoy life). I enjoy life even when things are painful or not going so smoothly. Accept that hardship is part of life. Pain, sickness, and sadness is as much a feeling as healthy and happy - embrace it, sooner the better - it is useless to be afraid of the existence of unhappy feelings and to forget it getting numb (and dumb) under the influence of alcohol/drugs.

Food and water are an important part of a balanced diet, yes, we are what we eat…. and drink.

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Shoes: Steve Madden

Stripes Tee: TjMaxx

Jacket: J Crew

What the health! Part 14 - How to lose weight and stay healthycontinued...

This is part 14 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13

Diet (3)

8. Use of medication - I popped in loads of pills for all my health troubles. As evolved beings, it is our way of dealing with health. Who has the time and patience to decipher the cause of an ailment and make minor changes to bring the body back to equilibrium when it is so much simpler to just pop a pill and banish your symptoms while the disease surreptitiously festers away? I did not want to spend time being sick, who does? So antihistamines, antibiotics, painkillers, sleep medication, cold medications and such were my constant companions. But remember... medicines cause bad side effects, it is as bad as junk food and alcohol. I should have fixed the troubles by taking a step back, by giving my body some rest, and with natural remedies, by fixing my diet, stress levels, routine, sleep pattern, etc., instead I relied on medicines. But the thing that I used to fix my health issues turned out to be the cause of my biggest problems later on. I would say avoid medicines as much as you can. Try herbal medicines (Ayurveda) if you have to.

to be continued...

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Sweater: Modcloth

Shoes: Steve Madden

Less is more

I got a comment on this blog a while ago, it said ‘I have way too many clothes in my closet, half of my clothes still have tags on them, if I remove the tags and decide to use everything then I will be wearing something different every day for at least a year, without worrying about mix and match like you do.’

I wouldn’t know how this kind of closet looks. For me ‘Less Is More’ - not just in shoes and clothing but also in personal items, be it groceries, home goods or what’s in the fridge. I like to know what lies in every drawer every corner of the room and if it is not useful to have it around I donate it... It is harder than it sounds - We live in the world of consumerism, there is a constant temptation to change, upgrade, add more or buy options, we go on acquiring ‘stuff’ for no apparent reason.

Why invest in owning so much stuff? Try minimalism, stop hoarding. When it comes to dressing one can still be well dressed without really owning too much quantity… One can still wear a new outfit every day with just a little bit of creativity and planning...

My reply to the comment from the girl is - spend that money instead on upgrading yourself - join a gym, dance class, kickboxing, yoga class, learn to play an instrument or buy books and read!

Skirt: Ann Taylor Factory

Top: Old Navy

Shoes: Steve Madden

The author at work

Top : J crew factory

Sweater : J crew factory

Jeans : 7 for all mankind

Shoes : Steve Madden 

My new post 'The author at work' is now available HERE

Animal print + White

Animal prints look great with whites. The denim that I have is off-white in color, I do want to buy white jeans this year, something like this.

Here are the three ways I wore animal print top + off-white denim jeans -

Denim - American Eagle

Top - Ann Taylor

Shoes 1 & 3- Ellen Tracy, Shoes 2: Steve Madden

Olive Jacket - Gap

Black Sweater - J crew

Genome

My new post Genome is available Here

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Shirt: J crew factory

Shoes: Steve Madden

Good Movies on Netflix

Jeans: 7 for all mankind

Top: Tjmaxx (also worn HERE)

Shoes: Steve Madden (non leather)

Scarf: Target

My new post Good movies on Netflix is available HERE

Exercise today!

In the last 5 years, I went through bad health issues, be it surgeries, injuries, complete bed rest and never-ending medications. Yes, it brings a lot of interruptions in my grand plan of weight loss (I weighed 180 pounds not long ago) but it also made me realize the value of health and how much I wanted to look and feel fit. 

I think all of us have our own struggles that the world doesn't know about, life isn't rosy for anyone, so take some time off but get back to your workouts as soon as you can. 'I will start from Monday/ 1st Jan/ 1st of next month' doesn't work. Do not procrastinate, resume today even if it is just 20 minutes, because something may come up on Monday or your planned date in the future. The future is always unpredictable.

Shorts: american eagle

Top: Ann taylor

Shoes: Steve Madden (non-leather)

Sunglasses: bvlgari