A Dash of Colour

Sometimes we just need some colour to make our boring corporate clothes a little more lively!

An all Zara outfit

Christian Louboutin- could there be a better colour mix?

Desi Days :)

Sat Sri Akaal , Namaste, Adaab!

I'm being all secular today because today's blogpost highlights the true desi in me; in all of us. Sometimes I feel like letting go of the prim and proper Kate Middleton in me, and capturing the Desi Girl Priyanka Chopra in me instead. 

My mood decides the colours. Colours decide which salwar with which kurta. The outfit decides which shoes- jootis or kolhapuris. Then the accessories to go- I decide! Haha

Different kurtas, different salwars and different kolhapuris/ jootis 

When you feel like wearing loose clothes, go with a patiala or a loose salwar. But if the kurta is short and you want a crisp formal look, a chudidaar would be more apt.

Kolhapuris or jootis again depend on your mood but make sure your toes are well pedicured and toenails are polished. Overgrown toenails look ugly. In fact they say if you want to know how clean a person is actually, take a glimpse at her toes.

Usually whenever I wear a desi outfit I like wearing nice matching earrings and bangles. But to work, I keep it subtle because lets face it- I'm not going to a Diwali party or a shaadi  at 9 in the morning. So the suggestion I can give is to keep at as simple as possible! No heavy jewellery- i.e. no funky necklaces or huge jhumkas. But yes, you can keep your look a little flirtatious by wearing cute earrings somewhat like below:

Image Courtesy: Soumya Kutty

Silver jhumkas! 

White and silver earrings!

I know you all know how to dress super well when it comes to desi clothes, but a few things to avoid are:

1. Don't wear a printed kurta which a completely differently printed salwar. In fact if your kurta has too much going on, wear a plain lower instead.
2. Don't go overboard by wearing heavy makeup or even heavy 3 dozen bangles.
3. If you have a lot of piercings in your ears don't wear big earrings in all of them enough to make you look like a rapper.
4. Avoid coloured lipstick. Go for nudes or just plain transparent lip gloss.
5. Wear a dupatta if your neckline is deep or the kurta is a little transparent. Else, a dupatta is not a 100% essential now-a-days.


Choose wisely, dress well, go desi! 

xox
CGC

Just a casual Saturday

I know I know I'd disappeared for way too long but had a lot of things going on- work, studying, family stuff. But now I am back right here and the first outfit I want to post about is a casual one I wore this Saturday to the mall. 

Yes I'm still not over my burgundy pants. I think they're so classy and perfect even for the summer. 

And that's a Longchamp bag I'm carrying which looks like this:





It actually folds into a teeny tiny pouch look-alike too.

Besides that, the shirt I'm wearing is from an exhibition and even though it's full sleeves, I didn't feel hot in it because the fabric is very thin. Prints are IN- in a big way, so make sure you're sailing in the same boat.

Be back soon, I promise!

xox
CGC

More Prints

Yes prints are really getting to me.
I went for the Fashion Show last week and no guesses there, a printed shirt is what I ended up wearing.



White shirt with ladies printed on it in black



Colourful pants with a white shirt are essential, right?

Weekends are what we live for.

xox
CGC

Prints

Hi, I'm back! Better late than never, yes?

A fashion trend really turning heads these days is big prints. Anything around you, you name it, will look better if it had a big print on it. Here are some pictures to demonstrate:

Masaba Gupta's Autumn Winter '13 Collection for Satya Paul

Printed Vest- Quirk Box



Floral skirt-
Gary Pepper Vintage

Even if you're dressing for work, a floral/ printed element won't make it seem too informal. Just make sure not to overdo it. Otherwise you may seem as if you don't fit in the corporate cubicle and want to go for a picnic instead.



Tory Burch is getting it all right



Polka dotted shirt with yellow shorts is an ideal Sunday outfit before it gets
too hot!

Keep your print on!

xox
CGC


Friday Night!

Time to become a wild child!

After a tough week at work, I'm ready to welcome the weekend with a mischievous grin. 

Plan for the night:

1. Get my hair done (Check)
2. Get my nails done (Check)
3. Apply the right make up (Working on that..)
4. Wear comfortable yet sexy shoes
5. Meet up with friends for dinner
6. Go dancingggg afterwards
7. Come home and doze off for 10 hours

Here's what I plan to wear:

Pink lipstick with black for a change instead of red

Glitter clutch from Zara

I'm going all
black with my
LBD from Zara

Following the bracelet stacking trend- not too
 much, but not unnoticeable either

Aldo high heels with ankle strap

Okay girls, I'm getting late now!

Enjoy your night :)

xox

CGC

The Blogger's Brand

It's what we learn in management classes in school and college. The five-letter word which has every company fighting for more, wanting more customers- of any kind- readers, purchasers, subscribers, consumers and trying to win from competition. 

BRAND- is the marketing word I'm talking about.

Wherever you're sitting right now, this very second, look around you. Everything that surrounds you will be a product of creation of a company that has launched that "facility" to you under their "brand name". My iPad is lying right next to me, so I don't need to think of a better example. Apple is the biggest tech brand of our generation. It has reached such a peak in its graph that it doesn't need to market it anymore. Its loyal customers are its marketeers. They promote the product through word of mouth- and now that's more than sufficient. 

So what would be a blogger's brand value? I'm certainly not blogging for money, so is my blog actually considered a "brand"? Is it my "product"? These questions are a mystery to me.. I'm actually clueless. 

When I wanted to start writing a blog, it was only because I had so many thoughts in my head that I wanted to just pin down somewhere; thinking that maybe later in life I'll actually go through my blog and read my thoughts. I wanted to share ideas with people around me- anonymously of course (I am kind of shy in many ways), which is why I don't disclose my details or upload my personal pictures. 

Anyway, so when I wanted to start writing I knew in a second what I it was going to be about. It had to be something to do with clothes, 'cause well, I'm a girl. And it had to be related to what I do almost everyday- and I saw a need there. I noticed how women in our society hardly made any effort to look good to work. I thought, why would they not? They are AT work 60% of the day. Why not dress well for that?

So hence, an idea coupled with the internet- i.e. with the help of blogger and Facebook, I started thinking and writing. And I know I haven't been blogging for long- it's only been 4 months! But I have learnt so much these past 4 months. I'm practically juggling between my Facebook page and work. The blogging is constantly drawing me towards it. Wanting to write more, read more, learn more, share more, click more.

It's just the beginning of a long journey I hope.. I hope CGC, which has 41 likes on Facebook today and no followers on blogger, grows into a big brand, a blogger brand. A brand everyone knows. (ha ha I am thinking too optimistically right?)

But for now, I've designed my brand logo and picture for the time being. Hope you like it :)

xox
CGC

That Flirty Valentine's

Day after is Valentine's Day- the day of and for love. Why not love what you wear? Why not flaunt some flirty colours? Why not live up to the rep of the day?

I thought this was a great way to actually write and showcase the two colours I haven't until today, in spite of the fact that they're my favourite(yes, no guesses required there)- red and pink. 

Red is the colour of passion and pink is the colour of being flirtatious. Well, at least in my head. Ha ha.
Here are some V-Day looks for you to try:

This is a more liberal option. Wear a short skirt with a shirt
underneath the long red coat. And long boots to go.

At some work places, wearing too much red is frowned upon.
But not if the rest of your outfit isn't very bling, the red sweater
will just add glam!

If you're shy to wear red, sport a light pink sweater with a
white shirt instead. I carried my Burberry sling bag to complete
the look.

Another option is to wear a colourful shirt directly with matching
shoes (red here) and the rest of the elements are black and beige to
even it out.

And for those official V-day parties:

Choose between a pink or red Valentino dress from Spring 2013
Collection. Also notice the tiny pointed shoes

Some more office looks and accessories:

Seeing my pink nailpaint while working on my laptop makes me feel ecstatic.
Somehow. 

Let everything else be like everyday
wear- just let your pink
Valentino bag do the eye catching

A red salwar kameez with minimal print-
love the length and colour

Red Jimmy Choo heels 

Keep it flirty with flowers or a add a feminine
touch with a pink blazer- All H&M

Hope this blogpost has given you plenty of ideas.

Keep it flirty girls

xox
CGC

More Winter Love!

Let the pictures do the talking today...

Peep toes + wedge heels with black fitted pants, printed brown short jacket and
a yellow tshirt

Polka dotted shirt being flaunted by Priyanka Chopra. Not to miss
the red pants!

A bright purple coloured sweater with straight black
pants and black simple wedges

The Victoria Beckham look- Grey dress, burgundy cardigan and bag, Nude
colour watch and shoes. Cardigan with a belt looks great 

How should I wear the pink scarf which matches my shoes?

Hope you enjoyed!

xox

CGC

Feeling Burgundy

Winter's on its way out. HURRY and wear the colour Burgundy. 

It's not really maroon. It's not red. It's somewhere on the dark side. It's totally a winter colour. 

How can you add Burgundy elements to a basic corporate outfit?

Here's how: 

Wearing a burgundy scarf, carrying a burgundy clutch or wearing burgundy shoes/ boots can make a plain outfit chic, even in the winters.

1. White shirt with collar work: Topshop 2. Burgundy Scarf/muffler: Paul Smith
3. Black Jacket: Topshop 4. Burgundy heels: Christian Louboutin
5. Grey skirt: Topshop 6. Burgundy Handbag: Fendi

Another idea: Burgundy pants

Printed shirt and burgundy pants steal the show. Courtesy: Vogue

Burgundy lipstick and nailpaint: Wow, this really stands out.

Taylor Swift: Burgundy lipstick

Priyanka Chopra wearing
burgundy lipstick at Filmfare
Awards night 2013

Deepika wearing burgundy
lipstick and nailpaint
on the Filmfare nomination
night

Burgundy nailpaint with
one nail another colour 

You know how the trend is to wear a different colour nailpain on just one finger nail? Well I did that recently when I was wearing burgundy. I put a glittery pink on one finger nail. Check it out. 

Mint with silver
nailpaint

Here's another option with mint:

Keep it burgundy before spring arrives! Then it'll be time for neon, mints, corals and yellows again.

xox

CGC

Women on the Corporate Ladder

This blogpost is being written with an objective: to answer the basic question which remains unanswered in all countries, societies and regions- why are there lesser number of people on the steps of a corporate ladder?

The first thought that must have popped your mind, like mine too, would be the family constraint a woman faces. I know, and I agree. But think to yourself- doesn't a man face or is responsible for those same  family commitments/ obligations?

I don't want to sound all feminist. This is not a "Wake up, women!" or "Women Power!!" blogpost. This is just my tiny attempt to make us all think twice before giving up on our (dream)jobs.

-> Are your in-laws telling you not to work?
             Sorry to say, but tell it's the 21st Century and they need to Grow Up

-> Little kids at home?
             Talk to your boss, work part time, work from home.

-> Young but don't feel the need to work?
             This is the readership I'm targeting at in this blogpost. Gone are the days when women stayed at home and the men were the sole bread earners. Working will only give you the independence (financially too, yes) to stand on your own feet.

As for "what" you want to do?

Find your passion. Read, write, discuss ideas. Find and think of something you've always wanted to do or liked doing- you never know it could turn out to be a feasible business idea.

Look for inspiration around you. We have a lot of women in the world today to look up to. 

Marissa Mayer- CEO Yahoo!

Barkha Dutt- Group Editor and News Anchor, NDTV

Melinda Gates- Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Sheryl Sandbery- COO Facebook

Naina Lal Kidwai- Country Head, HSBC

Work things out for yourself. 

Aspire.

Stay Inspired.

Lets make a promise to increase those numbers.

xox

CGC

New Necklaces

Hi hi!

This blogpost of mine is not related to corporate clothing. It's Monday (I'm having a weekend hangover- with Lohri and all that) and yes I do have a life outside my office. Ha ha.

Therefore, I felt like sharing my weekend shopping purchases with you all. 

PS: Only focused on accessories today.

Long, green and royal looking. It has beads at the back and hence can be
worn the other way as well. This will look good with semi-formal as well.
With both desi and western attire.

Simple and classy- Silver. This one's from Accessorize.

This Indo-Western style gold coloured necklace would look so
elegant with white/ black/ any funky colour.

Tell me what you think. I bought these from Khan Market. So worth the money!

xox

CGC