I had noticed that I was running short of solid coloured tops. I have a lot of printed bottoms but very few rich, punchy coloured blouses and shirts to pair with my printed pants and skirts. So I decided to get some made. I usually like to have a mix of both tailored as well as readymade clothes in my wardrobe. There are so many advantages of tailored clothes. You can make it exactly according to your shape, you can choose the material you want, you have something that's unique, and of course, most times it's much cheaper than buying from the mall. It's absolutely perfect when you have a design in mind but can't find the same item anywhere. All you need to do is find a good tailor.
I had this design for a top saved with me for quite some time. When I found this soft, flowy material in burnt orange/ rust, I knew the top would look amazing made from it. I'm completely in love with all sorts of bell/ fluted/ flared sleeves, and these bell sleeves with a waterfall design are so much fun to wear! I love how they elongate the arms and have a retro elegance.
Weekend Style
I wore this outfit on a weekend when I was out with a friend. I paired the top with dark wash skinny jeans for a casual weekend look. I love the combination of a beautiful, complex top with jeans. It moves your ensemble from casual to semi-casual by adding a touch of glamour. It makes your entire look dressier. Even for the weekend. Who knows when you're going to run into that ex, or for that matter, a business client or your boss, right? It always pays to dress up!
The combination of burnt orange looks great with dark blue as the dark colour of the jeans sets off the brightness of the orange. Both colours are rich and deep, perfect for fall or for transitioning seasons. Winter was fading and we were moving into Spring Summer, which is when I had this outfit on. As the top looks so long and has so much vertical space, I wore a long necklace with a dangly tassel that matches the fall of the sleeves. The bright stones in it pop nicely on the deep rust of the top, with the gold of the necklace standing out
Because the entire outfit has warm tones, I wore gold accessories to stay in the same tone. I wore thin knuckle rings with pretty dangling heart charms {I stayed with the dangling theme, yes I did!} on my fingers, and small tear-drop earrings to go with the necklace.
I added more tassels with sandal heels with black fringed tassels down the front. I've said before in this post how much I'm loving block heels, and these sandal heels are no different. I stay away from wearing flat open sandals as my big feet look even bigger in them. But these sandal heels with the low block heel are perfect! They're comfortable, the tassels look trendy, and they're sandals. Sandals just scream summer and they're great to wear on weekends. Or just on sweltering summer days when you want your toes to breathe. I finished with a big envelope clutch in mint green. With all the serious rich tones, this soothing shade brightens up the outfit and adds more fun to it.
Top: Own Design, Jeans: Bershka, Earrings: Debenhams, Necklace: Gifted, Rings: Forever21, Clutch: Call It Spring, Sandals: Marks & Spencer. Photos: Nada Qamber
Jeans Talk
Talking about jeans, I do think I've had about enough of skinny jeans. They're terrible for when the weather gets really hot and humid. They stick to your skin and make you feel icky. Also, the tightness of the pant makes it really uncomfortable to move around in. Somehow I've always had a problem where one leg sits perfectly, and the other one doesn't. Meaning, I have to keep pulling the material up on my thigh. Does this happen to you, too?
I've also started to realize that on my long and straight frame, skinnies might not be the best option. I'd love to try boot-cut jeans as they'd balance out the length. I also feel that boot-cut jeans look more formal while skinnies lean more towards casual. So yes, boot-cut jeans are on my to-try shopping list.
Of course, the universal problem with jeans is never finding the right fit! If it sits perfectly on the waist, it's too tight on your thighs and you can see those ugly horizontal creases near the crotch. Or that really irritating gap where the waistband pops out near your lower back when you bend forward. Ugh.
Sometimes it's just so hard to find the right pair because of the fashion trends happening at the time. For instance, there was one time 7-8 years back during Britney Spears' sexy I'm A Slave 4 U phase when low-waist jeans were all the rage. Everywhere I went all I could get were jeans that were so low they almost fell off of your hips. You had to buy different kind of undies that would sit lower than your jeans! Then there was another phase a few years back. The high-waisted or mom jeans phase. It was so hard to find a pair that didn't go all the way up to the torso! Now, of course, we're in the ripped jeans and stone-washed phase. I'm not a fan of wearing torn clothes and I like my jeans to be one single colour. So you can understand my frustration when it comes to buying jeans.
But what I truly hate is how jeans have become so synonymous with casual wear. Every weekend, I find myself reaching for jeans. Sure, I could wear a skirt or a dress, too, but when there's a nip in the air or when you're going inside freezing air-conditioned malls, you want your legs covered and snug. Pajama pants are the bomb and I can't get enough of them, but again, they come in a thin cotton material to keep you cool.
Which makes me wonder- what if I were to give up jeans altogether? I'm very close to doing it, seeing as I have only four pairs left and I'm dreading shopping for new ones because of the reasons listed above. But what if I threw all my jeans out? What the heck would I wear on the weekend? Right now only one alternative comes to mind- khakis or chinos that I love so much because they're always in the middle of casual and formal, yet always look smart.
I talk in detail about seasonal fashion, basics, as well as how to declutter your wardrobe, in the Fashion & Style chapter of my book, Loving Yourself In Style. Click the link to know what the book is about, as well as to read a few quotes and check out some of my illustrations in the book. You can get it at the Bahrain International Book Fair in Arad Fort, now!
So what's the solution? Are we destined to wear jeans whenever we want to look 'cazzjjjh'? What's your take on this? Would you ever give up jeans altogether? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time
xoxo
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