Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Shoppers Stop Love affair

"Errr...... a competition in Fashion?" The look on my darling husband's face told me he was trying hard to suppress a laugh that would, had it escaped his lips, ensure that he went hungry for a few days.

"Yes, fashion!" I retorted. "I am stylish you know.... I do know quite a bit about fashion, and I love to shop...."

While Hubby made a safe and hasty exit from the room, I had already started buying my very real wish-list in my imaginary trip to Shoppers Stop.

Let me explain why Shoppers Stop. Nearly two decades ago, SS was the only place you could see the kind of brands you saw in shopping malls abroad. I was introduced to SS as a slightly (?) overweight, clumsy teenager, by a doting dad. We had seen shopping in malls in Dubai, and India was yet to see the mushrooming of malls.

Needless to say, I fell in love - in love with the rows and rows of gleaming glass cases with jewelry, watches and perfumes, In love with the array of sexy outfits under flattering spotlights. In that visit, I was gifted a gold plated bracelet (bought from SS) which, for a while, I was inseparable from.

Every visit to SS hence, has been a satiating treat - visual, olfactory, and material. (The material part comes with certain after effects such as a hysterical spouse, but still). This can easily explain why against better judgement (and impending laughter from people who know me), I pounced upon the contest from Shoppers Stop which is all about conjuring up the most stylish look for the festive season.

Delhi is fast emerging as the fashion capital of the sub-continent, and some of it rubbed on me too. So I am influenced by the 5 trends of the festive season:

  1. Say no to bling! - Supposedly, this festive season will see the use of a lot of subtle, dull gold embroidery but bling is out, which means, we go easy on the Swarovski (oh damn!! there goes my entire festive wardrobe!)
  2. Offset the brightness : Traditional fabrics with different textures is good, but offsetting the typical festive colours with richer colours is a grand idea, such as teaming outfits with black for some oomph with the festive choices (I love black anyway - so yay!!!)
  3. Make a statement : For subtle and elegant garments, pick a statement neck piece or earrings (I hear you loud and clear - Earrings it is!!)
  4. Breeze through the festivities : A relatively fuss-free look is ideal for the festive season. The silhouette this year is long, long and long, with flowing fabric (Yay again: flowing fabric = hidden flaws)
  5. Layer your look : Layering is a big trend for the season, so whether it's a jacket over a lehenga, or a waistcoat teamed with a skirt, go with layering to enhance your festive look. (also beats being hit by pneumonia in Delhi winters)
Keeping the above discoveries in mind, ta-da.......!!!! Here's my pick from the online store at Shoppers Stop:


My Wishlist pick!


  1. This long flowy kurta with a dressy dupatta from Kashish  is exactly what the Doctor advised for a sophisticated yet feminine look. The embroidered yoke and the V neck are flattering styles, and is easy to carry off - whether you have dance on your mind, or you intend to charm the heck out of everyone around :-)
  2. This uber cool shrug from Life is my pick to ensure I am not shivering in my bones while making conversations in the Delhi winters. Life is Shoppers Stops exclusive label that embodies modern designs which are urban, youthful and in keeping with the current fashion. The knit fabric of the shrug, and the flattering cut which ends just above the waist, are just two of the many factors (including the unbelievable price tag of Rs 699 - can you believe it!?) for my choice.
  3. This is a clutch from Hidesign I would kill, maul, or blackmail to get my hands on. I mean, just look at it! How can anyone resist that piece of art? The fact that it does wonders to my budget (at a surprising Rs. 1395) is only bonus. Yummy!
  4. Footwear that gives you a glam factor, without compromising on your dignity (yup! I've tripped and fallen too many times to trust footwear that look menacingly heeled) is a boon for womankind. And voila! I have found it in this dull gold peep-toes that will add a good 2 inches to my height. :-)
  5. I am an earring person. I often give the neck piece a miss, so that I can flaunt a statement earring. And this beautiful gold plated dangler earrings with golden topaz, are just the right things to go weak-kneed on! Did I hear someone say "Oh but no bling, remember?" Well, a little bling did no one any harm now, did it?
  6. I first thought bare arms were the right look, till I came across a classic - this bracelet is one I would invest in without blinking an eyelid, for the sheer fact that it never would go out of fashion.
  7. Sigh! I miss the days when a watch was more than a fashion accessory. It was what you stood for - your signature. Alas - today, a mobile phone in every hand has reduced the dependency on watches. But this amber-brown colored Esprit chronological watch for me, is the second most important accessory in my festive wishlist.
The most important one, you ask me? Why, the dazzling smile, ofcourse!! :-)

28 comments:

  1. offcourse SMILE is always or shud be the most important

    nothing for men.......


    Bikram's

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    1. Bikram.... unfortunately, SS is my haven. The men in my life Big G and photocopy G both shop elsewhere :-)

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    2. Big G needs to blog then :) he he he he

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  2. I am totally not a fashion girlie... But I was hoping I'd get lucky with this Shoppers Stop contest! ;) Looking at the way you've written about them and your ensemble, I've lost hopes! :D

    Psst. thanks for stopping by the blog! Tell me about you and then I'll marry you! :P :D

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    1. Oh you are kind! What say we continue with the mutual admiration club and take it as it comes? Thank you for coming by, Kavi

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  3. Much more than a mere ensemble! All the best for the contest!

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  4. thanks for stopping by my blog...
    I like the look you have created. What's with husband laughing on you for associating yourself with fashion... You have done a pretty good job! The husband is wrong...lol....
    What i liked most was the trends that u mentioned , that was like going an extra mile...best of luck for the contest.
    let's follow each other if you like, on our blogs & FB page:)

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    1. Thank you so much UR .... somehow, fashion and I are only remotely related :-( ...

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  5. I like the T-Shirts at SS. There is one at a drive of 5 minutes from my house and I head there everytime I want to buy a cool T-Shirt.
    The look you have chosen is classy. :)

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    1. Thank you Amit .... classy is what I was trying for :-) ....

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  6. This makes me wanna participate in the contest too...
    loved the ensemble... Cheers!

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    1. Thank you so much Manjulika .... please do participate... and don't forget to pass on the link to me as well :-)

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  7. Lovely ensemble you have put together. I would say elegant :)

    All the best for the contest.

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    1. Gee... you really think so? I am by nature a fuss-free fashion follower ;-) ... but festive means fuss, and thats where I fall short. Thank you so much for letting me believe I can pull off a look :-)

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  8. Hehehe..... Punam, there are a whole lot of geniuses paid exorbitant amounts of money to do stuff like this - its called marketing :-).... And I think SS evokes the same kind of feeling in all of us .... we'd just love to raid all the counters wouldn't we?

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  9. Creativity at its best, lovely ensemble that's funky and trendy yet chic and elegant! I already have my fingers crossed for you! All the best :-)

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    1. Thank you so much Arti .... coming from someone as talented as you, thats a real compliment!

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  10. Best wishes for the contest! Trendy and elegant ensemble:)

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  11. Hey Nirvana, summa sooper post yaar.. like Bikram, me too wish there was a male version to it too, esp wrt to the trends for men.. u hv no idea how hard it is to get tht info fr Indian men :)

    Long time yaar Nirvana.. me took a nice lil vacation away frm it all and got myself married :D

    And Nirvana, this post's got my vote - really swell one - u shud b fair to us men n hv one fr us too :)

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    1. Dude! you got married!!! And this was all hush hush from the blogger world!!! Gasp!!

      Congrats Raj .... and please, please post about it... love marriage?

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    2. Well, it wasn't arranged.. more like 'engineered' ;)

      Will hopefully b writing bout it soon :)

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    3. Thanks for the wishes Nirvana :)

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    4. Can't wait for it!! Just spoke with Spiff about her D-Day too ........ man its raining weddings!!

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  12. Love you selection! Shopping is every girl's dream and putting together a look like this is a job well done. Love that salwar .. Hope you win this, good luck !!

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    1. Hey!! thank you so much .... this post was kinda nostalagic too .... Shoppers Stop was a fun hangout place during my growing up years...

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