Splash Fashion dress // SheIn earrings // SheIn iridescent fanny pack // Casio retro watch // Nike Roche Flyknit sneakers

Photos by Sheila Vaz at Karma Royal Haathi Mahal

I’ve been making a conscious effort to get a more streamlined wardrobe. I congratulate myself everytime I get a nice solid coloured basic because it feels mature & grown up. But the feeling doesn’t last…

Prints will always have my heart – the brighter the better! I’ll almost always pick pop colours over solid basics, & that’s ok. Because with personal style, you really don’t have to choose. You can be one person on Monday & a different person on Tuesday. So this is how I dressed, one super chill vacation day last month. I’m back in Bombay now but there’s a lot from Goa to show you, still. x

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Polago Clothing blouse // Zara mom jeans & basket bag // SheIn cateye sunglasses // Accessorize bamboo gold hoops // vintage gold necklace & pendant // Daniel Wellington classic petite ashfield watch // Vero Moda oxford shoes

Photos by Sheila Vaz

Fashion is cyclical – how many times have you heard that by now? And here I am talking about it again because it’s a good lesson to internalise. Everything that’s cool today, may not be as cool tomorrow but it’ll sure as hell come back sooner or later.

I’ve always been someone who considers my style to be somewhat classic & unmoved by whatever’s in vogue at that given moment. But you know what? This look is all about what’s trendy right now.

I received the sunglasses & top as part of this month’s Mauvelush box, so I sort of built this look on the whole retro theme, with items I already had in my wardrobe. I’ve always adored extreme cateye sunglasses, so seeing them all over my favorite fashion websites & instagram has me very excited. This very 70’s polka dotted wrap top makes me feel sexy as hell (v-necks & wrap designs in dresses & tops tend to have that effect, even if you belong to the #ittybittytittycommittee). Mom jeans have been one of my favorite silhouette for years now, & I was excited to see Zara carrying them this season. The hoops are from Accessorize (I had forgotten about them but they’re carrying some gorgeous jewellery right now) & the necklace is all real gold, both of them are ‘heritage’ pieces that have been in the family for generations (gold jewellery collection video coming soon!)

Some days I feel like I take my personal style way too seriously for my own good. While building a classic wardrobe is nice, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in trends once in a while. In the end, all I’m doing is playing dress up – might as well have fun with it! x

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AJIO tshirt // Zara shorts // Hunter tall gloss wellington boots // Daniel Wellington Dapper Sheffield watch // Good After Nine cat ring // ONLY clutch

Lakmé Matte Melt Liquid Lipstick – Mild Mauve  | Maybelline Superstay Nail Polish – Rose Poudre

Photos by Sheila Vaz

I bought these hunter rain boots back in 2012 & since then, an outfit post styling them every monsoon has become something of an annual tradition (see posts from 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017; still sad about skipping 2014!)

It’s been a fun exercise to see my style evolve through just these monsoon posts – I started out styling these with just jeans, because I pretty much lived in jeans then (& also felt like my legs were too skinny for boots to be honest). As my body changed, I found it easier to experiment with dresses & shorts more often. I do wish that I was more confident in the start. I do also wish, by extension that we didn’t live in a world that demonise both skinny or plus sized people. I try to do my bit but sometimes the effort just feels a bit hopeless? People tend to cling to their biases tightly, so I guess all we can do is work on ourselves.

Now back to those boots – I’m still so pleased with them, although I feel a little sad now because they don’t get as much wear from me as they used to. Hunter boots may be expensive, but they’re made to be worn & they were far more practical during college, or when I took public transport more. Nowadays, I don’t really venture out just for fun in the monsoons, I can also afford the luxury of cabs, which makes these more ornamental. Nevertheless I’ve thrown so much money at ridiculously impractical thing over the years, like fancy branded bags that don’t really outlast the year I buy them (I’m looking at you, Fossil) so this was a good buy. Mumbai’s weather’s getting to it slowly, but I think it has another couple of years in it.

Oh and by the way, how many cats do you count in this look? I’m pretty sure that my extensive cat themed wardrobe has become one of my signatures. I even did a fashion haul video that was so full of cats. I love the tshirt from this look – even though it’s an absurd premise. As anyone who has cats could tell you, cats & large plants do not get along, much less a cactus! Take it from me, I have three. I had to give up on that plant lady dream a while ago.

It’s mid-August now, officially that time of the year when I’m utterly sick & tired of rains, I can’t even muster up any fake enthusiasm. Wherever in the world you are today, I just hope you’re warm & safe. x

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Topshop dress // Ray-Ban oval flat sunglasses // Daniel Wellington classic petite ashfield watch // Viola cherry pendant // Rosato bracelet // Zara basket bag //  Vero Moda oxford shoes

Photos by Sheila Vaz

If there’s one thing that exploring the world of fashion & beauty has taught me, it’s never say never. It’s been almost eight years since I posted my first look here on this blog & so much has changed since then (not just my dress size!) For example, if you asked me back then to name two trends I would never sport, I’d tell you I hated gold tone jewellery & animal prints & now here I am, wearing both those things in the same look & loving them.

I just got my hair done in a red balayage (& vlogged the whole thing, of course) & I really wanted to wear something monochromatic so the red really pops. It’s also my first time wearing the Ray-Ban oval sunglasses, & I really like how they look. They’re very similar to the Ray-ban round shape that I like, but slightly slimmer – so this is my take on the current skinny sunglasses style that’s really in right now, although I see myself wearing these for years to come.

And finally, let’s talk jewellery. I’m actually wearing all real gold in this look. When I want to try out a new trend, I usually have to shop for things that fit the trend, but when I wanted to wear gold, all I had to do is ask mom – she was very happy & proud that her daughter’s finally wearing gold, I think she saw it as some kind of coming of age thing. I’ve had the Rosato bracelet for around ten years now (pretty sure I threw a tantrum for it) & the rings are ‘borrowed’ from her. Yeah let’s go with borrowed (she’s not getting them back, sshhhh….) x

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AJIO dress // Daniel Wellington watch // H&M mules

lips- Guerlain KissKiss Matte in Zesty Orange (full review here) | nails- LYN Vegan nail polish in Genie in a Bottle

Photos by Sheila Vaz

The dress I’m wearing here was actually a whimsical sale purchase. I was really drawn in by the print – there’s tropical vegetation, a house, a cat, monkeys! I always like playful prints & I found this just charming, that I even bought a blouse version of it for mom. knew that I just had to wear this in Goa. Oh & by the way, do you spot actual, living monkeys in any of these pictures? There are even a couple more farm animals in there.

We shot this outfit on the road just outside our ancestral home in Goa. These pictures suddenly make me very sentimental because I’m intimately familiar with the area. Some of these photos were also taken by the church, where the walls were freshly whitewashed in preparation for the upcoming feast. x

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Suman Nathwani Resortwear by Khayti dress // Ray Ban round – copper flash sunglasses // Daniel Wellington Classic Petite Melrose watch + rose gold cuff // BCBGeneration gold sandals

lips- Colourpop Ultra Satin in Frick N Frack | nails- Nykaa Nails Silk in Pretty in Pink

Photos by Sheila Vaz.

Lessons I’ve Learnt

I‘m not one that keeps track of years or anniversaries very well. But lately I’ve had a very similar conversation at many events – I’m usually making small talk with another blogger or a publicist & they’ll ask me how long I’ve been blogging for. The first couple of times this happened, I had to pause & think before replying – It’ll be 9 years in Jan.

And it was only after saying it a few times & it began to dawn on me that this was a very long time. I’ve talked about how much blogging has changed & evolved in the last few years, but what about me? I’ve changed quite a bit too – my cringey blog posts from 2009-10 always serve as the best reminder.

I chose to make this my career & it’s been such a become such a big part of my identity that I’m not sure what I’d be doing if I wasn’t doing this. Blogging has taught me so much about myself that I thought I’d share three that I’ve been thinking about a lot.

Done is Better than Perfect

I pride myself at creating quality content here on the blog. Since I started YouTube, I wanted to also maintain a very high standard of quality over there. Quality is very important, of course. Nobody wants to read or watch a soulless content mill that just churns out content for the sake of it.

But there’s a flipside. Perfectionism is seen as a desirable trait but it can very well be a crutch. Spending time fixating on tiny details wasn’t doing me any good. Not only was it physically & mentally exhausting, it stopped me from moving onto the next task & just had me stuck on little things I couldn’t change. I already know that I’m a control freak, but I realise that I need to get better at letting go of the little niggles. Every time I spend too long obsessing over producing a video or photoshoot, I have to remind myself that I’m a digital content creator, not Wes Anderson making his next film or Anna Wintour prepping to release the September Issue, you know? And focussing on body positivity & self love has helped quite a bit too, I no longer worry that my face is too oily or my eyebrows aren’t evenly done or my zits are showing. All of this together is helping me not only more productive but more at peace.

TL;DR Striving for quality is good within limits. Don’t get compulsive about things. Imperfection is good, it reminds people that there’s a real person behind what they’re watching / reading.

Don’t Be Afraid to Make Noise

Being someone who puts myself online, there are a million different parameters by which I’m judged. I spent a good few years being a little too concerned with how I’m perceived. That I should behave a certain way, that there were certain things I could or couldn’t wear, talk or behave.

I think it was sometime last year that I just stopped giving a fuck. If I want to put up a photo in a bra or talk loudly about politics, I do it, without a second thought. People are going to judge you anyway, so why bother?

TL;DR I’m don’t give any thought to my image or bother about labels anymore. Don’t let society’s or people’s perceptions stop you from being the person you want to be.

Quality over Quantity, Always

This is something that’s been drilled into almost everyone since we were little kids. But when building your first grown-up closet or makeup bag, it can be easy to get swept up in the numbers game. And of course I’ve gone through periods of buying too much. Part of it is just experimentation – how can I find what I like without trying many different things first? Then it can also become part of building a collection- how cool would it be to have a hundred lipsticks? Or two hundred? I did this for a few years before realising it wasn’t sustainable at all.

Not great for the environment or my pocket, & I ended up with a lot of stuff I’ve worn or used just once. It was high time I made some changes. At the start of this year, I wrote about my 2017 Makeup Buying Ban. It’s going superbly – while I usually bought multiple products a month, 9 months in I’ve bought a single mascara. In July I also wrote about my desire to refrain from buying fast fashion & wear, support (& feature!) more locally designed & made clothing. I used to buy clothes based on how striking or interesting they seemed. Now, I try to envision if I can easily wear what I’m buying a few times, is it something that fits with the rest of my wardrobe, will it pair with my existing shoes & can I wear it a year or two from now without it looking dated. And that kinda ties back nicely to this particular OOTD – this dress is from Suman Nathwani Resortwear by Khyati. I joke to my mom that I now only buy clothes if they really call out to me. Well this dress didn’t speak, it sang! I was really drawn to the colour & silhouette – and I think the brass coloured tinsel trim at the bottom just elevates it from a simple sundress to one that’d be perfect for daytime dos. It even makes a beautiful sound when you walk, kinda like anklets? I paired it with a few gold accessories & loved how the look turned out!

TL;DR Buy consciously – avoid buying multiples of the same thing (another pair of black jeans or another nude lippie) & instead look for timeless pieces you’ll be able to use multiple times in different ways. The environment, your closet & your wallet will thank you!

These are just three things that come to mind right now but I have so much more that I can share. I’m thinking of doing a video soon on things that being a vlogger has taught me. I’m so glad that it’s sunnier out now so I can be more consistent with shoots. Please do check out my YouTube channel + possibly subscribe if you like what you see. Until next time! x

SPECIAL – Get 15% off watches + accessories (everything!) on the Daniel Wellington website with the code MAGALI, valid until 15th October.

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bhane. sway dress // Firmoo silver round glasses // Lavie path wallet  // Jord cora wood watch – purple heart // Hunter boots – original tall gloss in cranberry

lips – Colourpop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in More Better 

Photos by Sheila Vaz

As I sit here typing this, it’s pouring cats & dogs outside. And all I can do is think about early June & laugh! You see, summers in Mumbai can be brutal & by the end of it, everyone is praying for rain (not just the farmers, who depend on it to grow their crops). When the first showers start in late May / early June – we’re all collectively excited – about the chill in the air, about petrichor, about how glorious & romantic monsoons are. Fast forward three weeks – it’s pouring every day. Everything is wet. The bad roads become worse, traffic that already moves slow now practically grinds to a halt. All I’m saying is, it sucks, y’know?

We’ll all be relieved when monsoon is over & next summer we’ll all be waiting for it to start again. There’s something weirdly poetic about it, but that’s just life in Mumbai.

I’ve been sharing personal style posts on here since 2010. I bought these Hunter Boots in 2012 – on a college goer’s allowance (& vacation money) they were a definite splurge but worth every single penny, I can’t think of many other fashion items I’ve had for five years (Mumbai’s humid weather is not kind to leather, or metal, or cloth, really). I’ve styled these many different ways over the years – you can check out my posts from 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016.

This year’s look is about a lot of things I really like right now- minimalism, anti fit, Scandinavian aesthetics with little pops of colour.

Also, now’s as good a time to talk about this as any – early this year, I went on a makeup / beauty buying ban until I could finish up some of the products I’ve already amassed. I’ve been quite happy with the results so far (I’ve just bought a single mascara since 2017 started). And that just helped me realise that I could re-examine my buying habits in other areas too. I buy too many clothes – I’ve been known to use this blog as an excuse. I have quite a few things that I’ve purchased & never worn, & even more that I have worn just one time. So my next personal goal is to buy less clothes & try to cut out fast fashion as much as I can – I don’t want to say never because one day I am going to succumb & pick up a pair of cute sushi or cat socks from Forever 21, but I do want to buy more consciously – support Indian brands. Buy more consciously – well made pieces that aren’t trend based but will stay in my wardrobe for a few years at least. I’ve resisted all of the July sales thus far, & I hope I can keep this up for longer.

I’ve been a fan of bhane. ever since they first launched (remember when I was part of the bhane. Spring Summer in 2013?) So few labels in India design contemporary pieces at an affordable price tag & I’ve bought from them many times over the years (for me & mom!) This is another dress that is going to get so much of use from me!

Of course I’m looking for more clothing labels that are well designed & made, ethical & sweatshop free. Do you know any that fit the bill? I’d love your recommendations in the comments! x

The post Back to Basics | Mumbai Monsoon Style ☔️ appeared first on Magali Vaz | Fashion, Lifestyle & Travel Blog.

Zara trafaluc flame emoji tee // Zara x Maui & Sons embroidered mom denim shorts // Ray-Ban round (RB3447) – red mirror gradient // Daniel Wellington classy sheffield lady watch // Good After Nine tuxedo cat ring // Lavie sandals

lips- MAC lady danger  | nails (fingers) Lakmé Absolute Gel Stylist – Gold Dust (toes) Nykaa Nails Matte – Strawberry Shortcake 

Photos by Anushree Gavas at The House, Versova

Summer in a tropical country is no breeze. We photographed this look a couple of weeks ago, when rain was still sporadic & the temperature was in the late thirties everyday. The look’s quite simple; you might have already seen a couple of these things in my recent fashion haul video – a light oversized tee with bleach denim shorts in my fave silhouette (#momjeansforlife). I think the sequins on the tee & the cute shark embroidery just adds something fun to the look. I gotta say, I’m loving this patches / embroidery on your tits trend – makes it that much easier to go braless if you so desire. 😉

It’s monsoon now & dressing up is a whole other challenge. Hopefully I’ll do a monsoon OOTD super soon.

June was a bit quiet on the blog, what with me doing VLUNE & all (I vlogged every single day!) But now that it’s July, we’re back to three posts a week here on the blog. I hope you have a great week, & month ahead… x

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StalkBuyLove bettis bodysuit // Topshop mom jeans // Glamorous patch denim shirt // Daniel Wellington classy sheffield watch // BCBGeneration sandals

Photos by Anushree Gavas at Hotel Renaissance Mumbai

Use the code MAGALICDW for 15% off on any Daniel Wellington Watch, ships free worldwide.

Lately I’ve been giving a lot of thought to terms like nasty woman & just double standards on the whole. Women have made a lot of strides but it always seems like we’re held up to a different standard to right & wrong. Women have to be capable – but we also have to be pretty. And we have to smile. And most importantly, we have to be nice.

God forbid we aren’t polite to everybody, that we don’t greet every single aunty the moment we see them, that we try to get a word in a political conversation. Or we know our worth – in professional & personal spheres. Well you know what? I’m done with all that bullshit. I’m done with apologising for wearing too much makeup or going bare faced. And moreover I’m done with the idea that being a woman means having to conform to some unwritten codes of femininity. That’s why I’m proud to be a nasty woman. And I’m proud to know many badass nasty women too!

Here’s to nasty women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.

Being a woman in India, it helps to have a reminder that you don’t have to have a certain set of often counter productive ‘virtues’ or skills to have worth. Work hard, spread positive vibes & just do your thing. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! x

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