"Two Festive looks to master" by The Stylewali

We have with us Neha Sharma, a fashion aficionado, famously known on Instagram as THE_STYLEWALI to help us with our dressing woes for the festivities. 

From celebs to models to princesses to brand collabs, she has styled one and all and how graciously. Synonym of elegance, she loves experimenting with flowy silhouettes and structured garments that bring out the sensuous symbiotic relationship between the attire and the skin.

“There are two must-have festive looks I strongly believe. The maximalist and the minimalist, having these two mastered, will breeze you through any and every occasion” expresses Neha.

“Dressing up self seems like a task these days, how do you manage to style others to perfection!?”

 “Ahahaha! There’s no secret magic here.” 

"How you see a model dressed is an entirely different story than how you would look wearing the same attire!

It's all about creating an image first in your head of you in your selected pieces and then putting it all together. Maintaining a balance of elements in terms of color, makeup, hair, footwear, even that small bindi counts! It’s a slow process of creating an artful vision."

Says Stylewali Neha. 

True to her stylish Insta handle, Stylewali puts her spin on anything she touches and the outcome is a masterpiece. 

Neha recalls being in love with textures and fabric weaves as early as her school days. Recalling her summer vacations she remembers the most fun part was trips to neighborhood Darzis and experimenting with designs and fabric. 

As a fashion scholar, she joined as a merchandiser with a textile company but realized this was not her journey and thus began her voyage of exploring the styling industry.

Talking about festive looks she gives us an insight into the two looks she has curated for the maximalist and the minimalist!

"I have been following Nomad's journey for several years now, and the best part this brand offers is that it has everything that you will want for all kinds of moods and occasions!" 

LOOK 1. ‘The shimmery night’

Black, Gold, and Red! 

When Neha picked these three strong colors, we curiously packed it all and waited with bated breaths for the results. 

‘Bowled out’ is the correct expression for describing how we felt upon seeing the mesmerizing vision of Neha all decked up.

‘’A Diwali card party is the first thing that came to my mind when I looked at this black gold tissue suit and paired it up with this red zari dupatta to add a risque factor, for I felt adventurous at the moment. The dupatta changes the game of this outfit from metallic monochrome to a contemporary fusion! The gold jewelry is what makes it a maximalist look, but if you see there is also balance here because the garment isn't heavily embellished. Hence I can be liberal with jewelry."

Neha wears here, Shama tissue chanderi kurta pants set, Timri red chanderi dupatta, Amba ring, Ratna necklace, Sunanda bracelet and Zahra earrings

Here are a few pointers to ace the maximal look:

• If you are going for a bold palette in apparel, keep the makeup almost nude to tone it down.
• Keep your draping styles of the dupatta or the saree old-school and hassle-free because the outfit itself speaks volumes. 
• The hair has to be simple, a quick blow dry or a chignon would be great too!.
• Golden black tissue and red are bold, and pairing these up with gold jewelry is bolder, but it's celebration time! The bling has to be there, you just have to let it all blend and yet stand apart from each other.

LOOK 2: “Hello Flowers!”

Stylewali Neha talks about her love for prints from her childhood days.

“Growing up in Rajasthan, Chintz was everywhere and it always made me feel instantly happy. So I also picked it up out of the nostalgia that it evokes”

She aptly describes how chintz is not just ancient art but also a mood, a vibe, an existing reality of the free soul! 

“And so I picked the blue wishing saree for a daytime brunch with my friends where I wanted to dress up in a happy mood. "

Neha wears here the Blue wishing saree that comes with a piece of unstitched blouse.

Here are a few pointers to ace the minimal look:

• Since Chintz is a bold statement, keep accessories minimal. I chose to wear a stack of vintage silver bangles and that's about it. Earlobes and wrists sensuously highlight themselves when left bare!
• Experiment with your blouse when pairing it up with a chintz saree to give it a modern twist. If you are bold enough go print on print, do that! As for me, I opted for a racerback blouse that gives me the edge I wanted and leaves room for movement!
• Bare skin is often the most poetic part of any attire. Since cheent is a loud print, the softness of skin balances it most beautifully. It prevents you from drowning in the loud print.
•  I love to pair up my minimalistic festive look with a pair of hand-made juttis or the good old Kolhapuris instead of glitzy heels or loud wedges.
  
  

“I love the work that I do, for who doesn’t want to look beautiful? And to bring alive that surreal-ness in someone is my art.

Trust me, all it takes is a little thought and lots of self-love!”

Tips off Neha as she winds up this conversation looking a stunner in the blue chintz saree over the much educative and friendly zoom call!