She looks like a tourist

The day before we left Istanbul, we visited the Topkapi palace and I dressed absolutely like a tourist. This means I combined most things people carry for an entire holiday in one outfit.

Straw hat, check.
Hi-low maxi dress, check.
sandals, check.
Sunglasses, check.

It was a very warm day and I was glad that I wore this high-low summery maxi dress.  I wore the scarf to add a dash of colour to the cream coloured dress. 

I was also greatful to be wearing a hat as it was really hot and and the sun was really direct. 

The palace looked absolutely glorious and the interiors were beautiful.

The stained glasses in the queen's room brought the most beautiful blend of colours and light in the room. 

The intricate detail in the pattern on the walls was mesmersing as well.

I did a little tourist like posing, and throughly enjoyed it!

Even through the window grill, the city outside looked beautiful.

Even through the window grill, the city outside looked beautiful.

The Bosphorus although calm, made big ferry boats look like tiny fishing boats.

After a lot of walking through the palace, we had lunch at Konyali Restaurant at the palace and had the best view of the Bosphorus.

I'm glad we visited the palace on the last day, because you know what they say, save the best for last!

Sunglasses: Michael Kors similar here
Hat: H&M
Satchel: Urban Outfitters
Dress: Primark
Scarf: Primark
Gold Bracelet: Some Place Beautiful (link)

The Grey Jumpsuit

A jumpsuit is one of my favourite pieces of clothing to have. It is very versatile and if worn correctly can be the ultimate comfy-chic outfit.

I took this grey one with me to Istanbul on holiday. There were a number reasons why I took this jumpsuit with me.

1. Jumpsuit =comfort
2. trouser= covered legs = no restriction to enter any mosque/ museum
3. Jersey material= light weight= very comfortable

I could go on like this but you get the picture!

There were a number reasons why I took this jumpsuit with me.

1. Jumpsuit =comfort

2. trousers= covered legs = no restriction to enter any mosque/ meseum

3. Jersey material= light weight= very comfortable, perfect for a hot weather

I could go on listing justifications for taking it along, the truth is I could think of nothing better to pack for a holiday than a jumpsuit.

I have always been a fan of the colour grey and half of the clothes I own are probably grey. However this is quite a unique shade of grey to my collection of grey clothes. The tar grey colour of the jumpsuit makes it really easy to pair it not only with jackets, blazers and scarves but also with accessories.

I had only taken two scarves with me in a (failed) attempt to pack light and ended up wearing this black floral scarf from H&M on most days.

My personal opinion is that the best place to see a city is walking through its by-lanes and that is exactly what we did. Unfortunately that also meant that I jumped at every opportunity I had to rest on a bench, as below!

Being a tired tourist is never fun, but the satisfaction of being able to see the city in a different light made it worth it!

Istanbul

I have wanted to go to Istanbul since I was child. The fact that it is the only city in the world split between two continents always intrigued me. Being such a unique hot-pot of diverse cultures, I was sure the city wouldn't disappoint me, and as expected, disappoint it did not!

Istanbul is a beautiful city and I absolutely loved it! Right from the moment I stepped out of the plane, I knew my journey would be a very eventful and memorable one.

The holiday started off on a rather anxious and eager note as my friend's flight was delayed by 8 hours and I had to patiently waited for the flight to arrive. Thankfully a kindle and Starbucks came to my rescue.

Also, I used this time to get holiday ready. A little bit to toe nail colouring never hurt anyone.

When my friend finally arrived, we went straight to the hotel, dropped our bags and left to explore the city.

As expected, the city was beautiful. With old mosques right in the middle of a modern city, I realized that in addition to a blend of European and Asian cultures, the old world and new world blend in together in Istanbul seamlessly.

The Blue Mosque was absolutely magnificent and was totally worth the long wait in the queue to see it.

It was full of visitors, some were there to pray while others, like me, had come to see its beauty.

The interiors of the Blue Mosque were breathtaking. The entire celing was covered in very intricate mosaic artwork.

Most mosques and religious places in Intanbul have a rule that men and women must wear clothes that cover their knees and hence I carried all my midi dresses on this holiday. I also carried a couple of scarves along in case I had to cover my head while I was in there.

It worked out quite well I think, as I got to combine my two favourites; midi dresses and scarves.

Along with the scarf, I accessorised my outfit with a hat. This, like the scarf was also a practical accessory to protect me from the blazing Istanbul sun!

I carried this satchel bag with me as my holiday bag as it was small enough to carry along comfortably but big enough to fit everything I needed.

All in all,  the first day in Istanbul was mesmersing and left me wanting more of the city!

As feautred;

Hat: H&M 

Nail Lacquer: Estee Lauder Pure Red 

Bracelet: Some Beautiful Place (Link)

Dress: Zara
Satchel: Urban Outfiters
Scarf: H&M
Sandals: Primark

Sunglasses 101

If god told me that I could have only one accessory for the rest of my life and asked me to pick one, I would choose sunglasses.

I say this because I have learnt it the hard way over the years. I come from a country where temperatures drop below 25 degrees very rarely and its sunny all the time. i.e. India. Growing up, I thought sunglasses did not suit me and people stared at me when I wore them. As a result, I avoided wearing and this meant there was a lot of squinting in the sun and terrible headaches involved.

Over time thankfully, I have grown out of my strange, awkward phase and now love sunglasses. I have even managed to collect a decent mix of high street and designer sunglasses.

The ones below are my current favourites.

Bottom Left: Chanel; bottom right: Tom Ford; mid left: Michael Kors; mid right: Ray Ban; top left: ASOS; top right: ASOS

My friends always ask me how I manage to have so many pairs, but the truth is I have collected these pairs over the past five years. Taking good care of my sunglasses has prolonged their life ensuring that I have a variety to choose from.

I often give my friends these three simple tips to protect their sunglasses and although these things might seem like common sense, you might be surprised how more often or not, most of us do the don'ts of this list.

1. Keep you sunglasses in a protective case. Throwing them in the bag without a case is NOT advisable as the lenses will get scratched. Even if they are not expensive sunnies, scratched sunglasses don't look good on anybody!

This Forever 21 pouch (Link), and is inspired by Rebecca Minkoff (Link). I love the Rebecca Minkoff version however I wanted a pouch for my highstreet, inexpensive glasses and hence did not want to spend a lot on the pouch.

2. Do not wear your sunglasses over your head! Yes, this is convenient and can look cool sometimes, but it loosens the hinges of the frame. You don't want your sunglasses drooping over your nose. That look never really works for anyone, unless you are playing the role of a strict grandma in a film!

3. Keep the cleaning cloth that comes with your sunglasses in the case. This might sounds like silly advise, but this cloth helps clean the lenses and is a protective cover for you sunnies in the box. (Yes, I know about the OCD of protection IN the box, but it works!)

I also often get asked how to pick a frame.

I'll be honest, I have a very narrow and small face and often find it hard to find sunglasses that suit me. But, over the years I have leant to make it work for me.

When picking sunglasses always try and stick to classic frames. Trends come and go but frames like Aviators and Wayfarers never go out of style. If you are feeling more glamorous, then big frames could be ideal for you. 

People say that different face shapes should wear certain type of frames and although it makes sense to an extent, I don't think anyone should restrict themselves to rules like that. If you have the confidence to carry off a frame you like, go for it, confidence is after all the ultimate accessory!

Double Denim Saturday

On one of those random lunch break shopping sprees I  passed by H&M or Hennes as it's called in the UK and saw this really simple staple denim shirt.

It is is really simple and it's simplicity is what makes it so versatile. It has been the most worn piece of clothing in my wardrobe this summer.

This weekend, I decided to go old school and team it with dark blue skinny jeans. There is something about dressing like the 90s thats so nostalgic and fun! Also, I love how the light blue shirt and the dark blue jeans look together.

To bring the outfit together, I wore tan sandals with a chunky heel and dark tan satchel bag and a snake skin printed scarf. I love tan coloured accessories. Be it shoes, bags or belts. I love it all! The colour in itself being fairly neutral, has a knack of completing outfits perfectly.

It was a glorious summer day and London from the South Bank looked beautiful as always.

Shirt: H&M
Jeans: H&M
Sandals: River Island
Satchel: Urban Outfitters
Scarf: H&M