GOOD READS!

I've been finding some fascinating and thought-provoking articles on the subjects of style and appearance, and wanted to share them.


image: Corbis

Here are the links. Enjoy!

1) UK journalist Hannah Pool, of The Gurardian newspaper, writes about the big "tribal" trends of the Spring season, and whether they are patronizing and demeaning to real cultures, tribes and ethnic traditions around the world.

2) Julie Greene of the Recessionwire blog offers some innovative and very cool tips on what to do with the "misfit" clothes in your closet!

3) In MediaBistro, Diane Clehane interviews the fabulous Isaac Mizrahi! This is one of the most detailed and interesting Isaac interviews I've come across, and goodness knows I love anything Isaac! ^__^

4) Virginia M. Moncrieff writes an outstanding article in the Huffington Post about the preference for "fairer" (i.e., lighter) skin tones among the women of South Asia, and how they will buy all kinds of beauty products to "lighten" their skin because a fairer complexion is considered more beautiful and desirable in a woman. This is something close to my heart because I am a South Asian woman, and the preference for lighter skin in my part of the world has always both baffled and bothered me deeply. I also know that this mindset can be found in other cultures and ethnic groups, as well, so I think this is a particularly important read.

5) Karin Tanabe writes an interesting article in the Huffington Post on how First Lady Michelle Obama's preference for flats has influenced Washington D.C. style.

These are really some of the best articles on style I've come across in a while, and I hope you get as much out of them as I did!

SWIMMING COOL

Since I am a broad-shouldered, busty, "inverted triangle" kind of gal, finding a flattering bathing suit was like a nightmare, so I just gave up. The last time I bought a swimsuit was about 15 years ago (I'm serious), and afterwards I didn't even want to look at them again.

It also kind of helped that Sri Lankan women rarely (if ever) wear bathing suits out in public beaches ... a weird little taboo that's never quite gone away over there, even today. So, I was able to enjoy the lovely tropical Indian ocean wearing just shorts and a t-shirt or tanktop.

Until last year, when my husband and I took a trip down to the seashore and I ended up with loads of sand in my shorts-and-tank ensemble, which also bunched up in all sorts of unsightly ways in the water, and left me feeling both frustrated and embarassed. I was determined to find a new bathing suit!

Sooooo, I've been looking for one all this time, with no luck ... until today! By chance, I found myself at Ross, where they were bringing out a new stock of swimsuits, and I saw this one by Miraclesuit, called "Oceanus":



I tried it on, and it not only fit me, it looked quite good! And what's more, it cost only $27!! To say I couldn't believe my luck would be an understatement!

I mean, it's not exactly flashy or sexy, but I love how it makes me look more streamlined and just nicer, all-around, which is something I never thought I'd say about myself in a bathing suit!

This suit is available online at sites like Nordstrom, Amazon, and Figleaves.com, among other places. I honestly think it's worth getting even at the regular price, particularly if you've got a big bust like me, or are just top-heavy. But, check your local discount stores like Ross, Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, etc., as they might have this brand at a much, much lower price like our local Ross did. It's well worth the search!

At Ross, I also found this wonderful little leather purse, the "Castille Minibag" by Fossil:

I think the colors are really versatile for different clothes, and the smaller size makes it great for travel and those times when you just don't want to haul around a big 'ol bag! ^__^ I got it for the unbelievable price of $19, but it's also available at the regular price at Zappos, and at a lower price at eBags.

Now that I've finally found a bathing suit and a few pretty little bags, I feel I'm truly ready for summertime!

TRIBAL-GLOBAL: GOODIES FROM TARGET!

I'm absolutely thrilled about the different "tribal" and "cultural" designs that are so in vogue these days! Mainly because I'm from another country, myself, and also a fan of retro '60s-'70s styles, which remind me of my childhood in Sri Lanka and the vibrant-patterned clothes that the adults around me wore.

I think a great way to incorporate these styles into your wardrobe is with accessories. One of the best things about these global designs is how they can transform even the simplest t-shirt and denim outfit into something interesting and cool! This makes them perfect for travel: accessories take up much less room in your suitcase, and when worn in different locales they can really make you feel like you're part of the international travel culture, no matter where you might find yourself -- London, Lagos, or Los Angeles! ^__^

As much as I adore these looks, however, they can cost quite a bit, and I can't afford to shell out $100 or even $50 for a belt or scarf, no matter how unique or cool.

So, I frequently find myself wandering off to our local Target, where you can get fantastic tribal-global patterned accessories at very affordable prices. Here are a few of my own finds, which I got over these last few months. The quality is comparable to much more expensive pieces advertised in fashion magazines, but they're all under $25, and most are under $15!!



First, this wonderful Mossimo Supply Co. belt! It's all-leather and looks a lot more expensive than it is. Here's a detail of its intricate design:



I like to wear it with a simple colored tee and a bohemian skirt ... I think it looks really special and polished, that way!

From Merona, these leaf-shaped leather and metal earrings, which I don't own but found to be really unique and striking:


You have to see these in person to realize just how lovely they are. The design is delicate yet textured, very much like a piece you'd find at Free People, but at a fraction of the cost ... literally!

Also from Mossimo, this wonderful cotton scarf:



I wear it with my moss green t-shirt and jeans, and it's fabulous with that outfit! The blues in the pattern go perfectly with blue denim.

Next, there's this pretty wooden, beaded Xhilaration bangle:


It looks a lot like similar beaded bangles I've seen advertised in the past couple of issues of Lucky magazine, at much higher prices (often over $100). This one is just as cute, but only costs $12!

Today, I picked up this fantastic Mossimo belt:



It's woven in a variety of intricate-colored threads, and looks like something from Lucky Brand, only a lot cheaper! Another great belt to pair with jeans or cotton pants.

Last but not least, this adorable wristlet bag from Hayden-Harnett:

I have been eyeing and coveting this little number forever, and it finally went on sale for $13 so I pounced on it! It's surprisingly roomy and the stud-details are not overdone at all ... they actually make it look quite elegant. It's kind of funny, but I just discovered that the one color handbag I don't have is black ... can you believe that?! ^__^ This was a perfect way to get something I really needed, and it goes with pretty much all of my clothes.

So, there you have it: you don't need to go far or spend a lot to get a stylishly carefree, bohemian, global look! Happy traveling!

CUTE MEME!

Found this cute little interview on another blog, and thought to turn it into a meme by answering the questions myself! Here goes ...

If you could recommend one good book to read, what would it be?

Ooh, this is hard because I'm a book fanatic, but if I were forced to pick just one I'd choose "The Inheritance of Loss" by Indian author Kiran Desai. It's a gorgeous, sprawling, hilarious, heartbreaking, and mesmerizing novel about the immigrant experience, both past and present. As an immigrant myself, I found Desai's descriptions of uprooting one's life to a completely different world to be both profound and poignant, and just dead-on accurate. This is a book worth reading!



What do you want to do when you grow up?

I want to be more easygoing, mellow, content and happy. I also want to be a bit thinner ... but who doesn't? ^__^

What's your best internet find?

Another hard question, as I've found so many fab treasures online, but one that served me especially well are my wedding shoes, by Natural Comfort:

They were gorgeous, soft, and sooo comfortable! They matched my sari perfectly and I felt like I was walking on clouds all day, which was a Godsend as I was on my feet for most of that day. I think I sat down only to eat lunch! Plus, the retro vibe and ankle-strap were completely "me". The pale gold color makes them wearable for other occasions ... which is more than I can say for the sari, lol!

What fashion trend(s) are you craving this season?

Right now I'm grooving on uber-'70s bellbottom styles, like this one by Current/Elliott:



... gently full, A-line skirt silhouettes (perfect for balancing top-heavy figures), like that of my beloved Dittos skirt and this one by Theory, available at Nordstrom:



... and little handbags with long chain handles, like this one by Cole-Haan, available on their website:


What's playing on your iPod?

All kinds of music from different eras, but I'm really into a '90s favorite, the fab British disco-funk band Jamiroquai, whom I first heard in 1996 when their single "Virtual Insanity" was released in the U.S. I adored them instantly, and still do! Their later single "Canned Heat" (which was in the movie Napoleon Dynamite) is on particularly heavy rotation:



I'm best known for my ... ?

I think my friends would say my bookishness, but my husband and mother would probably say for being very intuitive!

I'd love to have dinner with ... ?

Clinton Kelly and Stacy London of What Not to Wear, so that I can beg them for style tips --



and renowned naturalist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who is my hero!



Reading any magazines right now?

Weirdly enough, I'm buying and reading Lucky, a magazine I once disliked because I found its styles to be weird, expensive and unwearable, but nowadays it's featuring all kinds of pretty, bohemian looks (plus clothes that are actually affordable) that I love. From it, I've been learning a lot about how to put clothes together in innovative ways.



What's your motto?

I was thinking about this the other day, and I'd have to choose "Give Peace a Chance", which I think is the worthiest, most honorable and necessary goal for everyone on this planet, at this time:



When I was little I used to ... ?

Reeeally want to be an archaeologist exploring the ruins of ancient Egypt, Greece and India! I was consumed with this dream for most of my childhood, mainly after seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark, lol! But I did go on to study History in college and am thinking about switching careers to being an archivist working with historical documents.

NIGHTS IN WHITE DENIM

Have you ever looked everywhere for a specific item of clothing, sometimes for years, without finding it? That's how it's been for me (and yeah, I do mean for years) with white jeans. I've always wanted a pair of perfect white jeans that looked good on me, but never found anything even remotely decent, even among "designer" labels. Not that I'd pay such high prices for white pants, anyway.

But fit was key. It's really hard to find even regular blue jeans that look good on me, so I'd given up hope of ever finding a white pair. But I knew they'd be perfect for me because I'm top heavy, and the white color would balance my figure well.

Until this week... meaning the past couple of days! I'd gone to Nordstrom Rack to exchange a something for my mother, when I spotted a really cool pair of white trouser-ish 7 For All Mankind jeans on a rack. Tried them on and was startled -- they looked soooo fantabulous and chic and groovy! They're the "Ginger", shown here:

I never thought I'd buy a pair of high-end white jeans, but these looked so good I was almost tempted to pay the price. Except I didn't have to: they were marked down at such a huge discount, it was like a T.J. Maxx price! Ooooh the JOY!!

And then, today, it got even better. I swung by Target this morning to get supplies for, er, that time of the month when I saw a rackfull of Xhilaration skinny jeans in different colors (including pink and turquoise!). I took a white pair to try on just for the heck of it, and they looked so hot it was almost unbelievable:

You'll have to highlight the photo to really see what they look like, but I couldn't quite believe that this pair of white jeans made even my skinny chicken legs look fab. And they cost only $21!! Doesn't get any better than that, no? ^__^

They'll be perfect for springtime!

And for summer, I also found a pair of unique and beautiful sandals on that same shopping trip with my mother:

They're the "Gracie" by Sam Edelman, on clearance at Nordstrom Rack. I adored both the tie-dye front part and the soft leather ankle ties. I can't wait to wear them in Sri Lanka this summer!

And these are the shoes my mother got:

The Puma "Sabadella PL", with cool mesh sides and awesome patent leather accents! They were really affordable ($23!), and really perfect for walking around everywhere, from the campus where she takes her degree courses to wherever she goes on her travels. I have to add that they're also particularly good for inflight wear on planes and running around airports! So if you're looking for a good travel shoe, this is one worth checking out!

Sigh. I'm longing to put away the sweaters and boots and whip out the colorful, lightweight warm-weather clothes. Spring can't come soon enough, for me.