Statements and Contrasts.

I absolutely love making a statement. Seldom with words, but mostly with my outfit or accessories. The best part of Indian outfits is the choice of color, texture and the opportunity to accentuate anything with jewelry that suits your style. Having lived outside India for several years, I've found myself starved of color or the opportunity to wear contrasting clothes, and often resort to plain old whites and grays. In this look, I've paired two contrasting yet complimentary colors and if that wasn't making enough of a statement already, I threw on a pair of oversized kundan chandbalis to really bring the look together (or so I think!).

I bought this saree from Nalli for a humble sum of 500 Rupees (~ $9). It's faux chiffon and super lightweight, and I absolutely loved the fact that it was plain, with a very simple gold piping on the pallu. The best part about plain sarees like this one is that it pairs well with a printed/textured blouse, and let's your blouse make the statement. The brocade blouse featured here is from Utsav Fashion. Buying blouses online can be tricky as every designer has a different size chart. But if you are willing to work a few stitches (hello YouTube tutorials!) in case of any minor fitting issues, you could definitely pull it off!

Let me take a moment to instate my everlasting romance with oversized jewelry. If you read my previous post, you probably noticed me sporting big chunky jewelry for a lot of my outfits, be it a saree or a lehenga. As with everyone's taste and comfort level with jewelry, my personal definition of "less is more" is also different. Once I have my outfit on, I always settle for a statement piece when it comes to jewelry. Be it a large pair of embellished earrings or a large head piece or a bold necklace. It's usually always the eye-catcher, or the conversation-starter and essentially the one item that just pulls the whole look together. Which is also why I sometimes work my outfits around my jewelry. Moreover, statement jewelry can take even an average outfit to the next level.

For example, in the picture below, I styled the same brocade blouse with a red kota silk saree and wore a kundan statement choker as the only (noticeable) piece of jewelry.

In the outfit below, the messy side braid and the plain gold blouse provided just enough opportunity for a jhoomar and a double-stranded kundan neckpiece to bring the look together.

Here's an example of how I added a bit of attention to a simple muted saree by throwing on a pair of chunky silver earrings and an oversized nosepin.

(I definitely have some face angles better suited for pictures, so they come up often!)

As I said earlier, the outfit and jewelry you pick is a personal choice that works for your comfort level. Fashion is not just what looks good, but also what feels good! As for me, I'd any day prefer one or maybe two (if the occasion calls for it!) bold pieces of jewelry to mix and match with outfits, rather than a few delicate pieces that would go unnoticed.

Hope you enjoyed this post! See you in the next one :)

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Tags: #statementjewelry #kundan