Spoken Query

When a friend asked me to post an article on the most expensive things I own, I didn't like the idea of it. I believe this topic has been trending since last year where celebs, bloggers and influencers talk about the most expensive items they own.  I hate discussing these things because: A. I hate sharing anything personal. B. I find it very down market and vernacularly middle class to brag about personal possessions.  However, she finally convinced me to share it as a shopping experience about my regrets or things that I proudly own and feel happy about them. So here I go, trying my best to put my thoughts together on how I make purchase-decisions with a hope that it will help you avoid overspending on luxury items. First and foremost, unless you are super-rich, buying luxury items on EMI or outside your means and going bankrupt is stupid.  Everything I buy, I consider it as an 'investment'.  I don't consider shopping as therapeutic nor does it give me any happine...

Lately, Daniel Wellington watches have become a global sensation with almost every influencer showing off this piece of accessory on their wrists. During my recent India vacay, I saw their flagship store at a mall in Mumbai followed by celebrity endorsements and since then I have been suffering from the FOMO syndrome. In my mind, if a brand has reached my home country, it must be extremely popular. I desperately wanted a Daniel Wellington watch as my birthday present until I did some research on the Internet and came across some articles that completely convinced me to not buy this watch.  Bollywood celebs Parineeta Chopra (L), Aysuhmann Khurrana & Radhika Apte (C) and Kartik Aaryan & Nidhhi Agerwal (R) in Daniel Wellington brand campaigns in India Before starting, let me tell you that this article is not an endorsement but neither it is meant to criticize any brand or its followers. This article is rather a study on how Daniel Wellington build an empi...

Everybody loves to have many items in their closet, without burning a hole in their pockets. As a result, when you came across sites like Shein, it is natural to be blown away with their endless collection of fashion items and their budget-friendly dupes.  For those who don't know about Shein, it is an Asian online shopping site owned by ShenZhen Global E-Grow E-commerce company. Shein and similar sites such as  Zaful, Choices, SammyDress, BeckyDress, Nasty Dress, RoseGal, Twinkledeals, Trend Gal, RoseWe, TideBuy, ModLily,  and Romwe  pull images from higher-end retailers and replicate those items for a cheaper price. And, the only way to be able to sell it at a cheap price is to compromise on the quality. Hence what you’re buying is different from what is shown in the picture. It’s a hit or miss situation.  Despite that, a lot of people get addicted to these sites because, even if you know you’re getting knock-offs, it’s so cheap that you are u...

I was on the lookout for earrings to wear on my birthday when I came across the  Esperance Drop Earrings on Baublebar . The earrings are priced at $48 with free standard shipping on orders above $25. I knew I had to immediately grab it before it went out of stock. Fast forward to 72 hours later when I was casually browsing  Shein  and was amazed to see the same Baublebar (BB) earrings there for $4. From its price, I knew that it has to be a cheaply made dupe. I showed it to my husband and he advised to buy it just for the sake of comparing it with the original. He convinced me that until I saw it myself, I shouldn't be judging it's quality. Left: Baublebar Esperance Earrings ($48) Right: Shein Rhinestone Engraved Round Drop Earrings ($4) When both the earrings arrived, I noticed that the Baublebar earrings have blue rhinestones while the Shein one had green stones- that's the only difference. Also, Baublebar has it's a brand name etched behind the earrings...

Chanel, Dior, Burberry, Prada, you name it and the duo, Saba Qamar and Irrfan Khan are wearing it in this  ' Suit Suit'  song. Of course, I am not criticizing their fashion sense here. It was what the script had demanded. However, I have seen people in real life who are just loaded with brands and end up looking gaudy instead of looking stylish. 
 A scene from the movie- Hindi Medium starring Saba Qamar (L) and Irrfan Khan (R) Brands are extremely popular all over the world and the love for wearing and showing off your branded items is spreading like an epidemic, especially if you are that new rich kid on the block. For some people, it could be competition while for some shopping is just a habit. In the process of showing off, most people forget that looking fashionable doesn't necessarily mean wearing more brands. Sometimes, less is more. So friends, here are some tried and tested fashion advice on how to look classy without ending up looking like a fas...