Traveling In Style When Staying A While

Well, I've been back in the States for two and a half weeks now (kind of feels like longer), and I can't deny the fact that I miss being abroad in India with Nina. One of the biggest reasons would probably be the cold coffee that the house cook made for me and Nin any and every time we asked (SO much better than Starbucks, guys). The second reason being that it was an amazing experience to come back after 8 years and see how much things have changed. The last time I was in India, I was 13 and just starting high school- AKA a fetus.

Obviously, my biggest concerns before my month long trip were: how am I going to fit everything in 70 lbs or less and what am I even allowed to wear. Luckily, I'm a pretty decent packer, and I have a secret weapon when packing: Roll it. Literally, it saves my life. Roll all your clothes into teenie tootsie rolls and pack them like sardines. I guarantee it will save you tons of space.

My next thought: do I own anything appropriate that won't make me die of heatstroke? (Lesson learned in New Delhi when I wore a sleeveless dress above my knees and hid in a store in the midst of a market to avoid awkward peering eyes. Luckily, my brother ran back to the driver to grab me a sweatshirt and jeans which I was more than happy to wear in the muggy 80 degree weather.) The answer: cute colored jeans, flowy tops, and maxis on maxis on maxis (see Nin's next post).

Nin and I had to also pick out outfits for our first INDIAN WEDDING! Since there are seven events and five days of the wedding, we obviously needed seven new outfits! My mom and I bought a lot of our outfits from Ritu Kumar, an Indian designer, and a couple pieces from stores in New Delhi during our visit.

My favorite outfits were my lehenga- a crop top with a beautiful floor length skirt- and the saree- one long piece of fabric that is beautifully draped into an indian gown.

Sidenote: one of our drivers told Nina that she wore the saree like an indian woman, and I looked like a baby duck learning to walk. Needless to say, we know who the real indian princess is. Walking was hard enough but imagine dancing in a parade with your entire extended family throughout the city in those outfits!

 I warned Nin beforehand that she probably didn't want to spend oodles of money on Indian outfits that she would only wear once. I was so impressed with how she turned western outfits into Indo-American fusions! Here are some of our looks on each of the different events:

Event 1: Mehndi (Henna)

Event 2: Mata di Chownki

Event 3: Engagement

Event 4: Var Pooja

Event 5: Wedding (Sari Day!)

Event 6: Reception (and Finale)

Needless to say, it was definitely a trip of a lifetime with all sorts of new fashion experiences! I couldn't have asked for better companions to explore with than my family and Nina!

XO, RG & NB