Episode 11: Playing Dress Up With Krishna

Playing Dress Up with Krishna!

Today we went 😜 with styling hacks! Watch the fun night with @k_positiv below. Krishna is a Hamiltonian who found out about our store during our Bollywood Event last June, and she has been following us ever since. Krishna is 5’5” and has a bra size of 34C. She is a little short-waisted and has broader shoulders. Her waist measurement is 33,” and her hips are 42”. She generally wears a size medium in tops and a medium/large in bottoms. This recap will be a bit different from our usual blog posts as the playing dress-up spirit really got us, and we tried style hacks and pairings we have never done before! Enjoy the show and check out the collection linked below!

Shop Krishna's Picks here!

Front Tie Top

Krishna was drawn to this Front Tie top while looking around the store as we got set up for our live. She absolutely loved the style and it was her favourite shade of blue! This top ended up going home with  Krishna. 

Tapered Tunic 

Krishna tried on the Tapered Tunic and liked the style! She loved that it was a very comfortable style and that she won't have to worry about how she looked throughout the day! Krishna liked the embroidery of this piece and liked either side to the front. Our Tapered Tunics are one of our styles with a wider neck which may not work for some of our customers who are narrower in the shoulders. We thought the wide neckline suited Krishna's features, and she shared that she would also use the broader neckline in styling the piece as an off-the-shoulder top! Some of our younger customers, like Krishna, style this piece as a dress with chunky heels! This one, in particular, is quite sheer, so if Krishna were to style it as a dress, she would need something underneath, like our Mina slip dress. The Tapered Tunic style was a 100% yes for Krishna, who agreed that these pieces are great for those with South Asian heritage who may have grown up in a more Western lifestyle, as it is a great way to rock your heritage in a more modern style!

Shrug 

Next, Krishna tried on the Shrug, which looked amazing! She loved the flow and drape of the piece but felt it wasn't her favourite style. Krishna wished it either covered more in the front or less as it makes whatever clothing you are pairing with it underneath disappear. Ultimately, she thought the style was beautiful, but it was a maybe for her. We also tried our Shrug style hack to create a better fit along the arms or back: gather some of the fabric along the bottom of the opening, clip it, or tuck it into the back of whatever bottoms your pair with the Shrug. This fantastic hack leaves the back of the piece straight so no one can tell you have done anything, and the Shrug fits more comfortably!

Poncho 

Krishna loved the Capelet Poncho and how versatile the piece was! The Poncho is a great piece; you can wear any side to the front and create a different look! By spinning the top around, you get a kimono sleeve style, an asymmetrical poncho length, and a tunic length style! Krishna is pictured wearing the Poncho asymmetrically with the arm tucked in to create a shorter sleeve on one side. Such a fun and creative way to style the Poncho! We also tried a style hack Mira uses when working in a Poncho. Mira puts all the fabric to the back at the neck to create a cape, and you can pull it down in the front a little to create a more hi-lo style. We then tried pairing the cape style over a maxi dress after one of our lovely customers, Margo Croteau, suggested putting them together for a very classy look! This is where our playing dress-up started to descend into fashion chaos!

Short Kaftan

Krishna tried on the Short Kaftan after the Midi Kaftan. We were interested to see if this style was as elongating as the Midi. She loved the Short Kaftan style and was slowly falling in love with all of SariKNOTsari! She loved that each piece felt so comfortable and flattering for the body. The drape of many of our styles comes out and then skims down, so you never have to worry about your appearance; you can feel confident! Krishna thought that the Short Kaftan was an excellent piece for her closet, and it was made from such a soft sari. When styling it for herself, Krishna said she would pair it with long boots or jeans and liked tucking the bottom corner in. Krishna also said she would want to wear something underneath, like a slip dress or different underpinnings.

Midi Kaftan

The Midi Kaftan was a real winner for Krishna; she absolutely loved the style! We were interested to see whether the long style would suit Krishna, and it was just perfect for her! The midi length elongated Krishna's figure; a common feature among South Asian women is for them to be short-waisted, so pieces that cut off at the hip highlight the short waist. In contrast, something cut longer, like the Midi Kaftan, elongates their figure. Furthermore, by trying on the Midi Kaftan, we realized that the V neck flatters Krishna's features more than the rounded neck. Because Krishna has a shorter neck and a more oval face, adding the V adds to the overall length as more skin is visible. We realized that the Midi Kaftan was the style for Krishna, so we just had to focus on finding the perfect fabric! Krishna first tried on the purple Midi Kaftan, and it looked beautiful as it brightened up her complexion and popped. We thought it was the winner, but then she tried on the Peach Midi, and we knew we had found the perfect piece. The peach Midi Kaftan is made out of chiffon silk, a material much lighter than the georgette, the two types of sheer silks we carry, so the drape and flow will be gorgeous because they are so thin. The peach was flattering with the black underpinnings underneath as it elongated and defined her natural figure. The style was a complete yes, and she loved the peach Midi Kaftan as she couldn't get over the fabric. 

Sculptural Tunic Dress

Krishna shared that she loves peacock greens and blues, so as soon as we saw this Sculptural Tunic Dress, we knew she had to try it on! It even paired perfectly with the peacock Mary Francis bag! So cute! She loved the drape and the cut on the bottom of the dress. While Krishna was trying on the dress, one of our viewers asked about what size the dress fits up to. The Sculptural Tunic Dress fits comfortably up to someone who is a 38C as the style is tight around the bust but flares out just underneath, so there is room for your hips, and you get a beautiful skirt. Krishna loved this piece, especially the pattern.

Self Pocket Dress

 

When Krishna first put on the Self-Pocket Dress, she had it on backwards, and it still looked gorgeous! The pocket may be on the backside; however, the back seam down the center creates a beautiful shape that channels the very tailored look of the 60s. Once the dress was turned to the original styling with the pocket to the front, Krishna loved the style even more! She found it less boxy this way and loved the pocket in the dress. Krishna was so sweet and positive to work with. We had such a blast styling and having fashion fun with her!

Phryne Dress 

Krishna was drawn to the Phryne dress when looking around the store. First, she tried on a size medium in Nemesia (on the right) and liked it; however, she felt it was a bit roomy on the shoulders. This was unexpected for Krishna as she shared that she usually fitted a medium well and was surprised there was still more room in the dress. Krishna then tried on the small in Zinnia (on the left), which looked amazing on her and was so flattering! She felt more comfortable in the small and absolutely loved the colour of the coral, a definitive yes! Because the Brynn Walker is so well-tailored and quite generously made in a beautiful fabric, Krishna, who thought she would initially be a medium, could fit an XS if we had it!

Phryne Dress with Shrug

We tried pairing it with the Shrug in a strike of creativity and loved the look! The Shrug highlighted the beautiful sleeves on the Phryne dress, and the funky pattern created a remarkable contrast. Priya shared that through working in fashion, her sense of style has started opening up as she has begun letting go of certain fashion 'faux pas". She loved the ruffle sleeve of the Phryne dress with the Shrug, even though it was a pairing only a few would initially try, as both have dramatic sleeves. Krishna also loved the look and thought the styling was so fun!

Boxy Babydoll Dress

By this point in our dress-up, Krishna had so much joy embracing that childlike fun and just playing dress-up! We were overjoyed that she was enjoying her time as that is the goal of our playing dress up's with you all: to feel no pressure to buy at all and have a chance to escape into the world of fabrics, silks, fun, and nostalgia of playing with clothes! The following style Krishna tried on was the Boxy Babydoll Dress. She tried on the brown dress first and put it on backwards again! However, with all our clothes, it doesn't matter which side is to the front as they are fully reversible! The brown dress was gorgeous, with the Fuschia detailing made of satin. Although she loved the fabric, Krishna wanted to try on a crepe Babydoll Dress as the brown one was too sheer. We chose a buttery soft floral Boxy Babydoll for Krishna to try on, as it was a gorgeous crepe, and she loves roses. Krishna absolutely loved this Boxy Babydoll Dress and couldn't get over the pattern. The dress's background colour is grey, making the flowers pop more without it being overwhelming. Krishna preferred the non-sheer Boxy Babydoll, so she didn't have to worry about underpinnings but mostly couldn't get over the fabric. So luxurious!

Maxi Dress 

Maxi Dress with Poncho

While we were playing around with styling the Capelet Poncho, it was suggested we pair the Poncho styled as a cape with our Maxi Dress, so we raced to grab one! She looked gorgeous in the maxi dress before we even added the Poncho! We styled the Maxi Dress to create a deeper V by spinning the dress so that the side that typically goes to the armpit is moved to the front. We found through trying on the other styles in the store that a deep V or V neckline suits Krishna. We styled the Poncho as a cape over the Maxi Dress, and we realized it looked like the dreamiest dupatta, a length of material worn as a scarf in places like India! In the picture above, Krishna has styled the Poncho as the kimono sleeve length with one side tucked into her shirt sleeve to create an asymmetrical look.

Maxi Dress with Vest 

Once we styled the Capelet Poncho with the Maxi Dress, we wanted to see what else we could play around with! We tried styling the Vest with the Maxi Dress, and although it wasn't the right shade of green, we started to get a good idea of how you could play with the styles. We first tried the Vest as an asymmetrical top over the Maxi Dress, a very quick yet elegant look! Then, we tried a styling technique that our coworker Ryan thought up on one of our mannequins: he put the Vest over the Maxi Dress, tied the belt through the arms, pulling the belt from the outside to the inside of the arm, creating an empire waist. He then tied the belt at the back under the Vest. When we recreated this technique, we had the shorter side to the front however having the longer side to the front instead would suit the dress pairing better. Krishna loved the Vest Maxi Dress pairing and the perfect layering effect created through the styling technique. We, along with our viewers, thought she looked like Cinderella!

Maxi Dress with Hi Lo

Krishna then tried on the Hi-Lo top, one of the staff's favourite styles, on top of the Maxi Dress. We felt this pairing was a lot of fabric and wasn't doing anything for Krishna, so we tried belting it with one of our sashes for a thicker belt to create more of a figure. We belted the Hi-Lo through the arms, tying it behind the back under the back of the top. It made such a gorgeous ethereal look! Krishna loved the styling; she loved how it was structured in the front and flowy in the back, creating a lovely little cape. We were so in love with the look we called over Shefali, and she joined us for the rest of the fashion chaos!

Maxi Dress with Midi Kaftan 

While playing around, one of our viewers, Margo, suggested styling the Maxi Dress with the Midi Kaftan on top. We found that when it was full length, you lost the dress skirt and thus the intention of combining the fabrics. So, with Shefali, the fashionista leading the charge, we created a styling technique on the spot. We hiked up the Midi Kaftan, bunching it in the back. We tied one of our sashes around Krishna's waist, tying the bow first. Finally, we tucked the bunched fabric into the bow to secure it. The result was just fantastic! The long bow at the back was adorable and looked so sweet in contrast to the brown of the Kaftan. The Kaftan over the dress was such an elegant look, way to go, Margo, for the idea! This styling and the others we tried this night were very easy. It was fantastic! If you enjoyed these creative stylings, definitely purchase a ticket for our fashion show in collaboration with Masala Gala to raise funds and attention towards human trafficking here in Canada and India. We have been crafting some fantastic looks with our silks, and the show will be at the Gage Greenhouse!

Maxi Dress with Kimono Sleeved Duster 

 

The final styling we tried with this Maxi Dress was pairing it with a dark Duster. We belted the Duster open with the bow to the back so the dress wasn't completely hidden. Krishna loved the contrast of the dark Duster with the light dress and how it pulled from the red in the skirt. This pairing goes to show how fabrics are so surprising! We have had this Maxi Dress for some time at the store and never realized how well it matched so many of our other pieces! A perfect base for creative fashion!

Jumpsuit 

Jumpsuit with Vest 

After loving the styling techniques we tried with the Maxi Dress, we were excited to see how to style the Jumpsuit. We love styling the Jumpsuit with a little top underneath like Krishna has here. Krishna loved the Jumpsuit and the option of having the dual pattern on one side or the floral on the other. We first paired a Vest with the Jumpsuit styled as an asymmetrical top with the shorter side to the front (pictured above). She looked terrific, and it was such a classic look! We thought that the shape created with the two styles was very similar to the shape created when wearing a sari or other Indian clothing! Krishna agreed, saying she felt like she was off to yoga because of how flowy the outfit was and how light she felt. Krishna couldn't get over the colours of the Vest as the pattern was made up of a very cool shade of green that seemed like a grey. Only when the Vest is paired with the Jumpsuit does the actual colour of the green come forth, a very neutral piece that worked to create such a whimsical look!

Jumpsuit with Boxy Top 

Focusing on using the Jumpsuit as harem pants, we paired the floral Jumpsuit with an essential solid Boxy Top. You must build further for this look through accessories like our statement necklaces from Suzie Blue. For this look, we layered one of the pink and grey mixed-shape necklaces with a Suzie Blue pink heart pendant necklace. Having this chunky jewellery added to the look while maintaining that light feel by styling wooden jewellery. At this point in the night, we were praising Krishna at this point for being such a positive, willing participant in our fashion ideas as we just kept throwing different fabrics and styles at her all night

Jumpsuit with Kimono Sleeved Top

Next, we tried pairing the Kimono Sleeve Top with the Jumpsuit. We first tried the green one (pictured on the left) and absolutely loved it! Shefali is the styling queen of our store, putting two fabrics together we would never think to use! Shefali saw the vision, sharing that these two pieces work together because they are both cool tones while the solid colour of the green pops and elevates the outfit. With this Kimono Sleeved Top, we used the belt to crop and secure the top over the Jumpsuit, blousing it at the back to create a hi-lo look. Once we tried the green Kimono Sleeve Top, we had to try another, so we grabbed a beautiful coral piece. Krishna loved this one even more than the last, as she loves pink so much! Krishna was giddy over this outfit because she looked and felt amazing! And we couldn't agree more!

Jumpsuit with Kimono Sleeved Jacket  

The last style we tried with this Jumpsuit was the Kimono Sleeved Jacket. We styled this vibrant pink and blue jacket by tying it in the front to create a blouse-like top. Although both patterns may seem busy, they work together similarly to the Kimono Sleeve top and the Jumpsuit, as the solid bright colour pairs nicely with the overall grey tones. We didn't end up using the belt to secure the jacket, so our innovative Shefali came in to turn the belt into an accessory. She wrapped the belt around Krishna's wrist to create a fabulous bracelet. Krishna loved the look and thought it was so funky!

We wanted to try a different jumpsuit, especially one that is more colourful and embroidered, as we carry many jumpsuits with such gorgeous designs and handwork. We tied this jumpsuit as a halter top to see what it would look like with a different neckline when paired with our other pieces. We found a beautiful Kimono Sleeved Jacket with the same colours and lovely sparkle detailing. First, we styled it the same as the last jacket, tying it in the front to create a fantastic blouse-like jacket. Next, we tried a styling technique Mira has been rocking, in which she styles the jacket the same way but wears it backwards so that the opening is to the back. She then secures the top at the length she prefers by tying the belt around her waist. Krishna loved the look; she felt it would be perfect for an event and loved how the patterns complimented each other. When tied this way, it creates a Kimono Sleeve top with more coverage in the front with a gorgeous open back that highlights whichever beautiful fabric you pair underneath.