When it comes to my wardrobe, I have come a long way. After I turned 25, I knew I had to do something about my closet full of trendy items. So I dedicated one of my Saturdays about few years ago to edit my closet. Yes, it took me an entire day to accomplish my goal but I am glad I did it. To me, getting rid of trendy items from my closet wasn’t about getting rid of my fashion taste, it just meant incorporating more classic items and having fun mixing and matching pieces. As I look back after three years, my wardrobe now looks cleaner, cuter and better than it has ever been.

Start With Classic Pieces

When it comes to fashion, classic items are always in! A nice structured blazer can take you from your office to an evening work party. So invest in pieces that are timeless and classy. A nice black blazer and a classy trench are definitely great fashion staples and must-have items for every woman working in a professional environment.

Choose Neutrals

Bright colors are great but neutrals like black, brown, white, tan navy, gray and cream are practical choices if you are a career woman. One can always pair neutrals with brights by adding a colorful necklace or a bright bag. One can build an outfit around neutrals and they add character to your overall outfit.

Think Basics

A great wardrobe consists of basics. These are items that you wear on a day to day basis, and can be easily layered with other pieces in your wardrobe. Basics consist of a great pair of black pants, a white button up shirt, black pumps, a little black dress, a nice polished blazer, couple of cardigans in various colors, a little black dress, a fitted pencil skirt, a nice statement purse and some elegant pieces of jewelry. Incorporating basics play a huge role in building a functional wardrobe, therefore next time when you are ready to update your wardrobe- think basics!

Avoid Flashy and Trendy Pieces

I have always loved trends and I still do. However, I do think twice about buying trendy pieces a lot. Trends are fun, but putting too much of emphasis on trendy items all the time is costly and might not be the most practical solution to building a wardrobe. When I go out, I don’t mind mixing one or two trendy pieces because it definitely adds a personality to your outfit but I try to keep it understated. You definitely don’t want to wear the same thing that your daughter is wearing.

Does It Fit Me?

This is a great question that you should ask yourself when buying clothes. A lot of times, we buy things because we want to buy it and it makes us feel good about ourselves. However, we forget to ask questions like: Does it look right? Does it fit me? Understand your body well and see what works for you and what doesn’t. If you know a good seamstress or a tailor, take your garments to him/her. It’s worth spending a little extra on alteration, if you know you will wear the item for a long time. Dragging your pants to the floor is definitely not flattering!

Seek Inspiration

I always tell my friends that “as humans, we might not know everything but we can definitely learn.” I stick to this mantra even when it comes to fashion because it works. I have definitely evolved over the years when it comes to my fashion choices. I get inspired by reading fashion magazines, fashion blogs and sometimes just observing fashion on the street. It’s never too late to learn!

Images: Express trench coat; Ann Taylor blazer; Old Navy cardigans; J Crew pencil skirt; Forever 21 sequin dress

Fall is just around the corner and I am so excited. It’s my favorite season when it comes to fashion and style. This fall season, designers are all about sexy, classy, and chic clothes. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to invest in good fitted blazers and classy dresses that can take you from your office to a cocktail party.

Dresses are going to make a huge comeback this fall and you’ll be seeing them in all different colors such as camel, mustard yellow, brown, army green, beige, lighter shades of red etc. Other trends that you will probably see a lot this season are: kitten heels, red lips, late 50s and early 60s dresses with clinched waists, and animal prints.

So, with the fall fashion in mind, I took the liberty to style one of my friends to give my readers a glimpse of some of the upcoming fall looks. As a career woman myself, I tend to go back and forth on career clothes for fall. Just because you have an 9-5 job doesn’t mean, you can’t step out of the box and try new style items this season. Even though my friend Shree, who is a software engineer, likes to stick to basic black and grey; this time around  she is ready to experiment a little bit with her fall fashion while staying true to her personal style.

My model Shree loves classic dresses but she doesn’t mind sporting some trendy shoes. Therefore, with her personal style in mind, I created these seven looks from her closet that are not only age appropriate but also fit her lifestyle and are work appropriate.

It was so much fun to photograph and style her.

Monday

Dress: Rafaella Sports Wear; Shoes: Guess Peep Toes; Bangles: Forever 21; Belt: Limited; Glasses: Vera Wang

Love the modern black and white dress. It works very well for Mondays when you need that motivation to start your day after the weekend. The peep toes work great on dresses like this, plus they make your legs look longer. Adding a belt to the dress will create the perfect waist, so don’t shy away from adding accessories.

Tuesday

Dress: Calvin Klein; Shoes: Bandolina; Purse: local boutique

This Calvin Klein dress is versatile. You can add a fitted blazer, a fall cardigan and even some chunky scarves during the evenings. You can experiment when it comes to shoes on dresses like these. Personally, I’d add some high heels but my model loves kitten heels. Therefore, adding the Bandolina kitten heels (from the picture) give you that classic feel while the brown belt adds a modern touch to the overall look.

Wednesday

Dress: Target; Boyfriend blazer: Target; Shoes: Bandolina; Bangles: Forever 21

I love this green dress from Target. It’s one of those basic dresses that you can change so much with accessories. Add a boyfriend blazer on this dress to look polished and add a chunky necklace and bangles for a flirtatious feel.

Thursday

Dress: Michael Kors; Belt: Express; Shoes: Nordstrom; Blazer: Target

I love the color of this dress. It is so fall. The subtle prints on this Michael Kors dress give you a feminine vibe and adding a fitted blazer gives you a polished touch. Add a belt on the blazer to make the outfit look more structured.

Though while at work, I usually suggest people to play safe in terms of shoes…when I saw these shoes in my model’s closet, I couldn’t help but use it for my fall style project. Even though, these shoes from Nordstrom bring a huge contrast to the outfit, sometimes adding a pair of shoes that’s a little bit of a contrast sends out a message that you’re not afraid to take risks (fashion or otherwise).

Friday

Dress Shirt: Gap; Shoes: Franco Sarto; Earrings: Aldo

Shirtdresses are perfect for Fridays. It’s comfortable yet not too causal. If you’re not a jeans person like I me, there’s a shirtdress for you. Add some colorful shoes and accessories if you want. There’s nothing better than adding some fall color-inspired accessories to welcome the beautiful season.

Saturday

Dress: Merona Target; Shoes: Bakers; Bangles: Aldo

This dress from Target is perfect for Saturdays while meeting some coworkers for dinner and drinks. The slight color contrast on the shoes adds a perfect touch to the dress while some gold bangles balance it out to create a perfect harmony.

Sunday

Dress: Gap denim dress; Shoes: Anne Klein; Animal print scarf: local boutique

Sundays are for relaxing. So, slip into a comfy dress like this one and add some accessories like an animal print scarf or even nerdy hipster glasses for a change. This denim dress is trendy right now and works great with a pair of colorful flats.

All pictures courtesy of author

I like to think of myself as a fashionable girl. I follow Fashion Week and I love anything Manish Arora. I love the merging of Western design with my beloved Indian culture.

Except for this.

Last week, during Australia’s Fashion Week, Lisa Blue sent an offensive swimsuit down the runway that has enraged millions of Hindus across the world.

Using the Goddess Lakshmi as a graphic design, the company took artistic liberties as they placed one of Hinduism’s most sacred and revered goddess on the backside of a model. With no regard for the sanctity of the image, the company has managed to blacklist itself within the Hindu community.

While the company has since issued an apology and removed the swimsuit from its product line, the fact still remains that the company did not realize that by putting a sacred image on the private parts of a woman might be considered offensive by some people.

This situation is unfortunately all too common for the Hindu community. Because of our many representations of gods and goddesses with rich histories, our religion is often hijacked for entertainment purposes.

Hopefully this incident has taught other companies (and Lisa Blue) to think twice before using another religion’s imagery.

Images from nymag.com

by Simerjeet Sahota

I vaguely remember back in June or July, buying a pretty sweet lace overlay shirt.  I heart that shirt so dearly to this day.  And so I ventured forward in this lace business and bought a skirt (albeit the $10 price tag helped) with a lace overlay.  Great.  And then, because I so often get carried away with these minor trends, I bought a panel tank top with, you guessed it, lace.  Now imagine my surprise, when, what I just dubbed a “minor trend”, is so full blown, I’m actually a little sick to my stomach.   It’s everywhere, EVERYWHERE.  And on everything.  Jackets and hoodies….headbands…even socks! (Oh the humanity).  And while sometimes its tastefully done, other times you run the risk of looking like a doily (which, thanks spell check, cause I had no idea how to spell that).  I’m gonna give you some options here (and by no means am I implying that this is the right way to wear lace…I’m actually stating it.  Assertively.  As a fact), hopefully giving some insight to the lace trend.  And if not at least you can just cover up my stupid faces and look at some clothes.

My “Yes I just finished supervising migrant workers in Cuba” outfit:

Lace Tank: Forever 21, Something less then $20.  Refer to this.

Pants/Belt: H&M, $35 (Don’t worry if you can’t see the detail/entire pant.  I will be doing a whole post on them. I. Love. Them. So. Much.)

Hat: Wilson Leather Outlet, $20 (but I think it was on sale for like 20% of.  You do the math, nerd)

My “attempting three trends at once” outfit (I’m trying to colorblock.  And do different fabrics [those shorts are brocade. wow parenthetical within parenthetical.  Can you get any more confusing].  I think it turned out pretty cool).

Also my “Supa dupa trendy outfit that I’ll be so ashamed of in 6 months” outfit.

Tank: Forever, $12.00

Shorts: Banana Republic, $30

Purse: H&M, $10ish

Shoes: Guess, $60

And how cool is my pose? Thanks yoga, thanks.

My “lace is so ladylike” outfit.   And my “mixing patterns” outfit.  Okay and also my “holy hell I love stripes” outfit.

Cardigan: Gift (it’s an Express men’s cardigan)

Sweater: Kohl’s, $15

Belt: From my H&M pants, above

Skirt: Kohl’s, $10

My “hope you got your Target collabo dress cause here’s mine” outfit:

This dress is lace print – its not real lace, the fabric has a lace print on it. Aw yeah.

Dress: Rodarte for Target, $40

Lace tights: Rue 21, $15 (came in a pack of two)

Purse: vintage

So what have we learned exactly about lace? It kinda goes with anything.  And it kinda comes in all different styles from lace print to tights.  I guess my life lesson to you is: go for it.  Lace is da bomb.  Just make sure it’s not super itchy.  That. Is. The. Worst.  So look for quality lace. Or at least one that has lining.

You can read more of Simerjeet’s fashion posts on her blog at ohfash.onsugar.com.

Let’s just discuss how ridiculous this post has become.  No wait, ridiculous doesn’t even been to describe it.  “Colossal waste of brain cells” seems much much more appropriate.  What the hell India? I didn’t know you were so exclusive about your fashion week photos.  It’s taken me two weeks to find literally ANY photos.  TWO WEEKS. Yes, I wasn’t looking every day but I’m a child of the technology age – if I can’t find something online within 20 minutes, it’s probably not worth my time. Still, I stuck through it – wasting copious amounts of time and energy.  And then at the end of it – I found a few on Getty and was forced to choose from a small sample.  Not the way I operate.  Not the way I operate at all.  And and and, apparently India has TWO fashion weeks, one in Bombay and one in New Delhi.  Not that I mind – but no wait I kind of do.  Two fashion weeks coupled with the fact that some of the labels on the pictures stated the show was previewing 2010 fashion and not 2011 fashion was…f ing frustrating to say the least.  Get your ish together India.  How am I going to take you seriously on the world stage when you can’t even let me jack some of your fashion week pictures?

Anyway, aside from my mortal struggles, here’s some of the most beautiful and unique garments that caught my eye.  I’m doing this for a variety of reasons. The most obvious, I’m kinda Indian, meaning, I am Indian.  That comes with the territory of loving prints, bright colors, and voluminous skirts.  But most importantly, I’m offering this for your viewing pleasure, to give you something a little different.  While trends are trends across the board (leggings anyone) they’re worn differently (here: colors, paired with those voluminous, ballerina type skirts) in any given location.  And fashion is nothing but 98% imitation and 2% innovation  (Another trend I loved – these long cord belts.  Yes. Yes I will be rocking that.  Just saying).  I included some traditional Indian things along with some more modern pieces because, like I thought, Indian fashion week is NOT limited to just Indian fashion (I’m ignorant like that).  Finally, I want to encourage you to look up pieces from Shanghai, L.A., or Berlin – fashion week isn’t just reserved for Milan and Paris, New York and London.  Just as a warning though, it may take you two weeks to actually find pictures.

Side note: it took me a day and a half to figure out how to upload the photos I got from Fabsugar’s helpful supply of Getty photos into a photo gallery.  Don’t ask.  Just don’t ask.

Alpana and Neeraj Paging Lady Gaga or at the least, Rihanna. This piece is so fly and futuristic. I love the color combo and fabric choice. Also the gloves. The gloves rock my world.

Charu Parashar I like the mix of colors and patterns. And the headdress is just the right amount of inappropriateness for me.

Chitrangada Singh Lady-like and ethereal. Soft fabric, soft color, and the perfect amount of sparkle. I don't think I'd ever take it off.

Gayatri Khanna I picked this one because while everything else was color and vibrance, this was a lot more simple and refined (aside from the little bit of sparkle on the shoulder) while still being wholly unique.

Kavita Bhartia I'm in love with square necklines and (tasteful) shoulder embellishments. The muted color combination and the fun skirt are just the icing on the cake.

You can find more of Simerjeet’s selections from India’s Fashion Week at http://fashionrehab.onsugar.com/India-Fashion-Week-SS-2011-11856207.

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/11/i-have-never-been-so-confused-by-my-culture/feed/ 1 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/11/wait-does-or-doesnt-the-national-mall-have-a-hm/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/11/wait-does-or-doesnt-the-national-mall-have-a-hm/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:31:15 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=2310 by Simerjeet Sahota- Ohio State Graduate

After a few lackluster posts (I’m admitting it.  They have been very ‘meh’ since fashion week wrapped), I’m back to fighting form.  Not to say that this post is going to be awesome – don’t let my use of positive language let you come to that conclusion.  In fact, it’ll be mediocre at best.  I’ll just feel better about it. And really, that’s kind of all that matters.

Anyway, whilst traveling to the nation’s capital (That’s Washington, D.C. you poorly educated Americans, you) to attend the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear (hosted by the supremely smart and dashing Jon Stewart.  This was an unnecessary parenthetical.  Or was it?) I contemplated what one wears to a political rally.  Nothing I have ever read has ever discussed this obvious fashion dilemma.  So I thought about what people, historically, would have worn.  And no offense right to assemble, but I’m not a girl that does slogan t shirts.  I like t shirts, don’t get me wrong.  But i don’t necessarily invest in ones with messages (unless you count the Ninja Turtles as a message.  They are highly regarded in some circles).  So I had two that I was debating between and my criteria was this: comfort, cool nonchalance, and as always as always, let’s be different here.  I’m proud to say that no one was wearing anything close to what i was wearing.  Mission accomplished.  (Plus I got to incorporate the gun necklace.  There’s success if I’ve ever seen it).

I rocked the “America” Dress, appropriately. vintage, $40ish.

Jacket, Forever 21, $16

Socks, American Apparel, $16

Boots, Nordstrom, $60

Scarf, Target, $7

Bag, Mulberry for Target, $30

Sweet Poster, Megan Znidarsic (Thanks!)

Other options: Button down, black jeans, boots, and jacket. Or hey do like the girl next to me, sweatshirt it up.  Because honestly, this is one area where there’s no fast and furious (I don’t know that “fast and furious” applies here but I’m using it anyway) rules.  Number one: you should always be comfortable.  This goes for anything that you’re wearing, EVER.  If you don’t feel comfortable you won’t look good. PERIOD.  (I wonder how many definitives I can use to get this message across…).  That goes for shoes too.  I’m the master of wearing stilettos to the mall.  That doesn’t mean I should. Similarly, wearing heels to something where you’ll be walking and on your feet for hours may not work for you.  Finally, think about temperature.  Layers are usually your best friend.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t wear your “Love not War” t shirt (or whatever else the kids are saying these days) – that’s the utter beauty of a rally.  You can wear what you want and I’m pretty sure someone there will be wearing a lot worse (like say a diaper.  and a sombrero.  Together).   Really it’s about civil discourse and, oh I don’t know, exercising your basic first amendment rights (after you’ve gotten proper permits and bypassed all of the proper red tape of course). There is nothing sexier then people who can intelligently speak their minds.  No matter what you’re wearing.  And while I’m hanging out on this soapbox, I want to remind people to vote.  You can’t complain about who’s running the country if you don’t (I’m pretty sure that’s being worked into the Constitution somewhere). Also, it’s cool to vote.  Unless of course you’re me.  And you have the crazy idea that the people that we elect are worthless and maybe we need to rethink some things.  Also unless you’re me and voting would just max you out on cool points.  And then where would I be?

Finally don’t forget awesome awesome signs.  Say something, don’t say something, just be fucking hilarious (required criteria of signs)

*The person who said this, for their own safety, shall remain nameless.  Mostly because they’re stupid.

(In case you were wondering why I didn’t do a halloween costume post, it’s because i HATE Halloween.  Here’s a descending numerical list why:

3.  I hate that girls feel the need to dress extremely slutty and crass.  Why? Why? Why? You’re better than that.

2.  I hate wearing a costume all night long.  Remember that thing about being comfortable? Well i feel the opposite of that in a costume.

1.  It’s dumb.  Nothing about Halloween is fun.  You can’t find a cab, you can’t go somewhere without it being ridiculously crowded.  It’s a lame excuse to have no inhibitions.  You’re going to regret it in the morning, definitely going to regret it in the morning.)

You can read more of Simerjeet’s posts on her blog at http://fashionrehab.onsugar.com/.

]]> http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/11/wait-does-or-doesnt-the-national-mall-have-a-hm/feed/ 1 http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/10/change-is-coming/ http://browngirlmagazine.com/2010/10/change-is-coming/#comments Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:41:54 +0000 browngirlmag http://browngirlmagazine.com/?p=2177 photography by Thuy Ly

Feeling the weather outside? Temperatures are dropping, colors are changing, and we’re gearing up for the fall. And the best part about October? Halloween, yes, but it’s also Brown Girl’s Birthday!

October’s cover girl, Barkha Naik, helps us bring in the fall and the birthday festivities!

Hometown: Longview, TX

Age: 27 will be 28 Oct 13th!

What you do: I’m a Montessori teacher.

Your dream/goals in life: My dream is to live on a tropical island (haha) and my goal in life is to open up a Montessori school or a Private Preschool.

Hobbies/Talents: I love to shop, paint when I have time, and decorate.  Talents are painting. I’m an outdoor person, I like trying new things and new foods.

A Brown Girl you admire:  Madhuri Dixit

What you love about being a Brown Girl: I love our culture/food/music, and that our culture imbibes the purest meaning of respect.

Inspirational Brown Girl quote: My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.- Indira Gandhi

You can see the complete Fall shoot on our flickr page or facebook fan page!

I took on a monumental task this week.

Herculean, if you will.

I decided, because I’m a pretty nice person on (only) Wednesdays – well, most Wednesdays – that I would, for you dear dear reader, summarize New York Spring 2011 Fashion Week.  Well, while I was caught up in my Gossip Girl/30 Rock marathons, I failed to keep up with the shows (they’re posted online at style.com).  But hey, how many shows could there be, right? I could totally catch up.  Give me an hour or two at work, an hour or two on Saturday.  Done and done.

I was wrong.

There was a ridiculous amount of shows. And try my best, I and my 6 year old laptop could not handle each show.  And, I realized, why should it? Yes, every collection will have a great piece, something to “discover” or to be worn all over the red carpets.  I won’t front, I absolutely enjoy being the first to stumble upon an amazing piece, but there’s a limit to looking at clothes.  Or so I’ve come to realize.  What I gained the most pleasure out of was seeing the shows of designers that I loved: Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, L’Wren Scott, etc.  So, while I am posting pictures of great clothes from great designers (yes, in photo gallery style! What the what?), don’t be dissuaded from checking out your favorite designers.

Check out the complete gallery at Simerjeet’s blog: http://fashionrehab.onsugar.com/best-New-York-Spring-Fashion-Week-2011-11101215

3.1 Philip Lim Wow oh wow. I love this coat. I'm on an awesome quest to find a great trench coat and this one is envy-worthy.

Alice + Olivia Fun, colorful, and oh-so lady-like. Also, I'm currently leaning toward liking these cape-type coats. This one's made of lace. Plus.

Altuzarra This dress is so different and so chic at the same time. White is definitely the color next spring.

Anna Sui I only picked this because I like the fringe. And I usually hate fringe. So very very much. Also, the print blows my mind.

Recently, BG sat down with Iram Zaidi, the Co-Founder and Chief Business Development Officer of Profound Aesthetic. The hip young t-shirt company had recently caught our eye not only for its fashionable tees, but for do-good attitude.

According to Zaidi, Profound Aesthetic is a clothing brand designed to inspire and spark innovation as a creative outlet of expression delivered through the universal language of art on a “t-shirt”. Each piece is carefully designed by the staff to be visually appealing and also present a positive message.

“[The brand] renders a positive message, pushing the limits of intellectual creativity and at the same time fitting an eclectic taste in fashion, suitable for every citizen of humanity,” said Zaidi of Profound Aesthetic’s goals as a business and design company.

The Company began as a collaborative effort between Zaidi, her brother Faraz Zaidi, and her cousin Nabil Zaidi while driving back from a road trip from Chicago in 2007.

“With seventeen hours to kill, a lot of topics  came up and we somehow stumbled upon a general consensus: there is a serious lack of substance in the t-shirt market and we were going to make that change,” said Zaidi.

Profound Aesthetic was officially founded in August of 2008 after the team found a name they all loved.  After that, the pieces seemed to fall into place. Zaidi purchased the domain name, developed the website, and began marketing the brand through Myspace and Facebook. Their first tee, “Peace By Piece” started it all.

“When Ferdinand Porsche, founder of Porsche couldn’t find a car that fit what he was seeking in an automobile, he built his very own. That was our precise motive behind Profound Aesthetic. The three of us are a team of artists, graphic designers, musicians, philosophers, photographers,  and thinkers who are driven by the idea of every individual regardless of race or creed, status or disposition, to be able to pick up a shirt and wear it with pride and appreciate it for its message,” said Zaidi.

Profound Aesthetic is a three person team in which every person contributes their own talents. The respective roles have been distributed to ensure that every aspect of the company’s goals is covered even though. Even then, their roles overlap.

“Essentially, Faraz is the President and designer, turning our vision and concept into a reality by developing a design that is then printed onto a t-shirt. Nabil is the Marketing Director and mainly keeps us informed of any sort of events that will be beneficial to us. In addition to that, he has a “street team” of students from all over the country that help in distribution of flyers and marketing pieces. Lastly, I take care of every aspect of the business from booking events, to taking care of e-commerce orders through our online store, to customer relations, to sales and expanding Profound Aesthetic into retailers all across the globe.”

Faraz, a graduate from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and a top notch graphic designer that has worked with fortune 500 companies develops all the graphics from scratch. However, many new design concepts are a collaborative effort. Each design has its own story from where the idea come from and how it came to fruition.

“The “Create the Sound” tee was a concept developed after  watching a Spike Lee movie from the early 90′s. We discussed the transitioning of how the creation of music has evolved over the years. It was certainly an epiphany; a keyboard on Nabil’s shoulders as a visual to this magnificent concept. Nabil was the model, I did the photography and Faraz turned it into a graphic. It was magical and a true example of our collaborative efforts,” said Zaidi.

Other design concepts have even been developed by their fans. The “Universal Tee” was developed when Profound Aesthetics did a show in Washington D.C. and a fan handed the team over a piece of paper with the quote “you can bomb the world to pieces, but you can’t bring peace with bombs”.

“We loved the quote! Not to mention it used Peace and Piece like our very  first shirt. We went home, brainstormed and designed a shirt with the universal symbol of peace resting on the bottom corner of the t-shirt. The next day, our email was full of orders!” said Zaidi.

The young company has grown tremendously in the past year and sells its designs throughout the world. Even, Zaidi finds it hard to believe the Company only sold its first shirt November 2008. For the 2010 collection, Profound Aesthetic is looking into even more designs, introducing a premium denim line, winter attire such as cardigans, sweatshirts, jackets and accessories as well as an expanded women’s line.

“At times I am astonished at the progression we have made and I strongly feel that it is due to our tremendous passion and  love for what we do, along with the beauty of present day technology and a solid plan for success. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that we will achieve our aspired goals and it certainly feels amazing when I am reminded of that at every point in my day as I get notifications of purchases on my blackberry from all over the world,” said Zaidi.

Just a short visit to the Profound Aesthetic’s website and you can see why they have had their success. Their shirts are unique and stylish and present a design that’s beautiful and thought provoking. Their best selling shirt, the “Peace by Piece” tee, presents a fun play on words and simplicity of design. The shirt appeals to all, men and women, regardless or race, gender, and ethnicity.

” A great deal of thought is put into each and every design to ensure that it is purely unique and unlike anything. We take an enormous amount of pride in creating the most creative and penetrating designs that exceed anything else that is out in today’s market. We were simply sick and  tired of designs with absolutely no substance or meaning and a t-shirt  in recent years has become a great method of expression and art. It was our perfect opportunity to make a difference.”

To learn more about Profound Aesthetic visit them at http://profoundaesthetic.com/.  Keep up with all their events and networking initiatives through their “I AM PROFOUND” Magazine Blog, facebook, and twitter.

by Fauzeya Rahman

We’ve all seen it before: the chandelier earrings, the kurtis/tunics and chappal-like footwear.  Desi-inspired fashion trends are nothing new in the United States.  This year, however, there may be a trend that takes “east meets west” a little too far.

Enter the harem pant.  A cinched-waisted, baggy-legged, cuffed pant.  Sound familiar?  That’s right, it oddly resembles a shalwar.  Now we’re all a fan of fashion fusion, but this may be taking it a bit too far.  Luckily, we’re not alone.   The harem pant has been getting mixed reviews.

As a fashion editor wrote in The Daily Telegraph, “It is hard to find good things to say about trousers that make grown-ups look like they are wearing a nappy, but I am trying to be charitable.”  The return of this ’80s trend may work for the ultimate fashionista, but it probably doesn’t translate well into everyday wear.

If you want to “desi”fy your wardrobe, there are much easier (and stylish) ways to do so.  Bright and bold colors and prints are easy to find and add character to any outfit.  Thanks to the success of the film “Slumdog Millionaire,” designers are looking eastward for fashion inspiration.  You can even give your makeup some foreign flair.

Givenchy launched their Spring 2009 Maharani makeup collection, focusing on attractive oranges and pinks inspired by the Subcontinent’s clothing and makeup styles.  The collection has everything from Kajal eyeliner to Sari Glittering Eyeshadow and Maharani Pink blush.

From the Subcontinent to Central America, another foreign-inspired trend is hitting the States this season.  Panama hats are

back and on the heads of our country’s most fashionable.  Worn by both men and women, an authentic hat can be a little pricey, because of the handiwork involved in making one.  You can always check out stores like Target to find a knockoff that fits in better with your budget.  Look for something with a nice woven texture in a unique color.

As you can see, summer is here and it’s time to enjoy.  Make the most of your summer by dressing the part and living it up.