By : Juhi Bansal

Hello gorgeous girls!

On CB’s Couch today we have Rinki Tripathi guest blogging for us. She gives out the much needed summer advice on college fashion and the like.

Rinki is a first year college student and self proclaimed style diva who has given many a friend grand makeovers! Hope you guys enjoy taking a leaf out of Rinki’s fashion book!

Question: Hi Rinki, I am starting college in June! Am excited but nervous too. My folks have given me a strict budget for my college wardrobe. So what do I do? I don’t want to look frumpy and at the same time, I can’t afford to splurge. Some tips will be great. Thanks!-          Vaishali Khanna

 Answer:  Hi Vaishali, Congrats! Join the club! You will have fun in college, trust me. About those tips, who said being a fashionista is an expensive proposition. No matter what your budget is, you can always snag some great deals. Just make sure you keep your eyes open for good ole sales. Also, next time you visit a store, ask the salesperson to lead you to the back. Most stores happen to have a sales rack and you can pick up some great pieces from last season at throwaway prices. Also, remember to scout those export surplus shops. They are a real find. You’ve to dig and dig but I’ve unearthed many a treasure in there. Wish you luck!

Question : Hi Rinki, I’m a nineteen year old pursuing BCOM in DU. It’s crazy hot out here in Delhi. So much so that on some days, I don’t feel like dressing up. What do you suggest I do to beat the heat and look cool as well?  – Mithi Parikh

Answer: Don’t feel like dressing up? Gasp! No, we can’t have that. Tell you what, just snag these cool, refreshing summer trends and you will be good to go. Trust me! And oh, don’t forget to sip on chilled water, juices, buttermilk, all through the day. Have a lovely summer, gal!

What’s Hot                                                 What’s Not

Sundresses                                               Jeans

Fitflops                                                       Booties

Straw hats                                                   Scarves

Shorts                                                      Corduroys

Sling bags                                                  Jholas

Straw Hat

Sundresses

Fitflops

Orange Sling Bag by Baggit

Question: Hi Rinki, I am going for my first cousin’s wedding later this month and I haven’t a clue what to wear. My mom says I should wear an anarkali suit for the sangeet and a saree draped Gujju style for the pheras but I can’t seem to make up my mind. What do I do?  – Anuja Aggarwal

Answer: Hey there, Anuja! You taking style tips from your mom, shudder! Just kidding. Well, the anarkali bit sounds cool. Good style tip there, take a bow, Aunty! Choose a pretty colour though. A blush pink or a coral (it’s all the rage now) and team it up with chandelier earrings and high heels (unless you are really, really tall, like six feet or something). For the shaadi, why don’t you try wearing a lehenga? You can always drape the dupatta Gujju style, what say? You could even opt for a colour blocked half saree, you know the kind that Deepika made cool in Chennai Express. All the best, chica. Look your gorgeous best at the wedding.

Coral Anarkali

Deepika in a half saree in Chennai Express

Question: Halp, Rinki! I am pear shaped. I feel everything I wear only goes to make me look fat. I tried a floor length the other day (wanted to wear it on a hot date with the BF) but it made me look like a stuffed turkey. Does it mean gowns are out for people with my body type? Some gyaan on the subject would be really nice.  – Meena Iyer

Answer: There, there, Meena. Don’t lose heart. Of course, you can wear floor length gowns. Having said that, my dear gal, gowns can be tricky. What you need to do is create the illusion of slim. So make sure you highlight your best features. If you are a pear, chances are, your upper body is narrow and you have great arms and collarbones to show off. So go ahead, show them off. Wear an off-shoulder gown in a dark colour, make sure it flares out from the hips, and voila! You will look like a princess. Go on, knock your boyfriend’s socks off at the next hot date. Mwaah!

Who better than Parineeti Chopra to show us the ropes!

Question: Hello! I am travelling across the country over the next few months – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai. I would like to be at my stylish and fashionable best and love to shop till I drop. But the thing is, I don’t really know the fashion hotspots in these cities. A little guidance on affordable fashion would be a great help, Rinki. Thanks in advance. – Sharmeeli Chatterjee

Answer: Bon voyage, Sharmilee! As you said, it’s great to out your best fashion foot forward. Here’s how:

In Mumbai – Fashion Street in Colaba is a god’s gift to us die-hard fashion devotees. Find everything – from dresses to tops to belts, shoes, bags, beads, bracelets and earrings – on this buzzing street.

In Delhi – Make a beeline for Janpath. You can pick up great stuff without blowing a hole in your travelling pants! Great value for money too.

In Chennai – Ah, this is slightly tricky but you won’t be disappointed at Pondy Bazaar.

Hope you enjoyed reading Rinki’s fashion advise as much as I did. You can catch more of Rinki and her fashion tips by ordering “Eighteen and Wiser (Not quite!)” (available at all leading bookstores).

Eighteen and Wiser (not quite) is the third and final part of the trilogy by Vibha Batra

Rinki is a fictional character created by Vibha Batra. Vibha is an advertising consultant, author, poet, lyricist, and columnist. Her published books include: Sweet Sixteen (Yeah, Right!), Seventeen and Done (You Bet!), Eighteen and Wiser (Not quite!) A Young Adult trilogy published by Penguin, Ishaavaasya Upanishad, a translation of her grandfather, Shri Vishnu Kant Shastri’s book published by Rupa Publications, a poetry collection titled Tongue-in-cheek and a collection of short stories titled A Twist of Lime. She has also contributed short stories ((Indian Voices, Happy Birthday to Me, Urban Shots, Down the Road, City of Gods, Vanilla Desires, 9.69 seconds, Chicken Soup) and poems (Dance of the Peacock,Suvarnarekha, 20-20) to several national and international anthologies and written for various magazines – The Week, Dignity Dialogue, JFW, Taxi, Shoppers’ Link, to name a few.

Stay Gorgeous xx

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www.myntra.com

www.ntrth.me

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