Monday, January 30, 2017

In which I wear a skirt as a top
















Last weekend was spent walking in the bush at Sydney Harbour National Park and spending the afternoon on this picturesque beach. This pretty spot has scenic views across Sydney's north harbour and is a great spot for a swim especially for doggie paddle swimmers like myself.

I wore my usual garb of hand block-print cotton with shorts to walk in the heat and splash about in the shallow waters. The top I am wearing here is actually a wrap around skirt that I wear as both a top and bottom. I love clothing that can be mixed and matched and is multi-functional. I wear this top, summer or winter and it is a great something to take along when traveling. I've also worn it casually on the beach or for brunch as well as dressed it up for a night out.

I find a lot of traditional Indian prints and designs incredibly versatile and think they can be worn in many different ways. IMHO sarees, kurtas, cotton dupattas and skirts are the most multi-purpose slash easy to style in myraid shapes.

The Dabu print indigo scarf I have on works as a cover-up, a beach towel, head-wrap, pillow and a cape (I like super hero capes) and much much more. I always have a bunch of these kind of cotton scarfs in traditional block prints, handlooms or bandhani handy during my mini-adventures.

What are your most multi-functional items of clothing?

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Looking for isolated beaches















Spent an afternoon chasing a waterfall last weekend with amazing views of the sea. We sat by the waterfall on a comfy rock for some time drinking beers, basking in the sunlight, taking photos of the view and reading before deciding to hike down the rocky slope to the beckoning isolated beach below.

This is what lay in wait after basically skidding down the rocks and dirt in absolutely unsuitable shoes. Not even cutting my toe on the rocks could dampen my enthusiasm for this amazing spot. There was literally no one else on the beach and we waded about in the shallow waters, climbed trees, baked on rocks and scampering around like little monkeys. I obviously wore the usual hand-block print cotton top, this one is like a kediyu but open in the front and made by my favourite tailor back home. It is perfect little cover-up over bathers for lounging or running about.

The afternoon was one of the best that summers in Sydney have to offer and was spent doing fun things. Just the kind of weekend afternoons I like.


Friday, January 20, 2017

Tropical waterfalls on road-trips















Happy 2017! Here are some photos that make me happy, from a fun road-trip we went on last month at the beginning of summer.

On our meandering trip exploring the highlands south of Sydney we came across this impressive escarpment-leaping waterfall. The scenic bush walks, lush valley and deep gorges made the place just magical, the best part was we could get in the water and look over the edge down the towering cliff. It was a dizzying but breathtaking experience that I am in no hurry to forget.