Shopping Planet

This year one accessory that made fashion headlines at the Milan Fashion Week is the humble, enticing hat. And this is what is going to rule the roost in the forthcoming Spring Collection of major brands and designers like Prada, D&G, Christian Dior, Emporio Armani and other international brands.

Customarily, hats have always been hailed as an all important accessory what with the regency London always donning it on and have been in love with it since times immemorial. They truly maketh a gentleman and add to the elegance of a diva.

The humble hat comes in myriad varieties shapes, styles and sizes. From Classic fedoras to colorful oversized beach hats, wide edged protective hats to feathered decorated ones…slouchy caps, soft berets, knitted beanies and richly embellished headbands…There is so much to flaunt!!

Problems choosing the right kind?? Well here are the guidelines: Beret is the most popular & practical. Wear it at an angle or push it back in that style of 70s.choice is exclusively yours. Classic hats lend that feminine and romantic touch to your personality and the Fedora makes you look elegantly stylish. All you need is a lot of fashion daring to pull off such an act!!

Then there is the Panama hat which lends you a Spanish touch and suits the fairer and the stronger sex alike. And heres the one which is always in and is truly American can be teamed up with jeans & leather boots. No points for guessing it: it’s the cowboy hat. Popular colors this season are going to be lilac, emerald green and brown…so even if you are averse to them…shun your aversion because hats are seriously going to be a rage this season. Best part is that there is one to showcase and complement every side of your personality and suit every mood of yours. All you need is a real penchant for being trendy.

Well, well a peck on the cheek to all my la-la-darlings. I bring to you, the hottest news from the ramp of fashion, lifestyle and shopping. Ladies, this is the new O-la-la that I hum all day long.

Woman, woman,

Woman so tall,

Tell me,

Which is the best bag of them all?

In deep thought. I see. Guess what? I have finally found that bag store which can offer me bags for every shade of my colorful personality. Yes ladies, it is the Baggit store of course.

Baggit is one of the most used bags in the hand bag category. It is funny, to think that a business worth more than 3crores, started off from a term coined by the proprietor and her friend in the changing room of a swimming pool. Before she could even blink, her clientele list jumped off like a fast pacing landslide. Baggit has its thought process very clear. It wants to make bags for those women who consider bags as an integral part of themselves, their identity. If they deem bags as an extension of their self, they are bound to take it seriously. And Baggit wants just that. Baggit has fancy, serious, no –frills attached, and self-indulgent bags. One of the best things about Baggit is that they experiment a lot. I am happy that there is a sudden craze for big can –swallow-almost-everything kind of bags. And I am happier that Baggit has finally arrived with crazy creations in this category as well.

If you are among those who feel there is a lot more to look forward to beyond monotonous black handbags, then Baggit is where you should be. They have experimented with denims as well. Otherwise they have soft tones like lavender, beige and lily. If you want to go for the bold and sexy feminine look then cherry, pinks and blues are just for you. For some who are lost in colours (read confused as to what to buy) you have the zebra print baguettes, and a whole range of achromatic creations. For the hip –hop vagabonds Baggit has an entire range of collection dedicated to, sequins, beads, and tassels.

There are different varieties of bags which can be used as every-day bags, gym bags, laptop bags, and wallets or purses.

So ladies, I take adieu, bye bye! And if you have taken your self seriously (in buying good bags, of course) then hope to see you soon at any nearest Baggit outlet!

Expect the world, and get it! This was the famous slogan of the Dubai shopping festival in the year 2006. I am sure they may not get a better line than this to express the magnanimity of the experience that is scheduled to start from 15^th January and will continue till 15^th February, o9. Over the years an event that started out in the year 1996 with the aim to encourage and promote retail trade and cultural exchange, has now culminated in to a breath-taking 30-odd day’s festival. A festival that is a one stop shop destination for the entire family.

Last year in DSF a massive pack of 3.2 million people visited the festival. The festival has managed to retain certain freshness every year, due to the infinite number of options a shopper gets to choose from. There are around 2,300 retail outlets that might be exhibiting their collection of jewellery, textiles, cars, apparels etc. You name it and they have got it all. The novelty of DSF is that it works to bring about a general feeling of brotherhood, and love by maintaining a cosmopolitan theme of “One World, One Family, One Festival”. This festival in some ways is also a tribute to the warm hospitable culture of the Dubai people.

This year, DSF is predicted to be much larger, and filled with much more excitement, fun and adventure with the family. More than 120 events are expected to be a part of the festival. Some of the highlights of the festival are “Fazza-Falconary, shooting and youla championship” Youla is a traditional game which requires mastery in swords and rifles, dangerous but sure to pump in the necessary adrenaline rush. In Arabic Dubai shopping festival is known as “Layali Dubai”. Extravaganzas of the event includes Dubai fashion, Layali Dubai concert, Dubai marathon, world bazaar –one of the most popular events which shows marvelous periodic antiques from the dramatic Islamic era, the global village which is probably the best event for foodies , since they have world, international and an unbelievable mix of 38 mouth-watering cuisines.

Dubai which is also known as “city of gold” will be buzzing with musical concerts, extravagant performances, crazy fireworks and other cultural mix of events. Many international brands have also become a part of this growing culture to promote their brands; where else will they have the fortune of getting so many affluent people at one go. DSF gives a solid boost to the tourism industry in Dubai and also serves as a chance for employment to travel agencies, hotels, travel guides and city enthusiasts.

Well, I am sure you must have already packed your bags to leave for Dubai, so here’s wishing you Bon Voyage and Bon Appetite!!!

Bangkok has been hosting the yearly fair of exquisite Gems and Jewelry and this year they are celebrating the 43^rd Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair from 25^th February to 1^st march 2009. As everyone is aware of Thailand’s craftsmanship and their talent when they apply ancient traditions and modern technology together to attain excellence in the creation of striking jewelry and jewels which undoubtedly shows us that Thailand is meant to be World’s Jewel and Gems Hub. Certainly, the best station to explore this beautiful part of Thailand’s uniqueness is at the Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair. It is an extraordinary place to witness the latest and distinctive collections, design awards, uncover couture designers with multimedia presentations, glittering fashion shows and many other events which you surely wouldn’t want to miss.

This is vibrant location where good business networks can be created with over 1,200 exhibitors and thousands of international jewelers and traders engaging in supplies. The event is organized twice every year-one in March and the other in September at the Impact Challenger with a whopping amount of more than 3,500 stalls which are spread over 80,000 square meter in a single floor. Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair has been a effervescent souk where 35 countries such as UK, Italy, Russia, USA, China, Taiwan, etc. take part in both BGJF which pulls towards it a large number of international visitors.

So go ahead and book your tickets and visit this dazzling event which will surely help you in choosing your next piece of jewelry.

Mary Jane is not an alien word for shoe lovers. But who aren’t very shoe friendly Mary Jane is an American term used for kind of shoes we all wore on our way to school. Yes they have broad rounded closed toes, very less heels and have a strap across the instep or ankle. Many say they are only for women but history says it that even men wore them. But in today’s fashion scene everyone wears them. They come in different varieties. Each variety gives a different look to the person wearing them. If a girl wears cute pink color Mary Jane with a cartoon stuck over it, then it will give her a very kid like look. But if a girl wore a black leather Mary Jane with heels, it will give her a very formal look. They are cute, adorable and comfortable at the same time. They go with everything from cute short skirts to casual jeans to nice chic party dresses and to formal trousers and shirts.

First they were available only in flats or low heels but now you get them in chunky high heels too. They suit all kinds of personality and moods of a girl. They have a very feminine touch to them. Users assure a high in ones confidence level after wearing them. One little secret that I would like to share is that though my mother never knew of the whole Mary Jane phenomena but she always made me wear one and now I know why I never went wrong with my dressing sense. Same is with many girls they aren’t aware what kind of shoe they are wearing. There is even something called as Chinese Mary Jane. They are affordable and comfortable, a common everyday travelers need. They come in sturdy cotton, velvet or silk with rubber soles that give a firm base to it. They take shape of the foot and the strap make the foot look in shape. Women of all age can wear it, from infants to young school going kids to elder women everyone can wear them on any kind of dress they wear. The Chinese ones are cheap. I think every girl should have one of these for the sole reason to feel a little more feminine.

Tag Heuer is a part of the leading luxury goods company LMVH. The company’s aim “Swiss Avant-Grade Since 1860” is from the name of a Swiss watchmaker.

He is known for his sports watches and chronographs… They have roped in Tiger woods, Bradd Pitt, Maria Sharapova, Lewis Hamilton, Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan as their brand ambassadors and they all belong to different walks of life and are very successful and best in their field. Its brand ambassadors definitely reflect the personality and qualities of the brand.

Different varieties that the company has to offer to its users are Baselworld 2008, Monaco, Carrera, Tag Heuer SLR for Mercedes Benz, Link, Professional golf Watch, Aquaracer, Tag Heuer Formula 1,Microtimer, Women collection and Concept watches. The company offers a lot other things to its customers apart from watches; it offers timing, eyewear and phones. The company offers a very high end range of watches. It is a product for the cream layer of the society. Each range of watch offered by them has a story behind it. Other distinct quality of this company is that they offer customized watches for their customers. They can choose the type of watch they want, the color of the strap, the shape of the dial, the studs around it etc. 

They have a separate range for women which have watches for all occasions such as sports, formal, casual, etc. even for men they have something for golf, something for racers and so on. Thus they are trying and tapping every mood and personality of the user and are providing their product for that particular occasion. People wait and save money for this brand as it speaks volume about your choice and taste. The star status also builds on a lot of curiosity among the youngsters to buy these watches as they look upto their idols who promote this brand. I think we all are struggling and working day in and day night for a good lifestyle for ourselves and our family so go ahead and buy one Tag Heuer for yourself and feel the difference in your life.

Lip gloss is nothing but a more glossy and shiny form of a lipstick but in a liquid form. Lip gloss unlike lipstick’s made up look gives a very natural feel to the lips. It is worn to give lips shine and glamorous touch. All the leading cosmetic brands like NASR, Lakme, Revlon, MAC, etc. offer various kinds of lip gloss. They differ in flavor, color, and contents. Many lip gloss have various nutrients which have all the values of a lip balm which is good for lips. Lip gloss comes in varied colors from light pastel shades that go well with day to day office wear to dark shiny ones which go well with social gatherings and parties. Transparent shade gives shimmer to any lipstick shade or just brightens up nude lips. NARS provides four distinct type of lip gloss. They are ultra-shiny and highly pigmented, convenient wand application, iconic shades and ideal alone or over other lip color. This makes it very user friendly as they look into all the needs of the customer… Lip gloss is one of the basic cosmetic items in today’s time. It is one of the cosmetic item that is used for a high profile gathering, an evening out with friends and even a day to day office make up. Lip gloss is also one of the initial make up item a teenager is allowed as it has values of a lip balm which is medically good for ones lips.. Its users vary from young college kids to office going ladies. One of my sister who is in junior college told me its convenient for her to use a lip gloss as it gives her a glamorous look that she wishes for a town side college that she attends and nor her mother minds her wearing it everyday as it has moisturizers which keep lips soft and supple. Ms.Rhea who works in a pr firm and happens to be my neighbor, tells me that lip gloss goes very well with her office formal look and also satisfies her feminine dressing urge. Young college going girls need not worry if they can’t afford these little expensive branded lip glosses. Street wear and Color Bar gets you some amazing shades and types of lip gloss. So all in all a great investment one should definitely own one to spice up their lives. And who said that you can do social service only with a deglamorised look? Revlon has started this campaign wherein 10% of the sales of their super lustrous lip gloss in pink to the fight against breast cancer. So come ahead look beautiful and support a cause.

Around 3 years back I had thought of purchasing an electric guitar after realizing that I couldn’t do much with an acoustic one. So I realized that along with my electric guitar I will have to buy a guitar processor as the sound and the effects provided by a regular solid state amplifier wouldn’t suffice. But as my budget was really tight (of 100$) I had to settle down for a very low-end processor. This purchase of mine was a DIGITECH RP80. This processor comes with 80 patches, out of which 40 are presets and the rest are patches that the user can set on his own.

This processor came along with a power supply and an instruction manual (which I’d suggest to everyone to read if you want to tweak some really good patches according to your specifications. It has features like it has 3 different types of WAHs as well the expression pedal works very well in real time. This processor can be used for any genre owing to the wide range of amp models it has. It has Global Cabinet Emulation, which lets you emulate the true tone of the amp model nullifying the tone of the amp which you are playing through, which is good for people who do not use the standard amplifiers or use regular sound output devices.

Its amp models range is sufficient for any guitarist starting with a classic Fender Blackface, boutique, rectifier, hot rod, Tweed, British Combo, Clean Tube, British Stack,
Crunchy Combo, High Gain Tube, Vintage fuzz. Also it has 9 different levels each of chorus , flange, phaser, tremolo, panner ,vibrato, rotary speakers, Ya-Ya, Auto-Ya, envelope filter, detune, whammy, pitch shift.

3 delays provided are also fantastic which include mono, analog and ping-pong delays. 6 different reverbs give you the facility to add to the sound the respective acoustics right from room to church, hall to spring. It also boasts a 3 band equalizer and 30 different drum patterns and a metronome. The by-pass mode also works as a tuner.

This device is highly recommended for any one who has started playing the guitar as well to those who want good effects in a decent price.

I prefer this processor over the other much hyped low-end processors of other brands. Its worth every buck spent.

Let’s go retro-shopping! Rite now you are eyeing me dubiously. In these times of everything chic and fashionable, why splurge on the trends of a bygone era?

Simple: OLD is GOLD. There are other benefits like; retro-clothes are fun to sport. When you flaunt retro-stuff, you stand apart from people; you are very much unique and noticeable.  The probability that some other person ends up wearing same clothes is almost zero. Retro clothing reminds you of the past, and creates a sense of nostalgia. And what’s more, the people who want to go easy on money, the prices on retro clothes are very much meant for you.

The word ‘retro’ is used to describe fashion which was in vogue like a few decades back that is old trends from a cult. In simpler terms it is the re-entry of the trend of olden times and retro can be anything from gaming, cars, and clothes to music. Here we’ll consider on the retro clothing and accessories. The retro rage is very much evident with people sporting leather bags , bell jeans, big sunglasses, funky jackets, small neckties, Victoria cuts…do you need other evidence??

Some of the best sources for retro clothing are local stores, flea markets, and yard sales. But a lot of designers are coming up with retro-specific line of clothing. The designs are essentially modeled on the creations of erstwhile designers like Ossie Clark, Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood, Barbara Hulanicki, Jean Varon (John Bates) of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, with a lot of their own ingenuity.

And the best part about retro fashion clothes is that there are so many different styles, trends and periods to choose from. Items from the late 19th century on up through the 1980’s are available. . Retro clothing can easily be teamed up with modern apparel or mixed and matched with other retro pieces to lend that unique touch to you and define your personal style statement.

The major brands that provide retro fashioned apparels are Rebecca Minkoff, Fantasy Fashion, Nike AirForce 1, Earnest Sewn, Gloria Vanderbilt, Adidas Originals, Botkier Bape, Zac Posen etc. retro-shopping can be done online as well what with major e-commerce portals providing their own retro segment and other sites solely dedicated to retro.

Now the look out is totally yours. Buy designer clothes from extra high end designer stores and team them up with retro pieces and lo! Your style is one of its kinds. All you got to need is the attitude and grace to pull it off. I’ll try covering that in my next blog.

Looking at both E-Moguls eBay and Amazon, the platform for comparing them one-on-one is a bit tricky. EBay has always been synonymous with auctions and bidding. On the other hand Amazon has always maintained its policy of fixed pricing, which is completely opposite to eBay. In the past Amazon did try dabbling in the auction market but couldn’t sustain for long since Amazon customers were habituated to buying in fixed price ranges.

Before asking you what sort of a seller or buyer you are, I want to show you who goes to Amazon and who to eBay. Understanding your needs better will help you squeeze the best of both.

If you are looking out for knowing your buyer or seller better (which can deem the deal reliable), then you should head to eBay since the c-to-c interaction (customer-customer) is prevalent there. The chances of you being in touch with the other customers are very high which not only provides you an immediate customer but also helps you to form a better network base for your business.

The plus point of trading in Amazon is that, you don’t have to bother yourself with information about who you are selling to or vice versa. The very fact that a product is being sold on Amazon is a benchmark of high quality and high pricing. This is because if you have any complaints with any product, you straightway return it back to Amazon without going through any other hassles. But at the same time if an eBay customer is not satisfied with the product bought, the least he can do is send more queries to the source of the product or register a complaint with them.

Amazon only invites high-performing businesses to its Pro Merchant and Merchant@Amazon..com programs, which makes competition systematic. Due to the pre-screening process you compete with businesses that fall in your league. Whereas eBay tends to be more global for buyers and sellers.

You might be competing with merchants in other countries who have far lower costs than you do. ”On eBay you pay for every ad you put up, and you have to crunch numbers constantly to see if you are going to be profitable or are wasting your money. On Amazon, there is basically one fee, and that includes the payment processing. With eBay, you need to think about PayPal’s and other complexities. In Amazon, you pay directly from your checking account.

I hope you know which category you belong to, and will make the right choice therefore.