allthatifancy-blog

[allthatifancy-blog]

How to find the best of fashion products at the best of prices on ebay

I have been an online shopping addict since a few years now. When I set on eye on something, I def have to buy it at the best of price. After I moved to India, I started to shop at ebay.co.uk andebay.com and found these following (secret) mantras by experience. Although a few of the following tricks are plain logic, rest are a matter of chance, never the less I have shopped a few of my most loved items using these :

1. Set your heart on what you want to buy.. As simple as it sounds, you need to make up your mind on what you want to spend your money on. Ebay has some great items and it is very easy to feel a little 'carried away'. So keep focus ladies!

2. You need persistence: Yes! You read it right. You earn your buck with hardwork and you should spend it wisely. When looking for a specific item on eBay, spend a few minutes everyday for about a week to see the selling pattern of the item. If the item is listed regularly, then new matches will pop up everyday and if you have a good memory you will remember them and won't have to go through the entire list everyday. Just a few minutes everyday will tell you a lot about how much bidders are willing to shell out.

3. One man's mistake is another man's opportunity! Yes, if you are a buyer, try and take full advantage of this. A few times, listers do not spell check their listings and this skips this item from the main search. If it is a popular item, chances are that this 'typo error' may appear as a related search in the bit right below the search bar. Click on related search to see what's available in store for you. People usually skip out on this and there are not many bidders trying to get that item. For e.g.: a feather skirt could have been mistyped as a 'feater' skirt. Sometimes brands are misspelled too!

4. Number trick: British, European and American have different shoe sizing charts. When buying shoes on eBay, try to search for your shoe size in all these formats on ebay.com/ ebay.co.uk. For e.g if you are a US size 6, then look for size 36(European format) in the search. Sometimes listers use different size formats and you should bank on this!

5. Look for 'not specified' in the size section. Say for example, if you wear a size xs in skirts, then tap on the size type and tick mark the 'not specified' box as well. This may lead you to your dream skirt without much of a competition, because most people go specific with their searches

6. What's in the name: if you are bidding on popular items, go for a vague search in the search bar and then refine the options later on. For example, if you are looking for a Lady Dior bag, only type 'Dior' in the search bar and then refine your search in the 'categories' section. Usually luxury items are listed in full detail but a few items you may find great deals this way

7. Festivals and holidays are tricky: Around Christmas or New Years when most people have money to spend on shopping and drinks, people finding great deals online..lots of people also take time off from e-shopping.

8. Weekday deals: research says that Sunday evening is perhaps the time of peak traffic on eBay and one should end their listing in those few hours to get maximum return on their products. Having said this, I have experienced that Saturday nights are also tough competition. Weekdays are usually time when people are busy at work and morning to afternoon hours don't see much traffic bidding on items. Sometimes listing end at weird morning hours like really early in the morning and if you are able to bid at these hours, chances are that you will crack a great deal

I will keep updating this section with time, but I hope you enjoyed reading this and let me know if any of the above listed tricks helped you win something exciting!

[allthatifancy-blog]

10 posts! YAY!! 12 now :)

[allthatifancy-blog]

Staring Into The Darkness

The inside of me is shattered and it made no noise

I stare into darkness without blinking

My life feels like it took a wrong turn

Its just me, my thoughts, my thinking

If I had control of my heart and my soul

I wouldn't be left out here all alone

For life is not what you plan, it just happens

For love is not what you plan, it just happens

I wish I had not welcomed you back in my dreamworld

I wish I had not abandoned all my hopes for you

I wish I didn't start and finish my day at you

I wish I wasn't writing this and I were with you

It was my bad to rekindle the feelings inside

What I thought had died, just reincarnated to life

I stare into the darkness with eyes open wide

I can feel shattered bones and heart slashed with a knife

I wish there was a world

I could just walk into without having any memories

Without having to laugh or tear up

For all the moments that turned into our stories

I stare into the darkness without feeling a thing

I feel bones shattered and emptiness filled to the brim

[allthatifancy-blog]

A teen's poem! To my brother in 2006

Time is like a huge wave

You are a winner, if you act brave

    You never know what it will show

Tragedy or a party you never know

    Now I know its time to go

And how to show that this feeling is low?

    Cuz now I recall those holidays

Which meant a lot to me in a lot many ways

    Home had always been so comforting

That love care n affection, while leavin' its hurting

    Going for outings with friends

And discussing with them the latest trends

      That laughter and all that fun

Which I had entirely with mum

    Making fun of dad's snoring

Trust me on this it was never boring

    Sharing college experiences with dad

Be it classics or be it fad

    Yes, now I know its time to go

And how to show that this feeling is low?

      Cuz now I fall short of words to describe this feeling

Its sad, its quiet and only few memories are healing…

[allthatifancy-blog]

Shoes of steel .. at Nehru Place Metro Station!

I am a shoe girl, like many other girls, so.. when I saw these shining steel looking life size shoes outside the Nehru Place metro station (Delhi, India), I had to write about it.

The installation showcases footwear of various kinds placed on a wooden block between two molecular geometric patterns. Different kinds of shoes includes high heeled court shoes, gum boots, three kinds of slip-ons (I don't know why this specific category has three in different sizes and colour, I would like to believe this is because most Indians wear such shoes..???!), open back sandals, tie-up shoe boots, rubber rain sandals (synonymous to crocs), classic brogues and high top trainers.

The mix of kinds of shoes used in the installation has just left me perplexed. Why is it that only a few specific types of shoes has been showcased?! Out of my observation and knowledge about fashion, I can say the following:

High heeled court shoes: a classic pair of heels, globally owned by many women to wear to office or party

Gum boots: these shoes are most commonly worn by the labour working on a construction site in India, however abroad they are quite a fashion craze and weather necessity! 

Rubber slip-ons (synonymous to Hawai or Bata): we all have atleast one pair of such house slippers in India. Such footwear are also common amongst college going students in India. Nevertheless, these also fall in the category of beach sandals globally!

Open back sandals: I would imagine these are the most common kinds of footwear after the rubber slip ons, any average Indian woman would own! 

Tie-up shoe boots: fashionable commodity not so commonly found in Indian wardrobes.

Rubber rain sandals: I think it was crocs who introduced these in India about 6 years ago and I did have a few friends who bought them, anyhow I haven't seen many fans for these!

Classic brogues: traditionally designed to be worn by men working in marshy lands of Ireland and Scotland, these have come a long way and are now a fashionable accessory for both men and women. However in India, I only know of stylish folks who wear them!

Hi-top trainers: these were a massive hit on the runways of SS12 and since then have been in vogue. 

I can definitely say, these shoe categories do not correspond to a kind of lifestyle led by Indians, so what could possibly be the reason for exhibiting only these?

Also, I am not aware of many Indian shoe designers and so it makes me wonder why would Sunil Sethi's Design Alliance choose to have an installation with shoes? Perhaps, it could  mean we have something new coming up for the Indian market. I am going to write to them and find out some answers, until then I hope you enjoy reading this.

The installation is called 'Transition' and is a property of the Sunil Sethi Design Alliance.

Posted by Rashi Verma on Aug 26 2013 at 18:18:55 

[allthatifancy-blog]

I have always wondered! What is it that makes some names click so fast? Why is it that we love the sound of a few words more than the rest?!

I listed down a few names that I thought would tell tale of my journey and I started pronouncing them with different force and accents. Analysing the phonetics! This excercise got me thinking when I had to pick up a name for my own label. I was on a skype call with my friend and graphic designer Soumya when this turned into the topic of the moment. He said, the brand could have any name but the identity has to be strong enough for people to relate. I agreed. But.. I felt this was a big enough decision to be able to stick with it forever. I felt like I was being introduced to a boy for marriage or I was asked to sign papers for a new property (Honestly I have never done any of these two things personally, but I have definitely come cross people and their anxiety levels while they were involved into these were something). The fact that marriages and houses are big decisions for life just made me jitter!

I actually felt like, I am going to associate a new name with myself for life.. like having a better half. Have you had those moments when you are imagining talking to someone you love or have hots for, how your tone completely changes. The fact that if that someone becomes your husband, you would address them with their name every hour for your life. This made me think even hard. Will I be able to caress my brand name for the years to come?? Will I be able to enjoy the sound of it? Will I be able to live with it 'Happily Ever After'?

  Share your stories here, I would love to discuss!

[allthatifancy-blog]

The Indian Connect

Lately, a lot of international fashion websites have started delivering to India, which makes me sad and happy at the same time. It was so much more cooler to own something that was not available in India, only the folks who travelled abroad would get their hands on these 'cool' items. But well, we all know this is what globalization is! Atleast I am happy people now have access to some of the great fashon websites that come up with amazing deals every now and then. These fashion websites also happen to be few of my favourites.

I have always been a fan of UO ever since I found out about them in the UK. Urban Outfitters, an American fashion chain which mainly aims at college going kids, have always impressed me with its website and quirky PNG files. Its kind of flashy but looks totally cool! I specially love their apartment section which has a collection of crazy decals and crockery and lithographic cameras and beddings and furniture.. basically its one store that can make your house look RAD without having to spend a fortune!

I am a regular shopper on UO USA but today, after quite some time, I decided to check out the sale up on urbanoutfitters.co.uk, My friend has gone to London and she is kind enough to carry some extra bags for me (what else are besties for). So I loaded the website and I saw something that touched my heart. UO UK now delivers to India. But that's not what caught my attention. The Indian flag with the devnagari script that read 'Bharat Namastey' was something I haven't seen any other website doing. Although there is something edgy about the writing. The sound of 'sa' is dissected using a 'halanth' which is the old school style of writing the devnagari script. This is not used anymore! It was such a subtle yet effective touch. We as Indians love western silhouettes and are quickly adopting the western culture but at the same time a part of us is completely Indian. This part of me decided to write this post! Share with me what are those things that make you go 'desi'! 

[allthatifancy-blog]

The extreme rush that I get out of watching an eBay bid end! I am a shoe fanatic and trust me most of the time when I am surfing the web, all I am doing is looking for best shoe deals! Ever since I discovered eBay.co.uk and eBay.com, I've never really sh

[allthatifancy-blog]

I thought they looked like the map of India.. One after another I kept rolling the dough.. with huge dollops of butter.. amul butter.. They had fantastic billboards.. till date they do.. anyway.. every map had one huge dollop of butter..I was six then and like any other Indian girl, I loved kneading the dough.. sticking my finger through it.. obviously to try and make tiny rotis for the bird

Over years I mastered bread making skills and only until yesterday when i tried making the crepes for the first time.. they reminded me of my childhood memory of baking rotis.. making crepes was child's play.. pour the batter on the pan and it takes its shape.. how convenient!! 

[allthatifancy-blog]

My work on behance

Hello there! please see my new work here

[allthatifancy-blog]

Ever since I have come back from England, my interest in jeans has slowly decreased (because I never really wore them for almost two years there) but you all would agree that it is the most acceptable form of western clothing in India (at least you can save yourself from weird stares in the metro). So, whenever I wore jeans in India, my family would appreciate my effort to dress down ( i really believe jeans is the most dressed down version of me). But the month of May 2012 was just full of jeans in a way. The May issue of Cosmopolitan India (which hit the stands last week) was all about denim and specifically jeans. I guess the whole denim thing started growing on me and I realised I was wearing denim almost everyday. I drifted away from jeans and really bought more clothing items in denim and here are a few of my looks. Shall upload some more soon. For now its a GAPdenim dress, Bershka shirt and Mango jeans.

[allthatifancy-blog]

United Kingdom Vows

Refreshing..inspiring.. flamboyant..incredible.. reverence and provoking are few words that come to my mind when I think of the last 18 months spent in the country of royalty - United Kingdom. Its a country known for its heritage, fish and chips, bed and breakfasts, Kate Moss, David Beckham, Wimbledon, The Beatles and above all, Fashion. I would like to call it fashion in its immaculate form 'street fashion'.  The joy of home coming was struck by triumph. I went to England to study fashion and that is what I exactly came back with.. not just immense knowledge and passion for fashion but a lot more that enhanced my personality and fabricated a much more confident person inside me. I have enough memories to talk about from a vintage Chanel found in a charity shop to engraved Bengali script on the streets of Brick lane. Nevertheless, I choose to talk about fashion and its accessibility that has made England such a fashion forward country in its true sense. Before I start I would like to confess, it was this availability of fashion that had exaggerated my expenditure on fashion from x to 32x. All thanks to the great British high street that imitated runway trends and brought them to stores every week. I miss walking inside the stores just a few minutes before its about to close to grab a bargain that I may loose by the next morning. Undeniably I miss sample sales on Mortimer street and Molton Lane where lovely lads served me well with respect even though they were selling glasses for 50 pence to go to charity.  Alas, I am back! Back to the space where I regularly meet my family and get to eat food cooked by my mother but what gratifies my gluttony for fashion is the online space. On an average I spend 9 hours on internet and dedicate half of it to online shopping, reading, learning, exploring and absorbing the online information like a sponge. I love the web. I love it because it is available to me like myself.. 24*7! I can say that I still look for deals and extra yielding coupons on the websites and shop almost every week. I love the fact that I can see the entire collection all at once irrespective of my location on the globe. Thanks to brands like asos, Topshop, Urban Outfitters etc that accept international debit/credit cards and deliver worldwide. 

Surfing the web is not just exhausting my cash cards but understanding the fashion market at a click of the mouse. What is dominating the fashion trends and how companies are sprouting fresh ideas to cater to their target audience? It is amazing how websites are running contests, inviting guest bloggers to write and updating their look book regularly to cut through the thick skinned competition. I have to say I am a devotee to technology and I love that tiny shopping cart in my phone which helps me shop at a click without skipping my lunch! It does not matter whether the its 00:00 GMT, I know my order is through and the moment the warehouse opens, somebody out there will be packing my dress in ribbons and frills and deliver it to my doorstep. Its like gifting yourself the perfect princess dress and I can already imagine the priceless expression on my face while opening that parcel while I press the checkout button on my android right now!

[allthatifancy-blog]

Me.

My name is Rashi. i fell in love with fashion when i started watching bollywood, i must be 4. Started travelling around the world when i was 13 and this is what actually made me fall in love with fashion. I saw what i hadn't seen before and i wanted to know more. other than my MA in fashion i also have a PhD in shoe fetishism. i own 56 pairs of shoes. i can sit 'all by myself' for hours in a crowded place to observe people, the way they walk, what they wear, how they interact with others, what they think what others think about them etc. I pick up languages quite fast. shopping online is another disease i have. i love to know facts. i enjoy fashion styling. i design my own accessories and clothes. i desperately want to buy a DSLR. i love cinema. i am a good cook and i am starting to write this blog because i want to embrace the idea of expressing oneself.

I never fall short of words to start a conversation.