How to wear Colored Jeans for winter & always

Colored Jeans are in vogue these days. From pastel to bright, colored jeans are an easy, affordable, and versatile way to incorporate the season's big color trend into your wardrobe. The look offers a playful edge to your everyday pieces, and you can dress it up or go casual. 

While styling colored jeans, we can never go wrong when pairing any colored pair of pants with a black, white, cream, brown, or tan top. Any pair of bright jeans would look awesome with a white button-down dress shirt, a sheer black silk shirt , a cream-colored cardigan sweater or a black blazer. This technique is a good way to feel out your new pants and ease into wearing them.

# Darker Colored Jeans are best when you don't want to draw attention to hips/thighs.

# If you are petite, wear a top in a neutral that isn't a lighter or darker.

# Add a print in the neutral shade (even stripes) that works with the color of jeans.

# Colors of Jeans don't have to be too bright, choose muted colors that suits you best.

# Jeans in bright colors need bright neutrals such as black and white.

Good to know while wearing colored Jeans:

• Wear shoes in same color as your colored jeans can give taller look and elongate your legs.
• Choose a color that suits your colouring too – so not too bright if you suit a more muted or smoky palette.
• Only go with a cropped option if you have long legs or are prepared to wear them with heels.

Timeless and affordable designs of : HAA

Many has been written about the House of Alternative Apparel (HAA) which is founded by Manish Pandit and Malvika Subba (Ms. Nepal 2002), the clothing line that began about a year ago with an organic collection ‘Eco-Essentials’ has been available to online shoppers all over the world through their website www.haanepal.com. The company has gained recognition for it's quality, style and affordable prices. From the selection of fabrics and buttons to stitching, everything has an edge. HAA aims to provide a line of clothing that'll look good, if not better than what's being offered in the current market.

The HAA’s store is spreaded over 500 sq ft, opposite of Uttar Dhoka of Narayanhity Palace Museum, Lazimpat, Kathmandu and features an extensive line-up of Western clothes for men and women. What makes the HAA’s products special is that they are made of natural and organic fabrics and are designed by Nepali fashion designers. 

There are three collections at HAA :

1. Eco Essentials, 
2. Just T’s 
3. AIRA. 

Just T’s has solely focused on summer t-shirts with cool graphics and quotes. AIRA is an assortment of everything for women from corporate, summers to cocktails dresses.

All of the clothes at HAA are locally designed and made in Nepal and there is also an exclusive collection by Nepal’s most sought after designer Tenzin Tseten Bhutia for AIRA.

  Malvika Subba with blogger Lex Limbu

The idea behind the HAA is to promote domestic outfits by using domestic materials and manpower, as per the founder members. The HAA was established in 2010 by former Miss Nepal Malvika Subba and two partners with the Eco Essential label. After selling its products to a few retail stores in Kathmandu, the HAA decided to open its own retail store. The acceptance of HAA products by customers prompted Ms. Subba and her team to come up with their own store.

Excluding the Tenzin Tseten Bhutia range all of the clothes are very affordable with floral print dress costing Nrs 1200-1500. The men’s t-shirts were at an affordable Nrs 750-850. Designer Bhutia’s dresses ranged from Nrs 2000 to 4200. They aren’t too messy; neat and simply classy. The clothes at HAA have a very fresh Look and women's wear have classy feel.

          

• Just T’s is available in                                                    : casual, funky, funny, polo and print     designs. 
• Designs targeted at age group                                      : 20 years to 40 years
• Prices of the HAA’s T-shirts start at                              : Rs 750-Rs 1200
• Casual women’s wear of AIRA label costs around       : Rs 1,500 
• Evening wear of AIRA label are priced at                      : Rs 2,000 and above
• Eco Essentials                                                              : prices start at Rs 1,000 

Malvika Subba in a dress by AIRA (Designer: Nilima Maden)

The collection of HAA is available in three different standard sizes—Small, Medium and Large. They’ve worked on the basis of their research on Nepali body types. 

Rainbow colrs in designs of HAA

The HAA has also featured their products at muncha.com, keeping in mind international customers and Nepalese living in other countries. The HAA also plans to expand its product portfolio by launching corporate wear, winter wear, maternity lines, bags and shoes. But men’s collection is very much limited with only t-shirts and few long-sleeves. 

Photo : muncha.com

However, they’ve used local fabrics for some of the designs for the other two collections. They also have fabric stock from India. For tees, they have imported from Bangladesh

malvika Subba in a design with 'Eco freindly' label

Malvika Subba in a Gorgeous dress by HAA (Designer : Nilima Maden)

 Photo credit : wedharane.com

Malvika Subba in a dress AIRA (Designer : Nilima Maden)

Design of AIRA 

Actress Nisha Adhikari in Peplum dress designed by AIRA

A summer Polka dotted dress by AIRA

Cocktail dresses by AIRA

  

 What I like about the designs of HAA :

•  HAA products are made of Quality fabric and has an international appeal.
• Affordable price range
• Availability of shift dresses that can work as day wear and evening dress as well in the label AIRA.
• Different yet stylish and classy (read 'timeless') dresses available than other fashionable stores in town.

Disclaimer: It is not an advertisement of anykind. 

How to make 'Lito' : Nepali Nutritious Baby Food

There are variety of Ready made Baby food available in the market. Still I prefer to feed my 15 month old the self made one which is not only highly nutritious but also satisfies tasty buds of little ones. The popular Nepali Baby food is called 'Lito' (ln6f]) which has many kind of beans, maize, rice and dry fruits as the ingredients high in fiber and nutritional value. Mostly all of the Nepalese have tasted it in their lives.

For my baby, my mother is always there for me whenever i am out of stock of the power packed baby food 'Lito'. While on the vacation, i have learnt with her how to prepare Nepali baby food and stock it for at least 2 months period. It is not as difficult as i had thought still requires effort for preparation. Here, i am presenting the step by step guide to prepare 'Lito'.

When to start feeding Lito :

Every child is different. While some may start digesting solids from 4 months onwards, it is recommended to feed Lito to babies after completion of 5 months. It is because prior to 5 month of age, introduction of solid to babies may cause constipation and digestion problem. Lito can be fed to babies twice in a day.

How to start feeding Lito:

While you begin to introduce Lito, like other solid food, make sure the paste is thinner and easy to swallow for your baby.

Ingredients to prepare 'Lito' : Nepali baby food

Grains

• Rice (rfdn) 

• Maize or Corn (ds})

• Gram (rgf)

• Soybeans (e6df;)

• Wheat (ux'F)

• Green Gram Beans (d'Fusf] bfn)

Dry Fruits

• Cashew Nut (sfh')

• Dates (5f]xf]8f)

• Almond (abfd)

Preparation process of Lito:

• Wash all the ingredients and let it dry in the sunlight separately. It will take 3-4 hours approx. to completely dry the grains. 

• Meanwhile the grains are in the natural light of sun, Take out the seeds of Dates and cut into small pieces.

 

• Similarly Chop the Cashew nuts and Almonds in the pieces as well.

• Let the Frying Pan or Kadhai warm, then stir fry each dry fruits separately. No need of butter or oil, or else the Lito will not last for 1 month or longer. Adding Ghee, butter or oil will make it contaminated easily.

• After the grains are dried completely, stir fry them as well. Remember to fry each item separately. Otherwise, some of them will be burned and some will remain raw.

How long should the ingredients be fried for ?

When each of the ingredient of Lito starts to leave strong aroma (not of burning), that is the accurate time to stop frying. The point is neither of the items should burn.

• Mix all the fried ingredients and make fine & smooth powder in the grinder.

 

• The powder should look like Wheat Flour after grinding.

• Make sure there is not any items remaining to be grind ed in the Lito Flour.

 

• Transfer Lito Floor in a Air Tight Clean Container/Jar. This is ready to be fed for 2 months of preparation. After 2 months, taste it yourself, if there is any sour taste, you need to make another Lito again. 

This is the recipe of my mother and i will love to see your comments for any extra items needed to prepare Lito. See you in next post for the methods to prepare Lito. Have a nice day and thankx for the read.