ootd: it may rain

There is something magical about the first drop of rain after months and months of excruciating Indian summer. For as long as I can remember, I have been enamored with it and at the first hint of its arrival, I find my insides begging me to run, to run as fast as I can, till I reach a vantage point, where I can soak it all in.

Within minutes of sighting the first set of lightnings, I've quickly reached a meadow, under a sky that promises to swallow the earth, the irrefutable charm of petrichor engulfing my senses, a gush of wind blowing through my hair, drops of rain caressing my skin, slowly reaching my finger-tips.

Of all the seasons, I think monsoon is truly one for the senses and it can get you in touch with what it means to be truly alive. 

Required Reading: April 18

Required Reading is a section on the blog through which I want to share the best articles I’ve discovered on the Internet. Articles that tell inspiring stories of great people, of unknown people, of seemingly ordinary occurrences that can have extra-ordinary repercussion in your life. Articles that will help you improve your life, to live it to the fullest, articles that bestow wisdom and change how you see the world. Basically, stuff that you should be required to read. 

Along with articles, I have decided to also include a book suggestion in each iteration. This month’s pick is a thriller by Kanae Minato called "Confessions." The book, which was the author's debut, is a fascinating read and is almost impossible to put down. It tells the story of a teacher and her daughter's murder, from her, and the perspective of various people involved. A captivating read on childhood and growing up and on how the way you are treated or not treated can shape your motives, leading you to do something drastic. A truly fascinating read on human psychology told from a thrilling narrative of a homicide and suicide.

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Kate Bowler shares how stage IV cancer taught her to live

30 ways to help make the planet greener

We can't innovate our way out of the impending water scarcity epidemic

5 innovations that can make the fashion industry more sustainable 

How to be comfortable with discomfort 

The link between an optimistic outlook and health

There is 79,000 tons of plastic in the pacific trash patch

Why being a part-time vegan makes sense

This Shinrin Yoku sounds like something I'd be into

The intimacy of socialising in silence

This beautiful article on spending more time with loved ones

What is "Fashion Revolution" and how can you be a part of it?

Today is an important day for the sustainable + ethical fashion movement, because today marks the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse. The collapse resulted in several thousand employees getting injured and losing their lives and out of this tragedy the fashion revolution movement was born. The movement aims at asking brands a simple question - "#whomademyclothes?" with the purpose of demanding and bringing about greater transparency in the fashion industry supply chain so as to empower the people who have been exploited in the process and reduce the impact of the fashion industry on our environment (remember the textile and clothing industry is the 2nd highest carbon emitter, responsible for 10% global emission.)  

Each one of us has a role to play in transitioning away from the fast fashion approach of not knowing or caring about how our clothes were made, by whom they were made and whether these people had proper working conditions or not. We must also relook how we consume our clothes, how quick we are to discard them, and what impact they end up having on our environment when we discard them.  

All of this can seem daunting and confusing at first and in order to help you get kick-started I thought I'd share three easy ways in which you can become a part of the fashion revolution.  

Read and talk about it  

The quickest and easiest way that you can join the movement is by reading through the official website and eventually spreading the word. Go through some of the information available, understand the issue, understand the implications, understand the perpetrators and the victims, and most importantly, understand what needs to be done.  

Once you feel you've read enough on it to have a strong opinion, formulate your thoughts and share them. This could be done by posting an Instagram selfie asking your favorite brand a simple question - "who made my clothes" or by engaging people around you in a conversation on this topic. No step is too small, as long it gets the conversation started.  

"THE DAMAGE OF PRODUCING CLOTHES IN WAYS THAT AREN'T SUSTAINABLE OR ETHICAL CAN NEVER BE REDUCED BY DISCARDING THEM. 

IT CAN ONLY BE OFFSET BY ENSURING THAT WE AT-LEAST CONSUME THEM IN AN ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE MANNER."

Say "no" to new clothes  

Another easy way to contribute to the cause is by pledging not to participate in fast fashion. Some people look at this as a transition that translates into buying only sustainable and ethically manufactured clothes. I on the other hand suggest taking a pause from buying any new piece of clothing altogether for a short period.

This pause will give you time to introspect and look at all the clothes you already own and identify the clothes you truly enjoy wearing vs those you don't. This is an important step because once you've figured out what you don't enjoy wearing anymore, you can begin the process of minimizing your wardrobe (more on that later.) The pause and the consequent awareness of everything in your wardrobe will enable you to differentiate between what you need vs what you want. You can also use this time to research accessible brands that produce in a sustainable and ethical manner. All of this will ensure that when you do resume buying new clothes again, it will be a more deliberate and purposeful process, causing the least amount of damage to the environment and the people who made your clothes. 

Closing the fashion loop

After you've minimized your wardrobe and have identified the pieces of clothing that you no longer wear, you need to ensure that you close the fashion loop by letting go of the clothes you no longer need in a responsible manner. I tend to prefer to hand my clothes down to someone I know, because like that I know the clothes would actually end up being used. But if you aren't sure who to hand your old clothes down to, then you can do a little bit of research to find local organizations that accept old/used clothes for reuse or recycle.

So, how will you be participating in the fashion revolution week? 

ootd: graphic

The process of making a shift towards ethical and sustainable fashion for me didn't necessarily translate to emptying out my closet and starting fresh. It meant that I'd look at my current closet and minimize it so as to offset the damage caused by not purchasing sustainable and ethically produced clothes by consuming them in a sustainable manner. I haven't purchased any apparel since the start of this year and I am constantly evaluating the options I already have in my wardrobe (the pieces that I am 100% sure I no longer need, I either donate or trade them to be recycled.)

In this process, it pays to be mindful of what your are discarding. I set three rules for myself to help me let go of clothes in a more structured way and not just discard everything in my closet. I only let go of a piece of apparel if it 1) does not fit me anymore 2) if it is so worn out that it can't be worn and 3) if I have tried wearing it again more than once and have found that I do not feel comfortable in it anymore.

I own a few graphic tees and can't remember having worn them more than a few times in the past couple of years. So I decided to give them the test, and I was surprised to find that although I hadn't for a while, I now love wearing graphic tees because they offer a silhouette that can provide a sense of pop to your outfit by way of contrast (I love how to the dark blue contrasts with the light blue of the tee while blending with the dark blue of the chino I am wearing.)

What are your thoughts on graphic tees? Do you love them or hate them? And what type of apparel do you no longer wear but would consider giving one last shot?

Shot by Shashank Issar

The single most effective action to practice being present in the moment

We tend to look at life as an anticipation of better things or a look back at the past and at what went wrong. This at some level creates discontent in our heart and mind about the present moment, making it seem like it isn't enough. We feed the idea that life would be better only if we made more money, or if we had more meaningful relationships, or if we had more time. Alternatively, we look back and think - because this happened to me, I will never be good enough. But the reality could not be further and all it takes to bring about a change in how we look at things is a moment to pause. 

A pause can come in many shapes and forms, but my personal favorite way to pause and practice being present in the moment, is to take a minute out from whatever I am doing and stop to notice the sky above me. Whenever I do this, I find myself instantly calmed by the beauty & magnitude of the world around me and humbled by my own smallness. My problems seem insignificant (thereby unshackling me from negativity from either my past or anticipated troubles) and the world seems infinitely beautiful with endless possibilities.

Looking up at the sky, has become for me, the single most effective action to practice being present in the moment. At the end of this activity, which hardly takes a minute, I find myself immensely inspired, calmer, less anxious, and most importantly, I find myself unburdened from the past or the future, for a brief minute or so, everything around me, is enough. 

What are your thoughts? How do you practice being present in the moment? 

Required Reading: March 18

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Required Reading is a section on the blog through which I want to share the best articles I’ve discovered on the Internet. Articles that tell inspiring stories of great people, of unknown people, of seemingly ordinary occurrences that can have extra-ordinary repercussion in your life. Articles that will help you improve your life, to live it to the fullest, articles that bestow wisdom and change how you see the world. Basically, stuff that you should be required to read. 

Along with articles, I have decided to also include a book suggestion in each iteration. This month I have chosen "Note to self" by Connor Franta, a beautiful memoir in which the author talks about depression & therapy, social anxiety, self-love, relationships, loss, acceptance and finding who you are. What makes the book special is how intimately the author manages to share his experiences in the rather short essays that often include poetry and original photography. 

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Sea2See turns plastic into eyewear 

Break up with your phone 

The magic behind a lymphatic massage

10 ways to naturally heal fatigue

The fashion industry and cultural appropriation 

This fascinating look at the romantic life of surrealist Dalí

This article on boys and their brokenness 

The impact of our busy lives on our body's

Kehinde Wiley’s Portrait of Barack Obama blew my mind

Love these 5 hacks for slow yet productive living 

Kindness is sexy, start today with these 20 acts of kindness

Organise your wardrobe

4 positive changes to make in your life

31 perfect things that won't cost you a dime

The secret behind making a lot of money - quit your job

A fascinating read on eye-contact with strangers on the road

ootd: Call me by your name

I saw the movie “Call me by your name” before summer began, but it stirred up in me an anticipatory infatuation for a season I had recently started to dread. There is a charm to the season that I had almost forgotten but after watching the movie (which is predominantly shot in summer), I found myself rekindled with the poetry behind it. I was transported to times when I was in love, to a time when the harshness of the Indian summer didn’t even cross my mind, when the sun made everything more beautiful and magical, especially when it played hide and seek with my lovers face.

This summer, I look back on a love that many summers ago exalted us, a love that engrossed us, so effortlessly, almost all at once, a love that felt timeless, impenetrable, a love that no longer manifests in front of my eyes, but reaches out to me gently through the rays of light reminiscent of a time when it was still mine to hold. 

I’d be lying if I said that the outfit I am wearing wasn’t inspired by the movie. I owned each of these pieces before watching the movie, but had never paired them together. At some level, the oversized linen shirt, the chino shorts, and sneakers all take cues from Oliver’s garb in the movie.

Note: This is the first time I have done a story shot entirely on the iPhone instead of a DSLR. I was a bit apprehensive at first about whether the iPhone would be able to capture light and colors in the way I wanted, but I feel we've reached a point with technology where the iPhone almost performs better than an older entry/mid level DSLR. The details are almost as crisp, the light and colors turn out better almost, because these get displayed and can be altered live, which is a more intuitive way of making adjustments for most. A key area where my DSLR still performs better, is at capturing depth of field (a style that I feel has ironically been overdone, specially since its pseudo arrival to the world of phones.) 

Thank you Andy, for capturing the vision behind this post so beautifully.

Essentials: Iku Denim Pouch by Nicobar

As a minimalist and someone who really cares about sustainability, the act of buying anything has become a much more deliberate and slower process for me. It involves questioning the need for what I am about to buy and the value it adds to my life. Once I’ve established the value this product adds to my life, I then move on to question every imaginable and varying attribute of the product so as to pick one from the pool of hundreds that meets all my specific needs from an aesthetic/functional/pricing perspective. 

Recently, I came to the realization that a traditional mens wallet doesn’t necessarily fit my needs on two counts - 1) I do not like sticking a wallet in my back pocket and traditional wallets are too big to fit in the front pocket and 2) I need a wallet in which I can simply dump all sorts of things ranging from coins, paper currency, cards, and maybe even a lip-balm! 

Since I've been majorly into the the brand Nicobar lately, I decided to go through their website to see if I could find something that fits my needs and settled for the Iku Denim Pouch. The form-factor is perfect for simply dumping things in and I didn’t find myself missing the various compartments of a traditional wallet (and their inherent limitations.) The design is also slim and narrow enough (so long as you don’t overstuff) to easily fit into a front pocket, making it easier to carry around.

As far as build quality is concerned, I have been using the pouch for almost six months now and it hasn’t given up on me, nor is there any major wear or tear or de-coloring (although half of this could be attributed to me being careful and not overstuffing it.) At 550 INR (less than $10) it also cheaper than most wallets and since it isn't made out of leather it is also a more sustainable and cruelty free alternative to a traditional mens wallet.  

ootd: Last Few Winter Days

First of all, allow me to explain the recent lack of posts on the blog. Late last year, I announced that I'd be making a shift to sustainable and ethical style. Part of that meant that I no longer wanted to purchase outfits that weren't manufactured in an ethical and sustainable way. However, I wasn't sure how I was going to go about all these pieces of clothing that I already owned. I didn't want to simply abandon them and start purchasing clothes afresh, because I strongly felt that this would be a contradiction and wouldn't be a very sustainable thing to do. So I came up with the idea of not buying new clothes until 2018. However, when 2018 arrived, I realized that there are so many pieces of clothing that I own, that I love but haven't gotten around wearing. With that realization, I decided to extend not buying new clothes for a bit longer so that I could figure out my favorites, wear them, and do a couple of shoots about them. Another reason that I  decided not to write post was that I no longer wanted to write a post that I wasn't whole-heartedly proud of. 

Anyway, now that we have that out of the way, let me talk about the outfit itself. I really love winter for a couple of reasons but from a style perspective, winter translates to me being able to layer and also wear stuff that you'd have to be mad to wear during any other season in India because of how hot it gets during most of the year. One of my winter staples is a black turtleneck zip-up from Esprit that I've owned since I was a teen. Maybe it is my adolescent admiration of Steve Jobs, but this jacket paired with my Levi's 501s is one of my favorite looks for the winter season. 

Shot by Shashank Issar 

ootd: Tiny Roads That No One Passes Through

There's a part of me, that longs for tiny empty roads that no one passes through, a part of me that longs for endless horizons sans buildings and billboards. There is a part of me that longs to walk through fields, running my fingers through crops, a part of me that longs to let the rays of the sun blind me, so that I can see more clearly. 

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I am wearing a tee purchased half a decade back from American Apparel and trousers I traded in for a bag full of clothes to be recycled by them.

Shot by Shashank Issar 

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ootd: Lazy Winter days at home

Last month I announced a shift to sustainable and ethical style but this shift should not translate to discarding your old wardrobe and starting fresh. The damage of purchasing unethically manufactured clothes cannot be offset by abandoning them for sustainable and ethical clothes but only by wearing them for decades, so that even if they weren’t manufactured ethically they were consumed in a sustainable and ethical manner. 

With winter finally here, thats exactly what I am going to do, by hashing out this classic Reebok sweatshirt from when I was a teen (I turn 29 next year) and my classic Levi's 501. Its the perfect outfit to wear while lazing around in your home with a nice cup of coffee and a good book. 

Essentials: Coffee by Blue Tokai

Essentials is a new series on my blog that tries to tackle two problems of modern consumerism - 1) The tendency to mindlessly buy things that we don't need and 2) The tendency to end up buying something we need that isn't the best in the category in terms of it's aesthetic and functional value. 

There's probably nothing I truly need on a daily basis more than coffee. Besides waking me up, coffee also enables me to take a moment to reflect on what I need to get done during the day while catching up on some light reading. This is why the first post on the essentials section was directed towards sharing how I choose to brew my coffee and why. 

That said, what equipment you use to brew your coffee is just half the battle won. Once you've figured out the best equipment to brew your perfect cup of coffee, you are going to have to get the best coffee available near you. Back in the day, this meant buying imported packaged coffee from the likes of Starbucks and although it'd be sourced from some of the best coffee farms in the world, by the time it would reach you, it would have lost its essence. This is because the freshness (aroma and flavour) of a coffee is at its peak in between 7-12 days, post which it starts deteriorating.

That is where Blue Tokai steps in. Besides sourcing their coffee from some of the best local coffee farms in the country, they ship the coffee within a day of roasting. They roast small batches twice a week, based on actual orders received, shipping them the next day, thereby ensuring that by the time it reaches you, you can enjoy peak the coffee at its peak. 

I chose their M.S. Estate blend which is described as a well-balanced medium roast, with a fruity aroma and nutty finish (ideal for people like me who drink their coffee black.) I also read a bit about the farm and as someone who values sustainability, I was pleased to know about the care with which the coffee is grown in the farms that spread across the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats in Chickmagalur, Karnataka. Cultivation over the 600 hectares is done in a way that isn't disruptive to the natural forests (maintaining the natural habitat of birds, including myna, parrots, peacocks, woodpeckers, owls and parakeets, as well as animals such as bison, deer, foxes, and wild boars.) I was also delighted to read that all employees and their families are offered rudimentary healthcare, education, and housing. 

The estate has also won several awards including the bronze award at the "Grands Crus De Café" contest held at Paris, organised by Association Connaissance Du Café Concours Paris 2004. It was also ranked in the top ten best coffees in Illy Cafe's "Indian Coffee Quality Prize" held in Trieste, Italy.

You can order their coffees along with starter kits here.

Introducing: Required Reading

Required Reading is a new section on the blog through which I want to share the best articles I’ve discovered on the Internet. Articles that tell inspiring stories of great people, of unknown people, of seemingly ordinary occurrences that can have extra-ordinary repercussion in your life. Articles that will help you improve your life, to live it to the fullest, articles that bestow wisdom and change how you see the world. Basically, stuff that you should be required to read.

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This read on Harvey Weinstein and the economics of consent

Health tips from people who've lived for more than a 100 years

HBR tells you how to deal with an incompetent boss

Read about this absolutely inspiring man 

A story of slavery in Modern America by by Alex Tizon

This article asks whether it is still ethical to travel to Iceland

An interview with Chris Earl - A ceramist, furniture maker, chef, father, and husband

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A Shift Towards Sustainable and Ethical Style

Back in July, just a couple of months into rebranding my blog, I stopped blogging. It seemed like a sudden and spontaneous decision to many, but in reality it was a deliberately thought over hiatus with the aim of finding harmony within some of the contradictions that had emerged between the style section of my blog and the other sections like "mindful living" and "lifestyle + culture." Whereas the latter sections were consistent with my values and beliefs, the posts in the style section, weren't, on multiple counts. 

I've tried to adopt the "less is more" philosophy with my belongings, with the people around me, and with the things I involve myself in. While I have even been advocating the "less is more" ideal on other sections of my blog, everything about the style section was about more. More posts, more outfits, more brands, more everything. 

Where minimalism attempts to help people distinguish between needs and wants, the fashion/style industry thrives on blurring the line between want and need. Somehow the industry has us believing that we need new clothes every season (it doesn’t help that there are now 52 micro seasons.) Minimalism isn't just about having less though, it is also about using what you do have to the fullest, with the goal of deriving the maximum value out of each one of your belongings, and not discarding them until you absolutely have to, which makes the whole ecosystem of producing these more sustainable. Again, the fashion industry is built on the opposite model, where what you buy is only good until the next fashion show. If all of this wasn't bad enough, the clothes you keep cycling through are made in some of the most unfavorable working conditions, so that you get the product at a price point you can't refuse. 

I’ve spent the past few weeks introspecting and soul searching, hoping to find a way out of these contradictions. The more time I spent the clearer it became that I’d have to make a conscious shift towards sustainable and ethical style. It’s not going to be easy, but I want all my outfit posts to eventually be sustainable and ethically manufactured. Since access to ethically manufactured clothes in India is really limited, I will be taking a phased approach to this shift. I would have loved for it to be a radical shift where everything I’m wearing in my posts is ethically manufactured and sustainable, but this would result in another contradiction (buying a bunch of new ethically manufactured clothes wouldn’t be so sustainable now would it?)

Needless to say, since the "Garb" section within style is focused on other people, the focus of those posts will be on the distinctiveness and individuality of their outfit (but sustainable and ethically manufactured outfits get brownie points!)

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Sustainability & Ethics Note

The kurta is almost 5 years old and is from Fab India, a company known for sourcing designs through artisanal workshops in rural India. Chinos are from H&M and were traded for a bag full of old clothes that they will be recycling. Sneakers are by Vans and are almost a decade old. 

★★☆☆☆

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Essentials: Chambord French Press by Bodum

Essentials is a new series on my blog that tries to tackle two problems of modern consumerism - 1) The tendency to mindlessly buy things that we don't need and 2) The tendency to end up buying something we need that isn't the best in the category in terms of it's aesthetic and functional value. 

Products (in the broader sense) that I will be sharing here, would have been purchased only after I've carefully identified the permanent value that they create in my life. Additionally, I will also study and pick the most aesthetically and functionally rich offering in said category. 

Over the past few years, a fresh cup of coffee has become one of the most integral part of my morning ritual (more on that on a future post.) Of all the ways to manually brew coffee, a French press is hands-down the best method (especially if you drink your coffee black.) I prefer the method for a few reasons - 1) It is simple and easy, all you need is some coffee (course grind) and hot water and 2) It offers the benefit of temperature control (which is important as the use of boiling water can often reduce the potency of coffee.)

I own French Press' by both Hario and Bodum, but I prefer "The Chambord" by Bodum. I found both the design and the build quality of the Bodum Press to be superior to that of the Hario. From a design perspective, I found the Chambord's minimal, classic, and seamless aesthetic far more pleasing. The quality of the materials used (which although are similar) seem to be better in the case of the Chambord, whether it is the grip, or the precision crafted stainless steel frame (which looks as new as the day I got it.) From a functional perspective, the Chambord is way easier to clean and definitely more durable. The Chambord comes in three sizes ranging from 0.5L to 1.5L. I personally prefer the 0.5L, since portability is important to me. The 0.5L makes two full cups and one full mug. 

A French press is an essential for anyone who loves a rich, smooth, flavorful coffee to kickstart their morning and the Bodum Chombard with it's classic and minimalist design and exceptional build quality is the obvious choice.