When East meets West

Halter necks, spaghetti straps or a lovely sheath dress — any one of these words can conjure a vivid image of a fun night-out with that special someone. Coco Chanel iconised the little black dress, while Christian Dior mainstreamed leopard prints and silk chiffons. There are simply no alternatives to these fantastic western outfits, especially for a romantic night out.

But what if you were 'still' tired and wanted something different? A bit of experimentation with the 'already fantastic!'

If you consider yourself a fashion enthusiast, you'd know by now that there's no messing with the stilettos because that would only make things look disproportionate. And no, mismatched is not cute at all! No matter how much the online fashion pages stress on it.

This conundrum leaves us no choice, except for experimenting with the rest of the accessories like jewellery and bags. Dare to be different? Here's where the game lies.

You'll be amazed at how a little alteration in styling can bring bout a significant change to the entire look. Try donning a baby-doll dress, paired off with a traditional Indian nose ring (nath) or the elaborate bell-shaped earrings (jhumkas). These will definitely get you noticed, especially with your special someone. Thank us later!

You want more experiments? Try the elaborate gemstone neckpieces particularly the (navaratna) to help shine your way through the night.

Worried that you might make a mess out of everything and look tacky instead?

There's always a simple solution to every problem. For this one, make sure to keep the makeup simple, preferably in the nude, so that your jewellery, personality and that little black dress is highlighted.

Another trick is to keep the hair simple and plain; rather than going for high definition curls or intricate braids, just churn up a messy bun, or a pony tail. This will make sure the extravagant jewellery does most of the talking through the night.

Since we are discussing Indian jewellery, an important point to note is that it CANNOT be a duplicate. Because an imitation would most definitely lack the appropriate radiance to grip anyone's attention!

Your best bet is to wear an antique. Maybe an heirloom piece that belonged to your grandmother?

We promise, the rest of the night will flow smoothly with magical conversations of the past and the present, and itself become a night to remember, certainly.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Model: Hritika

Make-up: Farzana Shakil's Makeover Saloon

Jewellery: Pearl Kingdom

Styling: Sonia Yeasmin Isha

Location: Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel