CategoriesClothes Workwearby

Top 5 tips to Look Amazing at Work | Workwear Guide

Corporate offices and different workplaces are getting back up from the work-from-home setup. The 9 to 5 routine has already set in for many people around the country so is the work-life. The days are back where a day starts with getting dressed for work to deciding an outfit for the following day. For a few, it might be an exciting time to go back to the 9 to 5 routine and, for a few, it may not. So, we thought that we should compile some of our tips to keep your workwear game strong regardless of the mood!

Workwear is a tricky category. But, when styled correctly, it could amp up your personality. It can be a game-changer at work!
These days communication skills are being talked about a lot and, we think that fashion and styling can also fall under the category of communication. We can express so much through fashion/clothes. So, it could be a good idea to step up your workwear wardrobe. It may sound daunting at first but, we are here to help you with some of our tips to take out all the ambiguity around workwear wardrobe. All these points will help you look good and feel good too!

1. Uniformity creates an impact!

In a professional work environment, it is obvious to have patterns and order while working in a professional workspace. On a similar note, while developing/choosing a workwear wardrobe, you can bring uniformity. Uniformity will enable an order. Consider uniformity in colour, style, accessories, or others.
Maintaining or sticking to a similar style or having a particular pattern of accessorising can create individuality.

For instance, choose neutral colours for top-wear and darker/ cool-toned colours for bottom wear. All these can help create a polished personality/image at work. Choose similar kinds of accessories instead of layering and mixing it all up. Simplicity in such things can bring out a professional look.

2. Pay attention to the details

Details matter the most. Workwear can be fun if we choose unique styles/ details within a neutral outfit. Choose different collars styles sleeve styles to amp up your basic-minimal workwear wardrobe. Choose knitwear garments; lookout for new materials instead of your usual choices. Unique cuff styles will bring a personality that is unique to you. It can add a pop of fun element to the boring-usual corporate look.

3. Choose/ find a star garment

What do we mean by star garment? A good question to ask! A star garment is a piece in your wardrobe that you fall back on, the backup plan on the days when you have less time to choose. It could be the one classic garment that will help you on the days when you want to look just right with minimal effort. It could be a blazer, a dress or a jumpsuit.
The star garment can create a sharp look. It will also break the monotony of the week.

4. Quirk it up

According to respective workplace rules, you can quirk things up. Workwear can be fun when you add some prints or different accessories. An accessory or printed details can step up one’s outfit in a positive way. Feel free to experiment with accessories like handbags/wallets shoes to add more fun to your workwear wardrobe.

5. Pick up themes/order for the week!

We must have found ourselves asking this one question- What should I wear tomorrow? on most days. This same damn question can be annoying/boring every day.
Taking out/separating a few top wear or outfits for the week can help. Sticking to a theme or an order can help. For instance, pick an order for the week- a week of Indian workwear or three days of western workwear followed by Indian workwear. All these can help manage and create order in our day-to-day routine.
When we are in a hurry, we are less likely to make decisions so, a better choice would be to make a few decisions before the week this will lead to a hassle-free week for sure!

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CategoriesPsychology & designby

Seeking individuality through fashion: A closer look at the relationship between fashion choices and self-identity.

What are the various ways to achieve individuality, individual style? Can fashion be used as a tool to express ourselves? Can fashion be related to our self-identity? As we read the blog title, such questions can cross our minds. Believe it or not, an association is built directly or indirectly between us and fashion as a medium of self-identification. So why not learn about it?

DISCLAIMER: This blog is just a point of view to help pivot our lifestyle in some way to achieve better, observe better. The purpose of this blog is to think of fashion as a possibility.

Association between fashion and self-identity

Self-identity is a combination of what a person truly is and how an individual portrays oneself. Fashion can be a great tool to take cues of one’s characteristics and how an individual wants to present to the external world. Clothing can describe a wearer. Choice of clothing can be like an unspoken description of one’s personality. Choices of clothing lead to assumptions too. As humans, we tend to pivot our perception around appearances. Direct or indirect feedback is received based on visual perception. We humans also tend to desire a strong identification from the crowd. When we observe and look deep into this subject, we can learn and develop our fashion choices and hence our personality. Often people want to establish themselves as somebody but seem to be confused or are not effectively portraying the same in reality. So, this blog can give you a clue on what aspect you can look at to be that person you want the world to look at and be the same.

Evolving fashion choices

“I remember my growing up days augmented my fashion choices. I was a weak child and often was skinny-shamed and, those were a few incidents that shaped my liking and preferences for clothes. Opting for power-dressing, utilising fashion to come across as strong and authoritative is how my fashion choices got shaped.”

Fashion can be instrumental in such instances. For life events, we can see fashion and style playing a part in being confident. For a few, it becomes like armour.

The impact of a fashion switch

If we switch our style that depicts what we want to convey, the impact can be enormous. Switch style according to an event, mood, or the kind of environment you would be going/attending. It almost acts like unheard communication that speaks volumes of what you represent or stand for. When we pivot our fashion self/ image, we can observe an impact on our surroundings. Responses will switch to unexpected ones and will enhance anyone’s presence. 

There are many benefits to the same apart from the external validation. You could feel good, comfortable, powerful and can positively affect your mood. The positive points are far more when we take leap in our own fashion game!

Do we always have to associate ourselves with fashion?

The answer to this question is, it depends, as it is subjective. Educating oneself about such a subject depends on person-to-person interests. But, knowing one’s identity and expressing ourselves is essential. Personal identity is one of the basic human psychological needs. Every human is unique by nature but strongly desires to be identified in the crowd. Individuals may express their unique personalities through their apparel and fashion (Goldsmith, 1996).

Making fashion a tool to develop ourselves

Fashion can be instrumental in developing ourselves. More than the worth of the clothing, selection of clothing is more important. Our aesthetic expression might pivot in one way or other depending on where we want to lead our lives. It is a constant process. “But I think recognising our choices in fashion is important so that when we are unsatisfied at any stage, we can switch it up and can achieve better. Achieve better communication, get better with our soft skills, and live comfortably with our choices.”

“Side note: I know post-reading this blog another thought might cross minds. It is that “not to judge people by their appearance” however, this blog is catering to subjects who see fashion as a potential tool, who wish to communicate their identity, and who wish to change something majorly in their lives and take the help of fashion and self-image. So, the purpose here is to help see another standpoint and not to promote any principles.”

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CategoriesClothesby

Are you wearing clothes or an outfit?

Is wearing clothing different from wearing an outfit? Yes! There is a difference between wearing clothes and wearing an outfit. Wearing clothes refer to mindlessly wearing garments. On the other hand, wearing an outfit can refer to mindfully combining garments and different elements to enhance the look. We can surely choose days when we want to throw on clothes and the days we want to wear an outfit. So here we have compiled some tips to differentiate and help you amp up your style.

1. Fit of garments

Post lockdown, many of us have had weight fluctuations which led to size variation. And, now our clothes don’t fit anymore. So, this leads to our first tip- You shouldn’t fit in clothes, clothes should fit you. Figure out which pieces are now ill-fitted. Get those altered. Most garments can be altered or can be upcycled. By altering existing garments you can retain your style. If it is beyond alteration find new pieces. Fit is the most important aspect of any garment. Ill-fitted pieces can make you look awkward, bulky or skinny if you don’t get it fixed. There are several tricks as well which can make you look taller, fuller etc. which takes us to the second tip:

2. Proportions

Check proportions of tops and bottoms. Balance those two correctly. If you are wearing a body-hugging top pair it up with a regular to loose bottom and vice versa. Even lengths of garments matter! Depending on the way you want to portray yourself you can switch up lengths of garments. Shorter tops and longer bottoms can create an illusion of longer legs. Anyone on the shorter side can opt for such option. On the other hand, it is sometimes tricky to style oversized garments. Such style can hide your personality. But there is a way for that too! Balance oversized garments with a body hugging garment. Highlight one of them so you can make a statement!

3. Colour

Adding a pop colour is fun! So much can be done with colours. Colour combination could make or break any outfit. 

a) If you like bright colours, balance them with neutral colours. Let couple of colour highlight in your outfit. Do not mix several colours and let down their charm!

b) If you prefer neutrals opt for one bright colour to add that spark in your outfit. This can create an emphasis!

c) A monochromatic outfit is always a no brainer! Such style comes handy when you are initially building up your style and likings. Observe your preference and think about the colours you generally wear and go for. You can change your outfit game with just a good play if colours.

4. Recognise own style

Oftentimes, when we are exposed to numerous styling ideas we can get confused. One can find limitless inspiration for styling and fashion tips but which style suits you and is affordable to you matters the most! Find some pieces that emphasizes your character, your aura. Trends can be confusing. Instead, stick to your personality and liking. We hope that we could highlight the key points to amp up your style and hope that you consider some of our suggestions. Styling tips are limitless and so are you!

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CategoriesPsychology & designby

Mind, emotion, and design: The integral trio

Disclaimer:
Written below is a blog post based on the writer’s experience. Thoughts expressed are of the writer. Opinions on the following points may differ from person to person. The motto behind this post is to bring in another perspective in light.

Our mental state determines our work-life balance, especially when one comes from a creative background. Mind, emotion, and creating design are interconnected trio. Creating designs is conditional on our minds and emotions. Design is the result of science, art, and technology. Designers get involved so much in the design process that no other phenomenon matters while working. Designing requires a lot of persistence, imagination. So, as a result, it might create a mental imbalance for a designer at times. And while we may experience such a factor, it is hard to not talk about the three nightmares of a designer:

1) Creative block
2) Dealing with feedbacks
3) Finding balance

  1. Creative block
    Many times designers face a lack of inspiration or barrier to move forward with the design process. It is often difficult to get out of that zone and start again. A creative block might cause due to over-working. It can also cause due to working for a long duration on the same project. Or there could be other reasons too.

During the design process, our thoughts matter, emotions matter, and involvement matters. “The whole process might go off track if I’m not feeling the purpose behind any product. I did face creative blocks many a time. My mindset or willingness determined my design. It is a stressful period when one has to get work done and faces a creative block simultaneously.”
Often I take a break. I focus on something else to get back to the workflow. Though it might be a temporary condition, it feels hard to get back sometimes. Another part and parcel of being a designer is:

  1. Dealing with feedbacks
    Designers have a very close connection with psychology as we handle aesthetics with all our emotions and mind. We often attach ourselves to our work. Sometimes so much that the designs become our identity.
    So when designers receive feedback from clients, team members, there is a possibility that it becomes highly personal. Emotions and efforts are involved in the design process. Hence, designers do not separate themselves from their designs. Feedback can make or break a designer’s work.

In my view, feedback should consist of both negative and positive points. A combination of both will help the designer with the design process. “When I did my masters, I learned that being decisive in our words is essential. Mentioning positive points is also equally important. One must be precise with what we describe and how we describe it. It enables the implementer to learn about the requirements or what went wrong with any existing design.”
Designs can get affected because of the heavy emphasis on the negatives. Scrutinizing the design process is essential but, the way we express tells a lot about how we actually give feedback. It eventually boils down to how we treat other people. Last but not the least amongst the three is:

  1. Finding balance
    Finding a balance between technical factors and aesthetics is hard. Designers have to find a middle ground to avoid a compromise on either. Sometimes execution gets rough with such difficulties. Implementing the design idea takes a lot of effort and patience.

When we draft/plan our designs, we usually predict the difficulties during execution. Sometimes sudden technical aspects come along unexpectedly, and we have to deal with the same. There is a probability of losing on aesthetics or losing on the beauty of a product. Juggling between functionality and aesthetics is the real challenge that designers solve
Designers see the unseen. With the knowledge of art and technology, designers can create a better life. We need more designers at work to enjoy the harmony of functionality and art. To enjoy the space, to enhance our lifestyle, and to think futuristically.

“I thought of sharing this post because few things need some change. If you are a designer, or shaping a budding designer, or an authoritative individual to a designer these factors should be considered to retain a decent working environment. I believe educating ourselves can help in building a better community. I hope that through this blog, you get to know more about the emotions and thoughts of a designer.”
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CategoriesSustainabilityby

Eco-anxiety: Developing a coping mechanism

If you are an eagle freak then you might know what it is like when one experiences eco-anxiety. “Eco-anxiety” refers to persistent worries about environmental damage caused by certain human activity or climate change and so on. It refers to a feeling of helplessness post learning about climate change. We often come across some nerve-wracking news articles on climatic incidents which generate a certain amount of anxiety. Being aware of the environmental crisis is essential but, it usually associates with anxiety, feeling helpless, or feeling sad.

“As a maker, I feel overwhelmed too after learning about the environmental effects caused by the fashion industry. Sometimes, the anxiousness takes a toll when I see news articles on climate change and its adverse effects on the future. It creates a sort of panic. I even start to question the need for manufacturing garments and many associating things as we are doubling down on products that already exist. Making a product with purpose seems very difficult at times when I think of the effects caused by human actions on earth.”

“So, after being in such a situation I slowly developed some coping techniques that helped me reduce my eco-anxiety. I would be sharing some of my go-to tips when it comes to coping with such emotions.”

  • Acknowledging both sides of the coins-

“The first step in solving a problem is to recognise that it exists.”

– Zig Ziglar

Instead of getting overwhelmed by the information, we must see the pros and cons of our actions. From a maker’s point of view, we measure our steps anticipate the consequences while we do our design process and manufacture our products. Purpose behind every product becomes our action step to tackle our emotions.

Sustainability is a process and it can be achieved when we become more decisive about our product range and the way we manufacture it.
We can subtract actions that cause adverse effects on the environment.

We try to procure and make our products from our own city, this helps us reduce our carbon footprint. Procuring and manufacturing locally has been instrumental as we follow the path of ethical practices.

  • Finding new approaches- Having a perspective helps to reduce anxiety. Observing other people’s work and getting inspired has helped in a way to sail through rough waters. There are many inspiring stories that become like a survival guide to other people. Local businesses with different ideas, narrating unique stories to achieve sustainable lifestyle can fetch us the motivation to generate ideas.
  • Associate> Collaborate> Educate- As makers we educate ourselves by joining hands with local craftsmen and learn from them. Traditional methods often help us understand how to become more conscious with the design process. Association with such intellects can feed our brains with ideas and we feel that things can be in control. We don’t feel lost or overwhelmed with what is happening in our surroundings. So, associating with local craftsmen, collaborating with them and educating ourselves and others is one of the action plan that helped to deal with eco-anxiety.
  • Know your reach- When we know our capability we can achieve our goals and feel less anxious. It grounds us when we accept that many things are out of our control so the next time when we come across “Only 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe” we would not panic and continue with our small contributions to achieve our little goals.
  • Contribute in your way- When we start small we can develop our lifestyle. Narrating your story, making changes, acting over-worrying is the actual solution! We can stay authentic to ourselves and see the change which we wish to see!

We believe strongly that in the world of too much information, we should try to find ways to cope with our emotions. We should have a solution-inclined mindset instead of alarming someone’s anxiety. We hope you find this blog helpful. We hope you find solutions to cope with the current times in your own way. Let us know your thoughts on your own coping mechanism so we can learn from each other.

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CategoriesSustainabilityby

Spot the difference- Sustainability or Greenwashing?

The increasing amount of buzz around the word sustainability has given a rise to greenwashing. It is often seen that fast-fashion brands following unethical practices spend more money on marketing their eco collections than actually taking steps to implement ethical practices. So, let us take a look about false marketing strategies.

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is forging a false brand image through campaigns about their sustainable measures so that consumers are attracted to the brand and feel that they have saved the planet by buying a product. Fast-fashion brands produce a large amount of garments and then label it as sustainable. The strategy involves bombarding the idea of protecting environment through these collections. This creates a bubble for consumers to make them less guilty about excessive buying/purchase from fast-fashion brands.

What is the purpose behind greenwashing?

Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.

Jochen Zeitz

Sustainability is the destination so, to achieve the same brands have to take several measures, follow ethical practices to achieve a sustainable model. It takes lot of efforts to create a sustainable model. But often, fast-fashion brands portray that they have achieved sustainability within little time and advertise the same to gain attention.

There are several incidents wherein few fast fashion brands were called out for their unethical practices. So, to save their wrongdoing many fast fashion brands have adopted greenwashing as a tool to pretend to come out clean after serious incidents or after being called out by the people and media. This led to a drop in their sales so brands started greenwashing consumers with their Conscious Collections and false campaigns to project or market their so called sustainable clothes. Deceitful marketing campaigns were made in order to restore consumer’s faith in fast-fashion brands again.
Sustainable Campaigns create a false image that the fast-fashion brand has considered the problem/ unethical practice and is implementing on the same. They usually make a lot of claims as they market their products, but in reality, the implementation is either minimal or missing.

How to identify between greenwashing and sustainability?

Identifying between greenwashing and sustainability is necessary, it could be subtle or very evident. Greenwashing can be identified by few characteristics. Greenwashing may look like this:

  1. Ambiguous: Campaigns may just throw around some buzz words like “eco-friendly”, “green” etc., and would ignore the actual problem and create confusion.
  2. False claims: Fast-fashion brands can claim things like “recycled polyester” dress or so, whereas in reality it is not recycled it is just polyester fibre. Coining words or claims with no evidence is a sign of greenwashing.
  3. False certifications: Phrases like “certified by “some vegan website”, non-toxic, vegan are deceiving, there has to be evidence on how brands work behind the scenes. It is hard to trust phrases and certificates when the products are no different from any other brands in the market.
  4. Ignoring major problems: Focusing on few sustainable elements and ignoring major issues can also be a red flag. Brands will focus on different sustainable aspects and ignore the ones which they were called for.
  5. Plain Lying: Usually brands name garments like sustainable shirt, or dress which further do not elaborate on how it is sustainable is also one of the keys to greenwashing.

Brands who follow sustainable practices will reflect through different ways, they will demonstrate their process in unique way to reassure their claims. Specifying how they have achieved a “sustainable” range is the important when we differentiate between greenwashing and sustainability.

How can we educate ourselves and bring change?

Understanding is the key!

Buying a sustainable t-shirt would not save the planet, reusing will. Not falling for coined phrases and marketing gimmicks will get us a step closer to the truth. As consumers checking the fabric and quality of a garment can tell the truth. Buying less/ in moderation will lead to less demand and less demand will lead to less/ moderate production.

“I believe that staying informed and investing in good-quality clothing can help in long run. Awareness will help diminish greenwashing practices. Consumers need to stay informed so they do not fall prey to greenwashing. Being mindful is necessary, looking beyond labels or claims will fetch us the real image of any brand. An aware consumer can definitely spot the difference between greenwashing and sustainability.”

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CategoriesWash & Careby

How to enhance life of a garment?

“Before getting into fashion and starting my formal training in the same I remember I used to donate some of my clothes and others I used to throw away as I was not aware enough about sustainability and garment longevity.

As a single child to my parents, I enjoyed the freedom of buying anything I wanted. But since I started my research and got a brief understanding of the results of our actions I became aware of reusing, upcycling and donating clothes. I also understood the importance of wash- care labels, following the wash- care instructions for my garments. After religiously following those instructions and being conscious I noticed that my garments loved me back by staying as is for longer time. I could keep my favourite pieces with me for as long as I wanted! So I hope to share some helpful tips with you to achieve the same.”

1. Maintaining the colour/fit of a garment

We can anticipate the lifespan of our garments by the way we wash and iron them. Over-washing can easily damage any print/embroidery on the garment, white coloured garments can be damaged due to staining and worsen by using wrong methods to remove stains, garments can stretch to a different size if they are not ironed/hung in the right way. All these problems can occur due to wrong washing and ironing techniques. If a similar issue is been faced then remember to:

  1. Wash your outerwear, jeans after been worn few times. Take care of those black jeans, don’t let them turn grey!
  2. Turn printed tees inside out before washing, this will retain the print and hence the style of printed tees.
  3. Wash a white coloured garment separately, or choose to hand wash instead of machine washing. Protect those white tees from any other colour.
  4. Iron shirts carefully, open up all the buttons and iron shirts in sections. This technique will take care of those sharp cuffs and button-down collars.

2. Evolving our mindset

It is easy to throw away garments when we see signs of wear tear, but mending them can save money and the garment too. Evolving a “preserving” mindset instead of “use and throw” habit can help you and our planet. If there are some minor issues with a piece of clothing then get it repaired in time, this can help maintain your favourite garments without any fuss.

If a garment doesn’t fit well alteration is the way to go. Alterations can restore the fit of the garment. Remember, there are several ways to mend a piece of clothing.

“Upcycle fashion” category has grown so much and you too can upcycle and restyle your favourite piece of clothing. Consider it as a boon to your wardrobe. Several YouTube channels promote the same and you can pick some ideas from it too. We share some of our upcycle ideas on our Instagram too so you can take some inspiration!
Remember to Repair> Alter> Restore!

3.Think before buying

Because of different trends or following celebrities it is easy to fall prey to the “wear it once” culture which can be one of the keys for investing in low-quality clothing. So choose wisely and buy. Pro-tip: natural fibres are more durable than any other fibers. Choose timeless designs/style that can last for seasons. Both of these factors can impact a garment’s longevity. When a piece is made thoughtfully it will not pill, or bleed colour.
Investing in garments can ensure durability!

“Try to figure out which piece of clothing in your wardrobe is used the most, re-think the way you handle that piece of clothing. Implement necessary steps that it needs. Sometimes re-reading the wash care label can help you save your favourite piece. Give your existing wardrobe some attention, if garments needs some mending do it in time, the age-old saying- Stitch in time saves nine always helps.”

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CategoriesClothesby

Hello and Namaste!

“Let me introduce myself, I am Sagarika! I’m the creative head at Seaika.
I am an apparel designer from Mumbai, India. I graduated from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in 2019. In August 2020, I completed my master’s from Nottingham Trent University in Knitwear design. With the vision to create my own designs and implement my values I am pleased to start a venture in the fashion industry.

Building our community!

Seaika is an amalgamation of creativity and insightful living. The intention behind Seaika is to create a platform which will include thoughtfully made products and right information to achieve a mindful lifestyle. At Seaika we promote sustainable living. We are determined to give you some clues about mindful lifestyle, some ethical practices, and more on sustainable fashion. We are slowly building a “shopping with right information” experience. Here, our readers and clients can know more about our products, behind the scenes, and our thoughts behind the range too. Encouraging sustainable living will always be our top priorities.

Here at Seaika we are trying to handle different kinds of textile and experimenting whilst keeping an eye on environmental good. Our intention is to keep our clients informed of what they are buying. And hope to keep our readers updated through our blog!”

What to expect from Seaika?

“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.”

William Arthur Ward

As a knitwear designer, Sagarika developed a habit of doing a lot of research. Through this blog she wish to share information on fashion and more. She believes that research can make us conscious consumers as research is the food for creative ideas. Along with shopping a consumer should be aware of the purpose behind the product and of the brand ethics. We are determined to create a transparent shopping experience and build our community.

This space is dedicated to subjects like fashion, sustainability, slow fashion, and a lot more. We will facilitate our readers about the newest ideas on mindful living. Here we aim to share some informative fashion tips which can be applied in daily routine.

Stay tuned with us. If you like our work please support us by recommending us to your friends and family!