Sinewy hemlines, slender stitches, fitted silhouettes, deep necklines, breezy hues—that's the revamped look of the good old blouse, that was nothing more than a 2/2 rubia some years back. Going trendy, it's a sea change that we see in this piece of clothing. And today's woman, whether a homemaker or a corporate guru, is willing to experiment and add class to this piece of attire, as it can assure charisma to nine yards of dressing up.

Though the trend spells designer improvisation, the basic design has not changed much. Going back in time, to the 10 th century AD, the blouse was more of a tube top, which later evolved into a backless thing with strings attached behind.

A trip down South or even to the desert land of Rajasthan would show pictures of women with heavily embroidered, long backless cholis and short blouses with capped sleeves. Even master painter Raja Ravi Verma depicted sari-clad women wearing different blouses, including a halter-neck.

Coming back to the present, with designers pushing the sari as a classy modern outfit (remember Manish Malhotra's collection at the WIFW), the blouse has once again taken centrestage. In newer cuts, styles and silhouettes, it's a variety waiting to be explored.

"From the noodle strap blouse to an ultra-modern embossed embellishment to a 20-inch backless wear, it's innovation that counts, when it comes to designing a blouse," says city designer Babi Grewal.

While there is no limit to fashion, she says, "A blouse can make or mar a sari. Even a plain sari can look wonderful with a smart blouse, and a sensual sari, disastrous with a bad one. And this season it's a mix 'n' match of fabrics that is doing well. We have velvet blouses with silk saris and brocade with chiffon.

This season, summer-winter fabric thing is no more valid, ladies like to experiment and we have halter, tie-back, choli style, sleeveless, noodle strap, broad strap, heavily embroidered, zardosi-worked blouses in fashion."

"The sequined sleeveless blouse is a basic that every woman should own," says Seema Sharma, fashion designer. She adds, "Fusion is in. One can even pass of a bikini top as a blouse. Tight fitted collared kurti with a sari also makes for an unusual effect."

Talking trend, stylist Payal Saboo, says, "Considering the look that is prevalent, it's definitely experimental. Gone are the days of the round-neck, short-sleeved blouse; today ladies want a lot of detailing and smart silhouettes. And when it comes to cuts and designs, contrast is in. While there is basic mix 'n' match of fabrics, people want variations in cuts. The latest hit comes in the form of a short jacket style blouse."

Offering a tip, Payal says, "Potpourri of colours is in. Make one blouse with varied hues, and you can pair it with different saris."

jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com

Screen styles

Be it Rekha's opulent georgette saris in Silsila or Sridevi's eye-catching chiffon saris in Chandini, Bollywood beauties have the history of setting a fashion trend. We at Lifestyle compile a list of Bollywood actors who have transformed the blouse into a chic garb.

w Sridevi gave sari and of course the good old blouse a new lease of life with Chandini, making it more stylish and trendy.

w Kajol's saris and blouses in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham too started a trend of sorts

w Sushmita Sen's chiffon polka dot back tied, blouse in Main Hoon Na added zing to the good old blouse.

w Fond of saris, Aishwarya Rai's penchant for style is not a closely guarded secret. She wore quite a number of chic blouses in Kuch Na Kaho (remember the maroon satin tie-n-dye sari with a backless blouse)

w Rani Mukherjee's backless pink blouse in KANK sizzled not only the silver screen, but set the trend-o-meter high.

w Shilpa Shetty looked hot in her yellow crinkled blouse at the launch of Bigg Boss-II

w Remember the song Desi Girl from Dostana, Piggy Chops, aka Priyanka Chopra, looked stunning in Manish Malhotra designed noodle strap, bikini blouse.

w Last, Katrina Kaif wore a glamourous golden blouse in Singh is Kinng 

When it comes to dating, the idea is as complex as the contents of its rulebook or the pronounced commandments. More so for girls: play hard to get, don't be needy, be patient, and the most confusing of them all, is too available less attractive?

Not exactly. Well, that's what the changed statistics in the dating game show. If you think that coming on too strong will make a guy run in the opposite direction, then think again.

Girls are moving out of their shy and subtle ways of flirting and how! Well, if they had the taste of blind dating for starters, then the exciting online dating enhanced their appetite for the main course and now, it's mobile dating for dessert.

Taking their 'let's talk' view of life out in the dating ring, girls are willing and daring enough to give their numbers to guys they meet for the first time or flirt through SMSes. The not-so-manicured sectors of Chandigarh have girls who are breaking the mould and pushing the boundaries a little further. For them it's nothing unusual.

"If you meet someone for the first time, it's natural that you exchange numbers if you like the person. Talking on phone eases out any inhibitions or initial nervousness," says Kirti Vyas, a GCG-11 student. Like said, like done. "A mobile phone today is the best dating tool. When you exchange numbers, it just doesn't mean calling each other for an odd coffee or dinner date, but communicating with each other," feels Shikha Sharma, an ILETS teacher.

"It is also a good means to keep the romance going and keeping up the thrill or judging him through his phone manners, before meeting your date," she adds. But just a word of caution, "The idea might seem bold and exciting, but talking to someone you just met, comes with a lot of trust issues attached. There is a lot of sweet talking that happens on the phone, and you never know who or how many listeners are enjoying your innocent flirting session," says Satvinder Kaur, a MCA student from GGDSD College-32.

While all those subtle signals are being lost inside the male brain, men don't mind the action coming from the other side. "If a girl chooses to give her number, it becomes easy to take things further, and, of course, your energy can be better utilised on talking to her and not chasing around for her number," says Gaurav Virk, another student from GGDSD. Sure, at least this takes care of the Herculean task of getting the number first.

"When a girl gives out her number, there is a guarantee for a guy of being wanted," says Amulya Rastogi, a banking professional from the city. Though both of them agree that the thrill of chasing a girl is not missing. "In fact, parties will be more fun," says Gaurav. Right spirit, shall we say!

Call it another romantic persuasion or the just a trend, but the next time a girl says 'we need to talk' you know that something exciting is coming up.

lifestyle@tribunemail.com

One of Bollywood’s biggest stars, Amitabh Bachchan, says the success of Slumdog Millionaire shows that Hollywood is warming to what he calls the “escapist” nature of Indian cinema’s dreamy romances and elaborate song-and-dance numbers.

Bollywood icon Bachchan recently said the fairytale nature of the film takes after the fantasy in Indian films and reflects Hollywood’s embrace of a genre it once criticised.

“The West has been quite critical of our escapist nature, of music and song and dance, which all our films have ... But the very aspect that was looked cynically or critically upon is now the factor that is getting attractive to Hollywood. And you find that even in a film like Slumdog Millionaire,” Bachchan told reporters in the southern Chinese gambling enclave Macau.

The veteran 66-year-old actor said the Indian industry’s confidence in its style helped win over skeptics.

“It’s also due to the fact we never changed our style of making films or our content. We stuck to that and that’s what made us what we are,” he said. —AP 

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, who is globetrotting with his two children, got a chance to take skiing lessons in Canada, something that he thoroughly enjoyed and is recommending to everyone.

“Those of you who have the resources and ability to try out skiing please do so, it is absolutely one of the best things I have done in a long time,” Aamir wrote on his blog www.aamirkhan.com.

According to the actor, it was his kids, son Junaid and daughter Ira, who forced him to try the sport.

“Thanks to my persistent kids, I ended up committing to a week of skiing, and I am glad I did. We were in Banff, a popular ski resort in Canada, a very warm and friendly place and great for skiing. Lovely slopes, very good facilities and great instructors. My kids have been there twice before, first time for me,” he added.

Aamir who will be next seen in Rajkumar Hirani’s Three Idiots had been working non-stop for the last two years and hence has taken a sabbatical for two months to holiday with his kids. —IANS

He may have made both men and women swoon with his dare to bare act in the gay-comedy Dostana and gone full monty for upcoming film New York but actor John Abraham was left blushing when the crowds at an event here asked him to strip off his T-shirt.

The actor was in town for a mass workout session organised by Diet Coke on Sunday evening, when he was faced with the cheeky request and it was no surprise that it was the male members of the audience who went crazy screaming for a look at his fabulous body.

Abraham, who is one of the Bollywood’s first gay sex symbols, politely turned down the request saying, “Guys, that is just in the movies, otherwise I am real shy and what will I wear if I give you mine.”

Instead, the actor gave away T-shirts to the crowd with his image on them, causing a mad rush as fans jumped and stepped over each other to grab the shirts being thrown into the crowd by Abraham.

The 36-year-old actor, who already has legions of female fans, seems to have won over the men too with his brawny good looks as they screamed for the star to strip off his T-shirt.

As the crowd chanted ‘T-Shirt, T-Shirt’, some young guys jumped the barricade begging the star to give them the shirt off his back.

From “Show Salman you are better than him” to “Dostane ki Jai Ho”, the throng tried its best to get him to strip. —PTI 

FMCG player Marico plans to open up to 45 outlets of its beauty and wellness centre Kaya Clinic in the next three years, besides setting up a manufacturing facility for hair care products by the end of this fiscal.

As per an investor presentation by the company, the Mumbai-based firm expects a capital total expenditure of Rs 100 crore for the next three years for opening the Kaya clinics in India and abroad, as well as setting up a plant for hair care products in Uttarakhand, besides other business activities.

Marico Chief HR and Strategy Milind Sarawate that the company will invest Rs 50 crore of the total planned expenditure during the period for expanding the Kaya Clinic network. “We expect Kaya to keep adding around 15 clinics every year. These would include our expansion in India and abroad,” he said.

Currently, Marico has 73 Kaya Clinics in India and 11 abroad, mainly in West Asian countries.

Sarawate said Marico will set up a plant in Uttarakhand by the end of this fiscal and would produce hair creams, gels and hair oils to cater to the growing market.

“Marico has a market share of 22 per cent in this segment. The intent will be to gain market share through the introduction of newer variants as also increasing the efficacy and reach of the existing portfolio,” Sarawate said. —PTI

Fashion brand Provogue has announced a tie-up with one of India’s leading fashion designers, Narendra Kumar, making him their creative head. The spring-summer collection of the brand was also showcased on the occasion.

The Provogue show took place at its showroom in the Infinity Mall in Mumbai.

Kumar asserted he was not there to just endorse the brand, but also to work with the company to recreate the brand.

“It is not about endorsing the brand. It is about working with a brand to create the brand. It is about recreating the image and glory of Provogue in a new sense, for a new generation and a new market. It is a fantastic opportunity for any designer in the country,” he said.

The fashion show had a young, vibrant and summery feel to it. Both men’s and women’s clothing were showcased at the show. Emphasis was also placed on jean wear.

Provogue was launched in 1998 and has been doing well in the apparel market. —ANI

Get set to add some drama to your style qoutient with Avon’s Simply Pretty Double Value 2-in-1 Fun Collection. This exciting new offering from Avon comprises of eye shadow and eyeliner duo and lipstick and lip gloss duo.

Super sparkling and ultra glistening, this unique collection ensures that your peepers look glamourous and attractive while your lips exude that enviable pout and shine all day long.

Available in a variety of interesting shades ranging from pinks and purples to bronzes and reds, this collection is your best bet for the ultimate diva look!

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and make this brand new offering a part of your make-up kitty for as little as Rs199 each. —TNS

One of the best-known plant products that have been used for cosmetic purposes since the ancient times is the Rose. Herbalists have used it for a variety of ailments, including psychosomatic problems. Apart from the water, the extract and the oil, even the fragrance of rose is beneficial. The fragrance of Rose is said to have a soothing effect on the nerves and induces relaxation.

One of the most important properties of rose is its beneficial action on the skin. It promotes blood circulation to the skin surface and tones the capillaries. It also has an astringent action, closing the pores and reducing surface oil.

This is the reason why rose water is one of the best-known skin fresheners. Rose extracts and oil have been formulated into tonics and lotions, not only for routine skin-care, but also for the treatment of many skin problems.

Rose can be used for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Rose is a natural coolant and freshener. That is why it is excellent during hot and humid weather.

Home care:

w Chill some rose water in a bowl. Use cotton wool and wipe the skin with it, then pat the skin briskly with the rosewater soaked cotton wool pads. It helps to keep the skin healthy and youthful and is particularly good during the summer.

w For oily skin, add lemon juice and rose water in equal quantities. Dip cotton wool in it and use it to wipe the face. It will help to remove the surface film of oil and stale sweat and leave you with a cool and fresh feeling.

w For normal to dry skin, mix half-teaspoon pure glycerin with 50 ml rose water. Keep in a glass bottle. Apply a little of this mixture daily on the face. It can also be applied on hands and feet to moisturise.

w A few drops of rose water can be added to sandalwood paste and applied on rash, pimples, acne or boils, to soothe and cure. It helps to reduce inflammation.

w Rose water can also be added to face packs and scrubs. Almond meal can be used with a little rose water as a facial scrub. For oily skin with blackheads, mix rice flour with rose water and use as a facial scrub. Apply on the face and rub gently on the skin with small circular movements. Leave on for a few minutes and wash off with water.

w For oily skin, mix multani mitti with rose water into a paste and apply. Wash it off when it dries.

w Rose water can also be used to complete the skin cleansing process. After using cleansing cream and gel, wipe the skin with rose water, using cotton wool. It removes the last traces of cleanser and other residues and leaves the skin fresh and clean. It also helps to improve skin texture and close the pores.

w Dip cotton wool pads in rose water and use as eye pads to remove fatigue and brighten the eyes.

w To make fragrant massage oil, mix 10 drops of essential oil of rose with 50 ml olive oil or sesame seed (til) oil. Remember that essential oils should never be used by themselves, but should be mixed with pressed oils. 

The thought of going to the nearby market to buy curd and ice cream sends Ayush Dhir, a student, in a thinking mode. It’s better to have lunch without the must-have curd than face the fury of the blistering sun. But he can give it a shot. His sun-protected car can offer some degree of protection from the fury of the sun. One look at the interiors of his car, and you would want to spend the rest of the summers there—-A super cool air conditioning, cotton seat covers, sun shades… It’s heavenly cool inside. You too could do the same.

Offers Madan Sahni of Sahni Motors-38, “With this kind of heat, it becomes almost important to add and remove certain things in the car to give it a cool effect. To begin with, it is almost important to have a good air conditioning system. Some people also attach a small fan in the car, especially those who have to travel long distances in their own car.”

There is along way to go still. Sunshades are next on the must-have list and you would find them being sold at every intersection of the city. So much so, the vendors selling shades of various shapes and sizes claim to sell at least 13-15 pairs every day.

As per Madan, “We call them chipkus, and you bet, they are the best thing to put it in your car in summers. They’re available in square and rectangular form as well, starting at as low as Rs 50-250. You can stick these shades to the car windows when it is hot and remove them when it is a little cool.”

And who said it is all about beating the heat. You could do it in style as well. Puts in Surjit Singh, car mechanic at Industrial Area-Phase 7, who has beautified a Santro by putting rear screen scenery. “It looks good and keeps the heat at bay. You take a pick as per your choice-Dolphins, whales, flowers, waterfall.”

What about the most inquired accessory for the summers——filming. “Visible filming is a good idea. Many youngsters get it done for their cars. They look cool and of course they don’t let sun barge in.” At the same time, he adds, that total filming is not allowed in the city. “There are other options as well-stretched cotton covers and beaded covers that absorb sweat.”

As per Surjit, they not only absorb sweat but they are good for acupressure as well. “Now, you get a complete set of beaded car covers. You might not find them in the city, but people get it from Delhi.”

Not only this, you could get a little innovative and turn your car around into a small cooler. Bhagat Singh, from Bhagat Car Centre, Zirakpur, has added a sheet of khus on the top of the car, which he soaks with water every morning.

“This keeps my car cool for 3-4 hours,” he says.“I have also fitted a small fan inside and attached ultraviolet protected panels, which I brought from Noida. I have seen many people do the same. It could look a little odd if it is not laid properly.” As long as it can beat the heat, who would mind!

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Spicy gossip from the world of IPL, hilarious, weird, baseless verbal duets from the politicians, censored cat and dog fight from MTV Roadies and Spiltsvilla. Adding to the 'monotonous sheet' are nearly empty movie halls. Now, does this leave us with any entertainment option? Forget about 'us', what about young children.

With folks trying their level best to hold them back home given than the sweltering sun can severe affects, they have nothing much to do. In a situation like this, we bet any kid would think returning to the world of online gaming. Some creative minds go ahead solving puzzles, crosswords and colour games too.

Options galore--educational CDs like The Jungle Book, Disney's Phonics Quest, English Made Easy, games DVD's, playstation, portable games are pretty popular with the kids.

Khushal Malhotra, a class X student at the DPS, can think of nothing better than this playstation, which keeps him company during the summer break. "Captain Scarlet, Ultimate Board Game, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam and Armageddon are some of the games that I play day in and out," he says.

However, he falls back on some mind-racking games when he wants to get to the real gaming. "I solve Sudoku, Lemmings puzzle, Brain Train, Shanghai Dynasty and other mind games like Buzz, quizmaster. Nothing rakes the mind more than a quiz."

But it's not only cars that they overtake, or planes that they target; gaming could be meaningful, helpful and serious as well.

Abhinav Sharma, a first grade student at Ankur Nursery, managed to overcome the 'Olympic obstacle' in the Olympic online summer games. "You get to play all kinds of sports, which are not popular in our country. My friends and I have played rugby, done skiing, snooker, ice-hockey.

It gives you a feel of real action." So much so, Abhinav is so hooked to these games that he has begun to look at sports a future career.

Serious or for fun, for the kids there is no better pastime than gaming. Sometimes it just gets a little educative and entertaining as well.

Tanmaya from Shishu Niketan proudly shares the amazing task that he has successfully completed. "I built a robot and it looks wonderful," he declares. "I think I am good at making robots, I could be a scientist." In addition to this, playing scrabble and looking for new word meanings are some interesting summer pass time.

Then there are kids who are habitual 'grey cell scrappers' too desperate to crack all the puzzles too fast. They keep themselves busy solving match quest with Aladdin, Bunch, designing dresses with Cinderealls' Castle and making real war time strategies. All said and done, the bottom line is to have a great break, which the kids do.

jasmine@tribunemail.com

B-Flex portable speakers: No batteries, the speaker is powered by your computers USB port, no meters of cable to get tangled up in, B-Flex has a simple flexible arm so you can position and direct the speaker as you want. There isn't even any software to install, just plug in and away you go, it really is as easy as that.

A staggering 200 billion spam mails are sent every day, clogging your mailbox and possibly slowing down your genuine mail. Time to consider taxing them and raising money for roads and bridges.

According to an estimate, more than 90 percent of all e-mails sent and received around the globe are spam - advertising aphrodisiacs while trying to push virus in your computer or luring you with million dollars out of a Nigerian bank provided you provide your bank account details.

North America is the world leader in the junk mail market with 40 billion of them originating in the US and Canada every day, followed by Britain at 6 billion.

While they are sent free of cost, they come at a cost to the world. They make spam filters necessary, affect productivity and add burden to the increasingly crowded bandwidth, affecting the movement of genuine mail. They also eat up the recipient's time in deleting a score of them daily.

To this end, Internet service providers (ISPs) have proposed price mechanisms, but users have objected.

The Prospect journal has argued for a simple remedy: a very small tax on every e-mail sent. "Opponents will argue that collecting the tax is impossible or unfair. Yet the status quo is unworkable... A unit tax on e-mail would stop most spam.

A peddler sending one million messages a day hawking cross-border pharmaceuticals, for instance, would have to balance the uncertain revenues against the tax cost of 100,000 pounds or $150,000 a week. Trying to con people out of money or their bank password would become a risky gamble," Edward Gottesman argues.

He says the tax is feasible from the practical point of view too.

"Whether you're using a browser or a client-based e-mail system, every e-mail sent must have both a sender address and a recipient address - each in the form someone@somewhere." —IANS