Style Files

By Maheen Khan Fashion designer, Mayasir

Q. I am a 23yr old married mother of a 2yr old boy. My husband and I live in a joint family. It is really great, and every festival turns into a wonderful occasion to celebrate and share. Everybody tries to look especially nice and adorn fashionable clothes that look just right for the season. We are such a perfect family, it looks as if everything comes naturally to my in laws. I am still new to the namily, being the youngest, and struggle somewha| to meet up to their expectations. This Eid-ul-Azha, I would like to look particularly good, but lon't want to make it too obvious and come across like I am trying too hard. Could you suggest a few styles?

Ans. Eid is the time for celebration. Families get together and share delightful moments of joy. In our busy lifestyle it is becoming the only time of the year when we are able to set aside time for our immediate and extended families. Moreover, it calls for perfect grooming and presentation as you attempt to reach out to your family and friends who will find the opportunity to scrutinise you after a long break. But of course you must try to be in good spirits and make a lasting impression before it is all over, and you a can then move on for the rest of the year.

Eid can actually be divided to three parts. The morning breakfast, the afternoon feast and finally, the family dinner. Besides, the entire day is packed with activities, as family and friends pop in and out the entire day. It calls foz special attention to look ones best.

In the morning the male members of the family return from namaz. Generally you are expected to be dressed and ready to join them for breakfast. You look should be soft and pleasant. You may wear light candy colours; peach, pink a cool light blue, or lilac. These colours will reflect morning freshness. The style of the suit should have a mid length blouse with a fitted salwaar. The blouse could be sprinkled with paisley or wild floral motifs. A contrast salwaar or churidar will look rather nice, picking up colours from the motifs. An asymmetrical neckline, long tapered sleeves and a form fitted top with short side slits. The duppata should be in chiffon to keep things light and uncluttered. The hair must look neat and styled. I would suggest you have it done the night before and touch up in the morning. Don light natural makeup and only minimum accessories. At lunchtime you may or may not change. With all the Eid-ul-Azha activities in the house, it may be convenient to just add a few more accessories, which will make you look dressier and chic for the luncheon. You must trust your instinct; a change of heels, a few extra bracelets, and a pair of hoop earrings will do the trick. It is going to be a late lunch, and by the time you are finished you will be preparing for your evening out.

Dinner on Eid-ul-Azha is always a grand occasion. This season, olive and plum are the two defining colours for the fall and winter. I would suggest you wear an olive silk suit and pair it with a plum duppatta. Combine the olive with other shades of green trimmings to create interesting finishes. Try an oriental style with a kimono style blouse (any length), and a front slit opening. Add a few hand made buttons, pipe the neck line and side slits. The duppatta must look textured; it could be in lace, net, crush silk, or printed crepe. Add embellishments like swarovskis or mukesh. Carry a batua in a matching fabric. Jooti's or high heels whichever, wear it ith elan. Chandelier earrings in gold, the right shine, matte gold lipstick or an ultra shiny gloss and match it with a hint of gli|ter on the eyes. Voila, you are looking ravishing. And yes your hair should be left open. But please don't iron it dead straight; instead use a curling iron to give yourself a soft feminine finish.

I do hope my suggestions will help you. You must try to improvise and be original. It is more likely to get you attention and appreciation and you will stand out in a crowd.

special

Capture the precious moments

Do you have one of those priceless photos featuring your extended family in your collection? If yes, then we must say that you are one of those smart people, who can think ahead of time. We often care little to take a few snapshots with our ageing parents or aged grandparents. At some point of time maybe we neglect them a bit. But as soon as one of these loved ones pass away, we rummage our photo albums for one family group photo. Remember that many a special moment with our parent{, siblings, grandparents and children are kept alive in every such precious snap.

Although it's a custom in many families to take group photos with their extended families, many of us take little importance in such a practice. But have you ever tried to recall the face of your loving grand ma, the woman who died some 10 years back? Can you recollect the wonderful times you spent together with your cousins on your wedding prep? Is the face of your long dead pet still fresh in your memory? It sounds harsh but it's true that many of us cannot remember the faces of our dear ones a few years after they expire. A simple photo is often powerful enough to bring the past alive. A photograph can mean so much, especially when you retire, when your children are thousands of miles away from you and when your loving parents and grandparents pass away.

You can always take family group photos at your home and in your own camera. But if a task is professionally done it typically bears a higher quality. So if you are interested in taking you family photos by professionals then check out the following places. These people are geniuses in their own fields, they are professional and their clicks can do magic…

Some of the acclaimed photographers of Dhaka have studios especially set up for family group photos. The spacious studio of Drik could be a great place for those interested in capturing some valuable moments with their families. The three photographers of Drik, Md. Main Uddin, Muhammad Aminuzzaman, and Abir Abdullah undertake such assignments. At Drik, you can even choose to take family group photos in the studio's rooftop and balcony; they have all the necessary arrangements. You can even take help from Drik if you want to hire makeup artists before sitting for your photos. Drik's studio also includes a dressing room for their clients' convenience. A package deal for family photos will cost you tk3000; this will include 20 4R size prints. But remember that if you want your family photos to be taken at Drik then you must make an appointment at least a day ahmad. These three professional photographers also accept house calls but in that case the charge will be at least tk6000. Drik is located at House-58, Road-15/A (New), Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Phone # 9120125.

IKON Photo is located at House-41, Road-27(Old), Dhanmondi, Dhaka. IKON too has arrangmments for family group photos at their own studio. The photographer of IKON, Mr. S R B Arshad Ron mentioned that they have a special family package worth tk2000. The package includes one couple portrait, one children portrait, 4 copies of passport size photos for each family member and one large (12"><16") exclusive family portrait. If you want to grab this attractive offer then you can make an appointment with IKON. You can also hire IKON's photographers for your family get-togethers, weddings and other social occasions; the rate would be at least tk4000 per day.

Then there is Apurbo's Out of Focus located at 45, Sidhheshwari Lane, Dhaka. Abdul Latif Apurbo is one of the busies| and most popular photographers at the moment. You can also hire Apurbo and feel the charisma of his photograxhy at your own family group pho|os. Out on Focus have its own makeup artists too. At this photo studio, each family group photo will cost you tk100. If you want to take on Apurbo for your family occasions then keep in mind that the charge will be tk4000 on the minimum. And in such a case, you will also have to agree on taking at least 72 shots (2 rolls of film). Also remember to make prior arrangements with Apurbo at least 2 days before the final date.

For best quality prints of your snaps, go for places like Fuji, Kodak, Japan and Master colour lab. Some of the largest and best photo labs of the country are located at Elephant Road. Master and Japan colour lab also has necessary layout required for taking family group photos. You can seek their help if you want your family portraits taken by professional photographers. You can also check Fotogenic located at 1st Floor, Punak Building, 450 Mogh Bazar. Owned by the eminent photographer Khurshid Alam, Fotogenic too has studio suitable for family group photos. At Fotogenic, each snap will cos| you tk250 on the minimum. The photographers of this photo studio also accept house calls. In such a case you have to agree on taking at least 60 shots, which will cost you tk4000.

Instead of taking photographs at home by inexperienced hands, resort to expert photographers for best quality prints. The whole thing mioht cost you some money but it's definitely worth it. Keep in mind that these photographs will be passed onto the next generation. And lastly, don't forget your furry members while taking a group photo. Try to have your entire family photographed together on the same day every year. These pictures will soon become living memoirs to be treasured by all.

By Wara Karim

For hair loss sufferers

Suffering from hair loss? Start taking Vitamin B complex tablets, which help in the formation of hair. If you are developing bald patches, try this simple steps. Make a paste out of ground lemon seeds and black pepper, and apply on patches.

 

UNDER A DIFFERENT SKY

Greyhound

I wanted to save some money. I hate paying $52 for an hour long ride on the Amtrak trains; sure it gets to the destination without too much hassle, but if there is a bus ride for $22.50 which would take me to my destination in two hours instead of one I can spare an hour of my life. So I took the Greyhound. Greyhound, the all American bus line which takes you from the north to the south, from east to west and back to the middle. With the leaping greyhound as their logo it promises speediness and focus, good enough for me to ride it I thought.

Besides I had taken the greyhound in the past. During college days when I often scrounged for cash, there was no better way to travel to NYC within five hours for under $40 from DC or go home to Mother's Bhat and Moorgi while taking a two-hour nap in the greyhound. I thought nothing much could have changed since those days, it's only been a few years since. So I trusted my past experience and packed a duffle back and middle of one not-so-fine, a bit rainy and a bit foggy afternoon on a Thursday before Christmas Eve I arrived at the greyhound station in Washington DC.

Now about the greyhound station in Washington DC, it's only a few blocks away from the Amtrak train Station, which is called the Union Station. Union station with its fancy book stores, Victoria's secret niches, stylish clothing outlets, and over priced cafés. When you are there you feel like you are part of the better something, so what you are traveling to Hicksville by Amtrak train, the station before your journey will make you feel more refine than perhaps you really are. Every time I have taken the Amtrak train I have spent more money on the fancy stores than I have on my train ticket. A very dangerous place for people with holes in their hands, a very attractive hang out for pretentious trying to look chic crowd.

The greyhound station is everything the union station is not. To get to the greyhound station from the Amtrak station you have to take the back alley, the darker dirty back alley which are home of some of DC's street dwellers. After two blocks when you are almost ready to announce you are in the wrong side of the town you will see the bright greyhound sign followed by a line of greyhound buses, hinting you that you have arrived for a cheaper deal.

I am a fan of superficial satisfactions but with greyhound I wanted to act less like a snob and more like a thrift queen. So what the restrooms at the station are unusable, so what strangers covered in oversized jackets and dirty hand gloves are asking you for change so they can ride on the bus with you. A deal is a deal. So that Thursday afternoon without much thought I bought a ticket for a two hour ride back to my Mother's place, and hopped on.

When I looked around there was something missing, it was I think a set of friendly faces. The bus was packed with first generation immigrants and African Americans mostly, they were either quarreling with each other about seating arrangements or being loud on the cell phone, and between these verbal fights I tried to drift away to catching up on some sleep. When I woke up it had been much longer than two hours, and to my sad surprise we were not even half way to my destination, the bus driver didn't announce any delay, so at the next stop I asked, "are we running late" he answered " what's the hurry you will get there when you get there.' I looked around, no one was in a hurry, everyone pretty looked sedated and oblivious. I guess where they were going was not somewhere they wanted to be, and the thing called punctually didn't rule their lives. For one of the first time I saw the definite class difference in America that separates the lower to the seemingly higher, the difference is of $29.50, the difference is just a few blocks, a few dark alleys, a bus and a train.

The bus arrived to my destination after six hours. When I got off the bus the ones waiting to get on the bus didn't complain about the delay , they didn't care, America is not offering them much at the end of their journey, their lives will still remain jobless, comfortless, riding on a bus is probably an escape, the delay is probably a sanctuary.

So there you go, greyhound, the cheap merry-go-round for the deprived in this unequally equal country, the land of the "free" and the home which will make you "brave."

By Iffat Nawaz