This past year I’ve worn a lot of outfits that I absolutely loved and others that I shouldn’t have been allowed to step out of the house with. This post will be about the first kind. So without further ado, here are my top 5 favourite looks of 2019 (in no particular order).

P.S. I say ‘looks’ instead of ‘outfits’ because you might have the most extravagant pieces of clothing hanging in your closet but what makes them shine is how you pair them with accessories, shoes, or even your makeup. It’s not just about the individual pieces—it’s about how you mix and match to create a look.        

Yellow frock, white gharara, and brown chunky heels

This is the perfect outfit for a desi wedding, specifically for a mehndi/dholki/mayoun/sangeet, whatever you want to call it. I’ve also worn it to a few dinners! It works for almost any kind of a desi gathering. I love anything yellow so I immediately fell in love with this outfit. It’s super flowy and literally perfect for summer in terms of colour and design. For makeup, it’s very versatile and anything goes. I wore it with bright red, nude pink, and brown lipsticks, but orange and hot pink would also be something I would try!

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Black tights, hoodies, jean jacket, and sneakers

This is my idea of a perfect everyday outfit. Everything is casual enough to be comfortable but not so much that it looks off-putting. I reached for this outfit AT LEAST once a week when I was in Korea. It was super mundane but simultaneously “stylish” enough to pull off in a city where everyone dresses like they’re in a kdrama. Being a glasses wearer, I also didn’t feel compelled to wear contact lenses when I dressed like this because of the simplicity of the look. In fact, glasses definitely might have added to the street vibe in a way contacts wouldn’t have.

Embroidered frock, straight-legged pants, heavy shawl, small clutch, and jhumkas

Unfortunately, due to my lack of brown friends (or friends in general), I don’t get invited to many desi weddings. So when the odd invitation comes up, I make the most of that opportunity. I wore this look to a Pakistani reception in the summer and loved how it turned out! The suit itself was gold and white so it was a perfect colour combination for a reception, but what really jazzed up the look was the black shawl which was my mom’s idea. First of all, black goes with everything but this shawl also had gold and slightly silver embroidery on it which complimented the suit perfectly and matched my silver clutch! And of course, the jhumkas (earrings). I absolutely adore traditional-looking or large/heavy South Asian jewellery and with a hijab, that’s really the only type I can wear due to visibility issues. This whole look was super stylish and now I need another wedding to wear it to.

Black power suit

Yes, this is a power suit. No outfit brings out my inner boss as much as an all-black one, especially if it involves business pants. I wore this outfit for a job interview and even though I didn’t get that job, I was significantly less nervous going into it than I would have been usually and I attribute that to this look. However, all black can be a little bland so I styled it with a gold watch and plenty of colourful rings to prevent it from look too flat (and intimidating).