ShopBop is back with it’s Buy More, Save More Sale, and it’s valid on both full priced and sale items. It’s valid on all items marked with ‘KeyStyle’ or ‘GOBIG19’
The sale period
Begins: 2/25/2019 7:30AM Eastern Time (New York) Zone
Ends: 3/3/2019 4:00AM Eastern Time (New York) Zone
Code: GOBIG19
15% off orders of $200+
20% off orders of $500+
25% off orders of $800+
ShopBop has just launched a series of looks for this spring’s new fashion trends!
The spring trend is all about colors – gold, warm tones, tropical prints, puff sleeves, flowers and animals!
Neon bright colours, floral, small sunglasses, mules, transparent bags and accessories, statement earrings, etc., are all in trend. And some trends from 2018 that are still going strong, dad sneakers, athleisure, bucket bags, bracelet bags, pastels.
Sportswear, activewear, Sports Luxe, Athleisure — whatever you call it — you know it when you see it: stylish sportswear brands are taking over the fashion industry! Today, it is completely normal to see a baseball cap on the desk of your coworker, yoga pants at brunch or colorful cycling shorts on shoppers at the grocery store. Stylish sportswear is the new, modern uniform for those of the active, on-the-go mindset, or the go-getters who desire comfort, function and a casual style.
In this guide to stylish sportswear, you will discover:
When and how sportswear became fashionable
The activewear trends and sports that influenced the fashion industry
Stylish sportswear brands to know
Athleisure: The New Trend
Athleisure, or the trend of wearing active sportswear in everyday life, began to rise in popularity around 2010, and continues to grow in popularity. The sportswear fashion trend has become the new uniform of the non-uniform. Sportswear is no longer restricted to the courts, but has rebelled against its original parameters and can be seen in just about any setting. Wherever you find yourself today, stop and take a look around: in each new environment you find yourself in (e.g. the grocery store, work, your kid’s school, etc.), you will be able to spot at least 1 item of trendy activewear (but probably much, much more!). Though it seems commonplace now, why and how has sportswear become the new trend?
There are 5 main reasons:
Wearing fitness fashion is aspirational
Cultural movements + urban adaptations + social change
The innovation of fabrics + materials
Comfort + functionality + casual style
Sports’ + technology’s influence on the fashion industry
When did sportswear become fashionable?
Today, we don’t think twice when we see yoga pants populating our busy streets, sneakers in workplace settings or Fitbits on the wrists of our bosses, employees or customers, but this was not always the case. There was a time when fashion and beauty were relegated to women’s sphere of influence; however, media, technology and various sports brands began to alter the landscape of the fashion industry. Being able to wear comfy sweatpants, shoes that don’t hurt your feet and form-fitting tops of stretchy material is, after all, the ultimate luxury. Though this list is not exhaustive, the following activewear trends and sports movements heavily influenced the traditional fashion market and the modern cultural landscape.
Tracksuits, AKA Leisure Suits (Thank You Bruce Lee)
In the mid-1970s, Bruce Lee is credited with bringing into popular fashion the classic stretchy tracksuit. Though sportswear manufacturers began to create colored cotton and nylon jersey tracksuits in the 1960s, Bruce Lee made the style cool. When Lee wore his red two-piece tracksuit on his 1971 show, Longstreet, this was the first time this style showed up in popular culture on US television. According to his daughter, Shannon Lee, Bruce wore tracksuits all the time because he was always working out and he did not want any restrictions on his movements. Furthermore, he wanted his clothing to represent the simplicity, directness and freedom of his martial art.
Suddenly, athletic tracksuits in polyester, cotton, terry cloth and velour, and in blues, reds, greys and yellows were manufactured for purposes other than sports. You no longer had to be sporty or athletic to wear a tracksuit: just by simply wearing the tracksuit, you would embody athleticism and would express an aspiration to be just that.
High Society Skiers
In the 1920s, skiing rose in popularity among the rich and the wealthy, becoming a favorite pastime. Naturally, this new sport needed its own fashion style, so European fashion houses (such as Schiaparelli and Hermès) began to design ensembles for wealthy and fashionable skiers to wear on the slopes.
Though matching pants, jacket and sweater ensembles were constructed, the real breakthrough in skiing apparel occurred after World War II with the use of synthetic stretch fabrics and nylon. These materials enabled designers to design pullover sports tops that were both comfortable and allowed movement. Military clothing design techniques were also incorporated into activewear designs: zip pockets, concealed hoods and stirrup straps became mainstream features of skiwear.
Today, it is still common to see bright colors and stirrup pants, which filtered into mainstream use in the 1980s. Though we’ve let go of the mainstream acceptance of neon pink and turquoise one-piece ski suits, ‘80s ski jackets are still a hot commodity today due to their underground and cult appeal.
Run-DMC Sneaker Style
Run-DMC, an American hip-hop group founded in 1981, heavily influenced the hip-hop style when they insisted on wearing onstage what they wore on the streets. Though the modern hip-hop culture and style is almost synonymous with urban streetwear/sportswear, Run-DMC in the 1980s served as a catalyst for this change. Without intention, they initiated a shift in urban fashion and elevated hip-hop fashion to a new level of influence that remains a dominant power in the fashion industry today. At Run-DMC concerts, fans held up their three-striped sneakers in solidarity with the band, prompting Adidas to offer the first ever million-dollar endorsement deal for a hip-hop group.
Air Jordan & The Vertical Jump
Michael Jordan, the first ever billion-dollar athlete and arguably the most famous basketball player of our time, also had a hand in the rise of the stylish sportswears trend. Air Jordan is a brand of basketball shoes that were created by Nike exclusively for Michael Jordan in early 1984. Basketball players and non-athletics alike all began to lust after these functional basketball shoes because they were associated with Jordan, who had been skyrocketed into stratospheric levels of fame. Later on in 1984, Nike released Air Jordans to the public.
It is true that certain design features of basketball shoes will improve their function, with some basketball shoe companies even claiming players wearing their shoes can jump 3.5 inches higher than they would otherwise. Whether or not this is true, Nike Jordan and Air Jordan remain popular brands that are difficult to order online or find in stores today, because they are still in such high demand.
Yoga Pants’ Rebellion From the Studio
In the 1980s, leggings became a popular trend, though these soon fell out of fashion due to their see-through nature. Although the yoga pants’ precursor was just as comfortable, their transparency hindered their functionality and comfort for women.
In 1998, Lululemon created Boogie’s women’s leggings, and this is the fashion design that is credited with birthing the athleisure movement seen today. Additionally, with the rise in popularity of Western-style yoga and brands like Lululemon and Sweaty Betty who were making yoga pants, leggings came back, but in an updated fashion.
Though yoga pants were first and foremost a functional item, originally intended to be worn during yoga practice, this is quite possible the most popular item of activewear that has infiltrated the modern fashion industry and everyday wear. The fabric of modern yoga pants is opaque enough to be worn outside the yoga studio, and stretchy enough to be worn all day without losing its shape.
If you have any doubts regarding the popularity of this activewear trend, go outside literally anywhere and it is pretty much guaranteed you will find them on a passerby within the first 10 minutes of your searching. Whether or not the girls wearing the yoga pants have been to a yoga class that day is irrelevant: the trend of the super-stretchy, form-fitting material supersedes the popularity of the sport itself. Wearing yoga pants now has almost nothing to do with the sport/fitness activity of yoga: this athleisure fashion trend is symbolic of a larger cultural shift that is occuring in the US, which encourages a “clean eating, clean living” mentality.
The Humble Puffer Jacket
Eddie Bauer, a humble sportswear designed in the 1930s, created the puffer jacket after a close encounter with hypothermia. Inspired by the Russian military jackets, which were filled with down, Bauer then sewed the down into quilted sections so that it wouldn’t all sink to the bottom.
These puffer or quilted jackets became a fashionable trend among hunters, equestrians and rural folk, until the 1990s when the hip-hop scene popularized these activewear jackets even more. New York and Detroit hip-hop artists wore and popularized Helly Hansen, an outdoor manufacturer whose jackets were known for keeping the cold of northern US cities at bay. Today, puffer jackets remain a universal fashion trend and their styles have expanded and grown with modern styles.
Techies and Their Wearable Running Gear
The running world has been largely influential in the modern fashion industry: though analogue wrist watches were, at one point, all the rage, these stylish accessories have been traded in for fitness trackers. Modern wearable technology must meet our functional needs, as well as our emotional, social and aesthetic needs.
The popularity of wearable technology (such as Fitbit, Apple Watch, and other smart watches or activity trackers) his risen, in part, due to the mega cultural trend of Clean Living, mentioned above. The “clean living” mentality, coupled with the rise in technological innovations, has encouraged activities such as “detoxifying” the foods we consume or the products we use, as well as keeping track of our carbon footprint, fitness level and daily caloric intake. To help us modernize, wearable technology, such as the Fitbit, make it easy to track our individual health and fitness level. These products have become so influential in the fashion industry that there are a vast variety of aesthetic designs to apply to any consumer.
CrossFit: The New Tribe
CrossFit is a relatively new fitness brand known for its intense exercise regime. Focusing on high intensity interval training, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics and calisthenics, the CrossFit brand is one of the most popular fitness trends in the world. The competitive nature of CrossFit gyms, in which CrossFit affiliated gyms will compete against one another, encourages team spirit and a powerful alliance among those who partake. Thus, CrossFit fanatics tend to identify with the brand of their gym: Reebok seems to have monopolized on the CrossFit activewear trend, and has even opened up specialist training centers and sportswear stores in the name of CrossFit.
The Wimbledon Effect
Jane Régny and Suzanne Lenglen were two parisian tennis players who designed and sold activewear for women in the early twentieth century. With their assistance, tennis wear became associated with country clubs and aristocrats, and has been consistently referenced since the 1920s as a preppy, collegiate fashion trend. Brands, such as Fred Perry, emerged with preppy styles of British Mod subculture, and has since become 100% streetwear despite its athletic roots.
Similar to Michael Jordan’s Air Jordans, tennis clothing styles and shoes were popularized into common everyday fashion due to the stardom associated with tennis’ key players and the popular desire to resemble these players. Off the court, tennis shoes are ubiquitous today: brands like Adidas, Keds, Lacoste and Diadora all offer their own spin on the style, solidifying tennis’ fashion transition from sports footwear to everyday footwear.
7 Stylish Sportswear Brands To Know
It’s clear: sportswear is no longer only for playing sports, nor is it primarily understood as casual dress. With the wide range of sportswear brands and retailers offering stylish sportswear, you can be comfortable in your activewear all day long, every single day! In addition to the activewear trends mentioned above, many sportswear brands have risen in popularity, which has significantly changed the modern fashion industry.
Retailers such as Gap, Forever 21 and J. Crew have hopped on board with their own activewear lines as well. Though the following are 7 of the most popular activewear brands, other brands have been just as influential in the modern trend of activewear and in altering the fashion industry. These brands include Vie Active, Pins to Kill, Sweaty Betty, Huntr, Outdoor Voices, Olympia Activewear and Live the Process.
1. Nike
Nike is the most valuable clothing brand in the world, which totalled $28 billion in 2018, despite a 12% drop in North America due to executive misconduct. Nike generated over $30 billion in revenue for each of the last four fiscal years.
2. Adidas by Stella McCartney
The collaboration of beloved designer, Stella McCartney, and one of the greatest sportswear labels of all time, Adidas, makes for a genius sportswear fashion line. With high quality and high performance fabrics, as well as styles in fashionable designs (floral prints, bold colors and futuristic designs!), you will never want to wear anything else.
3. Fabletics by Kate Hudson
Actress Kate Hudson created Fabletics, a brand of activewear designed to suit the wearer. After taking a quiz on style preferences and sizes, you can view a range of Fabletics products geared towards your needs. Fabletics takes the frustration out of shopping for activewear: finding the right product is a breeze when the curated pages are designed for you.
4. Lululemon
Lululemon has an expansive range of products: from running to yoga to training, Lulu probably has what you’re looking for. Their yoga pants and leggings come in a wide variety of colors, lengths and styles to suit everyone. They also offer free in-store yoga classes, which make them the ideal activewear brand.
5. Under Armour
Though Under Armour seems to have lost some popularity in recent years, it remains one of the leading brands in sportswear. In 2018, Under Armour generated the fourth highest sales of athletic apparel, accessories and footwear, and was ranked the fifth most valuable sports business brand worldwide in 2017.
6. FP Movement by Free People
FP Movement, Free People’s activewear, offers a wide range of designs to encourage both functionality and fashion. Decorative cut-outs, added straps, ultra-chic details are just some of the designs offered by FP Movement to encourage an active mentality without sacrificing style or your wallet.
7. Supreme X Louis Vuitton
The collaboration between luxury designers and sports giants has been largely successful and has established the new normal in everyday fashion. In 2017, Louis Vuitton was the first luxury brand to embrace so openly the streetwear movement: with its capsule collection, it endorsed a skater culture emblem, New York’s Supreme. With LV’s iconic red color and monogrammed products, the line was sold out in the first day.
Is Trendy Activewear Going Away Anytime Soon?
Probably not. According to The NPD Group, US activewear apparel sales increased in 2016 by 11% from 2015, totaling $45.9 billion and far outperforming the traditional apparel sector. Though many years ago activewear brands produced fresh trends maybe once or twice a year, the athleisure movement is in full swing today. With new designs for yoga pants, sneakers, tracksuits and trainers seen on the high streets, the sports and fitness fashion market is predicted to reach $231.7 billion by 2024, with an annual growth rate of 4.42%, according to Heuritech.
So, whether you love it or hate it, whether you are in full-support of stretchy, opaque yoga pants or actively trying to sidestep all the efforts of sportswear brands thrown at you via social media and other marketing channels, you can be sure that stylish sportswear is the new trend and it is here to stay, at least for a while.
This post was written by Kara Roberts, blogger and content writer for Sincerely Silver. We specialize in creating custom made jewelry in sterling silver, gold and rose gold and have been featured in a number of publications, including Glamour. For gift ideas and personalized jewelry creations, check out our blog!
So if you follow me since few years, you know I am all about stripes and polka dots. I love both, and I can’t choose though mostly I do go for stripes but mostly because there are always better and more options in stripes than polka dots.
But when I saw this co-ord set from Shein, I knew I had to get it! It is all my retro dreams come true.
I love polka dots and co-ords and this set is a deep burgundy with white polka dots. The skirt is flowy and has a huge slit, though I covered it upto a level with a safety pin as the slit ran high! 😀
I paired it with my transparent heels (which I pretty much wear with everything as they work with anything and everything and are super comfortable with a cushion beneath), a simple brown leather Daniel Wellington watch and white big pearl earrings.
I love how this is a 3 piece set and you have the option to wear it with or without the outer frill. It’s just a strapless bandeau like thing. I was definitely more comfortable with the frill and it works one shoulder or off shoulder depending on how you wear it :p
I am not sure if this is still available on Shein, but I have seen this on my Instagram resellers pages too.
Co-ords: Shein Heels: Kendall and Kylie Watch: Daniel Wellington Earrings: Kazo
I have so many outfit posts to share with you guys, at least 2-3 more and I haven’t got around editing, resizing or writing a post.
I didn’t post on the blog in such a long time, this was honestly the longest break I have taken from my blog per se, but I was posting a lot of content on my Instagram and other platforms.
Yesterday I posted about the ShopBop Black Friday Sale, this outfit and all the accessories are also from ShopBop co-incidentally 🙂
I am very conscious of my arms as they are my problem area, all of us have 1 or 2 problem areas in the body which tend to store stubborn fat which doesn’t go away even after you try hard and lose weight all over or do specific exercises for that part. For some, it’s the stomach or hips or thighs, for me my upper arms. I avoid sleeveless outfits for the same reason, because I dress as per my body type and avoid wearing outfits that accentuate my problem area, the first and basic rule 🙂
I do like off shoulder dresses as they hide my arm fat, but this one was a tie up and half backless/shoulder baring dress. Loved the lavender colour and floral print, this dress was overall very cute and fit me perfect like a glove.
Even though it does show my arms, I am ok with it this time 😀 I love the overall look and fit of this dress. I paired it with a simple white lace choker, a white DVF sling and silver Jeffrey Campbell bow slides with a unique and transparent heel.
I loved how it came about overall. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Dress: WAYF Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Bag: DVF
Shot by: Ravishing Focus
P.S.: I am really sick currently, viral fever infected my liver, so resting and trying to be fine ASAP.
I am loving co-ords these days and I have shot three set of co-rds in last month alone, including this one 😀 It’s not just a skirt and crop top, it can be a longer maxi skirt or a pant suit or a pant top too.
Co-ords are basically same colour/print/fabric. Made from the same fabric and colour, just two separates which can be either paired together or separately mixed and matched with different things.
But when paired together, they look amazing. I love the fact that they are versatile and you can create different outfits with co-ords but some look good together only.
I got this co-ords set from Lulu & Sky sale recently and it almost looks like a dress. There is not much gap in between the crop top and skirt here, I find Lulu & Sky sizes very varied. It’s a big issue and I always end up returning 1-2 outfits if I buy like 3-4 at a go.
Last time I had a lot of issues in returns and they didn’t process my refund for a month, hence I have stopped shopping from Lulu & Sky for now 😀
Every outfit of theirs has a different size just like SheIn, so there is no set standard that if you are a M in this, you will always be M. For e.g. I fit in some M and some L from Lulu, and some L were super tight and they look S. It’s that varied literally and hence a hit and miss.
This set is L and the skirt is still slightly tight at the waist as you can see 😀 So it’s high waist and hence there is not much gap in between and it looks like a dress.
But I loved the fine floral print and the skirt is very skater-ish which makes the outfit look very pretty. And on sale, I got this set for around Rs.450 which I thought was a fabulous deal, hence went for it. I did doubt the size though and it fit just above right, like a little adjustment wearing it slightly high but won’t fit if I put on a little weight 😀 Such sizing is always tricky.
I kept the shoes flat and comfy, I am happy slides are back into fashion as they are very comfortable to walk around in and look cute as well.
Anyhoo coming back to co-ords, the fabric is thick and comfortable and the off shoulder top has elastic where it ends, so it fits well. It does bunch up a bit on the top because of the elastic at the bottom, so you have to keep on adjusting that. But at least you know it’s secure unlike some flimsy crop tops which could fly up if windy 😀
There are other fun co-ords OOTD’s coming soon 🙂
Co-ords: Lulu & Sky Shoes: Kendall & Kylie Watch: Daniel Wellington On my Lips: Colorbar Kiss Proof Lip Stain Hollywood
Location: Sahara Star Clicked by: Ravishing Focus
I hope you liked the outfit, do let me know your thoughts 🙂
It’s time for ShopBop Sale again, the most awaited sale of the year! You get
20% off orders under $500
25% off orders of $500 or more
and it’s valid on all New Launches and Sale items too! I usually use this sale period to get items already on sale, so it’s like Sale on Sale and you get some fabulous deals!
Promotion Code: STOCKUP18
You have to use the code ‘STOCKUP18’ during checkout and it’s valid on both ShopBop and East Dane. The sale starts today, till Sept 29.
I mostly get all my bags and shoes from ShopBop, I have also started buying clothes since some months, fit is always a guess because the size charts are standard where as fit varies brand to brand and internationally returns are difficult. Hence I stuck to bags and shoes for the longest time, but I am liking the outfits a lot too. I usually size up, so most of them are a little big for me but at least I can alter them a bit and wear them.
I recommend Michael Kors, Steven by Steve Madden, Dolce Vita, Levi’s, Sam Edelman, Kendall & Kylie in bags and shoes.
Free People, BB Dakota, Endless Rose, Stylekeepers, etc. in clothes.
I have already placed my order 🙂 What are you planning to get?
So this is what I wore for Lakme Fashion Week Day 2. I had a mini meet and greet with 3 of you lovely girls and then had a Tresemme shoot, so I planned to shoot this outfit too as my photographer Sneha was anyway coming for the video shoot.
What to wear for fashion week is always confusing, since it is Winter/Festive season but still we are in monsoons and just transitioned from summer, you can utilize both the seasons’ trends in this mid period.
Summer is all about bright colours, cotton/linen, flowy fabrics. I love yellow/orange and more so in summers. And winters is always about layering, blazers, dark colours, etc.
Now here I wore this white and yellow summery outfit and paired it with a linen grid blazer, combining both the seasons’ trends and elements.
Both this yellow skirt and the linen blazer are my recent purchases from ShopBop. I got this bright yellow skirt at a very good sale deal and this blazer is from JOA x Chriselle Lim Collection which is exclusive to ShopBop and is also on sale now, as I believe they would be having last few pieces now. I also got a crop top from this same collection, which is the same print and colour as this blazer.
I absolutely loved this blazer, the colour, the grid and it’s linen, so very comfortable. Love the button detailing on the sleeves too.
I picked two tees in white and black the previous day from Reliance Trends just like that, as I always stock up on good basics as they work with a lot of things.
I always plan my outfits in my head a day prior to an event/occasion and I instantly brought out all three of this new purchases and tried them together and absolutely loved the outcome. It looked exactly like I thought it would in my head 😀
For the bag, I was confused about this orange jute one or my white DVF one. I chose the jute one and for the shoes, went with basic black brogues.
I love how this outfit is also androgynous i.e. a combination of feminine and masculine elements along with seasons.
For makeup also, I went with yellow/orange/gold tones and it complimented the outfit so well. And we shot after my Tresemme video shoot, so got my hair done too in nice curls (which didn’t stay long on my hair unfortunately as I have super straight hair :p)
We shot at different places at St. Regis where the Lakme Fashion Week is held in Winter/Festive season. It’s a beautiful hotel with amazing backdrops and we got some very good shots. I loved how this outfit and shoot came about.
Tee: Trends Skirt: Endless Rose Blazer: JOA x Chriselle Lim Bag: Kaanas Shoes Shoes: Vero Moda Clicked by: Sneha Sedani/Ravishing Focus On my Lips: Wet N Wild Catsuit Liquid Lip Flame of the Game
I hope you liked the look, do let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
I recently shopped for a few things on Tata Cliq as it had this amazing sale going on. You won’t believe at what price I scored this dress (Guess and comment below 😀 Let’s see if you get this right). I ordered for two dresses and two tees but unfortunately they cancelled one dress and one tee as it was out of stock. I don’t understand how they list it for sale, charge money from customer and then cancel it saying it’s not in stock, then why list at the first place?! I was so pissed, because I really liked that other dress too.
But nonetheless when I tried this dress, I think I cooled down a bit because I loved it! I love stripes if you don’t know already 😀 And this outfit was simple black and white stripes off shoulder dress, I knew I wanted to add a pop of colour to this monochrome outfit. More so, it has vertical stripes which gives the illusion of an elongated body compared to horizontal stripes. I also like the shirring on the top which gives some shape and definition.
Now I could add a pop through accessories i.e. bags and shoes. I chose a colourful bag and bright pink sunnies this time, hence kept shoes black too. I added a colourful beaded choker as it was off shoulder and needed something around the neck.
I wore suede black tie back mules and this colourful pink Loeffler Randall bag with bright floral pom poms. I love how this bag instantly pops up any outfit, one of my favourite slings for that reason.
I bought this pink tinted rose gold sunglasses from Aldo quite some time back and never wore them somehow. I was finding accessories for this outfit and I found these and thought should try them. They looked perfect and I wonder why I never wore them. Actually I am not a sunglasses person because I feel most of them don’t look that good on me because I have a round face. Though I like aviators like this one, as aviators work best for my face and something angular too. I guess I will experiment more when it comes to sunglasses now, because I have so many and don’t end up wearing them.
We shot at Lady Baga in Lower Parel which is a goan themed restaurant and everything is so bright and colourful. I loved how the pictures turned out because of the whole colourful vibe and backgrounds.
Dress: Tata Cliq (If you haven’t guessed the price yet, I got it for Rs.349/- post 50% discount :D) Shoes: Truffle Collection Bag: Loeffler Randall Sunnies: Aldo Choker: Ajio Watch: Daniel Wellington
Location: Lady Baga
Pics Courtesy: Yash Bhatwal
I hope you liked this outfit, do let me know your thoughts 🙂
P.S.: These are unedited pictures and on Instagram, I am trying a warm teal and orange theme, hence the colours are different. But I also really liked these original pictures as they were bright and nice. Hence I chose to share the original pictures on the blog, as anyway only 2-3 pictures out of all make it on the gram.
Marbella Travel Guide: Places to Visit, Things to Do
Puerto Banús, Photo by M. Pilar Fernández, CC0
The city of Marbella is one of glitz and glamour, dreams and dancing. It’s a favorite with tourists seeking sunshine along the Costa del Sol and with the rich and famous looking to holiday in style. With perfect summer weather almost year-round, and miles of white sandy beaches to enjoy, it’s the ideal place to kick back and relax in a lavish, indulgent atmosphere.
The Old Town by Michael Vadon, CC BY 2.0
The Old Town
Marbella’s Old Town or Casco Antiguo is a charming area filled with colorful buildings, romantic balconies and an abundance of vibrant flowers. Its maze-like alleyways and hotchpotch of different buildings lend it a unique eccentric air that will have you wandering through the streets, marveling at the magic buzz all around. It’s a wonderful place to take a leisurely morning stroll among the boutique shops and tiny, jewel-like cafes. Or alternatively, you could partake in a sophisticated evening drink as the Old Town comes to life at sundown.
Puerto Banús
Just a 15-minute drive down the coast from the center of Marbella is the small town and marina of Puerto Banús. It’s the place to be if you want to be entertained, with its wealth of high-end shops, bars, restaurants, casinos and sports venues. Marbella has long had a reputation for being a glamorous party town with its love for all things bling, and the range of exclusive bars and clubs. The city attracts glitzy events every summer like the Global Gift Gala and Poker Stars Festival Marbella, attracting plenty of A-listers who you might just catch a glimpse of while you’re in town. It’s the perfect area to host such events as it values so highly luxury, beauty and extravagance.
Marbella by night. by José Sáez, CC BY-SA 2.0
Check out the Nightlife
The nightlife in Marbella is one of its most talked about features. Whether you prefer a quiet glass of wine overlooking the sparkling sea or an all-night party in one of the city’s hottest clubs, there is something for every taste here. Places like La Suite, Mask Marbella and Olivia Valere offer an elegant clubbing experience in the city center whereas favorites like Aqua Mist, Pangea and Scream dominate the party scene in Puerto Banús. Wherever you choose to go, you are guaranteed the night of your life as Marbella knows how to put on a good time! A-list celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Paris Hilton have been known to stylishly jet in whereas Antonio Banderas and Simon Cowell have even made their home here.
Tour the Historical Sights
Marbella has a varied history harking back to the Romans. You can explore the city’s roots by finding surviving landmarks, such as the Roman baths, ruins and bridges, that are still (mostly) standing today. Also, there are still structures built during the Moorish rule of the town, evident in the architecture of many houses, towers and plazas dotted around the city. Planning a treasure hunt of these historical sites not only opens more of the city to any visitor but is also a fun way to learn more about how the city’s way of life developed in accordance to those who lived and loved here.
Located in the shadow of the impressive Sierra Blanca Mountains, this beautiful Spanish coastal town has so much more to offer than the obvious sun, sea and sand. It’s a hot spot for outstanding cuisine, sophisticated soirees and fascinating local history. A trip to Marbella will leave you feeling rested and refreshed, yes, but it will also feed your mind with its captivating clash of cultures and enchanting high society.
5 Times International Celebs Wore Sarees in India and Floored Us All!
From #iwearhandloom to #100sareepact and #protestsaree, a saree has come a long way and is definitely not at all sorry! Saree has come a long way. Not just Indian, but international celebrities too have put the saree on a pedestal. Be it for a saree as a symbol of diversity on international borders or an all-inclusive customary attempt to honour and compliment Indian traditions on a maiden voyage. A saree has arrived on the world stage and how! The world has opened up to the Indian traditional outfit and here we bring you 5-sightings of international celebrities in a saree!
Sophie Trudeau
The Canadian family won hearts and accolades for its down to earth manners and transparency on its India trip. While all of them looked amazing in Indian attire but it was Sophie who looked so graceful and elegant in a pearl white south Indian saree. She pulled the look of ethnic diva effortlessly and looked unbelievably charming.
Serena and Venus Williams
These ladies can kick some serious ass on a tennis court. Though, here you can take some lessons on how bad styling can ruin your looks even if you are a celebrity of an international repute. That velvet-y blouse is downright tacky and a big no. However, on other occasions, we know that this power duo knows how to rock a dress or two. This one certainly is going down in the fashion books as a disaster that could have been averted with little attention.
Oprah
Besides, learning a trick or two of draping a saree from Aishwarya Rai at her own show, she wears an Indian handloom saree when she is in the country. Though, it will be delightful to see her in a handloom saree made by local craftsman and artists than a designer’s.
Stacy Jacobs
It is often seen that international celebrities wear sarees as an honorary act and we would certainly like that to change! Not many of us know Stacy Jacobs. She is one woman who is single- handedly leading protests against the Trump government for the border along the Mexican border. She doesn’t hold any banners and believes that borders look beautiful only on sarees. Her stint with sarees started during her India visit in 2015. She deducted sarees has one impossibly beautiful outfit. She wears handloom sarees woven by tribes and local artisans in India.
Kim Kardashian
It was so refreshing to see Kim Kardashian in a saree. She brought her signature oomph and sensuality to the six-yard stunner. The sequins and shimmers look ethereal on her. She keeps accessories minimal to draw attention to her sculpted jawline and collar bones. The pleats on pallu are folded for a stylised look.
These beautiful and prominent international celebrities are wearing sarees and marking India’s presence on a global map. What’s your excuse for not wearing a saree to your office and rock it just like they do?
