Store: Either Or

Pune is one of the cities that I love. I love the fact that I can wear boho stuff on the road and no one will stare. I love the restaurants, the coffee shops, the shopping, the bargaining - in short, I love being in Pune. I have already written about my favorite Pune restaurants here. Now, here is one of my favorite stores in Pune. Every Pune visit entails a visit to this store.
Its called Either Or and is located at Sohrab Hall. I love their merchandise. Sample this: So very kitschy!! (If you find the picture hazy: It says chaiwala productions and is a wire mesh chai glass carrier with multi-hued chai glasses. So cute!)(Artist: Bharati Pitre)



Check out their oh-so-bohemian cloth bags with zari and wooden handles, available in a rainbow of colors, and are washable and don't break the bank! There used to be a time, that the only bags I had were from here!! They also stock the most quirkiest of clothes that I have seen. In a wide array of fabrics and colors and cuts, you may have a hard time deciding on which one would be perfect for a lunch out with your girlfriends and which one your boyfriend would really appreciate. They have a line for guys as well - so you can drag your guy along, like I do :) On this visit, I was surprised to find a selection of tussar silk sarees. Ended up buying one too - when the actual purpose of the visit was to pick out something as a Christmas gift! You can also pick up cloth wallets, string bangles, tribal neckpieces and earrings, scrunchies, headbands, stoles and more.
Most of their stuff is from local designers and artisans, but they also stock the awesome products of Happily Unmarried and Playclan. You might not find the quirky clock that you liked on your earlier visit coz it might have been a single piece. Here is the one we got, like eons back.



They also stock home decor merchandise like clocks, frames, dhurries, knickknacks, accessories, posters, stationary, toys etc. You can choose from their huge collection of really quirky designs and text and have them screen printed on your tee. Don't forget to check out their collection of Bollywood movie posters - its a huge collection and the price varies depending on the size, quality and condition of the posters. We got this one on this trip. So what we were looking for and in excellent condition!



The staff is helpful, always ready to find you more stuff if you wish to but are content to leave you alone if you want to just browse. The store decor is mainly the merchandise itself!! I think you can see why I love this place. You can find Either Or on Facebook as well and their email is eitheror@vsnl.com and the shop is in Sohrab Hall near Pune Railway station. Stop by sometime there to pick up some really fun stuff.

Tag: Wishlist

Kiran inspired me to do a Wishlist tag of my own. And, boy, did I have fun with it. It took me 3 whole days to research and find the pics of the exact dresses etc I wanted. Mind you, this is a shopping wishlist.. Sigh.. One can be crossed out - the iphone. But the others..... What is on your wishlist?


To elaborate... I am going through a I-love-mary-janes phase, hence that particular Manolo and Christian Louboutin. The Naeem Khan, come on, admit it, you love it too. A tad impractical for the daily wear, I know. Wouldn't a shorter version look amazing? The color and material and detail are so Indian-ish. The CK sheath is my version of the perfect LBD that comes very handy when you are on the all-day and all-night excursions. The Bottega Veneta Classic is, well, a classic. And so simple and uncomplicated and sophisticated that.. sigh.... I love Mango. Period. Their tops, jeans and formal wear as well as so, well, somewhat boho and kitsch.. And very very wearable. The iPhone, I have, yea!! Thanks again to my hubby who nudged into buying something on my wishlist ;)

It raining sales....

Yup, its that time of the season again... End of season. Which only means one thing to a shopaholic, bargain-hunter like me - it time to splurge!! Yea! Loosen those purse-strings, step into your most comfortable walking shoes coz once you enter a mall, you are going to need them!! Come next weekend and almost every shop is going to be sporting a Upto-xyz%-Sale board. And am a sucker for those. Earlier this friday, I open the paper and shriek, and hubby knows he is in for some heavy-duty coolie-giri. (Hey, don't feel sad for him, he gets his share of stuff too you know!!) What did I see in the paper? On a single page, vying for you attention are the Mango, Charles and Keith, Aldo sales. I am sorry, I didn't notice the others. I was already mentally calculating and at the same time dressing up. You see, the rationalization - at least for me- goes like this. You save for about three months and then splurge it all during the sale. The glow of the splurge will last you for the next three months, I guarantee you. And if it doesn't, well the marketing people come up with great ways in which you can spend without a guilt-attack at midnight. Or you could visit Colaba Causeway. But, once in a while, actually, once in a really long while you get a great deal. Like yesterday's Van Heusen's One Day Affair. This was one great offer and surprisingly, they didn't advertise in the papers. I got my invite online through various e-newsletters (yes, I actually subscribe and read them and that is why I was at the sale and you weren't ;)). Basically, whatever amount you spend on menswear, you get womenswear for that amount free. Steal!! And to add to it, I love Van Heusen stuff. So suffice to say, I am through my sale shopping this season, even before the sales started!! And that is a record if anything. I promise, that the next time I get one of these deals, will post it immediately.
Btw, the pic is of a clutch I picked up at Colaba Causeway last weekend. The craftsmanship is simply superb, the finishing is good enough to stand a cursory examination and hell, the interior is lined with satin. At 150 bucks, you can't ask for a better bargain. But, sadly, I didn't get what I actually was looking for - a Bottega Veneta knock-off. Couldn't find one. If you know which shops there I can get one in, please please let me know. Meanwhile, I have decided to post on all the great shopping places that I chance upon. And just so you know, I love the malls, the small around-the-corner-stores and the one-off quirky merchandise available online. So along with movie reviews, restaurant experiences you can now look forward to this bargain-hunter's steals. Hope you enjoy!!

Over the weekend

I love weekends and I love when almost every shop you pass has a sale on. My sis has come to Mumbai from Bangalore for a well-deserved break/holiday and we ended up doing some of the stuff that we both love- talk, shop and bicker.
Its funny, the way your relationship changes with your siblings once you grow older (this is in no way to be construed that I consider myself grown-up). The bickering has somehow stuck (and I like that) but the understanding and acceptance that has come in is welcome. So, my model-esque sister (who is blissfully unaware of her beauty) is currently in seventh-heaven as she has landed her dream job. She has always been the rebel in the family - the one who refused to follow the norm or fit in the mold. The mold being, of course me. Had decided long back that if (IF not when) I have more than two kids, I would never ever say, look at your bro/sis. Spoils their friendship, their us-kids-against-the-crazy-adults pact and starts a game of oneupmanship that I don't think ever ends. Thankfully, me being the utter conformist and she being the utter rebel the comparisons didn't stick for long and we became friends in college. Also we found common interests/hobbies!! Don't know how that happened.

Anyway, one thing is for sure. Am going to call up my kid sis whenever I need some pick-me-ups. She will still think, sincerely, that I look awesome even when I am bloated, have a bad hair day and a bad skin year. Love is blind. But isn't it nice to discover friends in places you least expected?

Sis in town means a lot of shopping or at least window shopping. But come on, who are we kidding when almost the whole city is sporting sale signs? So, between ourselves managed to spend a few thousands and I managed to achieve my to-buy list. For next month. And part of the month after. Now if that is just awesome I don't know what is.

Had gone to Candies on St. Andrews Road this time. And I was so amazed to find the quiet nooks, spacious seating and greenery in the middle of Mumbai that have decided to make it my recover-from-shopping-spree place. No matter where I am shopping. Plus all the sugary and baked goods call to me from kilometers away. Here is my review.

Am exhausted coz of the weekend. Not because of the shopping, come on! Have been avoiding/dodging/diverting and sometimes physically dragging away hubby away from movies which are nominated for an Oscar statuette. I mean, come on, most of the movies that are awarded these awards as a consolation prize coz no one watched them in the first place. Oh, ok. That is my line with hubby. But come on, who would want to drown the shopping euphoria in a tragic movie that crawls along at snail's pace? Certainly not moi. Save them for days when you either can't get any other movie or feel nothing is right with your world and pop those movies in and watch how it could be crappier. Yup, that's what these Oscar movies are for.

Speaking of awards, have decided to present the best shopping buddy award to ... no not my sis... my husband. Not only is he enthusiastic during the long process of selection, he is actually interested, doesn't walk out of the store to wait for me outside, lugs around all my shopping bags without a word and most importantly, has an eye for beauty and fashion. And then asks me when if I want to buy anything else. A gem!!