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Auburn Umbrella

Auburn Umbrella: Ways to Pull off a Leather Jacket

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A Leather Jacket is the most vogue, versatile and flexible piece of clothing that every college student must have in this freezing weather.

Leather jackets come in a host of colours that go well with everything, thereby, ensuring that you always stay at the top of your fashion game.

Leather jacket, an apparel that has the striking capability to enhance your look in seconds, and is unquestionably the easiest way to keep warm during the chilly winters.Regardless of what you’re sporting, you always will have the opportunity to throw on a leather jacket and up your vogue to another level! So, here are some flamboyant types of leather jackets to help you in the task of picking the right jacket outfit for you.

Black Leather Jacket

The way to go with black leather jacket is a polished look. It is one of the most- liked colours by men and has been wornby them for years, but hasn’t gone off theramp nor the streets.

Brown Leather Jacket

When you’re bored with the generic black, then the next best outfit would be a brown leather jacket to stand out of the ordinary! It perfectly balances between a dark and soft colour which is soothing to the eyes. Brown leather jacket is a bit hard to figure out, but the general rule is simple- Never Pair Brown with Brown.

Leather Shirt Jackets

If you’re searching for an effortless, versatile attire, you’ll find a plethora of choices with a leather shirt jacket. It has a similar style as button-downs, but it’s made from leather for durability.

Leather Moto Jackets

Also known as the classic Motorcycle jacket, this jacket will lend a shade of attitude to your look of classic elegance. Pair your  jeans and cocktail dresses—or floral skirts for a stunning contrast. For a winter look, pair a classic black jacket with denim and a colourful scarf to keep you snug.

Aviator Jackets

The leather jacket with a faux fur collar or lining has its origins in the rugged jackets early American pilots wore to stay warm at high altitudes, hence the name – Aviator Jackets. Go retro and pair yours with jeans and a graphic tee or elevate your look by wearing a jacket with an elegant dress or trousers.

Leather Jackets in Funky Colours

These jackets with a matte leather finishand quirky shades are the best way to sparkup a boring outfit. Just throw it on over basic jeans and leggings and pair with a pair of sneakers for an effortless, versatile look.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Abhinandan Kaul

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Bhavya Pandey

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Auburn Umbrella

Dapper Winter Wardrobe Essentials For Men

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Winter is a wonderful time of the year, though nippy. So, as the temperature falls, rather than bracing yourselves and turning into abominable snowmen burying yourself into deep and large bulky coats, style-less scarves and large gloves, its time you hone your vogue sense, but at the same ensure you don’t freeze yourself.

So here are some trendy and spruce must-have outfits which will literally help you kill two birds with one stone by keeping you warm in the chilly weather and at the same time enable you to keep your personal vogue up!

1) Leather Jacket-

A Leather Jacket is the most stylish, multifaceted, flexible clothing that every college going dude must possess! A leather jacket goes well with any and everything. It can be worn over a hoodie or with a T-shirt to give that casual and sleek look. Further, Leather Jackets are timeless since they can be worn for years if taken proper care of!

2) A Pair Of Dark- Wash Jeans-

Although plain, a pair of dark jeans are a staple without which no closet is complete! Jack up your outfit with a leather jacket, scarf, and boots or embellish it with a suit jacket. 

3) Woolen Overcoat-

A woolen overcoat is the perfect formal and dapper winter outfit that one can sport to look stylish and feel snug at the same time! Overcoats are available in a diverse range of colors ranging from navy to charcoal, etc and are sure to make you look bold and well- dressed.

4) Crew Neck Sweaters and Cardigans-

A crew neck sweater is essentially winter’s shirt. It has a smart appearance on its own, but can also be paired with a suit and pants or with jeans. The make of a crew neck is penny-plain and hence it would go well with a print or a bright color.

Cardigans, on the other hand, are a bit old- school and the latest ones maintain the classic look but with a modern edge. Style is something that one can modify with subtle additions and hence a cardigan can be kept modern by layering it with trendy tees or a mock neck shirt.

5) Flannel Shirt-

A flannel shirt is a perfect option for a casual and layered look. A wardrobe essential it compliments a legion of outfits! This goes well with a T-shirt and jeans for a relaxed look, or can be flaunted with a roll neck with a pair of chinos to enhance the vogue!

Featured Image Credits: Vaibhav Tekchandani for DU Beat

Abhinandan Kaul
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DUB Speak

Winter Essentials

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Winter had been knocking at our door for a while, and is finally here. But it does not have to be synonymous to dull and boring. Winter photography could actually bless your Instagram feed.

Here are five winter essentials when it comes to photography:

1.Bonfire: There is hardly anything as comforting as a bonfire. What’s more? They serve as great pictures, both in the background, or as the star of the frame.

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Image Credits: Surabhi Khare for DU Beat

2.Peanuts: While a Starbucks does look good in pictures, we should not forget the snack that has been keeping us warm and occupied for the longest of times. Peanuts deserve to be featured in your pictures.

 

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Image Credits: Aakarsh Gupta for DU Beat

3.Sun-basking in the terrace: Sardi ki dhoop has had honorary mentions in Bollywood. It would be a shame if we let go of the tradition.

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Image Credits: Mahi Panchal for DU Beat

4.Shawl/heavy clothes: It is a fact widely accepted that winter clothes surpass all other attires. Grab a shawl, and wrap it around you, the coziness will be sure to be transferred into the pictures.

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Image Credits: Surabhi Khare for DU Beat

5.Chai: Bliss is spelled as chai! And it would be safe to say that your winter photography would be incomplete without a picture of chai, or you holding a cup of chai.

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Image Credits: Aakarsh Gupta for DU Beat

The warm tones of the bonfires, coupled with the auburn hue of chai will add a whole new dimension to your photography treasure.

Every season deserves to be captured, but winter, ever more so, just because of the sheer amount of beauty it adds to the world. When the nights become shorter, life (and your Instagram) becomes better!

 

Feature Image Credits: Surabhi Khare for DU Beat

Aakarsh Gupta 

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Surabhi Khare 

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Maumil Mehraj 

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Arts & Culture

A-la-Carte: Food to Eat to Keep Yourself Protected During the Winters.

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It is that time of the year- long, dark and brutally cold nights coupled with sunny days. Basically, the time of the year when you fall in love with your bed and blanket all over again. As a season, winter can be real-intimidating for some people, for reasons closely associated to bathing and driving.

To help you cope with the season, here’s a list of food that you must eat during the winter, while enclosing yourself into a cosy blanket. Food and blanket and warmth:

  • Porridge

Remember how your elders often used to say that porridge is good for health and you always ran away from it? Well, we’re sorry to have left your side right in the beginning, but we can’t  help it. So, here’s the deal: Porridge is clinically proven to be the best kind of breakfast that’s available out there, especially during winters. This is for multiple reasons: For starters, porridge is a slow-release food- hence, it provides more energy as compared to conventional breakfast like bread and butter, sandwiches etc. Plus, porridge, belonging to the grain category of agriculture-based food products, plays an instrumental role in retention of body heat. 

  • Citrus Food/ foods containing Vitamin C

Citrus foods are the best additives to the diet in order to strengthen one’s immunity. Proven to accelerate the body’s capability to fight disease causing germs, Citrus Fruits and Vegetables are an important part of the diet. Another fun fact, lemons help with hangovers as well!

  • Foods rich in Iron and Zinc

During the winter months, we can come into contact with viruses that can cause colds or even the flu. So, it’s important that our immune system functions normally and zinc helps with this. Foods such as oysters, spinach and legumes are good sources of zinc. Ever wonder why Popeye was always infatuated with Spinach? Perhaps this was the reason. 

  • Cheese

Are you a fan of cheeseburgers? Or delicious cheese sandwichs? We got your back! It has been established that the consumption of cheese is instrumental in promoting body heat retention, along with it being one of the best sources of nourishment.

  • Swap Sugary foods for Vegetable Roots

Planning to change your cover photo with a glass of red wine, but can’t save up enough for a glass of that bad boy? Well, this may sound like a life-hack for you then. Take a beetroot, juice it, pour the juice into fancy wine glasses, and pose. There you have it, a healthy solution, to an expensive and high calorie problem. 

Jokes apart, it is always a good idea to substitute sugar-laden foods for more natural sources of sweeteners, like Beetroot. They are easy on the pocket, your waist, as well as your health. Switch to organic sweeteners, for the sake of a long and healthy life.

  • Dry Fruits

Also known as the munchies of the Winter season, dry fruits occupy a special position in our world, especially Indian society. Let us agree with one thing- we all have a small box (at times it is multiple boxes) in our cupboards containing an assortment of dry fruits. Not only are they the perfect late-night companions, but they are also nourishing. Now that is what you call a win-win situation.   

Feature Image Credits: Minimalist Baker

Aashish Jain

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Offbeat

All That is Wrong With The Indian Wedding Season

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As we welcome the winter months with open arms, the Indian wedding season comes following it, making it that time of the year when the baraat, babbling relatives and the music just won’t stop, not so much to everyone’s delight.

As we enter into these awfully pleasant months of December and January, when we are finally offered some respite from the ruthless heat of the north and can finally say with a smile, “Winter has come”, it is not all good news. The arrival of winters also brings with it the arrival of the wedding season at its tow, though an information of joy for many, but also nightmare-inducing for certain innocent children, not very much unlike me.

The Indian Wedding business is a multi-million industry with people splurging money on the weddings of their daughters and sons and nieces and nephews and sisters, like crazy.  No matter how stingy a person is all his life, the one time they are ready to spend notes and notes of rupees, is on their daughter’s wedding, because obviously family honour will be tarnished otherwise and it is above all. The truckload of gifts that arrive at the house, being distributed to even the son-in-law’s distant Chachiji’s daughter’s husband’s sister, only the complaints regarding the gifts outweighing the gifts itself.

The constant playing of ridiculous songs in the baraat, giving many sleepless nights, and the stop that it puts to the already slow-moving traffic. The baraatis go on about their business with much aplomb and no care in the world, relaying the exact emotion in fact with songs like aaj merey yaar ki shaadi hai (It is my friend’s wedding today). Of course, that is a good enough reason for the hundreds of people to be stuck in traffic for three hours while the dhol waale bhaiya is busy entertaining all the “once more” requests.

A wedding, if we were to go by the notional meaning of it, is the getting together of two people who have decided to spend the rest of their life together. An Indian wedding has a somewhat different meaning which is often of two people who are brought together by the families and then everything about the wedding becomes about the families, and not the bride and groom. When I say ‘family’, I have taken the liberty of including even those relatives you wouldn’t recognize if you were to pass them on the street. However, they would still come, gushing to savour the shaadi ka khaana, while the bride is busy placing them. Later, the same relatives would be seen criticising the bride’s  lehenga, with seasoned critical opinions straight out of Vogue, and parallel comparisons with another Sharmaji’s shaadi they went to.

As much as there is to look forward to in weddings, Indian Weddings as a whole just can be a handful at times. If we were to take out a certain materialism, and retain the cultural aspect of it as it truly is, I’m sure it can be a whole deal bearable, even enjoyable.

 

Feature Image Credits: Bride Box

Anoushka Singh
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Exams

A letter to the Delhi Winters

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The winters are a terrible time when the exam clashes and you’re forced out of your comfortable blankets and cozy houses. Let us pray this winter won’t be so brutal to us whilst we study for our exams!

Dear Winters,

I can notice you’ve made your mind to enter the ‘Dilwaalo ki Dilli’ with grandeur. Sending gushes of chilly winds in the mornings and late nights, your arrival has made the winter equipment come back to life. In hurdles, the sweaters and blankets keep coming out in piles. Grandmother calls to ask whether we require goond and gaajarpak to ensure we stay alive. Mother ushers the help as they labour out laddoos, while all we are instructed to do is sit and study.

Your presence is felt on my study table. The wooden desk turning utterly cold. I eerily try to succumb to it, but no matter how many years of this practice we’ve had, the chills still get the worst of me! Thank you, to you, I’ll gain extra pounds while devouring the most wholesome meals of the year, being excused by everyone for the beastly appetite. I pray to you for not tempting me into divine slumbers, as I need every possible hour of the day to skim the books, the elixir of knowledge. Let me be wide awake before the examination day, let the teeth clutter and clatter but leave the mind functioning enough.

As I’d go to the examination center, I pray there isn’t much fog, even though an alternative wish is to disappear in the mist, than to face the fate of the papers. Let the woolen gloves on my hand leave me smitten like a kitten, I wish to not have frost bit hands as I have three hours ahead of me to faff. May you, in a decent attempt, try to be as pleasant as ever, on the days I step out of the house, with scarves and beret caps, to endure to the tale of losing an entire semester for nothing, but fun! May you please, please not try to slip from the crooks and crannies; my college has a lot of broken, un-shut windows. May you try your best possible, to not give any season blues. It is a musical choir of sneezing and coughs for a hundred and eighty minutes full. May you bring a percussion along, to distract the noise of the sharp clanking of the heeled foot apparel, with which the supervisor walks in pendulum motions here and there until she stops to read the answer script and wonder and wonder what’s there.

I’ve seen an idol of you, hung near the tea stall. There are days, when the chaiwaala bhaiya may call upon you, summon you, try all sorts of possible necromancy to lure you, but don’t get too tempted. There is a humanly limit to us glugging down hot ginger teas. You become the season ambassador for “hello friends’ chai peelo”, and as wonderful those few minutes are, we need to face the reality of the exams. Let us fight through your turbulent chills, as we have promised ourselves lots of leisure. Once you come, I wish you can go as soon as possible, but you don’t listen to me anymore. As I bid adieu to the gone summers, I reminisce the beautiful days. Winter is coming, winter is coming, and we need to face the harsh fate of it anyways.  I hope you will have a short visit, that is what you always promise, but you present to us pleasant sunshine and wide gardens to picnic on, so we present some affection from our side as well. It is hard to track your location as your address keeps changing. Now that you’ve come to Asia-Pacific, stay put!

Yours truly,

A DU student

 

Feature Image credits: Sky Met Weather

Avnika Chhikara
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DUB Speak

Wake Me Up When December Ends

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An account on surviving and randomly introspecting on the last two months of the year.

If the months of summer and spring are like a flashy entertaining musical, the closing months of the year following fall and winter feel like a sombre artsy film. The calendar starts running out of dates, and we humans start accepting the year with a sigh of resignation, waiting for the next year to open its curtains and be better (hopefully).
When the year starts, people have ‘a new hope’ and ‘great expectations’ for ‘ache din’ but then as the dates and months pass by, we start going with the flow mechanically and all the hopes and expectations disappear like dust. This is intensified especially in the months of November and December. Days gets short and the nights start getting colder. The goals that we had set to achieve, which we felt would be real soon, seem like old news. Wanted to maintain your health? Or did you want a good attendance record? Or did you wish to boldly drop out of college and do what your heart and soul wants? smells like some good old passionate teen spirit. Then again, if ten months weren’t enough what will two months of an awakening do? Insead, action is once again postponed and the phrase “Maybe, next year.” is used liberally.
The Bible and other scriptures regard slothfulness as a sin. In that case, we all should spologise to God or whichever high-power sits on a heavenly couch, for in his eyes we all will be labelled as sinners in the last months of the year. This is the time of hibernating in thick blankets, and also when bathing turns into a Herculean task. The exam season is followed by the merrymaking of the holidays and the New Year, and post this, the cycle of working, studying and procrastinating begins once again.
The funny thing about this time is that we can look at it from both, a pessimistic and optimistic point of view. We can get sad thinking about all the things we wished to do, but could not achieve. At the same time, as the year draws to an end, we can recall how we discovered new things, rediscovered old things, and how these experiences can be the ingredients to a better dish of our life in the future. So, it is up to you what you need to make out of the closing chapters of this year’s book. Meanwhile, I will retreat to my cosy blanket. Wake me up when December ends.

 

Feature Image Credits: Dhruv Dhawan
Shaurya Thapa
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5 Natural Ways to Fight the Smog

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As you read this, take in a deep breath. So, what is that weird irritation in your throat? You hit the bull’s eye if you guessed smog or pollution.  

Yes, it is that time of the year again. Suffocating air, watering eyes, irritated skin, and agitated temperament. “Nevertheless, he walked into a Gas Chamber”, was said for the Holocaust but the statement holds true even for an individual who relocated to Delhi. The national capital ranks amongst the Premier Polluted Cities in the world. It feels like the Air Quality Index (AQI) meter is determined to achieve higher figures, on almost a daily basis. With the entire city reeling under hideous air pollution, which is bound to translate into SMOG in the upcoming days of frosty winter, we jot down this article to fetch you STUDENT FRIENDLY ways of coping with smog.

It seems like Mother Nature had foreseen this day and we as university students cannot ignore our constant lack of funds. To beat the stuffy smog, we suggest a few naturally available eatables, that aid the fight with smog.

  1. Broccoli

I am terribly sorry to have played with your feelings right in the first suggestion. But then, it is better to be “safe” than “sorry”. Without boring you by getting into technicalities, let us get straight to the point- Broccoli is good at restricting the flow of toxins and pollutants inside the body, according to studies and researches. So, the next time you see Broccoli on a pizza, devour it gracefully.

 

  1. Ginger

This is one thing the consumption of which is in itself a paradox. We love it in our cup of Chai, but hate to bite into it, solely because of its bitter taste. Chai lovers are going to love me after they read what I write next. Ginger Helps In Dealing Effectively with Smog. Now that I have given you a reason to get drunk on Chai, you may enjoy a guilt-free series of chai cups. ENJOY!

 

  1. Citrus Fruit

Citrus is another food division which, if included adequately into your diet, can give stupendous results in terms of protection from Smog. Citrus fruit is a renowned guardian of lung health. So get ready to gorge on juicy oranges, or chug that delicious fruit juice from the citrus family of fruits.

 

  1. Foods rich in Magnesium

Remember the time when your parents included hoards of dry-fruits in your “food wala bag” while you were about to leave? It is high time that you finally get to eating those nuts, for it has been observed that Magnesium rich foods (essentially dry-fruits) are helpful in aiding your lungs to cope with strain caused as a result of excessive air pollution.

 

  1. Water

I know it may not sound like a very good idea given the fact that it is the Winter season, but drinking water is the best thing you can do to your body in this particular period. That does mean some additional trips to the washroom, but if it helps improve your lung and skin health, it is totally worth it. In this special scheme, you get the added benefit of flawless skin.  Now that’s a win-win situation right there. 

 

However, apart from this, buying masks and adorning your faces with them is always an option. However, not only will that be heavy on your pocket, but you also get to take relatively few selfies for Instagram and Snapchat with hashtags like #SMOG #DELHI #Pollutionindelhi etc.

 

Feature Image Credits: Exporters India

Aashish Jain

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DUB Speak

How To Style Scarves for Winters

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It is not hard to think of scarves when you think about fall fashion. Not only do they help to gradually ease you into winters, but they also add personality to even the most minimalistic of looks.

Whether it’s for the commute to the office or a weekend brunch with friends, a scarf will be the perfect addition to any of your fall ensembles, especially as the temperatures really start to cool down. Throw it on for that extra warmth, and if you encounter an unseasonably warm day, throw it in your bag until the cooler evening kicks in. Although this wrapped accessory can seem like too much work, we hope that this guide will help you narrow down your options and make assembly a breeze the next time you consider wearing a scarf.


 The Simple Drape
This style of wear is perfect for cool weather. It’s easy to throw on or take off if the sun comes out and warms up your early winter day. To “tie” this knot, simply lay it across the back of your neck so that each end of the scarf hangs evenly.



Get Continental with a Parisian Knot
Frequently seen on the slopes, this knot offers a buffer from the cold and can be tied in an instant. Halve your scarf so that you hold it by the loop in your right hand, with both ends dangling together loosely. Take the loose ends around your neck, bring these across your chest, and thread both ends through the loop in your right hand.


Classic Circle Scarf
In case of an infinity scarf, whether your circle scarf is large or not, you can wear it the classic way by topping it over a blouse or tee. No need to twist or wrap it around, simply let it sit on your shoulders as a regular scarf should. If you have a tube scarf (small circumference), it should resemble a neck warmer. However, if your scarf is longer, it should drape over your chest like a necklace. Tie the ends of your normal rectangular scarf to create a circular illusion.



Hooded Infinity Scarf
One exciting thing about the infinity scarf or wrap is that you can also wear it as a hood. There are several ways of going about this particular style. If the scarf is short in circumference, simply put it over your shoulders as you would for the classic style, then pull the back portion up and over your head like a hood.


Tie a Real Fake Knot.
 This style has the benefit of being both warm and classy and giving the impression of an elaborate knot across the front of your neck. Leaving the right end of your scarf longer:

Take the short end of your scarf around the back of your neck.
Loop the long end so that it comes back under itself, keeping the loop loose.
Pull the long end under itself to the other side, while preserving your loop.
Gently take the long end through your loop.
Join the short end with the long by taking it through the loop.
This particular style may require a little more length on your long end than usual.
After you have taken the short end of your scarf through the loop made by the long end, you can lightly tug on each end until the knot is comfortable and both ends are roughly even.

The Over Hand 
Give your scarf the Over Hand. This knot is a little fancier and may be perfect for business, a date, or a brisk night on the town. With your scarf around your neck and the right side longer than the left, take the long end across your chest and over the short end, loop the long end around and under the short end, and then pull it through so that it hangs atop the other fabric.

 

Feature Image Credits: StyleCaster 

Bhavika Behal

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DUB Speak

The Onset of Winter in Delhi

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With a sudden drop in mercury inside glass tubes, the National Capital is under the influence of a cold spell – because of which lifestyle now comprises of shivering morning and evening walks, along with pleasant afternoon strolls.

It is that time of the year. The time when you unpack your woollens and your wardrobe is fraught with the disturbing yet satisfying smell of naphthalene- the time, when you’re lucky to find unexpected treasures in the pockets of your coats and jackets. Knocking on your gate are those days, when the most favourite pastime of those travelling by public transport becomes gulping peanuts rather than poking noses into others’ conversations. Not to mention, it is also that time of the year when you begin to take your end-semester examination date sheet seriously, and schedule your “kal se pakka padhunga”(“I will definitely study from tomorrow”) moments.

Gone are the days of icy-cold shakes, lushly thickened with humongous scoops of ice-cream topped with whipped cream as the demographic now makes a transition towards soothing warm tea and coffee. Some of us will carry our containers to keep the tea/coffee hot for longer. Crowds darting around Sudama Ji in North Campus have become frequent sightings (not that it doesn’t happen otherwise).

With an utterly sultry August, followed by a somewhat similar September giving way to a drastically cold and dry October, there has been a surge in patients at doctors’ clinics. Added to that is the yearly premonition- stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, which has already begun. In the already polluted city, that adds to the problems, specifically in winters when the air density is high because of lower temperatures. Soon, newspapers and news channels shall overflow with clichéd images of people roasting hands (not literally, obviously), over those cute little angithis (fireplace). In about a month’s time, we all will not only allocate a larger portion of our pocket allowances towards books, but we shall also start reading them for the semester exams at the eleventh hour, like we always do.

There is something about winter that really carries us away into a realm of joy. Bright daylight or the joy of bonfires? I wish I had a particular answer to it, but frankly, I love both. I love sipping hot tomato soup in winters as much as I love chugging brain-frosting smoothies in summer. Shorter days and longer nights, it is not long before you realise that it’s already the fest season in the Spring Semester. All of this, of course, garnished by the constant echoes of “yaar aaj bohot thand hai”(“It is really cold today”) and “apne garam garam haath kaano par laga de yaar”(Please warm my ears with your hands”).

Indian lives are encapsulated within these half-yearly changes. In fact, these are what make our lives dynamic and full of life. In each season, there is an intrinsic characteristic joy that’s embedded to it. The key to a happy life, lies in making the most out of what each of them has to offer and living in the moment rather than cribbing.

Feature Image Credits: Study Breaks Magazine

Aashish Jain

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