Munira Fidai

Back from the 90s when it almost monopolised the party fashion scene, the midi skirt is trending again in celebrity wardrobes. Recently, Akshata Murthy wore it and we say, if it’s good for the Prime Minister’s home, it’s good for us. But the question is, how do we style it? Despite its popularity, the average fashion savvy woman still has a hard time styling this timeless piece. Fortunately, fashion experts and experienced stylists have some tried and tested tips.

Assets come and go, but nothing beats the importance of your biggest investment ever -- your home. From offering you physical comfort, to giving you space to rest and reenergise yourself, a home is truly the gift that keeps on giving. As such, taking care of your home and keeping it clean and decluttered is one of the best ways of self-care. Experts suggest five ways.

Megastar Jennifer Lopez, lovingly known to her fans as JLo, started in the industry as a dancer. She has evolved into a singer, actress, and fashion icon since then and is known for her incredible fitness and natural good looks. Despite her age — 53 years, to be exact — she does not have as many creases or fine lines to show for it, all thanks to a beauty regime that goes much beyond makeup. The following are some of JLo’s beauty secrets that cover the basics and then some.

The fashion world has seen a major shift in consumer mindset post lockdown, forcing many companies to reconsider their product offerings, and doing their best to adapt to newer consumer outlooks on comfort over style. One such shift can be seen in the popularity of heels. In some instances, the comfort of being in home sandals or socks has completely waylaid the occasional heel-wearer and had them writing triumphant obituaries for the fashion accessory, and then there are those that still believe that the reign of the mighty heel is on its way back, slowly, but surely. Which side will finally succeed in tipping the scales?

Everyone likes nice people — they are easier to get along with, and it’s all smiles, rainbows, and butterflies around them. Wonderful as it may be for the people they interact with, being too nice can take a toll on them both physically and mentally.

Fashion can be tricky and it can be elusive. There are many it comes naturally to, but for others, there are fumbles along the way, and try as we might, there’s always something either making the look seem outdated, off the discount racks, or just plain boring! Luckily, there are a few simple tips one can follow to look better without changing the wardrobe just by avoiding certain mistakes.

If you find yourself worrying about money more often than you are comfortable with, you’re not the only one. Money or financial anxiety has become more common than ever and it’s a tad bit more than your regular financial conscious or savings-oriented attitude. A crippling fear of anything to do with finances, the feeling can drain you mentally and leave you feeling exhausted and insecure.

There are many positives to walking the non-conformist path. It can make you more attuned to yourself, more passionate towards your hobbies, more successful and confident, and frankly, quite unforgettable to people. One may naturally wonder, then, why it is that people choose to blend in, especially if there are so many benefits to embracing their uniqueness. The reason may well be because they are too scared to stand out. A success mindset works in the opposite way, however. Those with a winning mindset want to be noticed — think of when you want to apply for your dream job. Would you want to be just another candidate to the panel or actually be remembered for your one-of-a-kind personality?

Corey’s guidelines can make people feel better about themselves and age better too. It can give people hope that there is more to life, even beyond a certain age and gets them to focus on the positives of aging. Therefore, if the onset of old age gives you the jitters, give Corey’s rules a chance- make a mental checklist of all that’s left to do and get to it!

Many among us look up to beauty pageant winners and wish to be like them. While they may make it look effortless, real beauty that stays even after the makeup wears off is hard to achieve and maintain, even for them. Beauty is not skin deep and women around the world are here to teach us that their looks are not just the result of an expertly wielded makeup wand but years of exercise, a healthy diet, and a non-negotiable beauty regime.

Parents and children have the most loving, and yet, the most delicate relationship ever. Building trust with children can be one of the hardest things a parent will ever do, and retaining that trust over the years is an even bigger challenge. However, it is this one thing that can get both parties through the most turbulent times of life with each other and therefore, is something worth knowing all about.

There are many people in the workplace that can frustrate you — experts have identified about eight broad categories. While some are easier to deal with than others, each one will cross your path at some point in your work life. There are ways to identify these types of people, in order to effectively deal with them and make your day-to-day life smoother in the workplace.

A burning debate that has been making the rounds recently is that only a handful of people will ever need the principles of algebra in their lives, but everyone will need to do their taxes at some point. Schools cannot and should not have to teach crucial life skills to children because those are best learned under the loving guidance of guardians. Even if 10 is too early to learn how to do complex calculations, there are a good number of basic life skills every child should know by the end of the first decade of their lives. Here’s what child-development experts, career planners and business leaders recommend:

In a world that is full of economic uncertainties, one can never know for certain how much money they would need in order to retire early and still live comfortably, but financial experts now say that there is a number that can be calculated, which can take you close. The FIRE (financial-independence-retire-early) number is a concrete figure that can tell one the amount of money that they would need, if they were to leave their job right now and retire.

The coatee is a unisex fashion wear that has come into its own, years after it was worn as a necessity to keep out the cold. Finding its origins in the hilly regions of India, where people donned the first coatee, the garment has since then evolved to suit the needs and styles of people around the world. The garment can be casual and fun, or formal and dressy, depending on what version of it one picks. Whatever the style, a coatee is never, ever, boring!

Contrary to popular belief, makeup does not make a person beautiful. All it does is help enhance facial features that the users want highlighted and downplay the ones that makeup users do not wish to draw attention to. As such, it is important that those who enjoy using makeup know what will work on their faces and what will not. Makeup artists have a list of nine things that they want all makeup enthusiasts to know, including tips about how to do it right and most importantly, when to stop.

As boys grow up, they go through the tween and teen phases where things tend to get a little awkward. Even if we see our teen sons suffer with basic communication skills, we must realise that it is not too long before these little boys will grow out of those children’s shoes, and begin to form their personalities. To arm them with the best social skills, here are 5 things to teach our sons in their most pivotal years.

Mental strength is the weapon of the successful. Many feel that this is something people are born with but that is a myth easily debunked. Mental strength is the product of Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, which is often considered to even trump the intelligence quotient, or IQ. It is a flexible skill that can be improved with effort and for those that wish to possess this coveted skill, it is equally important to know what not to do, as it is to know what to do, to achieve it. Here are 6 things mentally strong people with high Emotional Intelligence, EQ, never do.

Just recently, singer Beyoncé released a Netflix documentary called Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé, which outlined the creative processes and rigorous preparations behind her 2018 Coachella performance. The documentary featured a rather restrictive diet that she went through as part of her prep for the show. In it, she cut out bread, carbs, sugar, dairy, meat, fish, and alcohol. Ever since this piece of news has hit the net, netizens are vacillating between being concerned about her health and wellbeing, and questioning their own willpower, or the lack of it, in comparison to what she has pulled off.

There was a time when one could see, feel, and smell the autumn in all its glory. Nowadays, it often seems as if the country conveniently jumps right into a lukewarm, watery winter from the pits of hellish summer. For those that notice, there still exist some very subtle changes in the temperature, at night and the wee hours of the morning, when people find themselves reaching for their covers and turning off the air conditioners. It is in this brief window of opportunity that 5 of the most beautiful sights of Bangladesh become much more enjoyable to visit.