When you think of fashion as armour, looking your best becomes a logical next step to empower yourself and face the world. Turn fashion into your armour and make up your war paint. Let the world see a confident woman (or man!) who knows what they want and has the capability to make it happen.

Maybe the effect of fashion falls within the "fake it till you make it", I don't know. What I do know is that on some days when you look at yourself in the mirror and see a well-dressed person staring back at you, it is a confidence booster.

This is my armour on a bad day or even a rough phase that can obviously last longer than a few days.

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I love wearing flowy dresses. They are a complete outfit on their own and require no effort in terms of pairing a skirt with an appropriate blouse, which means less of my mind space is occupied by how to find the perfect combination. 

Dresses are also feminine and playful. Put me in a fit and flare and I am immediately tempted to twirl like a little girl. And let's face it, you can't be unhappy while you are twirling, even if it's for a few seconds.

A few compliments from family, friends or co-workers are sure to make you feel at least a little better during a rough patch. So wearing a top that brings those compliments flowing is a no-brainer. And statement tops with unique details increase the odds of that. 

I would not recommend wearing something with the sole purpose of receiving compliments though (because let's face it, some days nothing goes your way and the added pressure of expecting compliments may not help). Wear what makes you feel happy and since I love statement tops, they are my preferred choice.

Ballet Pumps

On most days, I wear stilettos or kitten heels at work and sandals for the commute. But on days when I need an extra feel-good factor, I switch from the sandals to ballet pumps. They are innocent, playful and pretty and make my feet look dressed up without the added maturity of heels.

In my mind, heels are somehow associated with being a grown up and ballet pumps take me back to my childhood when I wore flat shoes everywhere. So a pretty pair of ballerinas is a wink and nod to simpler times when problems were fewer and life was fun.

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Stilettos

If ever there was a single piece of fashion element that described armour, to me, it would be stilettos. The high pointy heels that raise you a few inches higher above the ground literally feels like an armour.

Stilettos represent sophistication, style and confidence. It is a confident woman who can wear three or four-inch heels and not teeter around at a slow pace or complain about pinched toes. So on days when I want to project the confidence, I don't feel at the moment, stilettos are my best friend.

Shift Dresses 

Nothing screams professionalism as much as a well-fitted shift dress paired with stilettos.

Shift dresses inherently project the most confident version of you because one needs self-assurance to wear a fitted dress that accentuates your best features but may also reveal your flaws.

If there's an important work meeting that I am anxious about, this is my go-to outfit combination.

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Jewellery and Makeup

I don't have any specific changes I make to my jewellery and makeup routine. My everyday look includes earrings, watch and bracelet for jewellery and a face cream, lipstick and kaajal (kohl eyeliner) for makeup.

This doesn't change when I am having a bad day, but that's important too. I don't skip the steps I take every day, just because I am not in the mood to see myself in the mirror.



So that's it. A few elements in my regular wardrobe that inspire confidence or make me feel happy when the mood is low and I need something external to boost me up.

Do you ever think of fashion as an armour or means to uplift your day? What are your preferred outfit choices at such times? Let me know in the comments section below.

Madeline is a watch that has an extended strap with a bracelet on it. I found this design very unique as it is not commonly available. The design is very feminine and the crystals add a touch of grace to its beauty.

The strap is available in gold, white, black, turquoise and wood. I ordered the black one as I wanted a versatile colour that goes with multiple outfits.

The website mentioned the specifications, which were:

Dial diameter: 55 mm

Case material: acrylic

Band material type: leather

Band width: 6 mm

Clasp type: buckle

Case thickness: 10 mm

Dial window material type: acrylic

Movement: quartz

The website mentioned that they would be able to deliver the pieces in 3 to 4 weeks. I was approached in March and received the watch at the beginning of May so allowing for a little extra time (since I did not place the order online) they do require the mentioned 3 to 4 weeks for delivery.

The watch came in a bubble wrapped package in a simple plastic casing. However, there was no damage so I would say the packaging was optimum.

I wanted to test the watch properly so I gave it about a week's wear before I began to write my review. 

I was happy to see that the actual watch matches the pictures shown in the online store. I often shop online and one of my grouses is that sometimes things look very stylish in pictures but are a let down when they arrive. Thankfully that wasn't the case here.

The watch cum bracelet strap seems sturdy enough. I have been wearing the watch on and off for a week and it has held up alright. I was a little intimidated about how to wear it on my own. Initially, it did look like a two person job and the first time I had my mother help me put it on. However, after a couple more attempts I learnt how to wear it by myself without assistance. 

I was unsure of how the strap would wrap around my wrist so I went back to the website and looked at the pictures. To be honest, it is quite a simple wrap but since it had been a while between the order and delivery I had forgotten the final look I was expected to achieve. Basically, the watch sits in the centre, the crystal bracelet goes on the right and the plain leather strap goes on the left.

They have multiple push buttons to fasten the watch on the wrist. Now I have really thin wrists and no watch has ever sat perfectly fitted on my wrist. This watch is no exception. I usually have to push all my watches really far up my wrist when I want a tight fit, or just leave it loose and sort of dangly. However, if you have a normal person's wrist, the push buttons will give you a good fit.

There's a short video of me putting on the watch. Check it out here if you would like to have a look. You will see that, although you need a bit of practice, it is not difficult to put on by oneself.

I must say I love the design of my Madeline watch. I posted pictures on my Instagram page and received lots of compliments. I also showed it to my friends and family and they too loved the design.

It's definitely a statement piece and a conversation starter. The crystals add a touch of glamour to the timepiece. Thankfully they seem to be attached properly and haven't fallen off. 

Overall I am really happy with this watch. It is different from the other watches I own so it's a nice addition to my small collection. I like that it goes with both Indian and Western outfits and I can wear them to office as well as the fancier parties. 

If you would like to order the Madeline watch or another timepiece from Folsom you can do so by clicking here.

Disclaimer: I received this watch from Folsom & Co for testing and review. All opinions are my own and unbiased. I am not an affiliate, so I make no commission if you click on my links.