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S asks to grab drinks with me. She needs to vent about B, her boyfriend and one of my close buddies. On her second whiskey neat, S tells me that B hasn’t said “I love you” to her yet. They’ve been dating for three years. On the other hand, after a jubilant round of FIFA last weekend, she saw him hug and kiss a male friend, before screaming “I love you!” thrice into his ears.

“So he can say the words, but just not to me?”

Years ago, I was interviewing an Indian male superstar at his pad when he received a call mid-way. The actor, then in his late 20s, picked up and proceeded to pepper the chat with romantic and sexual innuendos. In any room, this interaction would be considered hardcore flirting. The actor threw in generous helpings of “babys” and “jaanus”, the person on the other end returning them just as fervently. When the call ended (with a round of “pehle tum rakho, no baby, pehle tum”), he said, “He’s one of my best mates, man, love him to death.”

From dance floors to football fields, straight men actively express their affection towards their male friends with language and gestures set aside for interactions with the opposite sex. They believe that exaggeratedly mimicking feminine gestures, acting like a spouse, using romantic language platonically, squeezing their gym partner’s pecs or groping a friend’s groin are expressions of endearment. Are straight men expressive as long as their behaviour is not seen through a pink lens?

“I know my close male friends are not gay, they know I am not gay, so we can actually do and say whatever we want. It is extremely freeing,” says 33-year-old tech bro Arjun. “With women, even a simple kiss on the cheek is not just a kiss. She’s reading into it, I am thinking whether it was too much. Everything I do with her is analysed and dissected in her group chat.” What Arjun points at is the candour of straight male equations. There are no layers, no emotional mazes. Straight male friendships survive despite distance and zero communication skills. The best of friends could spend all their time playing video games in silence. The tightest of gangs could bond over cricket talk. Male friendships do not need regular affirmation. Or maybe it is the absence of an emotional outlet between straight men that triggers these aggressive bouts of physical affection.

Chloé spring/summer 2025.

By contrast to these loose-fitting silhouettes, bodycon minis from Jacquemus – as seen on Kylie Jenner’s Instagram grid – Ferragamo, and small-scale brands like Susamusa (Kendall Jenner), Ciao Lucia (Zendaya) and Gimaguas, have spearheaded the minidress movement. Vintage styles, too – from Rihanna’s distressed Maison Margiela bandeau to Hailey Bieber’s Dolce & Gabbana flash of green – have done the rounds.

Minidresses have long been a signature for London talent Supriya Lele, and for her recent collaboration with Mango, the designer revived some of her core archive styles, including a crocheted fringed mini that John Glacier describes as “perfect summer LBD”. The artist told Vogue: “Breathable and hot, and so easy to style. I love clothes with form, flow and practicality, so this is key.” It’s shaping up to be a minidress summer.

Here is Vogue’s edit of the best minidresses:

Striped Cotton-Poplin Minidress – Net-a-Porter

Crochet-Trimmed Minidress – Net-a-Porter

A-Line Ruffle Minidress – JW Anderson

x Bella Hadid Western Poplin Mini Dress – frankies bikinis

Short Sleeved Mini T-Shirt Dress – Weekday

Shirred Ruffled Taffeta Minidress – Net-a-Porter

Broderi Minidress – Fruity Booty

Draped Jersey Minidress – Net-a-Porter

Draped Minidress – Net-a-Porter

Shirred Organic Cotton-Poplin Minidress – Net-a-Porter

Satin-Crepe Tunic Dress – Net-a-Porter

Halter Neck Striped Dress – Zara

Polka-Dot Dress – Susamusa

Satin Minidress – & Other Stories

This article was first published on Vogue.co.uk

Also read:

5 reasons why the T-shirt dress is your easiest style solution, every time

Linen and cotton dresses from 35 homegrown brands to add to your summer wardrobe

Mira Kapoor’s metallic knit dress from Sandro is for every edgy dresser

Cosmic tip: Make a wish, even if broken-hearted, and watch it grow.

It is not your skill that demands the price, Virgo, it is your devotion, commitment and energy that says it loud. Stand strong in your beliefs and desires, and remember that you, darling, Virg, are top class, not in an arrogant way, but in a heartfelt, reassuring way. Everyone has their shadow, so don’t let your light be masked by what you see as your flaws. It is not only what makes you unique, but it is also what makes you humanly divine. Transform your pain into a greater capacity to hold love and healing now. You’ve got this.

Cosmic tip: Embrace all aspects of yourself—the divine and the earthly.

If you have been feeling distorted lately, the cosmos only wants you to remember your way back to yourself at this point. You are earth, air, fire, water and ether all in ecstatic motion, and it is time you regain your inner balance once again, Libra. When you spend too much time in your head, you disconnect from your reality and your heart. Your only task today is to find your way back to your inner peace, and Libra, you will embrace joy once again.

Cosmic tip: Honour your boundaries and safeguard your interests.

Here is a spoiler for you, Scorpio—your financial abundance is directly linked with your spiritual abundance. How? Well, the more gratified you feel with life, the more you begin noticing and attracting things and opportunities that fuel your life and abundance forward. Find that zing back, Scorps. Take a stand, reconnect with yourself, understand and accept all how you and your life have evolved and grown and then ask yourself what you would rather do at this point or this point onwards. It is no longer about how you thought you should be living your life. It is about how you wish to from now on.

Cosmic tip: You bring light to this world, and you must always remember that.

The possibilities are limitless, Sag, and you know why? Because the soul is limitless. You are on target; your larger-than-life visions and hopes can come true, but you must choose to remember that you are your leader and that your guidance speaks specifically to you for you and for a reason that only you will understand and know. Stop looking around you for answers. Start believing what your heart knows is possible. Your reality may need time to catch up—but it will reflect what you know to be true in the depths of your soul. Keep holding that happily ever after vision.

Find ways to love yourself, your body and where you are at this point. For those struggling with body image challenges, your body is merely reflecting what you are feeling about it. Begin watering it with love and watch it begin to glow in a short period. Listen to music, or better still, play your symphony. Valuing and appreciating the women in your life may awaken you to the strength that lies in softness and the movement that lies in stillness. Aquarius, you are here for a reason, and that reason is surrender and devotion.

Cosmic tip: The cosmos is protecting you and your loved ones.

Also read:

Aries August 2, 2025

Taurus August 2, 2025

Gemini August 2, 2025

Cancer August 2, 2025

Leo August 2, 2025

Virgo August 2, 2025

Libra August 2, 2025

Scorpio August 2, 2025

Sagittarius August 2, 2025

Capricorn August 2, 2025

Pisces August 2, 2025

You’re quite happy in your relationship. Everything seems to be going well, you text every day and meet up several times a week. Then there are fewer messages and something keeps coming up. But your partner continues to act as if everything is fine. Suddenly, out of the blue, it’s all over: they are gone faster than you can ask “Why?” Except, everything seems to have been meticulously planned. Turns out: you were a victim of Banksying.

What is “Banksying”?

Before a breakup, there should ideally be a detailed conversation where both parties discuss the relationship and decide whether it’s worth fighting for or not. Not with Banksying. This dating trend is named after Banksy, the anonymous street artist and political activist, whose epigrams tend to pop up seemingly out of nowhere. Banksy plans ahead, makes art in secret and then disappears as if he was never there. It’s the same with Banksying: the person has been planning the break-up for months but doesn’t talk to their significant other about it. Then, all of a sudden, they spring the break-up, leaving nothing but pain behind.

This phenomenon may not necessarily be new; it’s just been rebranded as a dating trend in the ever-expanding glossary. Pre-internet, it used to be known as the Irish goodbye, the French leave or the Polish exit.

Why do people go Banksy on us?

The simple answer: they want to avoid difficult conversations. Instead of engaging in a chat that might reveal that they need to work on themselves, Banksying allows someone to avoid confrontation altogether and make the decision without their partner.

The result? The person who does the Banksying has enough time to prepare for the break-up and come to an emotional conclusion about the relationship. But the other person will feel blindsided and end up doubting themselves for a long time. They will spend months going through all the scenarios from the last few months and try to figure out what they did wrong.

However, there are cases in which Banksying is the only option. If a person is in a toxic or violent relationship, then Banksying their way out of it may be their only solution. Especially if the partner has violent tendencies, then a concrete plan and a quick getaway are the best ticket out.

How can you avoid being Banksy-ed?

With a good Banksy, you won’t see the breakup coming at all. It all depends on how manipulative or good at acting your partner is. It could be difficult to recognise the signs, but these pointers can give you a clue:

The biggest signs of banksying:

• Communication becomes less
• Intimacy and closeness become infrequent
• Conversations about the future dwindle
• They come up with more and more excuses for not having the time to see you
• Important conversation topics are no longer brought up
• They no longer talk about you both as a single unit

History books can erase people’s lived experiences or communities altogether, but art is the medium that can keep seemingly lost traditions and narratives alive. Artists Prabhakar Kamble and Akshay Mahajan come together in this dual show to explore individual and collective memories of communities whose voices are ignored in colonial and official records. While Kamble’s intriguing sculptures continue his exploration of Ambedkarite activism and anti-caste movements, Mahajan’s ongoing People of Clay series highlights the lives of the forgotten peoples of Assam’s Goalpara district through photographs, terracotta figurines and textile fragments. Through this fascinating exhibit, the artists aim to shed light on the unknown and showcase how they defy prejudices one creation at a time.

On view at Jhaveri Contemporary, Devidas Mansion, Merewether Road, Colaba, Mumbai until 16^th August 2025

Madhvi Parekh: Remembered Tales at DAG, New Delhi

She’s one of the pioneers of Indian folk modernism, and one glimpse of her vibrant canvases will tell you why. Inspired by village artworks, modern art techniques and the relationship between people and the environments they inhabit, Madhvi Parekh creates rich and vivid worlds in each of her canvases. A new show in the capital celebrates this famed artist’s journey, including several new works, pages from her sketchbooks and large-format canvases. “Unapologetically different from other artists, Parekh’s work stands etymologically apart—not quite ‘modern’ as most viewers see it, and not quite folk. It is this quality of rawness that has convinced me of her importance to the Indian art world,” explains Ashish Anand, managing director at DAG, about the significance of this monumental exhibition.

Chapped lips, cracked heels, burnt skin or a broken heart; as a Bengali millennial, I’m convinced that there’s nothing Boroline can’t heal. And this isn’t only nostalgia or the ‘Bengalis know better’ syndrome talking, but tried-and-tested experiences.

I’ve always had a stash of Boroline tubes tucked away, hoarded from every trip to Kolkata, handed out to friends like souvenirs. But it wasn’t until recently that I realised just how powerful that green tube really is.

One morning, I looked in the mirror and let out a small horror-movie scream. My face was covered in a rough rash, something between an allergic reaction and a hex. Usually, my darker skin tone camouflages breakouts, but this was beyond the scope of the melanin gods.

In a panic, I reached for the only thing that came to mind: Boroline.

I applied it twice a day for two days. By the end of it, the redness had faded, the itchiness had settled and the sun shone on my blemish-free skin again. It was the kind of moment that confirms what you already suspect: there truly is nothing Boroline can’t heal (at least for the Bengali).

After years of cycling through moisturisers to pacify my combination skin, Boroline is now the staple in my skincare routine.

How does one categorise Boroline? An antiseptic cream? A moisturiser? A healing balm? A generational ritual captured in a tube? Even designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee waxed poetic about it on Instagram. Boroline smells sweet, like childhood. The comforting fragrance brings back memories of our grandmothers’ beauty shelves, where talcum powder and that unmistakable green tube sat side by side. I can’t say when I adopted the habit myself, but at some point it became second nature. Boroline is now my daily moisturiser, with tubes stashed in drawers, handbags and bathroom shelves—you know, just in case.

Boroline was first launched in 1929 by Bengali merchant Gaur Mohun Dutta, as part of the pre-independence Swadeshi movement. In a mildly ethnocentric way, it became a product by Bengalis for other Bengalis, marketed during Durga Pujo and became Dutta’s pride and joy. As per their website, wartime shortages led to changes in packaging, but the company printed a note on every pack reassuring customers that the quality remained unchanged. When India became independent, one lakh tubes were distributed as a celebration, solidifying its commitment to being for and of India.

Williams’s experience is, sadly, not uncommon. For Emily Maddick, assistant editor and entertainment director at Glamour UK, there was also a four-year period between the onset of her symptoms and diagnosis. “In March 2018, I was diagnosed with endometriosis after having a laparoscopy surgery to remove the build-up.” The build-up she refers to is of endometrial tissue–the same tissue that’s normally found inside the womb. Endometrial tissue growing outside of the womb is what signifies the presence of endometriosis.

“This tissue can be found growing outside of the womb in places such as ovaries, the bowel, bladder and, rarely, in the chest or brain,” explains Dr Lafina Diamandis, holistic GP and the founder of Deia Health. “Endometrial tissue is highly sensitive to hormonal changes, and during your period can break down and bleed, which causes symptoms.”

Maddick’s pain was dull and throbbing, radiating from her left ovary sporadically throughout the month. “It was particularly noticeable when I ovulated or during my period,” she recalls, noting that it would spread to her entire pelvis and lower back during particularly bad bouts. As two people keenly aware of the benefits of regular exercise–for everything from mood to energy, sleep to stress–both Williams and Maddick found themselves having to reframe the way they approached managing their symptoms.

How can endometriosis affect exercise?

Not only is there the pain to contend with, but the exhaustion, bloating and distension can make working out a distant dream for people with endometriosis. Ironically, for some people, it’s also one of the things that can help most with mitigating some of the symptoms. “Exercise can be a powerful tool for managing endometriosis, offering benefits like pain relief, hormone balance, improved mood, and reduced fatigue,” says Dr Diamandis.

However, there is a smart way to exercise with endometriosis and it’s all about tailoring the type of exercise to how you’re feeling and where you are in your cycle. “Low-impact activities ease symptoms without putting excess strain on the body,” she continues. “However, high-intensity workouts may trigger flare-ups, increase inflammation or worsen pelvic pain. The key is to trust and listen to your body, and choose movement that supports rather than stresses it.”

Both women made the switch to predominantly low-impact exercise. “After years of lifting heavy, I started to implement Pilates into my routine and found it, honestly, transformative. That and walking,” Williams recalls. “After my operation (she had a fibroid removal procedure), I had to switch my mindset to working with my body rather than against it.”

Power Crystal: Stibnite, for getting to the root of conflict with clarity and healing it.

Go easy on yourself, will you, Taurus? And while you’re at it, go easy on those around you as well. This month may feel like you have finally said yes to a new beginning, but now, all of a sudden, you feel strapped and unable to move. Well, there is a lot of cosmic activity going on with the retrogrades, the eclipse and the Lion’s Gate portal. However, your ideas are here for a reason. Your dreams serve a purpose. This month is about to show you what you are really made up of, and mind you, you will emerge pleasantly surprised at all that you are capable of.

Power Crystal: Pink tourmaline, for releasing past karma and moving forward.

Your eyes have been set on something more meaningful and fulfilling, either the search for the unknown or something you may have set your eyes upon. Be it a better financial standing, a more comfortable life, ease and love within your relationships or anything else. The underlying thread this month for you is that feeling of self-sufficiency, confidence and your ability to manifest your wildest dreams. But of course, Gemini, there is something you must remember. Things flow to you effortlessly as long as you remain effortless and non-obsessive about them in your head and heart. The minute you become a slave to your accolades and achievements or even your ‘goals’, you feel like the world begins to crumble. This month is about you learning to weave your own carpet, in your own style, forget what you’ve been taught. Remember what you already know.

Power Crystal: Rhodochrosite, for tying loose ends and starting afresh.

Closely attached to your blessed fortune is your belief that it must come with misery and hard work. Cancer, August awakens you to the possibility of making choices that fit well for you. You realise that it is not how much you can do, but how much help you are willing to receive. You realise that it is not how you pack a punch, but ask yourself whether you really wish to pack one in? This month awakens you as the force that drives your manifestations and potential. The only thing you need to work through is making choices that feel right for you. Indecision never served anyone, and you, my dear, are not here to deplete your energy reserves but to learn how to nourish them so that you make the impact and live the life you really wish to.

It would seem that Indian designers collectively decided to think beyond the ‘can-barely-walk-in’ lehenga at this season of Hyundai India Couture Week 2025 in association with Reliance Brands, an initiative of FDCI. In a country where bridal fashion drives the bottom line for most design houses, wedding wear and couture have long been synonymous. But as the consumer evolves, so too does the canvas— and what we witnessed on the runway was a quiet renaissance.

Yes, the saris and shararas remained—loud, proud, and unapologetically opulent—but this time, they shared the spotlight with silhouettes that looked beyond the bride. Think kaftans with intricate embroideries, mini dresses with detailed cutwork, corsets with everything and pantsuits for everyone. This is a Vogue-approved round up of the standout looks that made it our couture hit list for 2025.

Rahul Mishra

Rahul Mishra opened the couture season with ‘Becoming Love’—an extension of his Paris showcase, where Mughal miniatures met Monet and Klimt. A mini version of Cardi B’s viral bustier gown made the cut, but the real stars were Mishra’s sculptural 3D creations. Like this embroidered column gown, complete with its own architectural frame. Not for the faint of fashion, but perfect for those who revel in the pure joy of dressing up.

Roseroom By Isha Jajodia

Gulshan Sacheva-(Vidhi Images)