Frenzied Fashion Fiascos

Looking good and feeling good is a right that all human beings have and none of us are in the position to tell anyone what or what not to wear. I myself have been through my many different style avatars, from channeling my inner goth, through to masses of attention-grabbing  mix-n-match to terrifying head to toe designer, etc. Now, over the past few years I am in a place where being supremely comfortable in my own skin, has meant that I have also understood that it is not about the external accoutrements but the soul of the moment, translated through the external trappings, that is of importance. 

So many of those around us are of the same ilk where they shine with their innate style and also inspire those around them to be the best and to also highlight their best selves, through their style. It is usually not a contrived, planned and plotted pathway but usually an organic self-realizing stepping stone that creates truly stylish moments. In contrast there are the ‘fashion fiascos’ who frighten men, women and children with their foibles, while imagining that they are on some red carpet 24/7! Welcome to the horrors of brazen style butchering.

I have said this in the past, that we live in a day and age where the blurred lines actually form the hidden lines of what style encompasses, and that there is nothing at all wrong with self-expression. The freedom ‘to be’ is a must, while at the same time realizing that we are part of an overall community, a society, and that certain levels of intuitive thinking and most of all respect, needs to be factored in. Understanding the old saying ‘there is a time and a place’ rings through in the 21st century as much as it did a decade or century ago. It is not about restriction, it is not about being told what to do, and it certainly is not about forcing one’s ideals on others. Simply put it is about knowing ‘what to wear and where to wear’ while keeping one’s own style ethos true. 

Many a times we are mystified with by the images of people who are determined to look like they are auditioning for the part of extras in a stage re-make of Baz Lurmann’s ‘Moulin Rouge’ with their glitter and gadgets galore. Being an absolute ‘non-ageist’ it simply frightens me when women and men of a certain genre decide that they need to re-live their long long long lost youth by simply attempting to throw on the trappings of their grandchildren’s generation, while parading about the social circuits in this town. Clothes that are meant for a toddler in size are not meant to be stretched and pulled to be worn by the grandparents. We see lycra and micro fibers screaming for help as they are used in ways that the fabrics were never intended, stretched to within an inch of destruction! One sneeze or cough and there would be torn clothes and tattered egos. I know that it is fun to imagine oneself wearing skims and flying on private jets but considering our humidity and the ability for garments to literally stick, it cannot be fun to be synched and sutured into clothes that cut off blood circulation. The sausage analogy comes to mind when I see these social moths ‘bursting at the seams’ in their attempt to replicate some star look worn by someone half their size and a quarter their age! 

We also see those who seem to have developed an allergy towards clothing that covers, and are determined to scare everyone who sees them with their flashes of flesh. Their ‘cups runneth over’ and the spillage is not just from the alcohol they consume in vast quantities, but also highlights the fashion disasters that are always just a ‘slip in any direction’ away. As bosoms tumble to the floor escaping the intricate corsetry that was meant to encase, eyes open wide in horror wondering who would be ‘picking up the pieces’, literally. 

Again, if one is inclined to go out in a bikini make sure that it is to some body of water, and not to a children’s birthday party, or a college graduation. Time and place, is all I have to say. 

Those who take the opportunity to wear beautiful timeless traditional garments are always admired as they take the context of where and when, and look amazing. In contrast we see six yards of gauze like see-through fabric revealing more than it covers, paired with bra-cups on strings. Seriously? Why not just wear nothing, since nothing is left to the imagination. Again, if this was worn when being the star attraction at a bachelor party, or to twirl around a pole, there would be nods of approval and applause. When these barely-there garments are worn to a pooja, or to a solemn marital consecration, it is not just tacky, but disrespectful as well. 

As the eyes travel north to the face the horror continues with social moths looking like they are auditioning for a Ronald McDonald look-a-like contest. True, the iconic McDonald’s clown is globally recognized, but why would one want to do one’s makeup like that? Whitened faces under an inch of pasty chalk like Kabuki inspired makeup are usually accented with slashes of overtly bright lips that look like one was feeding with the Lions in the Serengeti, devouring raw meat. Ronald McDonald move over we have new clowns in town. The hair is usually teased and sprayed to have curls hanging down the sides of the shoulders with ample ‘fake manes’ pinned into place. Oh the horror if there was a rain shower, as not only the faces would be streaming down, but the limp locks would be dislodged and lost in the drain. 

Our own social media obsessions are partly to blame as social moths look at global celebrities and in their tiny minds assume that ‘if they can we can too.’ Little realizing though that the ‘they’ are usually on a red-carpet or camping up themselves for a brand partnership, literally playing ‘dress-up’, while locally it is to some unsuspecting relatives wedding, or the endless high, low, and medium teas that the mindless seem to constantly attend. When attending a pooja dress for a pooja, when at the beach dress for the beach, when at a club etc. I think you get what I am saying.

As we approach the holiday season and the party circuit gets even more boisterous, let us try our best to channel who we really are, and not some delusional idea of who we think we are while looking in trick mirrors. Beautiful at any and every age is how it should be, whatever the dress size, whatever the budget, the key is to shine a light on the true self, while simply accenting with the clothes. A smile is always the best accessory of course, while knowing how to channel one’s fashion senses to the right occasions, truly makes for a beautiful being, who dazzles for all the right reasons.