Yesterday evening, I decided I would go shopping - for clothes. It had been a long time and bad work schedules never permitted me to indulge in this not so enjoyable activity(for me, at least). I shop because I have to wear SOMETHING. And that something better be classy. I hate clothes with glitter, too many ribbons or’strands’ of whatever sort dangling from wherever. Since the past many months, I had been getting this feeling that the kinds of clothes I want are disappearing from store shelves. Glitter, ’strands’, ’nets’, straps and ungracefully revealing clothes seem to be all the rage.
I lost faith in malls and chain stores long back since what they offer is so commonplace. You can know in advance what to expect - and that is precisely what you will get if you don’t expect much. There’s nothing’individual’ about the style in these places. I wouldn’t like to use the word’fashion’. It doesn’t convey what I want to convey.
The sense changes. I’ve been browsing through selected shops and private boutiques since they seem to have a more sensitive taste and they’ve got something different. Plus, you can get your clothes custom-fitted here. - which brings me to another issue. Size. I like being thin. Not in the unhealthy sort of way. I’m not anorexic. I never attempt to starve myself. I’m not obsessed with working out and and I’m on good terms with calories, fats and sugars. But, by default, I’m not a huge eater. Most of the girls around me seem to be a little overweight or maybe plump or whatever. Which is perfectly cool. Everyone’s got their own kind of frame and tendencies. But personally, I find slim people to be impressive. Problem is, most clothing stores here don’t seem to have much for stick thin individuals. Most of the stuff is for those slightly broad people. Buying from the kids’ section is a strict no-no because you don’t get the kind of style that you’d want. You end up getting the right size maybe - but with a Mickey mouse or Donald Duck rubber print in front.
I believe that clothes for very thin girls need to be designed differently. They can’t be so tight that they reveal their stick-thin frames. That looks weird. They need to be slightly loose without looking oversize. The fit is always more important than the style. Anything with good style but a bad fit will look like a total disaster. But something with a good fit but a compromised style won’t look so bad. It is painful to see the most amazingly formal shirts - not available in your size. It seems like most clothes are designed for those with generous proportions. Ditto with denims. What the hell is the incredibly sick rage about narrow jeans? The kind that sticks to your legs. For someone who’s on the heavier side, that’s fine - but for someone whose very thin, they look weirdly scary. Parallel jeans seems to be getting phased out - sadly. Fashion is different from style. Style is very individual. It should be you. It should speak something about you. When selecting clothes, I prefer them to be classy.
As plain as possible. Maybe in blacks or whites. Have you wondered why some girls look like bimbos and some others do not? There’s a difference between’beautiful’ and’smart’. Of course, these things are basically determined by his/her personality - something that is not as external and superficial as clothing. But clothnig DOES play a part. Someone with a low-neck, body-hugging pink t-shirt, two ton earrings and life threateningly tight jeans will have her own image. Someone in a decent shirt/T-shirt and basic denims will probably give you a different impression.
Its easy to find’fashionable’ clothes these days - the kind that make you look like a wannabe celebrity whose not quite there yet, or maybe the kind that scream that you’re available, the kind that would want attention of god knows who. Its difficult to find clothes that speak of decency, clothes that have class, that command respect. I’m not saying it impossible. But these clothes are difficult to find. Not for older people, maybe. But for people in their very early twenties or so, I wonder why the tastes are so common and so similar. I’m not saying they’re wrong in choosing what they wish to wear. Its something very individual. But what I’m just trying to say is that - for someone whose choices are a little different compared to her age, its a boring style scenario out there.
Your views and comments on this are most welcome.