Fashion Today

Let me give an “introduction” on the word ‘fashion’ and its so called indispensability to the modern day society. The word fashion is used as a synonym to glamor and style and a person is considered to be a part of the social circle only if he is “fashionable” i.e. in sync with the prevailing mode of expression of glamor and style. A person is touted as “unfashionable” if he does not go hand-in-hand with the contemporary mode of expression. Fashion does not necessarily mean the clothes you wear. It refers to one’s mode of talking, walking, thought, dress sense, hair style etc. There are a million factors due to which a person can be deemed.fit for mingling with the fashionable society or unfit to mingle with the fashionable society. Well I don’t know if you people have noticed, a caste system has emerged in the society totally different from the one prevalent in the medieval age. Cartelism or in a subtler way, “groupism” is done with reference to the ‘modern fashion’ and not according to the more important things, for example, sensible presentation of oneself rather than stylish presentation of oneself.

This blind manner of distinction among people is most common amongst the youth of this generation, more popularly known as “ THE GENNEXT “ or the “ GENX “. I am not saying I am totally against this, but the problem with us lies in the fact that we follow it as blindly as possible. No doubt this helps us gain a ‘position’ in the society, but don’t you think it’s better if you become a good human being rather than a fashionable human being. One drawback, or rather, should I say one ‘feature’ of being fashionable is, we ‘learn’ to look at down at people ‘below’ you with disdain. What is the difference? Just ‘branded’ attire? One cannot, and should not mock people just because they maybe a bit more shabbily dressed. Try and look at them as human beings, look at their character. Why don’t you put yourselves in their shoes? Hurts to do it doesn’t it?

What wonders a branded product can do to a person is an unsolved mystery till now. These upcoming malls nowadays have shot this practice to new heights. Word goes around everywhere that modernization is a must nowadays to keep in sync with rapidly growing western countries. But I feel development in the aspects mentioned above is totally undesirable. I guess a nation can still progress without being overtly ‘chic and fashionable’. These days originality reaps more awards than copying. But copying, is exactly what we are doing.

Everybody goes around saying,” Fashion is what you feel comfortable doing.” . I’d like to change that a bit though. My statement goes like this,” Fashion is what ‘others’ feel comfortable with what you’re doing.”

If world war 3 is fought with nuclear weapons, then world war 4 will be fought with sticks and stones ---- this is what Einstein had said with respect to the alarming ‘progress’ of the world. Well pretty much the same can be said about fashion too right! Fashion nowadays has “progressed” to torn jeans, unkempt hair etc, so how long would you think it would take before you see the fashionable being proudly striding across the street in dhoti and chappals.