I was in the mall yesterday, and I just happened to look around closely at the people around me. I just realised the mall culture is making us all look alike in the way we dress and carry ourselves, it is defining the so called "sophisticated" look for us in the metro. How else will you explain the identically dressed people, the brands you can easily identify, the now so predictable mix and match of attire. It is all influenced by each other, social groups and also mass media. We now find fashion affordable and achievable. The look that we coveted only in movies can now be ours. We somehow try to ape each other in our dressing and our style. Personal style being lost somewhere in the bargain.
An example of this trend is standardization of product category with the brands most well know in those categories. We all have come across the famous "Baggit" wallet which is now becoming generic in the ladies wallet category. Never has a bag brand gotten so popular in the ladies fashion market. Its become a wardrobe must have. Also, in Ladies kurtas, how I wish to see people wearing any other brand than the very common "W" for Westside kurtas or Biba. They are typical and again, easily identifiable. Westside and Biba I believe started the whole trend of wearing Kurtas on leggings as a neat semi-formal look, which now passes as office wear. In the handbangs category though, Esbeda and the now infamous Louis Vuitton lookalike bags have become huge successes. For guys, "Woodland" shoes are easy to choose, go well on formals and casuals alike, and save them the trouble of keeping too many shoes, and hence minimal fuss, so become a mens shoewear must have.
Such culture is mostly followed in Metros, I cant speak for all of them, but yes, I have stayed long enough in both Mumbai and Bengaluru, to speak for them. It is somehow diminishing the importance of having a personal style and upping the need for following the latest trends in clothes, bags and shoes. Even actors are prey to this trend. What is the differentiation however, is in the money factor. People who can afford big brands with sky high price tags, go for those, and the moderate spenders go for the more popular reasonably priced brands.
When I see these people, most of them, in ladies, will sport a trendy hairstyle, with streaks being hugely popular, and one of those long tunics, three-fourths or smart jeans, and heels or pumps. This describes a majority of the women mall goers. Men, would mostly be in jeans or cargos, that could be from anywhere, with a simple Lacoste T-shirt thrown on. It is so so common, that every other person you lay your eyes on is thus dressed. Not to mention the kids brigade with fun frolic colors, the Gini Jony types. What is the matter with people, so engrossed with dressing alike and looking socially acceptable, that they fear change or looking mismatched. Just look around, and laugh at the ridiculousness of all of it. Then you know what I mean.
An example of this trend is standardization of product category with the brands most well know in those categories. We all have come across the famous "Baggit" wallet which is now becoming generic in the ladies wallet category. Never has a bag brand gotten so popular in the ladies fashion market. Its become a wardrobe must have. Also, in Ladies kurtas, how I wish to see people wearing any other brand than the very common "W" for Westside kurtas or Biba. They are typical and again, easily identifiable. Westside and Biba I believe started the whole trend of wearing Kurtas on leggings as a neat semi-formal look, which now passes as office wear. In the handbangs category though, Esbeda and the now infamous Louis Vuitton lookalike bags have become huge successes. For guys, "Woodland" shoes are easy to choose, go well on formals and casuals alike, and save them the trouble of keeping too many shoes, and hence minimal fuss, so become a mens shoewear must have.
Such culture is mostly followed in Metros, I cant speak for all of them, but yes, I have stayed long enough in both Mumbai and Bengaluru, to speak for them. It is somehow diminishing the importance of having a personal style and upping the need for following the latest trends in clothes, bags and shoes. Even actors are prey to this trend. What is the differentiation however, is in the money factor. People who can afford big brands with sky high price tags, go for those, and the moderate spenders go for the more popular reasonably priced brands.
When I see these people, most of them, in ladies, will sport a trendy hairstyle, with streaks being hugely popular, and one of those long tunics, three-fourths or smart jeans, and heels or pumps. This describes a majority of the women mall goers. Men, would mostly be in jeans or cargos, that could be from anywhere, with a simple Lacoste T-shirt thrown on. It is so so common, that every other person you lay your eyes on is thus dressed. Not to mention the kids brigade with fun frolic colors, the Gini Jony types. What is the matter with people, so engrossed with dressing alike and looking socially acceptable, that they fear change or looking mismatched. Just look around, and laugh at the ridiculousness of all of it. Then you know what I mean.
1 comment:
Who doesn't wanna look good. Now a days its all about the glitz and glam of it. One need not wear the most expensive branded wear to look good, one needs the Charisma and Poise to carry it off.Not all are lucky tthat way. But I love how you tend to think randomly yet strike a chord with the readers. Cheers.
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