For a change, this post is neither about parenting nor tiffin recipes. In fact, nothing related to our kids. Let’s take a break, girls, and have a typical girlish discussion — something about fashion sense. Interested? Thought so!
As I am a laid-back person, for me, fashion is more about comfort rather than style, so no wonder you’ll always find me in a pair of jeans and a tee. I remember a couple of years back when I visited the U.S. It was a cool place with nice and not-so-fashionable people. No offence — they were all stylish, but not in a way that would give you a complex about your own dressing. One of the good things was that you wouldn’t find a lot of anorexic girls. In fact, most Americans were like us — plump (khate pite ghar ke).
Of course, the younger generation (teenagers) is quite stylish and chic, especially when you visit any mall or shopping complex (but that’s true for India as well). But I did fine there — except for a few awkward moments regarding my fashion sense, I survived nicely. The real climax, however, was yet to come.
As we were returning, we thought of taking a break in Hong Kong. We planned to reach there in the morning so that we would have the entire day for sightseeing and then take a night flight to India. Good plan — saved both time and money and added a new country to our list as well. (We Indians are oh-so-practical… people should learn something from us!) Okay, enough self-bragging — let’s continue the story.
We reached Hong Kong early morning, and it was a beautiful airport. Whenever I reach somewhere early morning, I’m mostly half asleep, grumbling for my morning cuppa, and caring least about how I look (not talking about the celebrities here). But there, I got the shock of my life — even at that hour, as far as I could see, all the ladies (Hong Kong) were fully decked up and impeccably dressed, looking so superior. I checked twice to see if there was any ramp nearby — there wasn’t. Nevertheless, it was a shocker.
I got a hold of myself, checked into a washroom, and tried to look at least presentable. My morale booster was my husband, who always replied the same: “You look fine.” I can ask this question even while he’s sleeping and I’m sure to get the same reply. (After a lot of thinking, he has realized that it’s the safest reply which would not lead to any further cross-questioning!)
After breakfast, we took a tour bus for sightseeing. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Hong Kong is actually a vertical city. You’d see really narrow lanes and, all of a sudden, amidst them, a skyscraper. It was a beautiful city with ever-stylish natives. Along with the sightseeing, I was also busy frankly staring at people (aren’t we Indians famous for this?). Don’t take me wrong — I was not a psychopath with an evil plan in mind. It’s just that I was intrigued by the locals. With their clean skin, perfect figures, and up-to-date clothing style, it was obvious! Since I was on his side, my poor husband couldn’t use his eyes as freely as he would’ve liked to. Moreover, he was also busy managing the details (someone had to, as I was totally oblivious about it).
During that time, it was raining on and off. So, after a brief stint with it, we thought of going for some window shopping in a mall. There I saw a beautiful YSL evening gown. While I was standing and admiring it, I thought of actually getting into that posh shop. However, with my half-drenched jeans and tee, it turned out to be a big blunder. The moment I went inside, I saw classically dressed salesgirls giving me a total look of disdain. (All those who’ve seen Pretty Woman could actually relate to my situation there.) Anyway, after murmuring some unintelligent one-liners, I realized that the best way was to make a quick exit. The look in their eyes said it all — it was like, “You better.” Trying to look as unaffected and calm as I could manage, I left. I realized that Hong Kong is one hell of a stylish city.
But why did I share this experience publicly? First, to have a good laugh; and second, not to be judgmental about anyone based on their appearance. It’s good to be stylish and wear the latest designer clothes, but at the same time, it’s equally important to be yourself. Being well-dressed will definitely give you a lot of confidence, but it should not define your character. Dress to please no one but yourself. Sometimes, it’s the casually dressed one who actually looks the best.
P.S. – By the way, I have not yet learned my lesson, as I still roam around in my faded jeans and tee/kurta.
