Fad or not?

Its choices and preference right? Some people call it fad, others find it cool. One may find a yellow chunky brooch awesome and others find it garish. The pastel colored jacket may be soothing to one and boring to the next. The bright red hat might be inspiring to one, but loud for the other. I-phones are a must to one and an overpriced accessory to the other. The fashion trends are the same way.... i don’t know who decides that long tresses are out and bobs are in.. And then the next day, i will see 20 people on the street sporting these bobs.. Oblivious to how it actually looks on them. They are following the trend!

I have a fashion designer friend, one of the bigger labels in India, who will raise her eyebrows at my ignorance. I respect this line of work a lot. The styles and outfits and accessories which come up are unbelievable... and I bow down to their creativity! Honestly, as an engineer, my mind is corrupted by the straight lines of my profession. I could never imagine a safety pin being used as anything else but that... only to see dresses, necklaces, hoops et al sporting safety pins... and making it look really nice... it's someone’s style, but hey. To each their own right!

The same piece/ whether its religion, art, home decor, accessory, clothes, fb quizzes whatever: invokes one feeling in a person, and it may be exactly opposite to the other. We should learn to respect those preferences... and choices which people make.

Lately I have been in such discussions. Someone asked me if they liked some neon pink jacket, pretty cool cut. For boring and conservative me, it’s a big no no and i said the same being very honest about it. I am hoping the other person didn’t take any offense, since he was sure about the colors and styles which work in India. The very next day, i read an article on rediff/style that neons are very in currently in India.. and hey, the person was right! And i owned up and send the article across with sincerity.

These fads, trends, statements.. etc.. are all for the broader audience. Each person will pick a style/a home color/ an art piece which reflects them best. Even wearing a hat slightly tilted to the right versus the left, can make a huge impression and a style statement. It is not what you wear but how to wear it, that makes the difference.

There have been times, when i have stepped out of my comfort zone and wear something which I’d never imagine myself in..(Like at a recent do, a nice pink and silver sequined pauncho!) I have always admired it on mannequins and other people...but was too shy to actually wear it. We have all done this at some point. It’s a choice we make. One may prefer pastels all the time, but out in the sun, they choose the bright red and white polka dotted dress which appeals to them more than the grey jumpsuit! Its your preference/ choice that day.

I am blessed with very good friends, and within my set of school girlfriends.. we all have different professions, styles, tastes, lifestyle choices and very varied dressing styles. It ranges from models to journalists to art directors to architects to engineers to economists to photographers to SAHM's.. you get it...its varied~ But all of us gel very well.. And appreciate our interests, likes and dislikes... We don’t agree on everything; but hey, we will voice our opinions and know very well, this set of people will understand and respect our personal choices.

Discuss and argue all you want: Choice needs to be respected, and preferences need the space! This applies for all facets of our life. So next time you call something a fad, just give it some thought before.