Is less really more?

I have friends who will make a simple black shirt be a piece of art... They will be able to wear the same shirt with so many different accessories.. that it will always leave you wondering.. Is it the same shirt? They call it the "Classic Piece!"
It leads me to talk about The Uniform project. A fashionista friend of mine, introduced me to the project, and I must say, I have been hooked ever since. The project itself is ingenious. It is a lot of things; for me, its about sustainable fashion, fashion with a cause, the power of layering, mix and matching and above all doing it all for a wonderful cause. I, as you can imagine, am super impressed.
It somehow makes me wanna experiment. I am generally classified as boring with my "attempts". I am by no means am super stylish (Yes I know, I suck!), but at the same time, I can’t call myself simple. I am some what in between... like most! I like to dress well, but for me, I believe in comfort! I wear what I prefer... somehow is never the trend, its simpler.
On a nasty afternoon, right after I had V, a very dear friend of mine intervened and told me: you have to take care of yourself, to be able and willing to take care of others!
I heard what she was saying, that day, I was miserable, no sleep, an almost infant V trying to adjust to me, in my ugliest PJ's just trying on pre-maternity jeans which refused to fit.
Motherhood or not, we all have been there. For girls- it could be fat days, bad hair days or just.. Nothing fits phase! And a friend of mine who always says: "I have nothing to wear tonight" with a closet full! ;-) You know who you are!!!
Sadly, I am there as well, more often than not. And every time I peek into my closet, I’d see clothes hanging, but I don’t know what to wear! It’s a constant struggle. Like most... I don’t have a closet the size of a room. It’s just enough for me to be comfortable with. So back to square one.
Sometime I feel I don’t have enough clothes.. and then sometimes I am like.. enough is enough.. I haven’t even worn this in months now! And then it’s back to the "I dont have enough clothes" rant... urgh!
Funnily I know; the girls reading this are nodding! And the guys are grudging.
What is it... with us girls... we never know... .is less more.. or is more never enough?

Yes.. we'll invest in the quality versus quantity until the sale comes along in BCBG, where we will vow to not enter to avoid ugly temptation.. And then the next minute we will be out with our contented shopping bags claiming…. It was such a great deal! I haven’t shopped in so long!
On my previous post about shoes, a friend told me, as girls we can never have enough shoes, purses or clothes. Is that true? Are we that materialistic... or are we just not satisfied.
Or are the designers and artists doing such a great job, they increase our needs for "that one dress" even though we don’t need it!
May be.. less is not more.. its just less

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.