Dare to be different

Are you a victim to fashion or a trend-setter? Ishani Ranasinghe shares her views on creating a style of your own and being content with your choice.

"Curls are in now," I said to my friend, while I was trying to talk her out of straightening her hair. To which she matter-of-factly said, "It's not what's in or out, it's what suits you the best." So she went and got her hair straightened and it did look good on her, although I am yet to tell her that.

But this got me thinking. It's not just about the hair; it's the same with clothes – you should always wear what suits with you.
At present, fashion trends are changing so fast, that keeping up with them is no easy task. But then is it really necessary that we keep up with all these trends, and be slave to them? The trouble is somewhere deep inside, we all want to be, as they would say, 'in' with the trend – hence would love to wear all those funky clothes that are coming out.

So when we do give into these trends, what does happen is that we become, 'fashion victims.' And trust me no matter how hard you are trying to console yourself, at one point or the other we have all been there. One thing I need to tell you is that the term 'fashion victim' doesn't necessarily only concern women, but also men. Let me explain myself now.

Generally, such people are those who blindly adopt and worship fashion trends, regardless of how they might look on them. In their mission, as I would like to call it, many tend to wear excessive jewellery or tiny skirts, ending up completely missing the important part of what it is to be stylish. That is, of customising a trend to suit your body image, age and circumstance.

Now think about how many times you yourself have commented about what so-and-so was wearing. If you work in an office and a new girl shows up in a low-cut top with a lot of something showing, chances are, you and those around you will have a comment to make about it. Similarly, if an acquaintance shows up at a funeral of a good friend of yours wearing something not quite appropriate, again, you, along with others, will have something to say about it.

The same holds true for the opposite scenario as well. For instance, a group of friends are heading out for a night on the town and are dressed to the nines, and once again, your friend who has no taste in clothes whatsoever, shows up in the same old boring outfit. And as usual, more than one of you will notice and have something to say about it. Right or wrong, somebody will have a comment to make about how someone else is dressed.

Now we don't want to be a part of either one of these scenarios. And so, I present you some quick tips I got from asking around, and thought I would share them with you.

For one, try to stay focused on how you look in each outfit you wear. Do not become trapped by labels or runway attire. Just because something looks good on a model that happens to be a size four, does not mean that it will make your body, which happens to be a size fourteen, look just as good.

Learn to judge every outfit and article of clothing you own, or are considering purchasing, on its own merit. Every bodyshape is so different from the one standing next to it at any given time, the only way to find out if an outfit will look good on it, is for that body to try it on.

When trying clothes on, be sure to do so in a place where there are mirrors available that will show you the front, back, and side views. Or you could do what I always do – take someone with you, if possible, who will be very truthful, even blatant, about whether an outfit works for you or not.

Try different styles, as you may be surprised at what styles fit your body type. Unless you try something different, you will never know. If something obviously does not work though, no matter how good it looks on the hanger, be sure to pass!

With these tips in mind, remember one thing. Following the latest trends is not necessarily a good option, unless you know how to adapt what's new in fashion, to your own features, necessities, occasions and so on. It's a good thing though to follow what trend-setters say, but only if you're able to make the new trends fit you, instead of forcing yourself to fit them. One more thing, when you find what suits you, trust me you will look extremely stunning.