Fashion - The Reflection

 WHAT IS FASHION?

-By Bhavika Jain

This article isn’t about redefining fashion, rather it is about how misconceptualized we are that fashion in yesteryears was not connected, was not part of humankind, and had never influenced as a change-maker in the society. It has been always here and was always here. A simple definition that fashion is an extension of the individual personality and the era, proves its unconscious existence in society for ages. The expression of culture, the expression of tradition while keeping in mind the comfort and flexibility with changing times is not an easy balance to achieve indeed and hence the balance that fashion aims to bring is termed as – creativity. Fashion is an evocative & refreshing concept worthy enough to be portrayed for society’s appreciation that makes us even more innate.

Fashion isn’t only confined to clothes rather it’s about our entire lifestyle. Our body language, our social circle, our home, our food habits, our daily regime, the way we invest time in our fitness and personal growth, our aspirations in life apart from money, big house and cars as well equally indicates how much in trend and fashionable we are. The way we live our daily life is the way of our expressing values and morals without even uttering a word and since fashion is an expression of self, hence our lifestyle determines and defines how "fashionable" we are. 

Fashion is something that we deal with every day in our life. The conceptual change in fashion has made it available to all levels of society. Be it our clothes, home décor, the traditional recipes that we reinvent and serve, the books that we pick to read, or the lyrics that we play, they all allow or give us the freedom to think independently, and hence is vividly linked with our creative instinct.

Fashion is personal, fun, political, and reflective, all at the same time or the other. Fashion has often fallen victim to the mindset that it is a superficial luxury. The fun fact is that simplicity is not considered fashion, but if you walk and seek the opinion of even a fashion rookie, astoundingly the response will be – fashion is creativity, and creativity is meant to make life simple. Simplicity is the most fashionable statement and has never been out of fashion. Fashion gives us so much more than fun and frivolity, indeed. Fashion is more than an amped-up dress-up for us. It’s a reflection of who we are and what we believe in.

Fashion reflects contemporary or modern mold of trends and to keep our traditional and cultural ideologies breathing and growing we need to give them a new outlook every time and contemporize them, rather than make them fashionable.

Thus, ending with a quote that I truly stand -

  " I don't do fashion. I am fashion."                                    —Coco Chanel