The Passing Fancy

“Fashion changes, but style endures”

Style and fashion are often used interchangeably, but I believe style is an expression of individualism and charisma while fashion comes after style. Style is an artistic form of expression: It’s a way of life, a reflection of inner beauty, where the intellect shines through, complete with a comfort quotient. ‘Comfort Quotient’ is perhaps essential to begin with. It could mean different things to different people. A person’s idea of style could differ from another. For one, it could mean costly clothes and a luxury handbag or belt. For another it might be comfortable shorts and a loose t-shirt. This wouldn’t imply that the latter is unpretentious as compared to the former.

Yves Saint Laurent famously said “Fashion fades, style is eternal.”  Whereas fashion is an art that is difficult to keep up with because trends change seasonally, style is impacted by much longer-lasting factors. Personal style is something you’ve developed over a period of time. It is dictated by religion, culture and subculture, weather, body type, profession, upbringing, occasion etc.

Fashion trends on the other hand emerge due to the repetition of ideas; but style is how you put it together. Fashion helps identify with a group of others - whether it is a lifestyle, profession, a religion, or an attitude. Thus, the term ‘fashion’ has become synonymous with the overall growth of the country as well.

Fashion is also a way of identifying another. Your perception of someone based on their attire could be erroneous, but the confidence with which they carry themselves is what matters ultimately. I believe there is no right or wrong pertaining to style. But Fashion perhaps, yes. For instance, someone wearing printed pants would have been ridiculed a couple of years ago, but today; it’s a popular fashion trend.

I’m a firm believer in – wear what you love , not what others expect you to; There are numerous ways in which you could style your clothes, they may or may not necessarily be in line with the current  fashion fad. Style is a sense of self identity, mirror of your inner self. It could be eccentric, wild, unconventional, untamed – but original. It should encapsulate what you believe in, where you belong, how you feel. That’s the power style commands over other forms of expression. The unique and distinctive nature is what makes one passionate about pursuing it.

So get out there, walk with your head held high, carry yourself with pride because what emerges from you is a reflection of what’s truly inside you, and I assure you, it’s glorious.

Shruti Venkatram

PGP MR 2015-16

shruti.venkatram@northpointindia.com