Fashion Gulf by Aisté Anusaité-Daubaras

They say that fashion goes in circles. Wiser ones say that fashion trends turn around in a spiral.

If that is true, I wonder were do we find ourselves at the moment? All the current trends seem to be a bit of mish mash of everything offering the fashion-follower no clear directive. In the bygone days (*sigh*) the rules of dressing were firmly defined, not only in terms of the dress code, but the style tendencies as well. If you were not sporting Flappers tassels in 20’s, swirling in a full New Look skirt in 50’s, not bracing a bum-bearing mini of 60’s or refused to trot in ankle-breaking platforms of 70’s, you were labelled an unfashionable frump. There were no grey areas, either you were in or out.

Nowadays, one could pile on all these in one outfit and no one would bat an eyelid, as confusingly fashion editors present us with still new fashion challenges each month, such as head-to-toe florals (pattern best left to sofas and curtains), fluorescent yellow (ouch) or wide stripes (who in their right mind wants to look like they wondered out of 40’s prison). And the matters are further aggravated by the rapidly dwindling respect for the dress-code or even a simple grooming.

I can’t help but wander, which crooked end of that fashion spiral we find ourselves at the moment. Or is it just a lack of basic skills of grooming and decline of respect for one’s appearance (*deep sigh*).

Just for instance, last weekend we dined with friends at the one of most popular hotel eateries in Bahrain. Once making a booking they always stress that their dress-code is ‘smart casual’, however as in modern world lines between descriptions of various dress codes are so blurry, no one has a foggiest idea of what that means exactly. I, personally, am not a great fan of this ‘smart-casual’ thingamajig. First of all, no one ever gets it right and turns either too dressed up or too dressed dawn, thus everyone ends up feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable. (Since we are at that, it must be mentioned, that the emphasis should be on ‘smart’, not ‘casual’).

Where was I? Oh, yes, that happening watering hole and its clientele. Looking around myself what did I see? Pretty much everything. Some were dressed as they just popped in after doing grocery shopping. Some glammed up to nines as if on the way to the night club (fair enough). Some ladies sported a ‘working look’ (and I am not talking about an office attire). Some looked like they were interrupted in the midst of their dressing process, lost the thread of thought and just left like that. In this muck-up of outfits, national dress looked rather neat and smart in comparison.

I can’t help but wander, which crooked end of that fashion spiral we find ourselves at the moment. Or is it just a lack of basic skills of grooming and decline of respect for one’s appearance (*deep sigh*).


 

Aiste-30-BC-July-2017

Aisté is a Socialite, Writer, Language Tutor and Advisor for International School of Etiquette, living in Bahrain and London. To share your feedback, email: aiste.anusaite@ gmail.com 

 

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