Fashion Diaries

I’ve gone through many fashion phases in life.  It all started when we immigrated from the middle east to Canada.  I went from wearing the same thing everyday to having to wear something different everyday.  Before I came to Canada, I was only allowed to dress up on two days for school – my birthday and children’s day.  Every other day was the school uniform – a white shirt, a navy blue pinafore, white socks and black shoes.  Fashion wasn’t a big deal for me or young friends because we all wore the same thing everyday! It wasn’t even a topic of discussion.

And, let me tell you, the clothes we wore the nineties where we were was not the same as the clothes people wore in Canada.  We did not have a casual Canadian style.  I had two modes of dressing when I was younger– my uniform or fancy frocks or Indian suits (no pants because it was hot every day of the year).

Going to a school in Canada was letting loose a fashion identity crisis because now I had to figure out what to wear everyday, and it was a lot colder than where I am from.  From my childhood till now, I have come to realize a few things about myself that have become my rules:

1. Plan the outfit before sleeping – I cannot sleep without having my outfit laid out and prepped for the next day.  It’s just not allowed in my head.  It must be done for every day regardless of where I am going – work, out with friends, visit my mom, grocery shopping.  If I’m going out the next day and I know about it, the outfit must be planned before hand!
2. Always wear a tank top or a camisole – I cannot survive without wearing a camisole or tank top underneath my tops.  It is my second skin. I blame my mom for this who made me wear an Indian type shameeze when I  was growing up and since I grew out of those white shameezes, I’ve converted them into tank tops.  And yes, I wear them every day regardless of season.  I will always have two layers.  Without my tank top I feel cold and vulnerable.  It is my armor that must always be on.
3. White clothes = always the favorite clothes – By saying this,one would imagine I have a lot of white clothes, well –  I don’t.  But I cherish the white clothing I do own and whenever I wear my white pants, or skirt, or top, I feel like I’m the cleanest person in the world and nothing can go wrong that day.  I would also like to add, I usually spill something on my white clothing.
4. Small flowers = must purchase and own! – This rule of mine comes from my grandmother.  Whenever we went to visit her in India, we cloth for my grandma so she could make suits for herself.  I always made sure whatever cloth my mom picked for her I had an outfit made in the same fabric.   There is a sense of comfort in small flowers that I got when I wore them.  Plus I enjoyed wearing the same outfit as my grandmother.  Till now when I see small flowers on a skirt, dress, shirt, scarf or whatever I cannot pass it by without considering if I should buy it.  I have a lot of small flower design clothing.
5. Pencil skirts are acceptable for all occasions – I think no matter what shape I’ve been in my life, I have always worn pencil skirts.  I find them elegant, feminine and subtle.  Pencil skirts can be worn anywhere and you can convert it for office, home, mall, party wear depending on the shoes and top.  I have collected many over the years.  Best thing ever!
6. Pants are only for cold days – I hate wearing pants.   Being in Canada, I’ve adopted some pants but my closet is predominantly flooded with skirts and dresses than it is with pants.  My way of rebelling against pants in the winter is wearing tights and stockings underneath my skirts and dresses.  I will only wear pants when it is really cold and I have no other choice but to bundle up.  I only own 1 pair of jeans and about 3 or 4 pants.

These are just some of the rules I’ve adopted for myself.  I’m sure everyone out there in the interverse (internet universe) has their own fashion rules that they follow.