FASHION, it is said, is about trends — kee ping pace with the times. Some say, it is about comfort. Many others feel it is about style and the need to look beautiful. There are still others who believe that it has a lot to do with attitude.

But finally, fashion is about choices.

What you wear speaks of the person you are. The dress you choose for an occasion, its colour, fabric, cut and fall, and above all, the way you carry yourself in it, are all extensions of your inner self. And yet, we tend to go wrong somewhere in these aspects.

Predictability: The most common ‘fashion mistake’ is being predictable. We often see people repeating the same colours in parties, little realising that nothing betrays an indifference towards life more. If you are not in love with yourself, you cannot be fashionable.

Take stock of yourself and check out what goes well with your figure. If you are on the slimmer side, perhaps you can afford to wear tights. Alternatively, if you are on the heavier side, you might like certain free-flowing garments.

Try out various options. There is never just ‘one cut’ that is ideal for you. Likewise, there is no ‘one colour’ that is appropriate for your complexion. For instance, you may be advised to keep off horizontal strips. But you do not have to heed that advice until you have experimented with them. Learn to surprise yourself.

Accessories: You could be sporting the best design in town, in the most expensive fabric and, well, could even be feeling good in it. But what happens if you end up wearing cheap accessories, which just do not complement the outfit?

Ill-fitting footwear is a total give-away. At times, we try to pass off rexin as leather, imagining that nobody would make out the difference. If your perfectly tailored business suit demands a perfect pair of leather shoes, so be it. Do not compromise.

The same applies to belts, ties, scarves, jewellery, bindi ... even handkerchiefs. The handbag is yet another neglected accessory and more often than not, is treated as an after-thought. Make sure, its colour and shape match the dress you wear.

Look: A long plait with jeans is a no-no. Bindi goes very well with sarees, salwar-kameezes and ghagra-cholis, but not with western wear. You cannot coordinate brown shoes with black trousers. Red lipstick does not match with black nail polish.

These are bits of information everybody knows and yet gets confused about. The problem lies in matching what is in vogue with what best suits our personality. A particular shade of lipstick may be the hottest thing happening in the world of fashion, but sadly, it might not just work with your complexion.

Similarly, we tend to go wrong on hair-styles. You cannot possibly stick to a style that was popular in the sixties, even if it suits your face. At the same time, adopting something new could amount to re-inventing yourself. So, strike a balance. Nobody can be a better judge for your look than you yourself.

Grace: The way you walk or carry yourself can lend more elegance to your frame than any outfit. You must remember that you are wearing the outfit and not the other way around. How comfortable you are in it would show in the way you carry yourself in it.

Your outfit is much like your second skin. If you feel self-conscious while wearing dhotis (as many women are), keep off them, no matter how fashionable they might be. Catching up with trends is one thing, and being comfortable is quite another.

Individuality: Peer pressure and the influence of role models (film stars, especially) often compel us into imagining ourselves to be a person we aren’t really. This hampers spontaneous growth and the ability to be our true selves at all times.

Remember taste can always be acquired, but style is inherent. You could probably be impressed by a certain dress design you see on screen, but how you adapt it to suit your personality speaks of your style. Otherwise, you could end up as a poor imitation or a clone of the film character.

Fashion after all, entails more than just clothes. It is a celebration of our individual selves — the beauty of our bodies, the way we apply the bindis and mehandi, how we might tuck a jasmine in the hair, the perfume we use and most important, what we would rather not wear.

—(MF)