Fashion, as in women's fashion, has evolved and grown in the last decade. From earlier when women's fashion was defined by the ubiquitous salwar kameez, sarees, denims & tees, skirts and tops, today we see a much wider range of trendy clothes available to satiate your sartorial choices. From asymmetricals to dresses to gowns to skinny jeans to flared pants - you name it and it's available. We are spoiled for choice - or may I say spoiled for fashion. We all like to groove towards the latest trends in clothes 👗👚👖- whether they look good on us or not is a different matter but they are in vogue and we must gravitate towards what's in vogue.
Come to think of it - Fashion and Style - are two different words with very different meanings. To explain in a very simple manner - Fashion is the latest trend in clothes or accessories that we like or aspire to wear, whereas, Style is your way to express yourself through clothes. There is a notable difference here - Fashion is a trend for a certain period of time, whereas, Style is more personal - a fashion sense that defines you as a person. Style speaks of your inner self and personality - it is a reflection of your personality. Fashion is a reflection of your aspirations - a latest trend that you would like to follow.
You can look gorgeous in a simple tee with a pair of denims and sneakers - that is your style or you can wear that latest body hugging crop top with a skinny jeans and high heeled shoes because it is in fashion. The choice is yours.
Fashion is dictated by designers, magazine editors, photographers and influencers. It changes each season based on arbitrary guidelines that may or may not reflect life.
Style is slower, but not unaffected by fashion. Its fashion at a few years remove, a macro view that embraces the things that last – often silhouettes, or movements like a shift from suits to more casual clothes – rather than the season’s hottest colour or cut. It’s how you put the clothes together – what influences you as a person, be it your environment, your politics or your socio-economic scale.
You can have a style that exists almost separately to fashion while still being fashionable. A person with style might not make the best-dressed lists (though there is likely a crossover) but they will look good – even if it takes a while to find your groove.
Think of style and fashion as food. You can use food to survive, probably make a passable meal – this is the basic idea of clothing. Or you can love food, use it to create elaborate meals that not only nourish but also inspire, be something of a foodie – this is fashion. And above all of that, you can marry the two elements to create nourishing food that inspires but is not an elaborate statement every time you go to the kitchen – this is style.
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