Elite class – Trend setters!!

Do you remember old Indian movies where the hero is a rickshaw-puller and wears three-fourth pants? We then used to call ‘rickshaw-puller pants’ and now its named capris! It’s not only capris, but other trends which were considered the ‘old-style’ is now the ‘latest fashion’ or ‘in-vogue now’!

These styles in terms of fashion, culture, food and the like which were in trend those days are back again with slightly a revived version now. And you see a series of discussion about their new-discovered trends from college students to middle aged men!

We can hear voices of our mom or grand mom saying this to you, “We also have worn this before, and the old trend is coming back again”. It’s hundred percent true! Except for a few bits and pieces, the trends that we see now in terms of fashion are the same which we used to see in those old movies, except for a slight modulation in it.

The reason to see the old culture coming back in new form is because of the elite people. In simple terms, the upper class people bring these newly modulated trends and call it as ‘new – trend’.

They wear and get such stuff in branded shops. After seeing the amount of people using it, the things that were got in branded shops are now seen in local platform shops. These local shops give way to the middle and lower class people to also enjoy the new trend.

From stone bangles to the then raja chappals, everything seems to come back again. For an old person, it will almost be like seeing everything all again.

Back again:

The sleeve-less blouse, the tight fit pants, the designer sarees (Remember Jayalalitha’s songs with MGR?), stone bangles, gold-silver-copper chappals, the puff hand style (now called as the mega sleeve!), golden anklets, beaded jewellery, armlets, anklets, black metal jewellery, antique jewellery, capris, hair-loose concept and if you dig more, it keeps on coming.

Apart from accessories and clothes, even tattooing is a fashion now. The elite have started the trend of tattooing or now–called body piercing. Tattooing is a popular term with our grand-moms! They then call it as ‘pachai-kuthurathu’ (meaning green tattoo piercing in Tamil).

Body piercing now, is becoming popular with both men and women. We aren’t talking about just gang members who have tattoos and body piercing. In this generation it is very common for young adults as well as those in their careers to have body piercing. And also, belly rings and naval rings have become increasingly popular with the younger generation.

Apart from fashion and accessories even in terms of food there is a change. Like for example, Italian food. They have become a fashion now. The elite found it here and many among us have tasted Italian food. (Adding them as our favorites in cuisines is also a fashion!)

In terms of architecture, technology also you can see the public following it. Electronic items like computers, mobile phones, mp3 players, lap top and more are used by several in the city. If you take mobile phones, it was used by people who are in a higher position. But now you can see even a rickshaw-puller using it!

IT buildings of the same type as in the United States are also an example in terms of architecture. A series of building in the same blue-glass-tall building format can be seen if you hang about in the Old Mahaballipuram Road.

Advantages and disadvantages:

As the elite class identifies areas of fashion, many people go about doing the same thing and it thus become the current-fashion. They are not to be blamed. The people who follow that are neither to be blamed.

Following the old trends or following some thing which the elite wears or uses, gives a person some kind of pride and self-confidence. As long as the person who wears it is comfortable, it doesn’t harm either of them.

“Wearing such things that my classmates wear, helps me to be in the same colour as they, I don’t call this copying or following it blindly. I like it and so I buy such stuff” says Nahla, college student.

For many people it boosts their self-confidence. They follow the foot steps of the elite and want to be in-vogue. Of late many want to dress up really well and different. In making this happen, people try out different things and so call it ‘fashion’ and thus ends in becoming the new-style.

If you look this in a negative side, a person loses his or her originality by following the elites! He loses his personal way of dressing or carrying himself. He, by following such trends becomes a duplicate rather than original. Other disadvantages are that, certain trends break the traditional values like wearing navel rings and the like. But whether you want to break is the question.

But at some point, repeation of the old trends asks us the question of creativity among the designers. Are there no more designs that we can create? Or there are no more designers to create? The question is yet to be answered!

- Sharanya CR

Post Script:

The topic 'elite class being the trend setters' is written for a journal! I loved writing on this. Though I was skeptical what to write in the beginning I kicked off well and continued writing! Accessories is my one of my 'lowes'! And to write negatives & positives on it was a difficult task. I talked with a few people about the topic, and thanks to them I've done justice to the article.