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My fashion choices are driven by not just my mother's and a close friend's style, but also by these women characters I love.
Since the time I entered college, I remember having taken an interest in clothes and fabrics, for college is when you have the freedom and the opportunity to show the world who you are, with your personalized style of dressing, having been upgraded with the right to wear colorful clothes from the boring uniforms.
And ever since, there has been no looking back. I’ve constantly been experimenting and improving upon my sense of dressing and personality, taking inspirations from people I work with, my family and friends, and even some on-screen characters. I’ve never believed in skin shows (personal opinion), and it’s refreshing and heartening to see women on-screen master the fashion game naturally without a bit of skin show. Bravo!
Of late, some characters in OTT series and movies have given me some serious fashion goals-there are women who nail fashion with their attire and demeanor. For those interested in looking sharp and who have a flair for clothing and accessories, you might want to check some of these women out. Or if you already have, you might want to have a relook at these women, with an eye for style, for some serious fashion inspirations and goals.
The first name off the top of my mind when it comes to fashion, is Sobhita Dhulipala (Tara) of Made in Heaven fame. From top to bottom, she never goes wrong with her outfits or her shoes. In fact, one reason why the producer-and-director of Made in Heaven, Zoya Akhtar, decided to cast her as the lead was because according to her she was a “clothes horse”.
For a wedding planner and someone who has to meet and work with high profile clients every other day, she does it with elan. Keeping her fashion basic but elegant, she gives off the vibe that even if not for her profession as an actor in real life, she is intelligent and meticulous. I love her semi formal tops, trousers, and the vogueish blazers she layers her clothes with, making her look effortlessly classy. And her minimalistic makeup and jewellery (for the most part of her show) reinforces the idea that fashion is best when one keeps it minimal. A personal favourite – I love how she matches a blazer suit with a desi choker necklace. And I’ve been wanting to copy this style ever since, just waiting for the right occasion (probably work parties, unofficial meetings, or bespoke events).
The second character that comes to my mind as I’m writing this article is Trisha (Jessi) from Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya. I am sure she redefined fashion, at least in south India, with her simple and neatly worn chiffon sarees and her kurti-leggings.
I remember I used to work with Infosys then, have tried to copy her style by ‘mix-and-match’ing my plain kurti, leggings with different printed-stoles and duppattas. And the western winter clothes she wears in the movie made me really want to book my ticket to a cold place just to try on such outfits!
Again, the key here is minimalism. Or perhaps it’s my own selective perception, that I like women who keep it basic, stylish, and comfortable, for their idea of fashion appeals to me. A personal favourite and my takeaway – it was only after the movie that I started wearing chiffon printed sarees from my mom’s wardrobe (thanks to Trisha, I’m confident in how I carry myself in a nylon saree which used to be a messy affair for me).
For the third, I was contemplating between Jyothika’s Maya (Kaaka Kaaka) or Kajal Agarwal’s Dr. Malarvizhi (Hey Sinamika), but I choose Dr. Malarvizhi over Maya for the reason that Maya is a characterization by Gautam Vasudev Menon, who also created Jessi I just wrote about.
Although the movie ‘Hey Sinamika’ was not as entertaining for me as Made in Heaven or Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, I have watched some scenes and songs time and again just to observe her fashion! I sometimes pair sarees with my tops (something I picked up from a colleague), and here was Dr. Malarvizhi owning the style and how! Loved the way she pairs her sleeveless crop tops with cotton sarees, and the light and dark hues she chooses for her top and saree, fashion at its best and at its most minimal (realized she doesn’t wear even a piece of jewellery and manages to look like a dream!).
Although there are many other on-screen women I’ve been inspired by, (Deepika Padukone in ‘Piku’, for instance, for her clothes ooze comfort) I also like to mention my mom, who is well known for her choice of sarees and accompanying accessories, as my fashion mentor. Her idea of fashion – simplicity and elegance, is something she has passed on to me.
I also like to thank my friend from college, Vidhya, who taught me an important lesson in fashion, or I would say, a life lesson – good dressing is only when you look flawless and neat from top to bottom – when she made me realize I was dressed fabulously but for my shoes (basically the idea of paying attention to details)! And for the concluding words, I like to mention my friend from work, Preethi Beulah, for her words – “you can wear the stupidest of clothes and can still carry yourself well with the right attitude!”
Images credit the author and YouTube
Sukanya Raghunathan is a leadership trainer and a faculty of management. A mother of an eleven-year old girl, she also teaches Carnatic music and her hobbies include singing, dancing, playing keyboard, reading fiction/non- read more...
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