Trends

Back to Campus: Part 1

Sheemtana Shameem

Oh no, is the break over?Yes, which means no more lazy days at home where you can just watch TV in your PJs from last night and have your hair tied in slick braids with your mum's favourite blend of hair oil and magic herbs that you make a fuss about during busy term time. I am talking about you too guys. You can't wake up at lunch time anymore and spend, whatever is left of the day, in your 'two day' tee and that huge bottle of cola, watching cricket or playing FIFA 11 on your gaming console. It's time to get back into study mode, as most of the course advising sessions begin in a week or two.

Now comes the most crucial part, what to wear to class this year? If your new year's resolution has not been to revamp your wardrobe or lose those extra inches or build those tough muscles, then this is definitely the time to give it a thought. In fact perhaps, it is time to give everything a thought. There is always a curiosity amongst everyone to see you after the holidays, hence how you look is very important. Again, I will only be giving you suggestive examples as to how you can create your own new look. You should look to have your own interpretations, staying true to your inner style.

Let's get on with it then; what to do and what not to do. If you were planning on getting a haircut or trying a new shade of hair colour, you should do it a few days before you see everyone. This gives you the time to get used to your new hairstyle and to figure out what goes best with it. There are certain necklines that won't go with short haircuts, or certain colours that will definitely clash with some hair colours. I once met a girl who had coloured her hair a bright pallet of burgundy and she actually was wearing an electric orange printed kameez! Oh yes!

I couldn’t help but stare, and it was striking enough for me to still remember it. So be cautious with what you do with the hair. And no, I don't think guys have it easy or can get away with whatever haircut they want to sport with their plethora of black t-shirts. It is important to to give it a second thought before you want to grow your hair into a ponytail or spike it up into a mohawk; trust me guys, it really does not suit everyone. Go for a haircut that suits your whole outlook, e.g. a neat and short one if you generally wear shirts, or if your closet is full of death metal t-shirts (sheesh!) then a kind of jagged, mid length hair should do. Also, on those lines, don't forget you are a student and think of how the teachers would perceive you with your funky hair. Visuals are pivotal when someone is evaluating you, and hair is one of the key elements that make your impression.

Enough hair talk, let's get down to the garbs now. It has gotten pretty cold in the past week or so. Hence that should be the first thing on your mind before you start styling yourself. You should be warm and comfortable, and look fashionable at the same time. A lot of people, especially girls I would say, tend to ignore this concept and brave it out in the cold in their light kurtis with a barely there shawl on the side. It is unimpressive if you don't dress weather appropriate, and especially to classes. I know jumpers or sweaters do not go with the whole shalwar-kameez look, however cardigans & shawls do. Yes, pashminas are our favourites, but do yourself a favour, don't take the sequinned and embellished ones to class. There are enough weddings for you to wear them to. If you are a shawl exclusive person, then get a few heavy ones for those chilly days. If you don't want to buy them, go raid your mum's closet, she will definitely have that special one she bought on her trip to Shimla in the 90's. Also, you can give the cardigan-over-kameez a try, they are all the rage everywhere else in the world, and they are definitely easier to manage than shawls. Get them in solid colours, since most of our kameezes tend to be in patterns or prints. The cardigans go best with leggings and ballerina shoes, which is my personal favourite look. These winter months are perfect for you to sport those warm leggings you bought on your winter break which you won't get a chance to wear once the heat wave is back.

Getting back to kameezes, most fashion columns will tell you about the colours and prints that are 'in' for winter, which more or less tend to be on the darker side of the spectrum. I personally stick to this, and opt for muted colours like taupe, pewter, plum etc. when buying material for winter. You would want to break out of your 'colour block' if you want to look fresh and new this year. Often people get stuck into this either because it is their favourite colour (happened to yours truly, ahem!), or because they are unsure whether other colours would suit them. This even leads to other people judging the person as, "You know, the girl who always wears red?" or "Miss yellow would never wear this". Hence do not be afraid to experiment with different colours. You may also want to tell your tailor to work on making those necklines high and sleeves full for the winter. It saves you the effort of constantly having to keep your warmers wrapped around to cover your arms while you are taking down notes, when the teacher is changing the slides too fast. So yes, keep it warm and stylish!

Photo: Internet