I have always had a love of fashion from a very early age. I remember looking at my mothers’ wedding outfit, which was a traditional Pakistani Lengha (dress) in beautiful pink and gold, with another in silver and white. The fabric and embroidery on these dresses and gowns was so intricate and delicate.
Luckily for me, my mother allowed me to wear the silver and white gown for my cousins’ wedding. Even luckier it was a perfect fit and I felt really special, like wearing a piece of history. My sisters and I would often argue who would be the one who would own this gown, to which my mother would reply “all of you take turns and share”.
But I wondered recently, How do we define fashion, do we follow trends, does it have to be cost effective and eco-friendly, does your style shape how you are perceived?
Fashion is defined by the style of clothing and the types of fabric worn by people. Whether from high end fashion designer wear to street styles available on the high street.
Fashion isn’t always fashionable
But, it’s also so much more than simply what you wear, it’s an identity. Be it comfy wear like joggers and trainers, smart wear for work or glamourous clothing for special occasions. For some comfort is key but for others they don’t feel comfortable without being on trend. So, I guess fashion can be deeply personal to every individual.
As a British-Pakistani I consider myself extremely lucky. I feel comfortable wearing both traditional Asian or western wear. I tend to keep Asian clothes for special occasions, such as weddings or Eid, but my everyday style is smart/casual. Although, like many of us, style went out the window during lockdown.
I remember, when we had nowhere to go and nobody to see. I practically in joggers, hoodies and trainers. But since now that things are back to normal it is back to my usual smart/casual.
I have always had an interest in looking at the different styles, colours, and fabrics for different ethnic groups. How and what their traditional attire means to them.
It’s through this passion that I started my first part time retail job while at university, working on weekends at The Burberry store in Bicester Village. Here I quickly learned about high-end fashion.
There were customers from all over the world, from the Middle East and Asia to the United States and Canada. I worked as a personal stylist and would put outfits together for the customers to entice them to make a purchase and more often than not I would be fairly successful. This in turn would enthral me knowing the customer looked good, felt confident and comfortable in my choices for them.
But it wasn’t just a job for me. This would be much more than just finding a good fit. I would try and complement their own style, explore their personality through the colours they enjoy and materials they prefer. This love of fashion continued throughout my life when I would often style outfits for friends and family members. I’d give them feedback on the types of outfits that would suit them with suggestions and different options.
Future proofing fashion
Although more recently one of the most important aspects I take into consideration is ‘could the outfit be reused’? Could I change it around by adding more or less accessories? Is it eco-friendly and how does this compliment the individual?
This need for sustainable choices during the pandemic and cost of living crisis is more important now than ever before. To take note of what we wear, whether it’s reusable and eco-friendly as well as affordable and durable is so important to me.
Thanks to the number of choices these days, you don’t have to break the bank to treat yourself. From second-hand clothing in charity shops to vinted (online second-hand clothing app). There are so many choices and bargains on the high street I tend to shop around bank holidays and major sale days like the end of August and Boxing Day sales.
As a mother of two growing kids, one important element I’ve learned to appreciate is to always buy a size or two bigger in children’s wear.
And always shop during the sales. And to not be worried about keeping clothes and storage to use once they’ve grown into them, just hoping that fashions or styles haven’t changed in the meantime.
One of the many good things about working for CSSC is the huge range of benefits and offers we get. I always use CSSC savings to get some great value purchases at all my favourite online and high street shops. Sometimes I can save enough to buy an entire outfit from the cashback and discounts. I definitely recommend having a look at cssc.co.uk/cssc-savings to see how much you could save.
Get in touch
I’d love to know what your thoughts are on fashion. Share any ideas on particular outfits that make you feel comfortable or special. Do you like to dress up for special occasions or do you make an effort every week?
You can email me at Bushara.Ali@cssc.co.uk to get in touch. And look out for next week’s blog.
Thanks for reading.
Bushara.
