Icon Around Which The Youth Resolves !

Fashion is a non-verbal form of communication that conveys a lot about the young mind`s personality, background and style. Earlier it was exclusive preserve of the affluent celebrities & royalty. However, fashion is now within the reach of the common person especially youngsters. Besides dress fashion is an evolution of ideas, which begin as a fad, but in course of time gets accepted in society as a style which could be attire, behaviour or lifestyle. Fashion is not only confined to clothing or makeup of an youth but in a much broader sense includes accessories like shoes, perfume, hairstyle, etiquette etc towards life. It encompasses the total spectrum of human activity, which relates to a specific period. Thus long dresses, veiled headgears which were reminiscences of the Victorian era, have been replaced with micro and mini dresses and the jeans culture associated with Modern era.

The “me too” craze often make youngsters adopt it irrespective of whether it suits their personality. This is for being out of fashion makes a teen stand out as a sore thumb and hence liable to be shunned by friends and acquaintances. Hence to be in fashion is not only necessary but a compulsion for the youth, for giving the crucial the first impression. In a way it also adds variety to life, providing an element of excitement in trying out something new. It would be a drab and monotonous world, if everyone dressed and behaved alike. Change is therefore not only desirable, but also welcome! The trendsetters of fashion are the fashion models, hero and heroines of the tinsel world. They are the role models for the youth and the icons around whom the `fashion world` revolves.

The fashion has given shape to a new industry the “Fashion industry”, which is estimated to be worth over a 1000 crore rupees. Fashion technology courses at NIFT & NID attract young talents who are breathing life into a plethora of new industries, ranging from apparel to accessories.

However overindulgence in fashion is known to create a social divide of the haves and have-nots. This often leads to psychological problems for youngsters, who try to ape their affluent friends. Unable to afford the cost, some resort to theft and other unlawful activities, which changes the course of their life. There are instances of youngsters taking to crime, to be in fashion. The need is therefore to strike a right balance between being fashionable, and wearing what suits me. There is no point in senselessly copying peers and fashion icons for what looks good on them, may not suit us.

We must therefore to be in fashion, to add flavour to our life and not follow the `herd instinct`, which impels youngsters to emulate others.