Fashion, accessories, beauty parlours et al

I recently read a comment in Aval Vikatan from a student of NIFT, Chennai. She said that "Fashion is wearing what suits you best". How true! I have always been quite simple at dressing (ahem.. ahem...) - never the fashion freak - but also made sure I did not wear something which I felt I would not look good in. Somehow I hate the boot cut jeans. I tend to choose almost anything in black. I prefer T-shirts without collars to the ones with collars. I detest all garish colours (we used to call this "Govinda" colours) like red, mittai pink, orange and for the complexion that I have, these colours would only make me look very "fair". I don't use coolers or powder for face. No perfumes. No hair gels.

Nevertheless, I had always envied the choice which women get to wear - both in terms of colours, designs and types. We men are left with just pant, shirt and at the most - veshti, kurta-pyjamas. And adding to the huge list of garment types for women, are the accessories - right from the "pottu", ear rings, rings, necklaces to the many many fancy things which keep cropping up in T.Nagar every other day.

At times when men fancy such accessories, they are often ridiculed as being effeminate :( But I guess going by the current trend, the men folk are also catching up with the women.

I was surprised when I read in "The Week" a few years ago that men also resort to eyebrow threading, waxing and stuff. To me that just seemed "yuck". As I expressed my astoundment to my friends, it looked like I was the only one who was part of the "ignorant lot". I even had a classmate (guy) who would go for hair straightening once a while. And friends who often do bleaching and facials.

I am really apprehensive of trying anything un-natural. I am okay with home made treatments which do not cause harm and also produce good results though not instantly but to all those chemical applications - its a strict "NO NO". [As it is, I have a very "attractive" face, won't it be sensible if I don't make it worse lest make it better??!!]

Once, when I was in my regular salon, my inquisitiveness made me ask the barber about face bleaching techniques. Thinking I would be his prospective customer, he explained at length the process and even asked to book a time! but ofcourse, I had no such intentions. That day, jokingly, I told this to my friends and said I would probably try it over the weekend and the comment which my friend gave as a reaction discouraged me for such things for life!! He said or rather sang : "தங்கம் வச்சு தேச்சா கூட எருமை நிறம் வெளுக்காது" (in the "தில்லிக்கு ராஜானாலும்..." tune).
[Bad translation : "Even if you were to scrub a buffalo with gold, its colour wouldnt change"]