I tell her I am wearing my mother’s coat. She
is wearing her mother’s dress, so she says
“ Our mothers had style.”
And that is the difference. And the challenge when we are trying to represent who we are in the clothes we wear, and trying to look like we didn't put too much thought in what we put on today,but failing since the standards of what is appropriate is not always what goes with our body type or personality. So I wear a skirt suit and look smart but feel like a new wife.
People wear clothes every day. In 2016,
sadly an influx of readymade clothes have brought back the Kenya uniform. The
Kenya uniform is a type of dress, coat, sweater or shoes that you find in every
clothes shop from Moyale to Tala to the Mall Westlands. And when you walk to talk you bump into four
other people wearing the same style and color. You don’t really have to think
very much about what you are going to wear for that family event, or social
gathering. Just send someone to buy you a blue, maroon or pink dress from Osman
Allu, free size. The trend has slipped into lesos and now you only buy a leso
to make into a dress at your own peril.
the common leso |
But If you don’t mind that kind of
lifestyle, good for you, Just ignore me.
I am a happy woman to know people that
don’t rush out to buy a new dress every time there is an new affair. And when they
do, they buy sensible clothes. The five I will mention have one thing in
common. They are kindred souls- and you only find out when you have spent a bit
of time with them.
My friend Rowena
I have been composing this piece for a
while and didn’t have the fifth character. I met Rowena this year and she is a
darling. She has a face that makes you confide. She will sympathise and make
you feel loved and beloved. If she had a
castle she would adopt all of us.
She has style in that she can pull off
stockings in any weather. She doesn’t need 55 shirts to look well put together.
She has mastered the art of a capsule wardrobe by wearing subtle colors. Her
base color is dusty pink so her dusty pink coats will either have a frill, big
buttons, and even lace!
Isn't she lovely? |
Roger
I must have attended a whole month of Broadcast and Journalism before I knew who
the shy boy that was bff with the Filipino boy was. Then he brought out his
gear and his humour and we all took notice. His style was smart pants and
shirt, suspenders and a hat that looked so easily put together even before we
knew who Bruno Mars is. He even looked good dressed up as a hysterical queen in
the creative class drama.
And when we missed our test and I panicked and
gave up and wanted to call every one names he is the one that said:
What now, we have the lines
We have the costumes
We have the cast
We have an audience. Let’s give them something
to remember.. and we did.
Roger is the only man in a suit |
His kindredsim came when he told us he had a
child and a girl he loved back home and someone asked had he never heard of
contraceptives, but everybody glared at the inquirer and life went on, with
Roger as the hero.
Markreen with an R
that skirt |
Clothes make a woman but there is got
to be a woman first to be made. Markreen, when you get to know her is very
witty. She will have you crackling in no time. A quiet spirit but confident
enough to chongoa anybody and get away with it.
Hosea, my
Cousin
Hosea is not his real name, but we have
always called him that. He has always been in the background somehow. We have
shared about 500 words between us this whole time, yet we grew up together. He
was introverted, I was in my own world until he finished his primary school,
went out and got himself a gray suit and ash shoes and we confirmed- the boy
got style.
Hosea’s style is old school; he can
pull off an afro and a football jacket
any day.A kindred spirit that knows how to earn a living when he is on holiday. He has got many
layers, but if you are patient, you discover corals underneath.
June Gan
June is my dear friend whose dressing
is best defined as classic. She can do midi skirts anytime of the year and
still look vogue. You can tell she puts a lot of thought into her choice of
clothes. You can tell quality by the way
it looks, and this is what June
represents.
A kindred spirit who does not shout and
preferring letters to e-mails, you might miss her in a crowd but she is the
face you will remember. World, deep people are not extinct.
A yellow sweater is a perfect fit here. |
As good as color may be, pastels carry
the day. Bright colors are good on some people, especially those that don’t
mind looking like a ball room chandelier but there is small population that
does fine by less. Less color. Less clothes. Less fluff
(Anthony said it was ok to call him
Filipino)