Chiconomics also brings with it the added high of being unique and creative, while adding your own personal touch along the way. As every aspiring fashionista worth her Jimmy Choo knows, big fashionable and stores are ubiquitous but quirky and one of a kind product are harder to snare. Do not despair if you dig Rihanna’s look, but don’t have the money to spare. We are going to teach you how to be a glamazon on a budget. Here are the four pillars of chiconomics.
DIY
Do it yourself (sometimes take a little help) or DIY is the bedrock of chiconomics. Most things can be made at home or with the help of a tailor, if you let the creativity flow and have a knack for sourcing the raw materials required. Love that summer dress on that magazine cover? All you got to do is take a picture, WhatsApp it to your tailor, take his or her suggestions and go down to your fabric store. Most cities have several stores which stock a mindboggling array of fabric at reasonable prices. Most tailors can make a wide range of clothes at reasonable prices and this personal tailoring is a service that costs the sun, the moon and the stars in other countries. Every time you travel, pick up little things like colourful tassels, buttons, beads, lace and fabrics and anything else that catches your fancy to embellish your DIY items. Buy assorted beads and get them strung according to your design and any small time jeweler will be able to do the needful. Bangles, hairbands, apparel, clutch bags and a million other things can be made at home. Old clothes can also be jazzed up by highlighting them with patchwork, fancy buttons or a bit of lace. For more ideas look up to do it yourself websites on the net. The material girls is a good Indian do it yourself Facebook page.
Accessorize
Accessories can make or mar a look. Expensive baubles do not always make an impact. It’s more about how the all the accessories work in tandem to create the desired effect. You do not need precious gems set in expensive metals to rock your cute little gypsy look. Just a set of colourful earrings, made of agates or flirty feathers will certainly do the trick.If accessorized right, simple clothes can make a great statement. Mastering this art will make you and not the lady wearing her diamonds, each as heavy as a boulder, the cynosure of all eyes. If the covetous devil inside you lusts for those gorgeous emerald earrings that Angelina Jolie wore on the red carpet, but your bank balance cannot support such an extravagant buy, then check out online stores like Zariin, Aquamarine, Valliyan, and Karigari. Several top Bollywood stars also wear jewellery from these stores. Try adding diamante clip-on’s to make an ordinary pair of shoes come alive, wear a headband for that extra dose of drama, wrap a colourful scarf, bring out those pearls (does not matter if they’re faux or real) or just wear interesting bangles if the look allows it.But always remember that your smile and your attitude are going to be your best accessories.
Do not follow trends
It has been rightly said that the only serious mistake one can make in fashion, is following trends. People famous for their sense of style since time immemorial have charted their own course on the high seas of fashion without bowing to the strong winds of trends. From our very own Shobha De, Maharani Gayatri Devi to Audrey Hepburn prove that being different is in itself a fashion statement. Is the whole world and its cousin wearing denim pants? Try out trousers in bright shades or with interesting prints. Mix and match, dump traditional for bohemian, pick tribal silver jewellery over the more common gold, wear summer dresses instead of salwar, experiment with hats, give thumbs down to the cheap to make, environmentally polluting and terribly expensive branded goods like sunglasses and shoes. Embrace eco-friendly wooden framed sunglasses and locally made interesting trinkets. Make a statement with your clothes literally and let them be an extension of what you stand for. This road is really yours to walk the talk. Animal lover, handloom conservator, minimalist, artist, radical in thought, earthy,h history buff, rights activist, free spirit or whatever your belief is, it can flow into the sartorial realm. No one size or one style fits all, for sure.
Go local
Globally from food to furniture and everything in between, the onus is on patronizing locally produced things. Join this movement and reap the benefits of experiencing artistic handlooms and handicrafts while being light on the pocket. This especially makes sense in a country like India which is home to several beautiful and one of a kind textiles, jewellery, footwear, and embroidery. Ikat from Andhra, Chikankari of Lucknow, Bandhej from Rajasthan, Kutchi bags, tribal jewellery, embroidery, Bengal muslin and tassar, Tamil Nadu silk and cotton, fabric from the north east like ahimsa silk, prints from all over the country, the possibilities are just endless. Scout local bazaars and exhibitions, develop an eye for interesting stuff and leave your own unique mark on everything you don. Morjaris embroidered or otherwise are no less fashionable than ballerinas. Be proud of your culture and flaunt it every opportunity you get. A western design made in Indian fabric can be very catchy and distinct. Most famous designers also source their fabrics from local stores so it’s not really like you are making a compromise. Your unique creations might actually become conversation starters and you will discover that they are so much better than the mass produced things that are sold in expensive stores. Always add your own special twist, be creative, curious, experiment, innovate, make mistakes, learn, be open to criticism, improve, be ecologically and socially conscious and then what you end up being is a “fashion diva” in every sense of the word.