Female Fashion Forecast

If we closely observe the Denim trends over the last forty years (out of which I have been observing it for last thrity years) and try to depict  the trend pictorially, it probably would look something like this –

*Click on the image for a larger view.

The final forecast is an outcome of my imagination and original design, following the consistently downward trend of waistline.

However, the Bikini Jeans or Thong Jeans and Jeggings were learnt from the internet.

The future of Fashion predictably, lies in minimal but functional apparels and which would reveal the inner beauty and signify the impact of global warming on mankind ( or womankind to be precise). What do you think of my prediction ?

PS: I actually goofed up while drawing the image, however managed to cover it up. The various steps to create the image is saved in The Rough Page.

Question to the fashion intelligentsia: What next ?

Spouse Grouse

I was reading this hilarious anecdote at doctoratlarge’s blog and I remembered something related, which I thought would be worth sharing .

On the context of description of features or parametres ( shape, size, contours) of a lady , a man can royally mess up, especially when confronted by wife. I know one man who unfailingly gets into an awkward situation, in all such cases.

A sample conversation this man was having with his wife,  the other day –

Man: You know that lady from 4^th floor? She was in the lift today….

Wife: Who the bulky one or the one with pathetic dress sense ?

Man: Well, I think the one with pathetic dress sense is also quite bulky. But, I think I am talking about the one who is bu…….err…I mean…..a little top-heavy.

Wife: Top heavy ? How do you know her weight, that also partially for top?

Man: No No…..I meant visually, like a composition (they were classmates in Art School)..…err…like Ajanta -Illora type silhouette, you know.

Wife: Ajanta -Illora- the Lady with the mirror or Yakshi Ambika ? (you see having an Artistic wife has its own challenge)

Man: okie, lets just say like Ayesha Takia !

Wife: What’s special about Ayesha Takia ?

Man: She has certainly grown big, since her Complan advert days.

Wife: So? So did Shahid Kapoor, the complan boy !

Man: yeah, but not that big and definitely not that way.

Wife: Aachha? So what would you describe the 8^th floor one, that skinny verbose extrovert ?

Man: Well, she is more like athletic built with an undertone of Sharone Stone, but added with noticeable occidental curves.

Wife: Oh, so you seem to notice all women in the building, with an expert and observant eye for meticulous details !

Man: Arre….i was just trying to describe the lady to you.

Wife: You all men are same. All you know is to ogle at women at the lightest chance.

Man: huh? Who are the other men ?

And the topic gets diverted into some other discussion.

Another day, another conversation-

Man: You know I was talking about this girl, my ex-colleague’s friend’s sister, who stays on 7^th floor?

Wife: You did?

Man: I remember telling you. I gave her a lift upto Dadar, today morning.

Wife: which girl is she?

Man: Youngish, peroxide blonde, wears skirt and all.

Wife: That’s why you gave her lift?

Man: eh? No no, I gave her lift because she was looking for an Auto outside our compound gate. I mentioned the skirt part thinking it will be easier for you to identify her.

Wife: So you offered her a lift?

Man: Yes

Wife: Is this the same girl who is very short?

Man: she did not appear shorter than any average Indian female

Wife: Does her facial expression is mostly like this? (makes an indescribable face)

Man: whoa….I have not noticed her face that well.

Wife: You have given her lift and not notice her face at all? What were you looking at all the time then?

Man: I was looking at her bags while in the lift and then on the road while on the car.

Wife: Bags? Is this supposed to be one of your sick metaphors?

Man: what metaphor, I am talking about large bulging and sagging bags

Wife: you mean like bags bags ?

Man: yeah, she was carrying two large bags and was clearly having difficulty in carrying them.

Wife: Why was she carrying two bags to office?

Man: How do I know? That’s none of our concern anyway. The point here is whether you could place her now?

Wife: Nah…how come you only end up meeting this young girls ?

Man: Arre, she is quite conspicuous, flamboyant dressing style, tattoos, large earrings, skirt….

Wife: You have mentioned that skirt part before.

Man: oh, did I?

Wife: Yes and looks like you are besieged by the skirt

Man: besieged? I was just trying to describe her for you…

Wife: and all you have to describe is the skirt ?

Man: Arre nana….

Wife: and  tattoo ? where was it ?

Man: there were more than one actually. Upper arm, rear shoulders, in between the neck and the  middle of…..

Wife: my god ! What was she wearing ?

Man: An off-white sleeveless short top with pasta string or whatever they call it

Wife: Spaghetti top?

Me; yeah, same

Wife: You are so shameless.

Man: what did I do now ?

Wife: Don’t skirt the issue now.

Man: which issue?

Wife: You all men are same. All you know is to ogle at women whenever you get a chance.

Man: huh?

And the topic gets diverted again into some other discussion.

So what is the key learning here ? Would love to hear the viewpoint 0f both species 🙂

Related AEIOU ¿ ® reads- When Men Think Hard to Decide and  two more posts which mentions Ayesha Takia.

l00king Back

Please click on the image for a larger view.

This cartoon was first published on the Annual magazine for the zonal body of NASA (National Association of Students of Architecture) on 1995. I was in my fifth and final year of Architecture (Architecture is a 5 year course).

Back those days, we didn’t have computer at home and used to spend sleepless nights for week to complete submission of our design assignments. Anyone who has been a student of Design, Arts or Architecture may relate to the atmosphere depicted in the drawing.

It took me two nights to finish the cartoon ( days were anyway the time to fool around). I was greatly influenced by detail oriented comics like Tintin , Asterix , cartoons of Mario Miranda , illustrations of Satyajit Ray and tried to use some of the concepts learnt from their works. Most of the objects featured here were actually around me that time- the shoes, the lamp-shade, posters, the wall clock. Do let me know which of the detail you liked the most. Also, can you locate a daru-ki-botlie in the picture ?

When I look at the cartoon today, I see how the fashion, style and time in general are frozen in the image. It captured my world of Guns n Roses, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Old Monk, Gold Flake (small), Rotring , Staedtler, Faber Castell, Koh-i-noor pencils from V Perumal Chetty , Luna, French curves, Francis D K Ching, Flying Machine, Hoffmen, Moustache’, Egg-rolls, Maggi and long mane.

I thought I had the magazine copy with me but could not find it. Like many good things in life, I have lost it somewhere in the run. So I called up one of my batchmate friend who is probably the only person on this world to have another copy of the magazine. And he did. Within a week, I received a scanned image of the cartoon on my mailbox. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

This cartoon is close to my heart, as many happy and sad memories are connected with it.

Today, while one part of me is confined within an air-conditioned glass box dealing with responsibilities, the other part, feeble but still alive, retreats in reminiscence of his careless discards.

With my 100^th post, I dedicate this cartoon to friendship, blithe attitude and old times.