Costumes
Wedding invitation! Birthday or simply a party! Funerals!...Oh oh. Do these names strike a terror button in you? Simply the idea of getting dressed for the occasion gets you goose bumps? Well, the panic is a reflection of our need to wear clothes ,...err,...costumes suited for an occasion. The word "costume" conjures up an image of typical clothes meant for theatre shows, dramatics, or a hip-hop fancy dress party. But, actually costumes are a part of our everyday life.
Just think about it, what we wear in a funeral is certainly not the dress code for a wedding. A wedding demands a beautiful gown for the bride, preferably in white, a formal tuxedo for the groom. Now the bridesmaid or the best girl or the best man cannot possibly dress like the special wedding couple. A youthful young bridesmaid would surely attract attention if dressed in matching pastels along with the best man. In fact people with the green bags do opt for designer weddings where every detail of the grand occasion is pre-planned and costumes for every person attending the celebration to make a picture perfect wedding. That's how important costumes are for people who value the power of dressing correctly for every occasion.
Don't we spare a thought, deciding, wondering, what to wear for a meeting or a funeral? One can not, rather should not, wear the same clothes for either of these occasions. The grave solemnity of a funeral function will be disturbed if one turns up in a flashy robes. Black is the acceptable color code appropriate for mourning. Now, that does not mean that colorful clothes are in anyway deterrent! Colorful clothes have their own importance. Who would be interested in dowdily dressed persons at a sprightly dance or an exciting prom night? So there is no denying to the fact that clothes, dresses, or well, costumes do play an important role in our lives.
Costumes, in fact, define the variety of roles we play in our daily lives. When we dress for work, we must follow a proper dress code. An official meeting with a client or any official demands a proper 'costume'. The importance of a smart business suit, a chic pair of shoes, and accessories like a slick cell-phone and a branded watch completes the ensemble for an official look. A well cut suit and a 'correct' tie and sparkling shoes spells the wearers' confidence and self-assurance.
However the present trend of fun dressing or casual dressing has hit the modern life style. Today a pair of casuals and a t-shirt is acceptable both in the workplace, market-place, or maybe a friendly party. Yet the importance of "Power-dressing," or dressing for a particular occasion adds dignity and respectability. Costumes are therefore not merely stuff we need for children's fancy dress parties, Halloween nights, or a historical play with crowns and cloaks. We can safely say that all clothes are costumes but all costumes are not meant for fancy dress.
|
