Conversations ...
He - Hey, I really like the top you are wearing today! Which brand is it?
She -Thanks for the complement! But it’s not branded. I just picked it from one of the stores in Metro Plaza.
He -What? It’s not branded. How can you wear something that is not branded? Oh, I think it is so not professional. As a B-School student, you should start getting accustomed to branded clothing!
She -Hey, what I am wearing is just a casual top! Where does B-School dressing come into the picture?
He - It’s not about situational clothing. Knowing you, I thought you would be a brand conscious person. Don’t you prefer branded stuff when dressing for a meeting, presentation or party?
She -I am brand conscious to some extent. Say, for example, when it comes to buying a pair of jeans that lasts for a number of years & fashion trends not changing much in this category, then quality does become a priority. But when it comes to casual or daily wear, I am more of an impulsive buyer. You have seen me na, I pick up stuff right from the shelf – anything and everything that catches my eyes at that moment!
He - And what about Formal Dressing? I have not seen you wearing formals even once for a presentation in class! Don’t you think it’s equally important to dress appropriately?
She -Yes, it is important to dress for the occasion & in case you have not noticed, I am always appropriately dressed for all the presentations! And that the women formal wear market is not well-developed; it does not give me the option to explore it!
He -Oh please! It completely shows that you have not worked in a formal environment. I have seen such well-dressed women in the banking industry that I cannot even explain. These people don’t go to Milan to shop. In fact, I personally think that Wills Lifestyle brings the best formal clothing for women to India. Haven’t you tried them?
She -Yes, I did; when I was looking for a formal shirt before the MBA interviews. I tried all available brands in Kolkata – but the biggest problem I faced was that there were not many options available to suit my taste and the ones which did, did not fit me well! I think Sanat, you are confusing ‘branded clothes’ with ‘formal wear’?
He - Isn’t formal wear all about brands? How else do you expect me to dress formally for a presentation or meeting, if I am not in a Park Avenue suit, a Peter England shirt & a Van Heusen tie? In fact, I remember when we were designing our college t-shirt, we chose Rockport (Reebok) as our vendor so that people get a brand – instead of going for a local cloth supplier in Delhi.
She -But why should branding be applied to informal wear? I am more interested in a smart shirt, than a branded shirt which is more costly & gives me no extra value!
He - Are you sure? Don’t you get a guarantee with the brand; an option to return the shirt if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit you well; good customer service and above all, a sense of esteem when you get noticed wearing the brand? It’s like – don’t you like the recognition when people smell you wearing a ‘Cool Waters’?
She -So you think it’s all about what people think of you when you are dressed and not what you are comfortable in? I am completely not that way. I would prefer to wear something that I am comfortable in and that makes me feel good, rather than to please anyone else!
He - So that makes you a person who is against Dress Codes! Do you know that the Service Industry has dress codes for every day & occasion? Will you be able to cope up with that?
She -Yes, definitely! But you miss the point – women spend more time shopping for clothes, buy more impulsively and are more image-conscious. So how can it be possible that they will not be appropriately dressed even for office? I know where to draw the line between ‘adhering to a dress code’ & ‘being appropriately dressed’. How else do you think new fashion trends come up?
He -Yes, because they do come up because of people like you who dress in-appropriately, just to look different! But a formal environment does not want casualness and dressing differently is a sign of casualness in your approach towards the organization’s unwritten rules!
She -Whatever it is, I know I am never badly dressed! If you think, brands make a man – wait till you see me in a saree!
He - So will it be a Nalli or what?
She -Thanks for the complement! But it’s not branded. I just picked it from one of the stores in Metro Plaza.
He -What? It’s not branded. How can you wear something that is not branded? Oh, I think it is so not professional. As a B-School student, you should start getting accustomed to branded clothing!
She -Hey, what I am wearing is just a casual top! Where does B-School dressing come into the picture?
He - It’s not about situational clothing. Knowing you, I thought you would be a brand conscious person. Don’t you prefer branded stuff when dressing for a meeting, presentation or party?
She -I am brand conscious to some extent. Say, for example, when it comes to buying a pair of jeans that lasts for a number of years & fashion trends not changing much in this category, then quality does become a priority. But when it comes to casual or daily wear, I am more of an impulsive buyer. You have seen me na, I pick up stuff right from the shelf – anything and everything that catches my eyes at that moment!
He - And what about Formal Dressing? I have not seen you wearing formals even once for a presentation in class! Don’t you think it’s equally important to dress appropriately?
She -Yes, it is important to dress for the occasion & in case you have not noticed, I am always appropriately dressed for all the presentations! And that the women formal wear market is not well-developed; it does not give me the option to explore it!
He -Oh please! It completely shows that you have not worked in a formal environment. I have seen such well-dressed women in the banking industry that I cannot even explain. These people don’t go to Milan to shop. In fact, I personally think that Wills Lifestyle brings the best formal clothing for women to India. Haven’t you tried them?
She -Yes, I did; when I was looking for a formal shirt before the MBA interviews. I tried all available brands in Kolkata – but the biggest problem I faced was that there were not many options available to suit my taste and the ones which did, did not fit me well! I think Sanat, you are confusing ‘branded clothes’ with ‘formal wear’?
He - Isn’t formal wear all about brands? How else do you expect me to dress formally for a presentation or meeting, if I am not in a Park Avenue suit, a Peter England shirt & a Van Heusen tie? In fact, I remember when we were designing our college t-shirt, we chose Rockport (Reebok) as our vendor so that people get a brand – instead of going for a local cloth supplier in Delhi.
She -But why should branding be applied to informal wear? I am more interested in a smart shirt, than a branded shirt which is more costly & gives me no extra value!
He - Are you sure? Don’t you get a guarantee with the brand; an option to return the shirt if you don’t like it or it doesn’t fit you well; good customer service and above all, a sense of esteem when you get noticed wearing the brand? It’s like – don’t you like the recognition when people smell you wearing a ‘Cool Waters’?
She -So you think it’s all about what people think of you when you are dressed and not what you are comfortable in? I am completely not that way. I would prefer to wear something that I am comfortable in and that makes me feel good, rather than to please anyone else!
He - So that makes you a person who is against Dress Codes! Do you know that the Service Industry has dress codes for every day & occasion? Will you be able to cope up with that?
She -Yes, definitely! But you miss the point – women spend more time shopping for clothes, buy more impulsively and are more image-conscious. So how can it be possible that they will not be appropriately dressed even for office? I know where to draw the line between ‘adhering to a dress code’ & ‘being appropriately dressed’. How else do you think new fashion trends come up?
He -Yes, because they do come up because of people like you who dress in-appropriately, just to look different! But a formal environment does not want casualness and dressing differently is a sign of casualness in your approach towards the organization’s unwritten rules!
She -Whatever it is, I know I am never badly dressed! If you think, brands make a man – wait till you see me in a saree!
He - So will it be a Nalli or what?
And the argument continues…
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