Comfort trumps fashion

Are you one of those who gets a high from going against the norm or are you one of those who cringe at the idea? 😊 Sometimes, I dread criticism. That has not stopped me from making choices that attract them. It has to do with the culture of being a loner and not caring about it in the slightest. I actually find that I am incredibly proud of myself for being the lone wolf.

It’s a rather ironic situation cos I am what you call a fashionista. I like to do color matches. I have an eye for tasty fashion, have an eye for detail and appreciate style and aesthetics. I also find that I am not afraid to stand out and set an unusual trend.

Having said that, spring is fast approaching in North America. It starts with the temperature figures going from minus to positives. Then the double digits appear. Other signs might be the absence of falling snow. Then there is more sunlight. Allergy complaints go up. These become the norm for consecutive days and weeks.

So, with this new development, I am so excited to get into my flip flops, which have been useless the whole of winter. 😓 This excitement extends to all my non-winter footwear collection. My bum shorts, short skirts, and tank tops are not left out.

My feet have been confined to winter boots like someone serving a long prison sentence. For a fashionista, once you forget about the cold, you hate winter and its deprivations. But survival comes first, doesn’t it?

On the ‘flip flops day’, I have on a pair of slacks, the type you categorize as smart casual and a cream-colored jumper. This is the British term for a long-sleeved sweater-like top. I fling a nice black jacket over it and finish up with flip flops.

I head out with my earphones plugged in, blasting away at Justin Bieber’s new hit; intentions. I am headed to a place for a scheduled Skype interview. That goes well and I land the job.

After the interview, I head down in the elevator with my friend. He looks down at my feet and looks up at me and says: “Koko, why do you dress like this? How can you wear these lovely pants with flip flops? What happened to a smart pair of shoes? The other day, you wore a nice pair of open flats and ruined it with socks. You are one of the few people I know that dresses this way.”

I look at him and say: “you just noticed this? what's wrong with it?” And he stares back in disbelief. I then continue: “Guy, don’t you see the weather change? Am I the only one seeing it? It’s a relief. Now I can break my feet free from those horrid winter boots. These flip flops signify freedom. You know how much I love comfort. Sorry to disappoint the fashion police 😊. I may consider your preferences next time.” With that, I burst into laughter and start concocting my next fashion blunder.

As I walk away, still lost in laughter, I realize I am alone. So, I turn back and see my companion is far behind me. He has stopped in his tracks, arms folded across his chest, still staring after me. I almost start rolling on the floor. I walk over to him and say: “are you fair-weather now? You don’t want to be caught with the odd lady who makes blunders? You are in for a long-haul cos this is the beginning”. His silence is even more deafening than before and I can’t stop laughing. Next thing I hear him say: “thinking about it, lots of things about you are queer. You are pretty with a fantastic personality but you do lots of weird things.” I nod in agreement and say to him with a wide grin and twinkle in my eyes: “do you want to know my fashion plans for next summer?”