Friday 19 September 2014

A BRANDED AFFAIR.....


It wasn't until college that I began to notice a man’s butt. Actually, it would be fair to say that I began noticing men, in whole and in parts, only after I embarked on the ‘self realization’ journey called college.  I was a convent school product, a girl who based her entire judgment on Men-kind, solely on the specimen that her dad was. My Dad is a banker, usually seen wearing a simple shirt and black trousers, both bought from a certain shop called ‘A to Z fashionzz’ at New Market, Bhopal. Malls did not exist and our family owed it to the pot bellied man at A to Z fashionzz (fashion made better with a double z) for filling up our wardrobes with clothes which he believed where ‘In the Season’. We never cared or knew much about the word called ‘BRANDED’. Except for the VIP and Groversons undergarment, our clothes were well, just clothes.

What do you do when you are this socially awkward person, one who has never stepped out of her home solo in the past 17 years of her life and is suddenly states away from her family, attending her first day of college? What you do is, you make friends and ignite the fire of friendship that would not stand the test of time. The first time I visited a coffee shop was in my 1st year of college, unless ‘Amer Bakery Hut’ and ‘Bajrang Sweets &Namkeen’ from Bhopal, qualify as one too. Me and my two newly made friends would sit at Barista, play truth and dare over shots of strong Espresso and just pretend to not look at the men passing by. It was in this very Barista that I found out about this brand called Levi Strauss. The leader of our group was this beautifully bold girl from Delhi, one who included a man in her ‘Cute hai’ list based on two points- a) Looks b) the red tag on the piece of jeans enveloping his right ass cheek, screaming Levi’s. She was the siren and I was the nerd, pretending to be a siren and badly losing the game. She was a simple girl, a goddess at heart but we were all just teenagers trying to fit in.

During the subsistence of this challenging friendship, I learnt a few things. An underwear with a waistband that screamed ‘Jockey’ was much more important that a man’s IQ, unless he is wearing a ‘Playboy’, in which case his IQ level does not even matter. I learnt the art of checking out a man’s butt before I notice his face. For someone who only used ‘Cuticura Deo’, I learnt about perfumes by Chanel, Nina Ricci, Dior, Davidoff and a certain celebrity called Christina Aquilera. Even though I never owned a Louis Vuitton bag, I corrected everyone who pronounced it the wrong way. I was trying to do college right.

It was in college that I found out about people who aren’t exactly swimming in the rich category,  but will go to any length just to portray that they are. The first man I dated had a second hand Mercedes, with doors that threatened to leave the car the moment the speedometer hit 60. This guy had no personality, no intelligence, nor a face to make up for all the deficiencies. What he did have was a Levi’s jeans, a Pepe tshirt, imported Puma shoes and a Hidesign wallet. Inside the wallet he had 70 rupees, enough to buy him a cup of Green tea from one of the posh coffee shops in Cochin, The Cocoa Tree. I drank sparkling water, which thankfully was free. Of course, I dumped him after 2 months over a phone call, while stuffing my mouth with French fries. I was 19.

From the scholarship money that the bank gave me at the end of 2nd year of college, I bought my first Levi’s jeans worth Rs 2,400/-. Slim fit and bold curve, with the red tag perfectly placed over my right ass cheek. I worked out at the gym so that it was possible for me to wear tops short enough to not cover up the red tag. I literally lived in that pair of jeans until my mother bought me a new pair from ‘A to Z Fashionzz’, belonging to a brand called ‘ZOLA’. This particular jeans was 600 Rupees and as much as I hate to admit, was a dream to get into. How could I portray my love for it in a world where brands dominated your status? I even thought of cutting out the tag from the Levi’s jeans and stitching it on the Zola one, but did not do so for the lack of needle skills. I decided to give up on brands.

A person is not the brand he wears. My father still shops at A to Z fashionzz and is the best person alive on this planet. The closest he has got to brands, is Peter England and Wills Lifestyle office wear. My brother hoards on everything branded, but secretly prefers to wear flip-flops bought from this Barkheda market at Bhopal for 150 rupees, over the Nike one that costed my father a whopping 1299. My mother happily owns an LV bag without knowing what LV stands for and carries her lunch box containing sambar rice in it to office. Her ignorance makes her adorable.

Coming to me, I have given up searching for that red tag on a man’s butt, except occasionally, because well……..some habits die hard.


P.S- I do prefer brands when it comes to cosmetics. Call me a hypocrite!
P.P.S- Don’t hate me for not replying to the comments on the previous post. I do not have an internet facility except at work. I blog when I find time. I cherish each and every comment. You know I do. J


120 comments:

  1. An 'awww' post, Red :)
    Simplicity is above all brands, it shines without any tags :)

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    Replies
    1. True true true...Thank you so much for reading!

      Delete
  2. what an awesome post! I know soooo many people (esp girls) who squeeze their necessary expenditure to spend on brands just because they wish to show off and enter the 'cool-club'..lovely post :)

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    1. exactly...I do know a lot of them too!!!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. */*whistles*/*
    Bad world where brands decide the personality of a person.. can't change it.
    You see even i owned a wrangler jeans at age of 23 that too with my first salary :P I have friends who judge u if you don't wear this brands :(
    I too prefer brands when it comes to gadgets and cosmetics..

    ReplyDelete
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    1. gadgets and cosmetics ...yes branded is the priority ..because the ingredients that r used in it matter a lot.
      Thank you fooooooooooor reading!!!!!

      Delete
  4. Hahahaha.... Bhopal ki yaad aa gyi....I relate my life 100% to this post....and I thank god my parents got convinced to put me in bsss

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  5. Nice to see you back from Onam holidays , Red and with an adorable post on branded jeans! I have seen the market evolve from the time a local brand ( Wings) jeans costed Rs 15/- to Levi's low waist @ Rs 3500/-:) I am tempted to write a post after reading yours!

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    1. hehehe hope you are doing great! I cant wait to read your post now :)

      Delete
  6. Now that was a signature Red-Handed post! And I loved it, like always. We all have had our hearts set to that small American red tag blessing our desi Indian asses for a while. maybe- it was the need of the hour- to fit in and not be a black sheep. Needless to say, the first ones in class having a Levi were people I was so jealous of. :P

    I have also realized one thing - Once you fall for it, there is no end to it. There is always a bigger and a better brand to aspire for. Sigh.

    Your mom carrying an LV without knowing it's an LV and carryings sambhar and rice in it- Now that's just adorable! And unknowingly brave! :D

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I used to be jealous of the girls flaunting gucci and dolce and what not.
      But LIKE U SAID..it is an endless love affair. Nonsense!!

      My Mom is cute. :D
      Thank you for reading!

      Delete
  7. this is a bug tht all of us hv been n thankfully got out of too :)

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  8. Brands are fine, but they shouldn't be everything :D Loved reading you, as always :-)

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  9. I have always looked at brands and decided to take them whenever I have enough money for me to survive afterwards. But that day hasn't come. But again, that doesn't mean I don't buy brands. Well, the reason you never noticed me was I never had the chance of buying a Levis when I was in college. Anything over 2000 was like a year's worth of money to buy cake/chocolates. So I choose the latter over the former.
    I still wonder how people get everything branded and then survive also. They are very rich, indeed.

    I will make sure to come to Cochin wearing a Levis. Watch out. :P

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I could afford the jeans coz of my scholarship. :P
      Otherwise no...
      Cochin awaits.

      Delete
  10. Dont judge the book by its cover, dont judge a man by his brand :D.. its a lovely read Red :)

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  11. never have bothered abt brands nor did i learn all those things you learnt at college. you see, I am yet to get out of my cozy home to explore the real world :-D

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    Replies
    1. Do get out but never change who you truly are :D

      Delete
  12. Hehehe, I so love you! :D

    I have been wanting to write a post on brands for quite sometime now, but I shall not write it now as I cannot top this one!

    Make-up always has to be branded as it can ruin the skin otherwise. Since I have damaged skin, I spend close to 5K a month on MAC cosmetics. But nothing else suits my skin :( . Another fixation with brands I have is for watches. I don't know why!

    Regarding clothes, most of them I own are branded. But the ones I find the most comfortable are the local ones. I found this brand called 'Xpose' in Lifestyle. At first I thought the Himesh Reshamaiya movie merchandise, but when I tried on their jeans they fit like a dream. Priced at 1700, it is almost as branded as anything else. I bought a Levis jeans along with it, and apart form that red tag on the butt, they look and feel the same!

    I love local jodhpuris more when compared to my Aldo shoes. Since I started earning early in life (by 16) I knew brands way too early in life. More so when people around me are dressed top to toe in brands. They used to look down upon me if I was not wearing branded clothes. So I grew up thinking brands define a person. But later, I learnt the truth and laugh at them now. They maybe wearing a Gucci but their thinking and mentality is definitely Dharavi!

    Wear what you want and show off! Hell with the brands.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hhehehe thanks for this lovely lovely comment!!!!

      Makeup cannot be compromised with. Good brands are priced so only because they use better ingredients/chemicals. MAC is worth it...
      I was never into watches but yes the one I do have is of a good brand....Brand in watches matter because of durability.

      Clothes are well clothes. You will in the end put them all in the washing machine and throw them in a year or two.

      Jodhpuris Juttis are simply the best!!!!!

      Thank you soooo much for reading!

      Delete
  13. I was not brand conscious until I moved to Bahrain. Here you don't have any shop that is NOT branded. But my brand decisions are solely based on comfort. If I like something, I buy it. Infact, in the initial years, me and my friends here use to enter a shop with the sole purpose of finding something for less than a 1000 bucks! We were always successful.
    When the household income increased, we moved to more fashionable Zara and Mango. I don't think I'll ever enter a LV store. I would rather buy myself a week's vacation in Goa with that money.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I go to ZARA on sale. :P
      Mango I havent been..nor have a store in the city.
      You stay in Bahrain?????I have been there :D

      Delete
  14. Whatay post Red! Of course, branded clothes are almost always less comfortable than the local ones. So I end up with the non-branded stuff because for me comfort is the priority. Taking after my dad, I am the one who's always got to be on her heels for either household work or outside work. So I cannot let brands get in the way of my comfort. Only when I am comfortable with what am wearing, I feel at peace.

    The way you have described your mom and dad's life devoid of such hyped brands is adorable. Awesome post!!!

    P.S: Get internet babe, we need more doses of your post. I am like an addict to your writing. I keep reading most of your whenever I feel like I could do with some refreshment. :)

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    1. Comfort decides it all! Truly. Our parents are adorable. right?
      You are kind .. Made my day. Truly!

      Thank youuuuuuu

      Delete
  15. Wow, you actually wrote about this? I'm not really a brands person. I enjoy flaunting a good bargain as opposed to brands. But there are times you just have to fit in and grab that pair of Levis or Pepe ;)
    Loved reading this :)

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    1. I come to mumbai every time I miss bargaining. I love that place!!!!!!
      The things we do to fit in :(

      Delete
  16. This post is so adorable. Loved the way it took me through your journey...Loved every bit of it :D

    And your mother carrying sambhar in a LV bag ... is adorable and brave!!

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  17. I guess you covered the journey of so many of us...Like you I like brands when it comes to perfumes and cosmetics and that too I only use a few..But with clothes I'm not really a stickler for brands as long as they look good...And more over I rather buy three for a price of one branded piece ;) And honestly I never find anything good in Levis, their jeans never ever fits me well!

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    1. I buy a pair from Levis and then I go to the local darzi to taper it to perfection for me.
      Whats the use. -_-

      Thank you!

      Delete
  18. Welcome back, Red. A man or woman maketh the brand, not the other way around. For if we didn't buy, they wouldn't exist :) I do have my brands. Sometimes it's a matter of comfort. :P

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    1. Yes..actually a person is a brand. NARENDRA MODI KURTA in being sold online for 3000!!!

      Delete
  19. hey Red handed loved this post of yours. Though I am not so regular in reading thesedays, I love your humour posts ,the suitcase saga is still fresh in my mind.
    I grew up in Bhopal and my parents still live there, so I make at least one visit per year there and all the mentions of Bhopali places makes me so nostalgic and makes you and your posts very endearing.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. woooooooooooooow I am honoured to know that you actually remember the post. Thank you soooooooooooooo much.
      A bhopali?
      Hi5!!!!

      Delete
  20. I hate branded products. Not that I can afford branded products now, but I hated them even when I was able to buy them. I like brands only when they signify reliability - like Toshiba for laptops, HTC for mobiles, etc. I don't bother about the clothes I wear. The last time I searched to buy a t-shirt was when I wanted to print my blog name on it. Yes, I got it done :) Otherwise, I am happy with those 250-350 rupee dull shirts that a shop closest to my home sells. The last time I wore jeans, branded or otherwise, was when I was in 6th standard. In Chennai, it's so uncomfortably hot to wear them, even in December!

    Destination Infinity

    ReplyDelete
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    1. hahaha you are cute. very cute. :)
      Thank you soooooooooooooooo much for reading.

      Delete
  21. I am mostly not a brand person but hey I love my Levi's. It is one jean that fits like a dream on me and I have not really discovered anything as wonderful with the other brands. I have tried many. And yes for cosmetics too I am finicky about brands :).

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    1. Levi's doesnt fit me to perfection like they show in the advertisements :(
      WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY......

      Delete
  22. That was a signature Red post filled with your sarcasm an humor :) I agree, when it comes to clothes, I prefer comfort over brands. And yes, I go for brands in cosmetics too. There's not much to be done when you use stuff that can actually harm your skin. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

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    1. EXACTLY...No compromise with cosmetics because the ingredients is what decides the price...but in clothes ...its the brand deciding the price not the material.

      Delete
  23. Almost similar to my story, except the 'checking out a man's butt' part. :P
    I have no qualms about brands. If something fits fine and if it is comfortable, to hell with brands.

    PS: On the contrary almost every piece of clothing I own belongs to some or the other famous brands. Hypocrisy much? Or may be there aren't too many options when it comes to men's clothing, I guess. :-)

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    1. hahaha thank God you dont check out a mans butt. Not that there is anything wrong in doing so. -_-
      YOUUUUUU HYPOCRITEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

      Delete
  24. This was such a sweet post! There was that time when I loved Brands too and would gape and go ohhh he's rich, but now it doesn't matter.
    And yes for me too Brand only matters when it is cosmetics ;)

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    1. I once gaped and went 'HE IS SO RICH'...then I drank free sparkling water. :(

      Delete
  25. Awww Red... You portrayed a cute teenage girl trying to fit in so perfectly. I tried getting into brands too, when I was 16. But I couldn't stay any longer in that bandwagon, so I dropped out soon. Looks like fashion is not my thing. I have left my shopping woes to my Dad and he handles it very well. He has a great sense of style. I envy men. They don't give shit about all these things. We girls are kinda weird.

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    1. My Dad has a great sense of style too but if I make him buy me clothes...he will only buy me brown or cream coloured clothes....because he loves that colour. :P
      We girls are totally weird.

      Delete
  26. Now, what do I say? Am I an ambassador of brands or not? May be yes, may be no....Like you, I have some brands I stick too..I wear only one makeup, i.e., lipstick and the brand MAC...nothing else :)
    How we all have graduated from Bata to these brands? oh wait, Bata is not cheap. Good one, Red!

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    1. I havent graduated from BATA...They graduated from being cheap to pricey..But they still have some very very durable chappals. :)

      Delete
  27. D'aww! This post brought back memories from my first year of college and about how bitchy I used to be about people who wore local brands! I have grown up since then :P

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    1. heheheh I am glad you grew up. I too did. :D

      Delete
  28. So good to have met you ...me too same to same...for me comfort matters...don't bother for brands but have to admit have lots that i know in my circle who are sadly and badly brand conscious but that's their problem and i let them go around in their circles fretting and fussing over their Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choos...i am happy in my gud old comfy Bata shoes for all i care and any sensible bag that has enough pouches to see me sorted out without having me to fish around for my stuff each time i open the zipper. i don't even care if they snigger behind my back because i know brand conscious people also do. Ufff...but then that's the way it is ...
    Loved this also of urs but i wish when ur internet is on...do visit me...at least on my latest...it's a short one and leave behind a smiley to let me know u were there...would make my day to know one another honest one was there... :) :) :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Your comment was truly adorable. COMFORT should be givn utmost priority...
      I am on my way to your latest!

      Delete
  29. nice post...!! as always easy to identify and connect with most of the people!!Keep posting!

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  30. Funny as always Red! Glad to be back on here!

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  31. Such an adorable post!!! :*
    During my days in Kanpur, we also had one common family shop.. Abu Sons (haha..I can't believe I remember the name) It is weird to imagine that there was a time when we really did not care about what brand there was and Fasion/Passion quoted jeans were pretty cool to wear.

    But when I entered that initial brand wala phase, I too started dreaming to join the Levi's, Puma or Adidas club and to show it off among my peers. Thankfully, I soon realized that it is way more fun when you flaunt your local street shopping that beat the high-end brands and efficiently leave everyone's jaw dropped.

    P.S: Hope you're all well now

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    1. Abu Sons...heheheheh cute no!!!!!!
      and honey you look great whatever you wear. Trust me!
      I am goood :)

      Delete
  32. Welcome back!!! Hope you had a wonderful Onam!! There was a time when I wouldn't really bother about the brands and pick anything good I see but now for some reason I find the branded items more durable!! So chipping in a few extra penny to find something durable doesn't really hurt l!! But I still don't mind picking up a 100 Rs. Flip flop from the streets!! :P

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    1. Yes, I had a grand celebrations.
      I am currently wearing a flipflop I got for 100 bucks. :D

      Delete
  33. Sigh! I guess I need a major wardrobe upgrade!! :)

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  34. the barista at bay pride mall,kochi has closed down now

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  35. personally,never been dat rich to wear branded stuff

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    1. I am sure you are. But yes dont wear them anyway :D

      Delete
  36. we should not blame brands but people who spoil the image of brand with wrong attitude.my dad was honest government official,whenever he bought me one or two pair of clothes,he preferred raymonds coz they look great and lasts for three to four years.everyone in my school used to have many pairs of non-branded clothes and they did look dull like their attitude.i had very few pairs of clothes and whenever i went to school,people used call me "perfect man raymonds" ,so is my attitude.i used to look different from everyone in attitude or looks coz its attitude that reflects in everything.

    there are people who blindly go for brands just to show off,we should blame people and not brands.i heard a story when i was in school,a rich guy in mumbai bought rolls-royce car and he used it in his farm to carry things that should not be carried in a car.rolls-royce came to know about this and they paid double the price and got back their car coz he was spoiling their brand image.

    when i went to college,it was so exciting.i went to shopping after getting admission,i bought nike shoe,levi's denims and fila t-shirts.i bought these clothes coz they look great on handsome guy and they did last for 4 years.when i spoke to a girl for the first time,she asked me whether am a rich guy.i told her straight that i belong to a middle class family and i prefer anything that makes me look good or lasts long.

    its mistake of person if he/she judges someone based on looks without having a meaningful conversation.but these days,brands are not providing same quality stuff they used to make 10 years back.they put a tag and sell it for a high price coz they are established brands.at the end of the day,its about one's wisdom to choose whats best and whats hyped deceiving stuff.

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    1. caption error,its not perfect man,its complete man raymonds.

      Delete
    2. Thank you for reading Handsome.

      Delete
  37. It feels sooooo good reading you, after a long time! And that too, a relatable post :D

    Brands often do no more than eating into our wallets :/
    And for a niggard like me, I go for them only during sale :P

    Zola! I used to wear their clothes. They were nice, don't you think? And what used to be your case in college, was mine in school. People wearing anything below Globus/Spykar/Blah blah, were well, according to some...just not people enough! -_-
    I am slowly giving up on the blind faith in big brands though, considering that my Bata slipper lives more than the Metro one :P

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    1. I love you and welcome back!!!!!!
      You used to wear Zola? Hi5 sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Bata is the epicccccc stuff!!!

      Delete
  38. It's the first time I saw someone admit openly her take on brands. And how it doesnt matter. Kudos to you for that. People sell kidneys and brains for brands, you are such an exception !
    I prefer brands for cosmetics too. Not for clothes or shoes. I find the best shoes and clothes in the streets of bangalore named 'sweety' and ' gracy'...and I really dont care :D

    ReplyDelete
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    1. well I cannot afford designer stuff...so well I can crib about them through this post :P
      Thank you sooooooooooooooo much for reading my ANita!

      Delete
  39. The best brands of clothes are those that make you feel comfortable, right ? :)
    I was equally, if not more, ignorant of brands , because my dad ( banker, of course ) used to ( and still does) wear the simplest of shirts sans the brand factor, and the only branded thing I ever saw on him was his watch. A titan, that was. For me, salwars and stuff were mostly locally purchased, stitched and loved. I never knew about perfumes and hi-fi brands till I started working for one of the best retailers for Fragrances and Cosmetics in the UAE :D
    There are days when I pronounce Vuitton as Vattan. Just for the fun :D :D :D

    We are the best brands :D Superb brands of super cool girls who take on life brandlessly :D

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    1. exactly. Comfort decided it all and it is the only thing that truly matters. My Dad wears a titan too. A gold one :D
      You work for whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Send me some nice perfumes pleeeeeeeeeeej!!!!!

      Delete
  40. Honest, Red Handed! M guilty of bring a huge Levi's fan for its comfort appeal rather than show off stuffs. Like u, I got ma first Levi's quite late in 2007 in Mumbai:)

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  41. Thank God you were not caught "Red Handed" while staring at stranger's butts :P
    Just kidding!!!

    You know, I have a tendency to look for thet "levi" label too... And I admit that I still dont think I am rich enough to buy a pair for myself. (I know I am sad)

    I think we all go through "brand maniac" phase until we understand that it doesnt matter.

    Guess what? I have had my share ZOLA jeans and tops tooo!!! Phew :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was very secretive with the butt staring. :P
      even I am not rich enough. We are on the same boat sister!!!!!

      Delete
  42. I am stingy when it comes to shopping for me. So it's absolute no to brands. The only branded stuff I own other than the vehicle and mobile I use, is a denim jeans. And now it's one size small too :(

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    1. io....the one I have is a little tight too. I squeeze in somehow :P

      Delete
  43. Hey Red, even I come from a small town in MP, now Chattisgarh and I know exactly what you mean ! Had no clue about brands till I started earning and living by myself.. Even now don't really care too much for it, other than for jeans:)

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  44. Hahahaha I so love the way you broke up :) I was laughing non stop imagining that scene :D . As for brands, I have an odd size in shoes and clothing... So either my thighs would be splitting out of it or the jeans would be hanging like it does on a hanger. My only respite is the korean store nearby. Half of that shop is in my wardrobe.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. what to do. That relationship didnt even mean a french fry to me :P
      I like korean stuff. Send me some :P

      Delete
  45. I wish there is a A to z Fashionzz here as well :) Brands are like mirage these days...
    Bata - the brand which everyone used to love (everyone still loves) has stooped down to the poorest quality. Blame the brand crazy public... we never realize it. we just look for the tag!!
    Comfort over brands any day for me, girl!!! people call me fashion blind, but who cares, I sport my khadi wala sling bag too well ;) :D

    btw, where is 'The Cocoa Tree' in Kochiii?? :D

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    1. Bata chappals which are 499 or 399 rupees...are epic! The high end stuff isnt. Funny no??

      Cocoa tree in Kochi in at Avenue regent. come come :D

      Delete
  46. Cuticura Deo was the highlight for me! With so many fake brands available these days, anything from AtoZ Fashions might be better and costlier than a fake brand.

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    1. hehe my grandmother smells of cuticura deo. Best smell ever!!!!!!!!!!
      Thank you for reading!

      Delete
  47. I recently got my first pair of "True Religion" and I totally get the feeling. But thing about brands is its never good enough! So, I'd rather buy a leather purse in colours I love than spend hundreds of dollars on a handbag that's not even leather but flaunts a label that might induce pangs of envy in others.

    This was such a heart-warming post, Red. Simply loved it.

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    1. Oh the leather story. My dad got an unbranded but pure leather jacket for 2500 rupees...which a brand was selling it for 16000. it wasnt even pure leather.

      Thank you sooooooooo much for reading!

      Delete
  48. Now this reminds me of my younger brother's incident in his English class. Teacher asked, 'what is jockey, anyone?' My brother said, 'Ma'am it's underwear.' That was a ROFL moment for us. I am little brand conscious and it's because I wear a single t-shirt for 10 years. :P

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    1. hahaha your brother is cute...
      Poor guy ...:D

      Delete
  49. True what you say, it's not the brand that makes us who we are :) I look to check if it is comfortable. That matters!

    I have the simplest silver strap Q&Q watch which I've been using since ten years nearly, or maybe more.

    The "branded" items come when my cousins visit from the UAE or USA. Else it's the simple life. :P

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  50. hehe..I'm not brand conscious either..and in fact love shopping on streets, bargaining for a cheaper deal. p.s. I come from a metropolitan, yet could not master the art of looking at a man, butt-first :-P Now, this is why I'll always regret not living a life away from the parents' home :-p

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  51. Same pinch*
    Even I do special notice on brands and am quite conscious about when it comes to my own dresses but surly I do not judge one's personality and everything on the basis of tags.
    I guess we consider brands as our silent reputation :D

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  52. I was not brand conscious earlier but these days I am guilty of only going for branded clothes. I love my Levi's jeans.

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  53. I had to give up on after-school time k samosas and cold drink for five months so that I could afford a branded jean for the first day of college, and now four years later that jeans still lies in the closet suffering the punishment for making me starve for those snacks..:P
    awesome post red, and you are right, people do get judged on the basis of brands they wear, no matter how much we preach about simplicity matter more than the brand, as you said- some habits die hard.

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  54. 1) Never knew that ladies/girls look at the butt (men's butt) By the time I realised that, it was too late in life (sigh)
    2) Never liked jeans (felt that they were too claustrophobic and tight) and was never comfortable in them.
    Nowadays wifey says that I look best in a double kashav mundu !!

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  55. I find men with loose jeans really hot, such a turn on.
    I was always brand conscious, for some reason that's how the world was around here.
    Now, I've sunken down to pure comfort. Its in everything. Including clumsy shorts :)

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  56. Never been brand cautious. I just buy anything that's comfy. :D

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  57. It seems that I missed out on a lot of things in college. Yet I couldn't care less.
    An enjoyable read! :)

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  58. Branded affair, Red :)
    The way brands hold the world captive! We are judged by what we use!
    I can't care less. I like to wear what I like, branded or not!

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  59. Such an adorable post, Red. I have liking towards a couple of brands but that is because I find them comfortable and not really because of the the status they give. And the things we do in college! :P :P

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  60. Brands are only for the show, People wears branded shirt and t-shirt and thinks they are looking beautiful but this is not true. Real Person don't show their wealth. Please guyzs and girls don't show off. Thanks for sharing this.

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  61. People are screaming blue murder about brands here but the highlight of your post for me was the first sentence and the guy in the Merc with the 60 km/h detachable door. I wish Indian women bloggers would be more bold and experimental in their writing like you. Awesome post and blog ! Im featuring you on my blog with permission. *****

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  62. One of these days, I'm going to turn my wardrobe into a clothes museum. Forget brands, I don't even wear the right kind of clothes, right being specifically stitched for female body. Having grown up on hand-me-downs, it's still a painful expenditure when I have to buy my own clothes and I don't feel any bit of shame when I go to my elder cousin brother and ask for a t-shirt, any t-shirt, that he might not want. He is 26 and I am 22. My clothes come from every apparel category possible - men, women, ethnic, western, size XS to XL and everything in between.

    I never learned to care about brands because I never had any money to spend on brands (not that I would've wanted to anyway). Oh, pff. Brand Shrand. :D

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  63. Interesting and a 'branded' post

    thanks for visiting my blog and keep visiting again

    thanks for sharing

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  64. From whatever little I know of them through your blog, please know that I like your parents a lot!
    Yes, even more than this sparkling post!

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  65. Hi Dear,
    I love reading your posts...so here's something to praise you with :)
    http://myfriendshipsimran.blogspot.in/2014/10/love-received.html#.VC5eOWeSxRh

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  66. I gave up jeans a long time ago because they wouldn't let my, well, balls to breathe. We didn't quite know brands in Shimla (for I belong to a village), and all the terminology was limited to misconstrued 'Denims' (which some brands put up on that right ass cheek in bold, 'Denim Jeans') and skin tight jeans. It was when I was in my phases of growing taller, and I had to climb onto buses, and these jeans wouldn't allow me to stretch properly, with a right angled movement, or run freely, or sit back without feeling a tigheting grip of cloth suffocating my crotch. I couldn't tell what people found comfortable in them. I said bye bye, and haven't quite visited them back, yet.
    My parents, my Mother mainly, for Papa isn't much into shopping for clothes (and neither am I, as long as my needs of covering up 'comfortably' are met with what I have at hand) used to shop for us, and I think she still knows better as to what might look good on me. I am a black and white person if I am given a choice. Then, came John Players and Peter England, who almost competed well with the local trousers and tailors in the short run, and often in the long run too, and suddenly her problems were cured.

    Now, these people have started making 'slim fit' trousers and shirts, that stick to the body stubbornly, and I am back to the same objection that I had with Jeans. Where's the air, How do I stretch? Now, whenever I have to buy a trouser or shirt, I try it on in the trail room, I try squatting, or lifting my legs, and base my buying decision on that, move my torso, my arms to see if the shoulder piece would allow me free movement. The more I hunt, the more I am starting to feel that I'll need a tailor-made piece afterall. Going by the brands, I think I'll be saying 'Heloooooooooo Raymond' soon, but the visit to the shop more than once is such a pain in the arse.

    I don't as much give many fucks to brands, or to swadeshi and videshi. I still wear trousers that the shopkeeper said had 'jute' as material, and I find that it is quite comfortable and is very easy to iron too (and it doesn't have a recognizable brand). There is a funny thing though, all shops in the main bazar in Shimla showcase local brands from Jalandhar and we don't give much consideration to the brand but the cost and cloth there. Now, that I have started to earn a little, and I stay here in Delhi, I've often found myself quite reluctant in visiting the local garment shop (which goes by the name 'Brandz for you') that is right in the front of my flat, but would rather spend 1 hour to reach Lajpat Market, or Sarojini Nagar market and visit the same old Showrooms of 'Peter England', 'John Players', 'Marco Polo' et al (and lately Blackberrys) and lament the absence of anything new, or anything to my suiting. I do this even when I know that clothes barely retain their freshness of color past 6 months at max, and many people often buy new clothes because they're bored of old ones, so buying something for 2500 bucks and discarding it in 6 months is pretty lousy economics.

    I will change it though, for there is no fun in it. Above all, we mostly don't wear clothes to show, but to be comfortable. I used to protect my shoes from water, knowing that formal shoes damage easier in water. I've seen people take their shoes off and hold them mid air while they wade through water. I realized, that we invented shoes to protect our feet, and by holding them high so that they don't get wet is quite the antithesis for what they were meant to be. Similarly clothes. They come and go, we stay. :)

    I see I wrote quite a handful there, but I felt like putting it down here, in context. So, if you read it, thank you :-)

    Cheers,
    Blasphemous Aesthete

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  67. So I was dragged by my mum to a saree shop at a nearby mall, for some early Diwali shopping. And when we stepped in the store, there was this green-eyed woman who was taking the salesman's case. It was causing a bit of a ruckus, but that was my source entertainment for the first 15 mins of a long monotonous session of nods and "yes maa, the color looks beautiful on you."
    I thought that could've been you and I didn't want to loose out on the chance,so just as the woman looked as if she was about to storm out of the store, I tapped on her shoulder. I feebly introduced myself, and asked her if she writes a blog. There was pin-drop silence in the store, all eyes on me. To my query she looked at me funny, and said no, much to my embarrassment. So yeah. I just wished the ground to have opened up and swallowed me in right about then.Sighs.

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  68. Haha I love you for this awesome post! Yes we all are ignorant more or less about brands until we dip in them by the so called social pressure. To me I never was brand conscious. They just happened to be the places where I found more in-fashion designs and good variety. Though I don't mind shopping from local market. And it has happened many times when I wear them and my folks ask me from where did I buy that top. Knowing they seem costly as burning a hole in pocket to them, I smug and tell them it had just cost me 250 bucks! ;)

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  69. A person is not the brand he wears. Ahh!! so true dear! You are awesome Red! :) <3

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  70. I did not know about brands for the longest time.. But now, for certain things, like makeup, jeans and sports shoes - I opt for brands.. :) But sometimes, the local ones are so amazing.. That you want to pretend that you got it from Paris, and it s a brand there, and then no one questions you :P (I make that up, thank god I went to Paris once :D)

    Also..Espresso?? Really?? I love you even more!

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  71. My favorite jeans has the tag called Molest. I did not know what Molest meant when I first bought it but they are so damn comfortable that I still wear them despite the name tag. Thank fully for me my ass is so big that I can never pull off a short top without being conscious of the jutting ass and hence the molest tag stays hidden at all times. Never plan to dispose that jeans despite the rip it has in the crotch area.

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Spit It Out I Say !!!