Casual Chic

”It’s really what this multi-billion dollar business is all about — inner beauty!” The sarcasm didn’t escape me and the words endlessly rang in my cochlea, haunting me like a personal poltergeist. Those words, of course, were uttered by Nigel, the creative director of Runway in the hard to miss, sinfully funny movie The Devil Wears Prada based on the best selling novel of the same title by Lauren Weisberger. But then again, I’m definite that Louise Brooks adhered to the inner beauty mantra and if she sauntered into a room full of people in her usual garb, it would scream — Halloween!

So options are a necessity. And the blaring sign of the times called for a relaxed attitude. The occasional corset, feathers and chiffon, (while so belle epoch but can still be contemporary) belong to the party scene when one wants a grand entrance. And really now, it’s hard to climb the corporate ladder in your corset so might as well stick to the casuals. But that doesn’t mean not caring what you put on your back. The necessities can be decoded into a few pieces. A big help in decoding casual chic is the hip retail line What A Girl Wants. Here are the de rigueur linen tube dresses in vibrant color, cotton blend vest in neutral hues, chiffon tops in pastels, a top with a twist like a floral halter and a cowl two way top, black skirt, a cardigan in a strong shade, a tailored pair of trousers, a more relaxed clam diggers and a button down shirt in linen.

With those few pieces, one is armed in surviving 2008 without looking like a hag or worse, a fashion victim. And for those who have a strong indifference to fashion, perhaps you are blithely aware of the fact that even though you made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry, you’re actually wearing something that was selected for you by the fashion cognoscenti indirectly.