Why we buy: Tigers on my sleeves

From a cake on Pinterest to a velvet blazer

I created a folder called Aesthetic on Pinterest. Because I saw a photo that I LOVED for style but I didn’t want to wear it(it was a cake), so it didn’t fit in any of my current fit inspi folders. So there we go, aesthetics it is.

Where it started

Then Pinterest did what Pinterest does. Home feed flooded with related photos. Photo of a woman dressed as a Christmas tree in tulle, added. Photo of a gorgeous woman in a saree. Added. Sequined blazer. Embroidered blazer. Sequined and embroidered blazer. Added, added, and added.

Surely this is still something I like; not something I want to wear, right?

Let me see what’s on the runway currently. Are sequins in? Why am I into it right now? Must be because maximalism is making a return.

No sequins in the usual places. But Gucci has this interesting jacket. Worth following up on. I bet it’s gonna be $$$. Maybe I will get lucky during a Europe visit sometime soon. Tax refunds should make it cheaper; yeah?

Wolf & badger usually has a lot of sequined stuff. Yes! Found it. So much goodness. Nothing appeals. I COULD buy a lot of this. I don’t buy any of it.

Why am I looking g for something I don’t even want? Stop it! I stop it.

Months go by. Every so often I see an image I love on Pinterest that fits only in the Aesthetic folder. I add it to the folder. It’s slowly becoming one of my favorite things to look at.

India trip. Mumbai. I go to the newest mall. Jio something or the other. They did a lot of effort in spelling out French brands. Louis Vuitton is perfect! I discuss with my sister, “who buys this stuff here!” Why buy in India, where it’s so much more expensive than it should be. Surely anyone who can afford this can just go to Europe instead.

I wonder how the mall makes any profit. Maybe they don’t. The brands must be here just for optics. To establish a presence.

There’s a Hermes! Interesting, they decided to sound out the H in the Hindi name. I wonder if it’s easier or harder to get leather goods here.

We have 10 more minutes before the play starts. I see Manish Malhotra. Gorgeous clothes! Good eye candy. I exit the store..

I see Rahul Mishra. Enter store. Eye is immediately drawn to a white shirt with gorgeous sequined hummingbirds. Wow! Do I actually want this? I feel like I want it. No time to try it out. Play is about to start. I’m about to leave, a gorgeous sequined tiger catches my eye. Wow! Ok gotta run, maybe I’ll come back.

Watch the play. Stunning beautiful gorgeous. People are so talented. 3 hours go by fast.

Heading home when I remember the tiger. Head back to Rahul Mishra. I keep looking at the jacket. I see it’s actually a blazer. Surely a velvet blazer with tigers embroidered on the sleeve is not practical. Surely! I try on the shirt with the hummingbirds. STUNNING! The sequins are so gorgeous. The shirt is oversized. But it’s silk. Shiny gorgeous white silk.

How will I keep it clean? Will I get bored? How many times will I wear it? If it’s not a hell yes it’s a no. I turn around to change out of it.

BUT

The blazer. I ask the SA if I can try it on. She wants me to change out of the shirt first. The raglan sleeves won’t fit with this slim blazer and might mess up the hummingbirds. She’s right. I change back into my cami. Try on the blazer.

💯💯💯

It all makes sense. Love at first try on. It’s a velvet blazer. It’s fitted. It has giant tigers embroidered on the sleeve. I love it! It is everything. Hearts in my eyes. It doesn’t feel impractical. It doesn’t feel unnecessary. It feels like my Aesthetic board in a clothing item, tailor made for me.

I have my sister try it on since she’s a different size than me. I want to see how it looks if my body size fluctuates.

Done. I buy the blazer.

We tell my other sister about the blazer on the phone. She wants to see a photo. I don’t have a photo. I check Rahul Mishra’s IG. I find a photo. I send it to her. She asks me why I bought Shahid Kapoor’s blazer. I tell her I’ll wear it to work. She dismisses the idea. She doesn’t get it.

I take the blazer to Bengaluru. I why didn’t I wear the blazer in Mumbai? Mumbai is more dressy than Bengaluru. I missed a chance. Doubt creeps in. Will I really wear this often?

Getting ready for work the next day. I am drawn to the blazer. A tank top, simple jeans; and the blazer. It works. I wear it to work.