This year I moved in with three other girls in a share house. I previously lived with a Singaporean girl who shared my love for fashion, clothes and drama (Asian that is). Whenever either one of us went shopping we would arrive home and do a mini catwalk to showcase our buys. It led to hilarious times.
I was reminded of this the other day when I met her in uni before one of my exams. The first thing she said when she saw me was: ‘You’re wearing those shoes?!’. The shoes she was referring to have a history. I think everyone has a memory of walking into a shop (either clothes or shoes) and seeing something you like and its like the whole shop is suddenly filled with darkness and a light beams onto the item and you could almost hear it calling you: buy me…….buy me…… (ok this may be a bit overly dramatic but you get what I mean). That was what happened as I walked through Indooroopilly Shopping Centre one lazy afternoon and idly walking into Pulp (unfortunately this was last year so they are no longer being sold) and these shoes called out to me.
Now I know they are unique and they are times when I am not confident enough to base a buy on a unique item on my judgment alone. So I went home and consulted my trusted fashion sister-in-arms. She didn’t like them at all (I showed her the picture from the website). Not being one to take no for an answer, I proceeded to ask all my trusted friends their opinion. Unfortunately this was one of those times when every single one of them didn’t like it. But the shoes kept on calling out to me, so I went against everyone’s opinion and bought them anyway!
Now I don’t do that normally. I mean if one friend says its not nice, they may be wrong, but if all friends say its not nice, it really isn’t nice. Though I had bought them, I didn’t wear them often because everytime I did, I would get the comments from my friends. Until one day when I came home, Vanessa (My former housemate) had left one of her magazines (emphasis on her- its a disclaimer because I do not read let alone own magazines, not that there is anything wrong with doing that if you do) on the table. And it happened to be on a page with a photo of Rihanna at the airport before leaving Australia after her tour. I was diligent enough to find that photo online
so you have a visual. And if I can be so kind as to direct your eyes to her feet you would see that the pair of shoes she is wearing are the same as mine (albeit in gold and most probably a couple of hundred dollars more expensive). Now upon noticing this, I think the best way of describing my feeling is a phrase another friend of mine uses in similar situations: IN YOUR FACE! I have never and will never let Vanessa live it down. The one pair of shoes she didn’t like end up on Rihanna (and she apparently bought them in Australia but I couldn’t find out where). So now I wear the shoes with pride and confidence knowing that even if you don’t like it, somebody famous does- take that!
But it must be mentioned that on other occassions where my friends have lovingly told me ‘Naomie that looks horrible’ I have heeded their advice. Because let’s face it, as much as we love that particular item, our eyesight is not the most reliable because like I said before, the whole shop becomes filled with darkness and the only light is shining on our beloved item. On the same day that I met Vanessa (and this whole story began) I had seen a chick dressed in a forest green top, blue skirt (not jeans and somewhere in between sky and navy), purple opaque tights and yellow flats. Two thoughts crossed my mind when I saw that; Either you are extremely self confident and ecsentric or you are colour blind. But it is a plain example of not heeding friend’s advice on clothes (or having friends who dress the same).
So heed the advice of friends…….
I would love to hear your own stories of either being the friend who lovingly said ‘Yes it does make your ass look big’ or the one who humbly receives the advice. Or even those of you who like me had the joy of saying ‘In your face!’.
♣DRM, Mimi
