Designer labels: A waste of money?

During my school days I didn’t know anything about branded clothes or accessories other than for Prada. I knew the brand Prada only because I watched the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. Being a girl who is ignorant about fashion, I couldn’t understand most of the fashion discussions my colleagues had or why they spend so much money on clothes, cosmetics or makeovers when I started working. I was amazed by their knowledge on fashion, cosmetics and branded items. Some of them even knew to name the design of what Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge was wearing when she came out from the hospital with Prince George. I tried to listen to them and learn a few things about fashion and brands including that Duchess of Cambridge was wearing a Polka dot dress on this day. But I failed to understand them and finally decided to give up. However, I didn’t stop eavesdropping.

Hanging out with them, I learnt that some think that the only way to look good and fashionable is to purchase expensive materials- clothing or accessories from a well known, high-class shop. Some tend to pay a lot of money just for the name printed on the cloth’s price tag- its brand. You know how branded goods are expensive. Conversely, people who don’t believe in buying designer brands say some are only paying for the brand names and not for the product and its use. I believe that this statement could be interpreted as right and wrong at the same time depending on the materials they use.

Some may say that one will only be paying for the brand name and that the product is no better than any other. While you are paying in part for the privilege to wear the brand’s name, you are also probably purchasing a product that is high in quality. High quality clothes tend to last long and fit better while giving you the satisfaction of wearing branded clothing. But most of the branded fashion items are not local. Therefore, they are made to tally their customer’s needs and climate but not ours.  As an example, a branded leather jacket from UK or USA would not be suitable for this countries climate.

However, this habit of wearing or using branded material seems to be an attempt of keeping one’s social status.  Wearing designer clothing aligns you with an elite group which includes people who can afford it. Also, only the people who spend money on, or wear designer clothing recognize designer clothing. They can also usually recognize cheap clothing. Sometimes it seems like an endless battle of making each other jealous of their branded clothing, which helps them keep up to their status.

It is true that designer clothing is unique and rare. But you can also fulfill your need with usual clothing along with a little bit of creativity. You can make fashion an art but not a thing to be used to show off some status you do not have. However, if you are a fashion icon or a celebrity, buying and wearing designer clothing can be justified. But it is hard to rationalize why a normal person would spend money on designer clothes and branded items just to come to work. You are coming to your office to work, perform your duties, and showing off your social status cannot be among your duties.

Same goes with the fashion jewelry and other accessories.  A 1,000 rupee wrist watch and a 100,000 rupee wrist watch would read the same time if they are adjusted properly. So, why spend more money? Sri Lanka is still a developing country. There are people suffering who are unable to fulfill their basic needs. There are children deprived of education and there are people who have got only one change of clothes.  There are thousands of classrooms across the country without a wall clock to check the time while you wear an extremely expensive watch which you never use to check the time. You’ve got a sophisticated phone in your hand which helps you to read time. Therefore, you don’t even have to wear a watch.

When you spend too much money on branded expensive goods, think twice whether they are essential to you. See whether you can get another brand for a lower cost. Stop spending money unnecessarily, especially on imported products. Help a poor student to learn, if you think you need to spend this money. Think about the country, think about its future. Spend wisely on meaningful things.

I am just a silly human being

There is a family I know. There are three children in that family and all three were barely adults when both their parents passed away, leaving them stranded, with no proper income. The eldest took the responsibility, got hold of his father’s business. During the funerals, I heard people saying, “Puthalawa deyyo balagani” (God will look after you all). The eldest was an innocent fellow, he couldn’t complete his education.

Yet, he helped his younger brother and sister to continue schooling. He got married young and now he is a father of two. People continued to say, “Baya wenna epa, deyyo ogollonwa balagannawa” (Don’t worry, God is looking after you). He was a fighter. He fought many battles in life as strongly as he could. He too believed that they have the blessing of God. Yet he failed for some unknown reasons. And now everyone blames him, for disorganization, poor plans and silly decisions. No one blames God, who was supposed to look after them. It seems like God is punishing him for something he didn’t do.

I am a powerless human being. I cannot question the almighty God. 

On my way home, I observe the presence of  a handsome young man from a well-to-do family. He has the perfect curls, a pleasant face and a well-built body. As girls pass by, he turns his attention to them as any other boy would do and sometimes he smiles. His smile looks painful for a reason I couldn’t understand for a long time. Later, I knew, his smiles look painful because his smile is all he’s got. He is unable to word his feelings, therefore unable to say ‘hello’, to any of those pretty girls passing by. He is unable to say how much he loves his mother and father. He is even unable to hear the sound of the wind. He does not know what the chirp of a bird sounds like. He cannot listen to a song when he is stressed. He cannot feel the beauty in it.  God gave him all, but forgot to make his tongue and ears active; consequently he cannot speak or hear. I am glad that he cannot hear people calling him deaf and mute.

I feel so powerless. I cannot question God, why he forgot.

I recently visited the Maharagama Cancer Hospital. At the ward, my friend was admitted in, there was a very young boy, not more than 17 years old. Since it was the visiting hour he was surrounded by friends. They were laughing and joking, as if they just got their class interval. The boy looked cheerful as he joined his friends. But there were moments when he was thinking to himself where his smile faded away. I could see his worry and the feeling of uncertainty. “He got blood cancer, recently diagnosed,” our friend, Witha, who was being treated for cancer, told us, I remember. Witha was our friend from the Sub Editors' Department at The Nation. It was our final visit to see Witha, we didn’t know, he passed away two weeks after that visit. We miss him dearly, yet I cannot forget the boy who was lying in the bed in front of him. He has to spend time on a hospital bed, fighting cancer, when he should be hanging out with his friends, having fun.

I am an ordinary human being. I don’t know why God couldn’t notice what I have noticed.

I see and I hear stories how big shots in our country cheat and make unlawful profits. I see and I hear how only a set of people live luxurious lives. I hear stories of poor farmers in my country committing suicide, unable to make money to feed their children. I frequently hear about mothers abandoning their new-born babies, just because they are unable to feed them. As I walk along the streets of Colombo, I see children, who don’t have proper clothes to wear, staring at children travelling in luxury cars wearing colorful clothes. I travel in the bus; I meet beggars, at least one beggar per day, who is trying to find some money to feed his children or to get his mother’s medicine. I go to churches, temples and kovils, where we believe God can hear us and I see homeless people begging for kindness from the devotees. I cannot understand why they were not allowed to have what other people can enjoy.

I am just a silly human being. Who am I to question why God has abandoned them?  

- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/free/item/28679-i-am-just-a-silly-human-being.html#sthash.XKillvEx.dpuf

There is a family I know. There are three children in that family and all three were barely adults when both their parents passed away, leaving them stranded, with no proper income. The eldest took the responsibility, got hold of his father’s business. During the funerals, I heard people saying, “Puthalawa deyyo balagani” (God will look after you all). The eldest was an innocent fellow, he couldn’t complete his education.
Yet, he helped his younger brother and sister to continue schooling. He got married young and now he is a father of two. People continued to say, “Baya wenna epa, deyyo ogollonwa balagannawa” (Don’t worry, God is looking after you). He was a fighter. He fought many battles in life as strongly as he could. He too believed that they have the blessing of God. Yet he failed for some unknown reasons. And now everyone blames him, for disorganization, poor plans and silly decisions. No one blames God, who was supposed to look after them. It seems like God is punishing him for something he didn’t do.
I am a powerless human being. I cannot question the almighty God.
On my way home, I observe the presence of  a handsome young man from a well-to-do family. He has the perfect curls, a pleasant face and a well-built body. As girls pass by, he turns his attention to them as any other boy would do and sometimes he smiles. His smile looks painful for a reason I couldn’t understand for a long time. Later, I knew, his smiles look painful because his smile is all he’s got. He is unable to word his feelings, therefore unable to say ‘hello’, to any of those pretty girls passing by. He is unable to say how much he loves his mother and father. He is even unable to hear the sound of the wind. He does not know what the chirp of a bird sounds like. He cannot listen to a song when he is stressed. He cannot feel the beauty in it.  God gave him all, but forgot to make his tongue and ears active; consequently he cannot speak or hear. I am glad that he cannot hear people calling him deaf and mute.
I feel so powerless. I cannot question God, why he forgot.
I recently visited the Maharagama Cancer Hospital. At the ward, my friend was admitted in, there was a very young boy, not more than 17 years old. Since it was the visiting hour he was surrounded by friends. They were laughing and joking, as if they just got their class interval. The boy looked cheerful as he joined his friends. But there were moments when he was thinking to himself where his smile faded away. I could see his worry and the feeling of uncertainty. “He got blood cancer, recently diagnosed,” our friend, Witha, who was being treated for cancer, told us, I remember. Witha was our friend from the Sub Editors' Department at The Nation. It was our final visit to see Witha, we didn’t know, he passed away two weeks after that visit. We miss him dearly, yet I cannot forget the boy who was lying in the bed in front of him. He has to spend time on a hospital bed, fighting cancer, when he should be hanging out with his friends, having fun.
I am an ordinary human being. I don’t know why God couldn’t notice what I have noticed.
I see and I hear stories how big shots in our country cheat and make unlawful profits. I see and I hear how only a set of people live luxurious lives. I hear stories of poor farmers in my country committing suicide, unable to make money to feed their children. I frequently hear about mothers abandoning their new-born babies, just because they are unable to feed them. As I walk along the streets of Colombo, I see children, who don’t have proper clothes to wear, staring at children travelling in luxury cars wearing colorful clothes. I travel in the bus; I meet beggars, at least one beggar per day, who is trying to find some money to feed his children or to get his mother’s medicine. I go to churches, temples and kovils, where we believe God can hear us and I see homeless people begging for kindness from the devotees. I cannot understand why they were not allowed to have what other people can enjoy.
I am just a silly human being. Who am I to question why God has abandoned them?  
- See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/free/item/28679-i-am-just-a-silly-human-being.html#sthash.XKillvEx.dpuf