The winter vacations are finally over and most Gurgaonites have settled back to old routine in the New year. The most terrible thing about getting back to Gurgaon at this time is that the weather is always worse than it was when you left the place. Actually, this holds true for any break you take from Gurgaon unless one leaves in May and resurfaces only in end October.
I am not good with winters, especially the bone chilling, finger freezing kind. My winters usually don’t start off too well. There is the initial pain of extracting the winter wardrobe. Box beds need to be opened up, suitcases need to hefted from the lofts, blankets need to be unearthed from the store. Then, the tedious process of stuffing the summer clothes into containers that now seem too small to hold them, the groaning over the child’s winter clothing which seems to have magically shrunk within eight months, the moaning over last season’s unwise purchase of a shaggy sweater which looks like an atrocity committed on a small hirsute mammal, the sympathetic clucking over the mysterious loss of the husband’s antique woolly socks, the surreptitious chucking of said woolly socks into the garbage bag. There is a complicated rhythm to the whole process which makes me wish that we could be like bears-just eat a whole lot, sleep through the cold and wake up when it spring.
However, the season does have its sartorial advantages which bears can never dream of. Like Boots.
No where else in India, apart from Gurgaon, can one wear boots to the super market. Ah, the joy of boots- thigh boots, ankle boots, suede boots, leather boots, brown, black, leopard print and purple boots, buckled boots..There is a cornucopia of boots to choose from. Boots hide fat legs, shape skinny legs, keep all kinds of legs warm and look cool. While my friends in other places have to contend with the same old sandals and slippers, I can slip on a pair of Ugg rip offs and head to Galleria for some daily shopping. There is a whole shoe closet that others lose out on.
I am not much of a fashionista and usually end up choosing comfort over style-more classic conservative than contemporary chic. But winter gives me a chance to channel my inner Chanel. Apart from boots, I can experiment with esoteric accessories like leg warmers, ear muffs and fingerless crocheted gloves. I can do the corporate look better with a nice pin striped suit instead of a salwar suit at work. There is a whole range of scarves, stoles and mufflers which in various permutations and combinations can give a new look to the same old outfits.
I am not talking about clothes merely from a superficial fashion consciousness. Winter clothing is also great for our self esteem. Men can hide their paunch under a loose sweatshirt, the bald head under a monkey cap and pass off for nearly handsome. Thin men can look bulky in heavy jackets and heavy men can look bulkier even in light jackets and feel good about looking bigger than they actually are. Since
they don’t have the option of lounging around in shorts, rubber slippers and grungy T shirts, the guys look less sloppy and smarter than they actually are. Kids look cuter in winter wear. Even the most weight challenged child looks adorable when accessorized in a pink pom pommed cap and matching mittens.Women have a wonderful invention called shawl. The multipurpose shawl can be worn in many ways. When it is very cold, a thick one can be used to protect the head and ears like a hood. Somewhat cold, wrap it around your shoulders. If it is getting a little warm, wear it around your neck like a scarf. Even the staid Auntiejis appear like beautiful birds, flapping around in colorful pashminas. I love the strategically positioned stole draped around the neck that can camouflage the after effects of a heavy parantha lunch. My skinny friends love the idea of wearing mini skirts with stockings which will show off the figure without showing the skin. Environmentally conscious friends love the faux fur coats and animal print jackets.
Everyone can find many things to love about winter wear. It is one of things that keeps the season from wearing us down.
