Fashion

Simple is my sense of fashion and I try to keep it that way in my daily life – work, household and outdoors. In other words what I wear is to a certain extent a reflection of both my character and life style.

 

I believe I am an easy going person or at least that is what I desire to be and I am also a person who loves freedom in all its expressions in life. And I do not mean freedom to do whatever I like but freedom to do what I ought to do.

 

Therefore what I wear should not make me feel trapped or as uncomfortable as the saying around here goes that smartness knows no weather. In other words one could be in a three piece suit even under scorching heat. I could entertain a degree of discomfort if I must but I cannot put up with anything just to seen to be smartly dressed.

 

Very often I go for simple trousers or jeans and plain or stripped shirts; short or long sleeved and if the weather is hot or the work environment is little dirty, I fold up my sleeves. It does not matter whether I am on or without a necktie. I rarely wear suits but I could show up in one at church, job interview or a dear friend’s wedding if he or she insist or at a clinic when I am sick and the weather is cold. I had to be in a suit when I officially met my in-laws.

 

What I call simple, though, has not been that simple to some folks. Take for instance my choice of wedding dress that I thought was simple fashionable and comfortable for the December heat here in Uganda.

 

“This is the epitome of fashion”, said my supervisor on arrival at the church on my wedding day. She inquired if the New Vision (the organization that I work for) fashion columnist was present at the wedding, alas she was not. She told me later on that whatever she saw at the wedding spoke about me.

 

 I do not know exactly what she meant by that statement but I believe that it was at least something about my character, lifestyle of fashion sense. Therefore if she perceives me as a simple person then what she saw reflected that simplicity or if like some of my colleagues she perceives me as somebody who likes good things then that is what it reflected.

 

Well, there are people who say that I am a complicated person and that complex character is what they saw on my wedding day: “African wear for a wedding and a bride without a veil and a crown? That is unthinkable and unheard of,” said the video cameraman. But I thought of it and did it and it was there for all to see.