In fashion, it’s mix and match; in politics, mix and snatch

Virgie Moreno’s preface for her brother Pitoy’s book reads, "The clothes people wear and keep in their closets disclose their deepest selves. What clothes we put on are what we are." Virgie’s correct, but there are times when the clothes we put on are what we are expected to wear, not what we really like.

We listen to tips from fashion icons about dressing up. Brown and gray if you’re heavy, black and blue, too. To fill up a thin body, use white; red is for tempting, just like the flamenco dancers who look seductive in red and black.

The fair skinned are advised to wear pastel shades. White is recommended for the morena. But whatever we wear, Virgie asserts, "We create stage characters, thereby using costumes as our clothes is a form of escape, like a kabuki dancer."

* * *

There was a time when fashion rules were rigid: There had to be a fluid blend of fabrics, colors, silhouette, and accessories. There were daytime colors and nighttime hues. There were formal fabrics and casual threads. Morning accessories and evening rocks.

Colors should never clash, or else you were derisively branded baryotic. You had to watch the way you accessorized, otherwise you were matronic.

Today, style is out of the box. It is no longer the clothes that make the person but the person who makes the clothes. Norms are out, feelings are in. If it feels good, then it must be right. Denims for evening wear? Why not! Yes. Peasant prints with pearls or diamonds? Wow!

Read my lips: This is today. And with today’s lifestyle, the rules and values of the past are now archaic.

And therein lies what could be troubling about today’s lifestyle. The fact is that today’s rule is that there are no rules. Mix and match. Except more often than not, things don’t match.

And you know why? Because the mixing and matching must start out as a natural progression from a solid, real and sane foundation.

You don’t mix and match for the sake of mixing and matching. You mix and match because you are building from a solid base of good fashion sense, and values. Which is why a dainty denim vanity pouch will go well with Italian linen. But a canvass envelope bag won’t ever go with fluid chiffon.

* * *

This unstructured, non-linear is the mindset of today’s lifestyle. Of course, it goes by many names.

In fashion, it is mix and match.

In business and the corporate world, it is multi-tasking.

In the arts, it is fusion.

In politics, it is mix and snatch.

And speaking of politics…

Take the anti-GMA rally in Makati some Fridays back.

Anti-Marcos, pro-Marcos together.

Anti-Erap, pro-Erap together.

Militant group A, militant group B together.

Anti-Noli, pro-Noli together.

Anti-this, pro-that together.

Sure they were mixing, but were they matching?

Or they were mixing to snatch something… or whatever.

Does that make sense?

Clothes seem easier to decipher than national security.