As the year of 2025 was drawing to a close, the news of French Cinema, and global fashion icon, Brigitte Bardot passing away at the age of 91, came in. The minute I was relayed this news, Bardot’s luscious blond wavy hair, carefully coiffured in tantalizing gold ringlets, her very famous pout, her doe like eyes, her distinct aura, came flashing before my eyes.

But most importantly, her very famous and unmistakable ‘Bardot’ off the shoulder neckline, came first into my mind!

A graceful rebellion in the age of collared necklines; an extension of Bardot’s own personality of the balance between Rebellion & Restraint.

Another French Cinema Icon of the same time, Alain Delon, the mega movie star, cannot be forgotten for his deeply gorgeous good looks, but most importantly, his effortlessly chic French Riviera style.

His unbuttoned shirts, at times knotted, exuded nonchalance about his sensuality, and is copied to this day by models & actors alike.

His razor-sharp tailored trench coats, created a mood board for Spy Movies to be followed.

Closer home, I have often come across, and opined on how each stage, cinema, theatre performer had such a distinct style, that mere uttering of their names, gives us an instant visual mood board of their look.

That, to me, defines style!

An extension of one’s personality. An expression of Individuality.

If I take example of Hindi Cinema, then a Vyajanthimala is very different from a Sadhana, despite both belonging to the same era and industry, and therefore following a 60s template of Fashion.

In Hollywood, and let’s take 80s for a change, Meryl Streep and Michelle Pfeiffer had distinct look and aura, despite ascribing to the similar decade template of Fashion.

The examples can go on & on, outside Cinema to political personalities, famous scientists, designers, and even individuals around us. Everyone followed a template, but added their unique style to it, rooted in their personality.

However, it seems, the newer Information Age has served us so much, so easily, that it is quite possible, it has rendered us dull, unimaginative and/or lazy at finding our unique style.

Maybe the set template has become so much a part of our existence, that fear is governing our actions. Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), or to fall out of a confirmation bias.

For instance, a latest trend in fashion, often popularised by Social Media vehicles, such as Pinterest is, Old Money aesthetic.

It gives you a colour template – Whites, Beiges, Greys, Blacks, Navies, Olives

It gives you the look – Clean & Minimal

It even goes as far as suggesting Vacation rental types, or Café types! And that is followed as religiously, as one’s religious practice might not be followed.

In fact, let me take the liberty to go so far as to opine, that today, there might be more individual expression in religious practices and rituals, than in Fashion, Travel, Table layout etc., that were actually individual expressions, to begin with.

Any store, even Fast Fashion, can provide attires to suit the “Old Money” template.

Any one can dress up like the Great Gatsby, despite not actually hailing from Old Money.

I will not even delve in how very problematic and elitist the term is, with respect to Fashion; I will only delve into the why of it. The mindless application despite not really being at the same place as the expression is!

If you come from an established, legacy family, then being comfortable with Heirlooms, having a certain air of nonchalance, will come naturally, as an extension. Its ease will reflect in your style in a more organic manner, outside of a Pinterest template.

If you have made it as first generation, there is a certain sense of achievement, that you will naturally wish to celebrate. Your dressing, will therefore be more Bold, more assertive, it will announce your arrival. It is an organic development.

Must you then stick to neutral palettes, just because Old Money aesthetic is trending?

This also will not mean that one will OD on brand logos; but the choice of colour palette, clothing and accessories can be bolder.

Graceful nonchalance or Assertive nonchalance; Stylishly unkempt or Effortlessly sharp – what will happen to these interesting extensions of one’s personality, that tantalise the mind of observers via Fashion, the expression of mind using Wearable Art?!

How will our unique journeys, write our unique stories, if we all follow a strict template, and create a sense of fear in expressing ourselves?

As a designer, I reject the pressure, to conform to a Pantone Colour of the Year.

The colours of Meiraas, will always be an extension of our unique expression & mood board. Its our own World that we create, using our unique reveries – Noir, Summer Place, Tulip Royale, et al.

Our patrons who choose them, identify with them, not merely for colour, but for its impression on them.

Can conforming to a Colour of the Year draw them in, with the same verve?

And yet, I often see, designers and pages lining up to create a whole collection, or at least one design in the Colour of the Year, as it helps their social media page trend.

The result is, each page looking like the other, and eventually getting lost in the ever-increasing multitude of commerce.

Can chasing trends create a Classic?

Were Art movements created via chasing trends?

Did seminal film making conform to a formula?

Fashion is one of the primary windows of Artistic Expression of an Individual Mind.

How will it stand out & create Paradigm shifts, if it more worried to Trend via a set Template?

Just like overdose of Minimal design killed Art (read this blog post), conforming to a set template will kill Expression.

• The author of this blog post is the founder of meiraas.com . These are strictly her personal views on Style & Fashion as a medium of Individual Expression. She has been into the field of design for almost a decade now. All images in the post are courtesy Internet search. The word Pinterest has been used as a popular expression for Social Media in general. This post does not aim to slander the image of any one Social Media handle, that facilitate many search projects and ease the research work for many blog posts, including this.