Society debate; Culture or modernity

Dress to Kill, don’t mind culture BY IVAN R MUGISHA The most bizarre scene I could possibly see is that of a lady dressed in bark cloth and rubber sandals listening to rock music off her 18GB iPod. Its unnecessary gluing to style in this new millennium simply because we think they are descent. You should dress up simply to the case of cover your body, then I recommend that you also stagnate on the other kinds of developments that affect the world, such as technology. You are not supposed to be tied down to some ancient dress code. You need to develop yourself as times change. The aspect of style and design is one that is very dynamic, young people come up with all sorts of fashion designs to make them look better, to move with the world. This shows that their minds are active, not indecent.Who says that one can’t look smart in a short skirt or a tight jean? I heard that now we have beauty contests, if I may ask, what kind of beauty contests lack a swimsuit display and think they will be pleasurable? I saw very beautiful girls lined up in long dresses covering their toes, cat walking about to be chosen as Miss Rwanda. But the moment the swimsuit hit the runway, the applause was shattering. Thing is, dressing is no longer about simply covering private body parts, but rather looking nice, smart and appealing to people, having it in mind that people’s first impressions always last. So, this business of dressing up like there is no tomorrow is what will keep some Rwandans not just traditionally backward but also left behind in terms of smartness. You are what you dress. If you’re still wearing the nineties outfits because you think that the latest fashion is quite too revealing, you don’t belong in this new generation, there is a point you’re missing. Does it mean that the nineties people also thought that their latest fashions were indecent so they opted for the eighties? Now, how about the eighties? My point is; every generation has its different sweets. Don’t go around shopping for the older version of the sweets because the new ones changed their wrapping. There is a very huge line between being smart and being indecent. You could look through all the nice tops, nice jeans and even trendy office wear which bring out the best of your body curves, without provoking the indecency debate. You shouldn’t be one of the people whose lack of creativity makes them typically look older than they seem. Also, you don’t have to embarrass your friends when you’re invited for a party. While all of them are dressed to kill, there you are! Dressed as if you were invited to some freak show or like someone who has just got out of a time machine to travel to the new generation and didn’t have to go through the necessities of adopting to the new dressing trends. Seriously, sometimes, it’s just a matter of respect that you take care of what you dress. Don’t put your friends into a big fix of having to ignore you at the party. Look trendy in the modern wear, dress those ugly long and old skirts or ugly trousers at your own peril. mugishaivan@yahoo.com Exchanging culture for a few pieces of cloth! Oh no BY LILLIAN NAKAYIMA This nagging teenager, all seated in a taxi with her red G-string peeping through her blue Jeans! Like it was some kind of underwear exhibition! I couldn’t stop but blame the imported cultures for all this. With issues concerning dressing up, Rwandans have been blindly lured into choosing Western styles over their own rich traditional attires. The importing cancer has eaten up the young generation. Morals don’t matter anymore, provided they get a platform to expose their bodies. On the contrary, going traditional via dressing is the best thing that can ever happen to you. The elegance, graceful look and the beauty the Mushanana gives is far incomparable to the funny low-cut jeans that only expose ugly stretch marks to people who are less interested in seeing them. And if I may ask, does it ever cross your mind that it’s the western culture you’re promoting instead of yours? I can never forgive anyone who brings down my valuable culture and traditions. Infact, the courts should try you for there is no bigger treason than this. Watching those drugged movie stars only motivates you to dressup like them! I am sorry for you, you are totally confused and you lack focus. While nations spend fortunes on Rwanda’s local jewelry and traditional wear, you are happily shunning it! Like the Kinyarwanda saying goes, ‘uwambaye ikirezi ntamenya ko kyera’, other words you can never know what you have until you lose it. Mark you, going traditional doesn’t mean wearing bark cloth, we are past that. There are very many distinguished well designed African attires that one can wear and leave a remarkable fashion statement. For example, a ‘kitenge little dress’ with the right accessories gives the natural charm of a princes while too much of Western revealing dresses will only confirm your being a copy cat. No wonder Nigerians develop every second. They make and cherish their own designs. The logic is using what they have to get what they lack. And before we even buy those fake Korean hair pieces, why don’t we opt for having that natural African look? I idolize African models with their natural hair or bald heads and long African home made dresses. You only know that after facing the bitter consequences. Recently a woman, trying hard to be “An American in summertime” almost got herself raped. With her skimpy skirt, she bent over to look through second hand cloths in a market and horny man almost did the unthinkable. And if you are not an ambassador for your culture, who else will be? It’s important that we keep our future generations posted about our culture and the best way to do this is through living it, dressing it and looking it. Or else, goodluck in your ‘copy cat’ endeavors. lillianean@yahoo.com