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Spectator by Seema Goswami: Turn the other chic
Solo lunches. Repeating outfits. Minding your own business. Turns out, the chicest things in life are actually the simplest
Nobody is quite sure who set it off, but the Kinda Chic trend has taken over social media over the last month or so. On Instagram and TikTok, this means posting a video, a picture, or a carousel of images with the words Kinda Chic superimposed in yellow. The way it works – to my mind, at least – is that influencers, celebrities and bog-standard social-media users like you and me, find flattering images of ourselves, our holidays, our homes, our workouts, our environment, and then find some way of making them seem kinda chic.
Well, I don’t have the imperative of finding a flattering image (or images) but I thought I would devote my column this week on what I find kinda chic. So, here goes…
· It’s kinda chic to not care about what other people think or say about you. You think I am a bit of a snob? You believe that my wardrobe could do with a complete overhaul? You are convinced that I have had work done? You don’t really like my writing style? Well, that’s your opinion, and your opinion is really no concern of mine.
· In a world where nail extensions, acrylic nails, and nail art are all the rage, it’s kinda chic to keep your nails (both on your feet and hands) clipped short and free of any varnish. Let them breathe without layers of polish suffocating them, and in no time at all, they will look a healthy pink – much nicer than that lurid red you used to rely on.
· It’s kinda chic to take yourself out for a little treat now and then. It could be something as simple as a walk in a park. It could be the movie you’ve been dying to see on the big screen. It could even be lunch/dinner at the neighbourhood bistro. There is something soul-fulfilling about doing something solely for yourself – and by yourself.
· At a time when disposable fashion is simpering and pirouetting all around you, it’s kinda chic to wear stuff that you bought a decade (or two) ago. It could be a sari you inherited from your mother. It could be a dress that you bought with your first salary. It could be a handbag your husband gifted you on a significant birthday. There is something uplifting about having things in your wardrobe that have a history – and a certain significance for you.
· Last but not least, it’s kinda chic to be able to look after yourself, instead of relying on parents, spouses, or indeed staff, to do everything for you. It’s kinda chic to be able to deal with your bank accounts and financial affairs on your own. It’s kinda chic to be able to cook well enough to feed yourself breakfast, lunch and dinner. And it is certainly kinda chic to be able to run the household on your own, from operating the washing machine and dishwasher to making your own bed in the morning. Self-sufficiency, if you ask me, is the ultimate in chicness.
From HT Brunch, August 22, 2026
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