Spectator by Seema Goswami: The imitation game

It’s an odd but undeniable trait. Why do we mimic how people around us dress?

Last week, at an event to felicitate a visiting celebrity chef in Delhi, I found it hard to take my eyes off his shoes. They were standard Converse sneakers, but in a very non-standard colour of parrot green, set off by gleaming white laces, and perfectly embodied his iconoclastic image in the food world. But even as I was admiring them, my eyes were drawn to his staff, following in his wake. Each one of them was wearing the same kind of sneakers, in colours ranging from sherbet pink to bright red. Clearly, this was a look that the team, following literally in the footsteps of the master, had adopted, presenting a united (in footwear at least) front to the world.

From blonde highlights to short hemlines, similar colours and patterns, groups of friends tend to dress alike. It’s a trend visible on reality shows such as The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. (@netflixindia)

People in the workplace conform to unwritten dress codes so as to not stand out from the crowd. If the boss rocks a suit with conservative shoes, that becomes de rigueur office wear, as in the 2009 film Rocket Singh.

And it’s not just the ladies. The same sort of uniformity can be seen in groups of men as well. If one of them is in a suit, then the others will be just as formally attired. If they are wearing collared T-shirts with jeans, then the look will be adopted by the whole group. It’s almost as if there is a tacit understanding that they must present a united front to the world with a similar choice of outfit.