MUMBAI: For Somy Ali, fashion is completely contingent upon what one is partaking in and what one feels comfortable wearing no matter what. The actor turned humanitarian, who now runs her NGO, No More Tears, explains why fashion means different things to her.
 
“My statement about fashion may seem contradictory, but that's mainly because I might be attending a dressy event which literally happened a few months ago and I had to rush off when the police called me and said I was required to be at the ICU for a child who had been raped and the mother only spoke Hindi. So, for me, it's all about where I am going and what kind of event I am attending. Call me vain, but I do enjoy getting dressed up because the majority of the time I never get to be glamorous due to my NGO. Hence, when I am working in the field hands-on, I am always in jeans and a T-shirt,” she says.
 
Fashion trends change every season. “I have never and still don't know about the trends nor do I make an attempt to conduct research on what's in and what's out pertaining to fashion per se. However, when I am at the mall, I buy what I feel looks good on me. When I am participating in magazine photo shoots the clothes are always provided to me along with the accessories,” adds Somy, whose comfort clothes are pyjamas.  
 
“Believe it or not, if society wouldn't deem me completely unprofessional and insane, I would have a closet filled with pajamas. Thus, what one would wear to bed is my comfort attire,” she states.

Ask if she gets an acting offer, would she be comfortable playing a character whose fashion sense is completely opposite to hers. “Absolutely, one has to or else the audience is highly likely to see you as a complete farce and no matter how well your performance is, if your character is not dressed in accordance to the role it's given the viewers are going to catch on in no time and you will look highly unconvincing as a performer,” she answers.
 
At times, characters look very different and the actor is expected to dress up like the character in all public appearances until the show is on. Reacting, Somy adds, “I would typically laugh it off as no matter what a celebrity wears or does they will be judged inevitably. And now with social media reigning our world, people are likely to comment on your every move let alone what one is wearing on a specific occasion. If there were a barometer of what and where our earth’s inhabitants spend all their time, it would definitely be very high on social media whether it's Generation Z or anyone who has access to the internet.”
 
People, at times, go overboard while following fashion trends. “That's not my place to say because I don't like to sit on the judging board. I don't really care what one wears or how much or little one wears. That is none of my business and totally not my prerogative. Also, if one feels comfortable and is confident in what he/she wears, why is that bothersome to us is something that truly baffles me,” says Somy, who would choose a nice black cocktail dress for a date night.
 
“One can never go wrong with a nice chic black dress,” she smiles.
 
So, what do you look at while deciding what to wear? “For me, it's how I feel when I look at myself in the mirror and of course I always dress according to what kind of event I will be attending. That is definitely something I pay attention to when it comes to fashion,” she ends.