THE BASIC CHIC
The basic chic…
Where did this slang come from?
I have heard this term being used to describe other ladies and to be sincere it had only been used by the typical “mean girls”. We all have one or two of them in our social circle. You know those chics that seem to have done well for themselves and overnight develop that “you can’t sit with us” attitude? Yes those ones!
I can recall one of those cringe worthy moments I first heard that term being used. I was at an event and I was seated with some ladies. I just met them and you know how it is when a few of their friends walked up to them to say hello. Well after just about an hour of sitting with them and getting to know them I was able to identify the queen bee of the group and this one came with the fakest and most confused accent of them all (a mixture of American and British accent topped up with our Yoruba “h factor”- at least we had that in common).
A lady walked up to them to say hello but everyone responded pleasantly except Aunty Queen Bee who just simply looked away. The lady in question practically scampered away, and everyone at the table kept quiet, after a few minutes, one of the girls was composed enough to ask “Aunty Queen B” why she snubbed the girl, and her answer left me confused and angry at the same time.
Her response was and I quote “That girl is a basic chic now! Did you see the bag she was carrying, a knock off LV bag, and she wants to feel among”
My confusion and anger turned into total repulsion and I excused myself from the table and joined another one with a free chair. I refuse to be judged or associated with based on material things I own. I have my standards as regards people I chose to associate with and the bar is definitely not set by the amount of money in your bank account or the brand name of your purse. Whatever happened to the richness of a person’s mind, values, morals, and a kind heart! I just can’t deal.
Anyway, here I was writing a piece on mediocrity, and a Facebook notification got me thinking about that incident and I did a detour and started this piece on “the basic chic” The Facebook notification was a comment to a post via my Instagram feed, and when I checked it, it was a comment by someone, and all the person had to say was “Jack of all trades”.
My first reaction was anger, I was not angry she called me a jack of all trades, I was angry she did not complete that phrase with what I chose to be. You see, she was right; I am a Jack of all trades-Master of all. I have an enviable career with a top oil and gas firm, I built my fashion retail business from nothing and I can proudly say it is doing well enough to cater for the salaries of some people I know *side eyes, and now I am blogging amongst several other things. All of these things I have always dreamt of doing even though when I was little I thought I was going to have to choose one of them, I never for a million years thought I would have been able to juggle.
I dare not succumb to society’s definition of whom and what I should be, a reliance on a 9 to 5 job will have my mother rolling in her grave. I know everyone says this, but I was raised by the most awesome woman that ever lived. Not only in terms of the values she instilled in me, she was a serial entrepreneur. A civil servant in the 80’s who was owed salaries for several months, raised 6 kids on her own from one small soap making business inside our home, to a local eatery, then a salon and finally a thriving event management rental business that outlived her.
And then it struck me! I finally had my definition of what a basic chic is.
A basic chic is that dreamer who for the fear of failure will not go after her dreams.
A basic chic is that girl would love to join the lekki-Ikoyi bridge jogging crew for whatever reason, but is scared of being labelled “desperate”.
A basic chic is that person who for the fear of being labelled “you like money” will not give her entrepreneurial streak a chance, but will stick to that 9-5 jobs she totally hates.
A basic chic is that person who would rather be a home maker but is too scared to go for it, not because her husband won’t support her, but because she is worried about what people will say.
A basic chic is that person who wants to build a professional career but will not put in a few hours overtime, because she doesn’t want her colleagues to think she is trying to please the boss.
In summary, a basic chic is not that girl that wears little or no make-up, it isn’t that girl with the “Guggi” wristwatch or knock-off LV bag! She is “anyone” who does not have a mind of her own and allows society or a few people dictate what is acceptable and what the norm is.
So this piece is for all the basic chics out there, you were born original, don’t die a copy! Chart your own course, set your own limits and remember; you are only in competition with that image staring back at you in the mirror.
Signing out! Or should I say *drops mic*
