Essential Props

In a world where appearances count more than anything else it is not unusual for people to adopt certain looks to convey a particular image. Apart from the clothes that can create a persona, as most fashion gurus will say, it is the array of accessories that complete the look one is aiming for. Thus the insane amount of money spent on clutches, watches, belts, earrings, scarves and even tie pins of certain brands and the less insane amounts spent on their cheaper versions.
Besides the dictates of the fashion police there are other accessories that work as props to make a person look a certain way.
Cell phones are the most crucial of props that show that the person is well connected, has friends and is in constant demand. Which is why in a public place, there are individuals who will loudly give out instructions on the cell phone or berate someone with expletives for not getting the job done. It is to show their position of power.
Cell phones are also good props when one is in awkward situations: in the lift when the trip with strangers seems painfully long; at a reception where there is absolutely no one you know or has the decency to come up and talk to you; while waiting at an office, clinic or airport lounge – to avoid 'nosy stranger chitchat'. In these situations these devices are like those stuffy secretaries who icily announce: “the boss has absolutely no time at all today, thank you.”
Laptop bags have become the biggest image creators of all time. Usually black and not particularly stylish, they give off the aura of efficiency, modernity, preoccupation and of course, importance. It does not matter if there is no real laptop inside – you could very well be carrying dirty clothes for laundry or your measly lunch – the idea is that it should look filled with important stuff. In the old days it was the ubiquitous black or brown briefcase that was an essential accessory for lawyers, doctors, businessmen and just a way to show one had an office to go to. The laptop is an evolution of this square-ish contraption.
Sunglasses are less used for the protection against UV rays and more for the look of inaccessible-yet-stylish look. Celebrities naively use them as disguises though no one is fooled especially the scoop-hungry paparazzi. For some normal people, sunglasses are a way to keep a distance from the public and to give that mysterious aura that they may have celebrity status. Others use it to avoid eye contact, to hide hangovers and conjunctivitis or simply as a way to distract people from their general shabbiness.
Backpacks are crucial for young people who actually have books to carry or are off on a trekking trip. But because of these very uses, people of all ages use backpacks as they exude youthfulness, stamina and a sense of purpose in life.
We all know why women wear rings – because they are pretty, to show that they are taken, to tell people that their husbands are extremely wealthy or because they want to show off their French manicures. Men on the other hand, have less obvious reasons for wearing rings. Often it is at the explicit or implicit insistence of their wives/girlfriends to avoid 'unnecessary' attention from single females. Others are conned into wearing astrologically determined rings that cost thousands but have very little aesthetic value. What image do they convey? Spirituality? Wealth? Who knows!
Sparkling brooches, elaborate headgear, flashy designer bag, glittering jewellery and extra layers of foundation are essential accessories for some women to conjure that rich but religious, elite but morally upright look.
Spectacles seem to make people look intelligent even if they are not. This is why even those annoying characters with 20-20 vision wear glasses. Glasses give off an image of smartness, efficiency and sometimes even sexiness. People tend to treat spectacled individuals with more respect, assuming that they are knowledgeable and well read.
Whether it is the cloth sack that gives off that activist-intellectual persona or the pointed boat shoes that have the 'corporate and upwardly mobile' tag – accessories are like props in a play creating the illusion of the desired image.