We all know that clothes do not define who we are. What you choose to wear at your own liberty and free-will is not an indication of your personality (something many of us often forget). Zara Noor Abbas recently took to social media to discuss how she was sick of being dressed a certain way in the characters she portrays on-screen. In her long captioned post, she gave the impression to many of her followers that essentially ‘you are what you wear.’
Zara posted two Instagram photos where she was wearing a red pantsuit with a black top in two photos:
She said, “usually I am dressed as a damsel in distress who is usually playing the character of an innocent girl trapped up in the Alcatraz of ‘zulm.”
She went onto say how she was stuck in a repetitive cycle helmed by playing lamentable characters, either “working as a house lady” or “running around the city to make ends meet for her disabled brother,” before saying that “eventually a part of me also became that.”
The actress then said that “eventually a part of me also became that and this shoot looked to me to different because in these pictures I look like MYSELF.”
She thanked the team behind the shoot for finally meeting herself “after a long time.” Here is her full statement:
The time this photoshoot came out yesterday and i looked at it, immediately i thought to myself that oh, i dont really look how i usually look. ‘ Usually ‘ was the key word. Usually i am dressed as a damsel in distress who is usually playing a character of an innocent girl trapped up in the alcatraz of ‘ Zulm ‘
Usually i am dressed as a weak human being who cant speak up for herself. Who is working as a house lady. Or beaten by her lover. Or running around the city to make ends meet for her disabled brother and unwell neice for lots of pity. Eventually, a part of me also became that and this shoot looked to me too different because in these pictures i look like MYSELF.
The woman who i believe in. Who is strong. Confident. Knows self worth. Respects self love. The woman my father and mother taught me to be. The woman my husband sees in me. The woman i forgot about. In this chaos of work and life. In this survival of the fittest. In the routine. The monotony. I forgot myself.
Thanks to Jaffar, Amal, Bryan, Nida and Maida who made this shoot happen. I met myself after a long time.
So if anyone out there is going on and on with life. Stop!! Look at yourself in the mirror and remind yourself of why you started all of this in the beginning.
Remind yourself of WHO YOU ARE?
OR remind yourself to KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! Just before anyone else does.
While the statement is a little ambiguous, many took this post in a negative manner and condemned Zara for implying that strength is defined by the clothes she was wearing.
Users lashed out and said that Zara was “bring[ing] other women down.”
Many said you can be just as strong in a shalwar kameez.
Many were disappointed in Zara’s choice of words.
They emphasized that “strong and empowered women can come from ALL CULTURES.”
This user said that wearing western wear doesn’t define success or self-confidence.
What are your thoughts on Zara’s post? Here’s the original post:
Zara Noor Abbas Just Revealed How Her Husband Proposed To Her With Sajal And Asim Azhar As Witnesses
These Models Made A Video Mocking Zara Noor Abbas’s Runway Walk And She Just Shut Them Up