Skip to my loo: Why #bathroomselfie is trending in Bengaluru

Why #bathroomselfie is trending in Bengaluru

The allure of the bathroom selfie is undeniable. A seemingly mundane space, the bathroom has become a playground for self-celebration and camaraderie. The #bathroomselfie, with its own popular hashtag on social media is driving restaurants and pubs in Bengaluru to carefully consider what they put into this once functional-only element. The selfie snappers and the spaces feed off each other.

Nineteen-year-old Trisha, a degree student at Mount Carmel College and a Gen Z flag bearer breaks down this undying trend and elaborates on the nitty-gritty of the bathroom selfie ritual. The bathroom must be clean, with neutral colours and if there is art work on the walls, even better. The rule is you must take a bathroom selfie every time you go to a restaurant or pub.

“In general, we may or may not post on SM (social media),” says Trisha. “It is mostly for memory’s sake, a ritual. If you have a great bathroom selfie, it goes as an Instagram story; not on the grid. The not-so-great ones go into Snapchat, to maintain the posting streak. We take about 30 bathroom selfies in the group. Whoever has the fancy high-end phone with a great camera takes the photos, and posts them on the Whatsapp group, filtering them down to the best two or three.” Shy people prefer the individual bathroom selfie, because often you can cover your face strategically, says Trisha.

Busy-looking bold-patterned tiles, ceiling mirrors, mirrors on the doors, cloudy, off-white walls, luxe Victorian framed mirrors, ceramic white-and-blue hand-painted sinks and light fixtures from Europe, a proper powder room, and curtains! These are just some of the elements that come together to make the elegant women’s washroom at Lupa, the European restaurant on MG Road that marries Tuscan design sensibilities and Bengaluru’s colonial bungalows. Jatin Hukkeri, the architect, says they wanted the washroom to be different from any other in the city.

“Washrooms have been the most ignored parts of a restaurant. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, all restaurants used to have nice-looking loos. I thought we should pay attention to make the washrooms really nice, voluminous and give them an edge. We worked within the space constraints to have a small parlour, so ladies can also spruce up before stepping out.” He believes the comfy and cosy feel comes with the addition of curtains, and layers the space softly, adding character in a minimalistic manner. The checkered portrait mirror at the end of the corridor has become the focus point for selfies.

Are these fleeting moments of vanity and narcissism? Self-expression, self-indulgence, or self-appreciation? Bathed in an inviting yellow glow of the ambient bathroom light, the restroom becomes a personal sanctuary where one can document their best appearances and showcase those carefully-crafted looks.

Image consultant Rinku Naren says decked-up restrooms with great backgrounds automatically make you and your pictures look more aesthetic and intimate, compared to those taken in a crowded restaurant. “Mirrors in bathrooms allow you to review yourself, and in our own heads we look better when we can see ourselves. These spaces offer privacy and women are a lot less self-conscious when not being judged by others. We tend to come across as more confident in these pictures.”