I don’t know what to do with all these Sarees that I have locked up in the basement here in Plymouth and at home, in India. In the spirit of minimalism, I needed to wear them, or donate them.
I had often been stymied by ‘finding occasions’ for Sarees because it’s easy to get stuck in that zone. I live outside of India, and Sarees can appear overbearing, especially because I don’t need my clothes to talk more than me in a meeting. This feeling, however, has shifted in me. Beyond barriers like, it’s a snowstorm and a Saree is a bad idea, I feel a little liberated as a mother. Why do I need to care about how others view my clothes? I need to wear what I enjoy. For this reason, beginning a Saree a week project seems to be the right thing to do! I feel excited, and here’s how I have begun…
The Saree Project: Draping Styles
The Nivi style is the only one that I’ve worn Sarees in. I intend to now learn other styles, and wear Sarees in 52 draping styles for the purposes of this project. I’m also going to liberate the blouses, shoes and accessories, and make it easy, to re-use what I already have available in my closet, or build using pieces that can be worn more frequently.
I am amazed at some draping styles that look like dresses/ skirts. It almost feels like I’d never want to buy a dress again. A Saree is amazingly forgiving and is a new outfit depending on how you Drape or accessorize it. It keeps on giving for a long time, and doesn’t have to change in sizes pre/post life changes like a baby. Using handwoven materials from brands that care about artisans, and help push for sustainability, it’s perfect with my current personal mood.
Week #1, October 27th, 2019: Nivi Saree Drape
View this post on InstagramSaree project, Week 1/52: for a while now, I’ve wanted to wear sarees regularly, but somehow I needed baby to come so that I’d remember that he needs to see me in a saree to know what ma ka anchal means Sarees are unusually forgiving no matter what size you are, they drape well on all body types. Sarees remind me of home and mom who religiously wore them to work, each day. There are 80-100 types of drapes for a saree in various parts of India. The Nivi Drape is the most popular and is glamorized in media. I don’t like all drape styles but I’ll try 52, one each for the week, starting this #Diwali. Saree: this saree has #warli prints on the pallu and pleats. It’s not something to wear in the #Michiganfall but we had an unusually warm day yesterday so I gave it a try. It’s definitely better suited for the summer. The Khesh fabric is upcycled. This is old school handloom and was started by Ravindranath Tagore in Bengal. The blouse as well as the saree are from @suta_bombay. Photo: @dushyantw #saree #sareedraping #sareelovers #sareenotsorry #sareesinmichigan #indianclothes #sustainablefashion #handloomsarees #handloom #indiandesigners #nostalgic #sareelove #inspired #newmama
This post first appeared on Someplace Else - Personal | Culture | Travel | Blo, please read the originial post: here
