The charm of Indian fashion.
A long time ago in India, men and women used to wear a piece of fabric to cover their lower bodies and women used to be bare-chested. women fashion changed from British Raj. Blouse and Petticoat were added to Indian women attire. Sometimes shirts were also be used as a blouse with a saree. By the time Indian fashion for women changed a lot for good. However, we are not here to talk about history because I am so thrilled about the traditional clothing we have in the present day, today we are freer to experiment with clothing than ever before, at least in the cities. There are many designers who have liberated traditional clothing very beautifully. However, Indian traditional clothing is already very liberated in my opinion and India has been a home for grace, elegance and delicacy for ages now, even when it comes to women’s clothing.
It all started with a piece of fabric: Every Indian knows what I am going to drool over here, “Saree”. This piece of cloth can be worn in so many ways in different cultures in India and win hearts even when worn internationally. Saree is made in so many fabrics that sometimes defines the culture you are from, in the country. Southern parts of India is famous for the Kanjivaram silk saree, the Nauvari saree is the symbol of the state Maharashtra, Bandhani in Gujrat and Bandhej in Rajasthan is a type of printed saree that is a symbol of good fortune, Bengal has a white saree with a red border is one of my favourites. Cotton, Chiffon and Silk sarees are delicately feminine and elegant personified. The list goes on. We have progressed a lot in saree fashion. There are lots of designs available in the market for blouses, and petticoats are available also as shapewear under the saree. The piece of garment has been considered feminine, elegant and graceful for ages now. When I was a kid, I was a tomboy and my mother used to be very upset about it because she always wanted a girl who is elegant and graceful just like her, and I wasn’t even close. I grew up with four brothers and I was always trying to fit in, so they let me play with them. However, we grow up taking the essence of what we see. Now I enjoy Indian clothing so much, sometimes I cannot believe it myself. Also, I grew up in a small town of Madhya Pradesh and small-town people know the places where actually it comes from and you don’t need to spend a fortune to buy a beautiful saree from a designer or a brand unless they are making something really exceptional like the colour is unique or the print is something you have never seen before or won’t find anywhere else, or you want something custom made for yourself. There are some great brands out there who make really beautiful handprinted, handcrafted sarees using beautiful colours. Otherwise, remember it has started with a piece of fabric.