LAST POST OF THE YEAR

And a Shameless Endorsement

Yes, we're still on hiatus, planning exciting things for the coming year; however, there's some things we wanted to write about before we sign out.  First, we're going to changing the name of our site, no more hints on that subject, just need something with a bit more, how do you say it?  A bit more umph!

Second, an unabashed endorsement.  There is no shame about this one.  We have to give a huge two thumbs up to Unnati Silks. Yes, I have been unfaithful to Utsav Fashion (which I still shop with) and shopped with Unnati.  It wasn't a stray, it was a comment and a link someone left at our little blog.  I looked and now have three words about it: I LOVE UNNATI.

So, why do I love them: first, they carry handlooms; second, a small curated selection of sarees (compared to thousands) and other indian fashion; third, prices to fit every budget, and last but not least, fast delivery-24 hour turnaround.  I have purchased several sarees and have not been disappointed, it looks like they are going to be feeding my saree addiction!

If you need a handloom saree at a very good price please shop with Unnati Silks.  I have to add that Unnati did not pay me anything, it's a business I like and wish to share!

Enjoy the rest of the year, and shop for a saree or two or three or more!

I have this one in peacock green!

... and how can i pass up a Bhandini print?

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

10 Thousand Views and More To Come!

Wow, ten thousand views.  To some that is nothing, but we think it's pretty cool for a blog that has no facebook page, instagram page or youtube channel.  Congrats to our viewers and a HUGE thank you.

Now we need to spice up our site. It's been the same for almost four years, so we're going to go on hiatus to upgrade and improve our site.

We will post more info to come, AND we will be back.

Again, THANK YOU!

A Walk on the Wild Side

Oh My, Animal Prints

Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!  Animal prints on my saree? Why not, I have car mats in leopard! Okay, I digress, well, I haven't come across any lion or bear fur sarees-okay, I have seen sarees with images of lions, but I don't want the king of the jungle plastered on my pallu. Nevertheless, tigers, leopards, and zebra prints, oh yes, they are plentiful.  Of course, Masaba Gupta caused a stir with her spotted cow prints! So, it looks like it's not going to be too hard to score an animal print saree.

Every Cloud Has

A Silver Lining

It's been grey clouds and rainy around here, which makes for moody people. But, the grey clouds got me thinking about grey sarees ... Why?  Well, sarees make me happy and right now I need a little dose of happiness. Now, if you've read these posts, you'll know I'm not a fan of white clothes, and love just about any colour but white.  So, back to the story.  I started out looking for grey sarees, but wasn't too impressed with what is out there-sure there were some choices out there, but came up empty handed. However, type the word silver  and (drum roll please) ...  bang, a saree feast!

I'm really digging the silver sarees with gold embroidery, it looks so delicate and elegant, which is something I am so not!  But a girl can dream and add to her saree wardrobe.

By the way, have a great weekend!

Not the best picture of Deepika Padukone,
but the saree is so beautiful!

Not too crazy about the headpiece,
but the silver and gold combo has such a wow factor!

Except for the bracelet, this is a wonderful outfit.

Handlooms

Handmade In India 

I'm gonna make a bold statement here: Handlooms are the soul of India.  That's a quite a statement to make, but look at the facts:  the industry is intertwined into India's rich (understatement) identity and history; Mahatma Ghandi's "khadi movement" in protest of British rule; for goodness' sake, the loom is on India's flag; and, don't forget the national dress of India's women: the ubiquitous saree-we're talking about more than 4,000 years of history, folks.

That's pretty amazing, and saying a lot because Africa, for example,  really doesn't produce it's own cloth (manufactured in other countries for the most part). Yes, there is Kente and Mud cloths, but for those bright, and wild prints thank another country.

Yet, I digress.  Of course,  I can go on and on about handlooms but there is so much information out there about the handloom industry. But, it is said it's a "dying" art.  Sure, handlooms are still being used (thank goodness for initiatives by co-ops, guilds, the government and designers), but powerlooms are crowding them out.  This is art that cannot nor should die, and I don't think that will ever happen. Why, because handlooms is an integral part of the culture.

I'm not Indian but I respect, admire, appreciate and purchase handlooms.  To be honest, there is something personal about an actual person(s) dedicating time to design and create a saree or textile. Sure, I do admit to having some powerloom sarees, but that's the past-handlooms for now on.

The Lure of Gold

Golden Saree Dreams

We've touched on just about every color for a "fusion" bride but there is one color that escaped our attention: gold. What!  Are we crazy? How can we forget gold! Let's be honest here for a moment: gold and India goes hand in hand-and you cannot have a wedding without gold, no matter how rich or poor you are. FACT!

Let's look at a few of the great qualities of a gold saree:  it warms up the palest of skin, and smolder  on luscious dark skin (the darker the better, we might add). And you always look regal. You can't go wrong with gold.

And for a wedding, oh, oh, oh, talk about an entrance.  The bride will look like more than a million.  Don't forget that a bridal saree in Kerala is a beautiful combination of white/unbleached cotton and gold. Now, if the Kerala saree doesn't tickle your fancy (What's wrong with you!) then turn to the mesmerizing designs of Tarun Tahiliani-the master of the golden weave.

Silk Plus Cotton Equals Sico

The Best of Both Worlds

Even if you even casually check out this blog, one would realize there is a profound love of  cotton sarees; however, cotton sarees don't care too much for certain body types (call it extra-fluffy).  It's a dilemma of soap opera magnitude:girl desperately loves cotton,  but mr. georgette loves her body.  cotton doesn't need to much to stay in place, but if georgette isn't properly attended to, goes all over the place. Cotton keeps girl cool in summer and warm in winter, but georgette, well ...

In a nod to Vera de Milo (throwback thursday), "what's a girl to do?"

The answer is simple, actually there are two answers but we're going to focus on one, stay with me here: How about a sico (silk and cotton blend) saree.

Sico sarees are the best of both worlds: luster of silk, versatility of cotton, and don't carry the huge price tag of pure silk. Let's not forget triple bonus points for handlooms.

Well, we need to find out if sico is really worth its praise. In a few weeks (next payday to be exact) we're going to purchase a sico saree to see if it's worth the hype, and add it to the wardrobe. And we might add, may purchase through Unnati Silks (shameless name dropping).  We will keep you posted. In the meantime, enjoy the Sico sarees!

we really like this chanderi sico from Unnati Silks

and we like this blue Chanderi saree also from Unnati Silks

50 Shades of Pink

Pinks for Weddings

Sonam Kapoor in an Anamika Khanna saree.

We've had posts on alternatives to the Western European wedding dress-which I call the "exploded cake"-and realized we missed a colour: pink. Yes, pink.

For westerners, a pink wedding dress can be tricky: too light it looks childish, too dark, it's a prom or hideous bridesmaid dress. Besides, I've only seen it work once: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel's wedding.

However, India got it right. India, which I love to call the "nation that is not afraid of colour" has used pink in all of it's splendid hues: palest to peachy to magenta to Rani (a bright hot pink).

So, if you want a fusion wedding and don't want white-like me-and you're not feeling cream, then go for a pink.  If you're unsure, go for a light pink, and for the bold, go Rani.

Bengal and South Cotton Sarees

Beautiful South Cotton Saree

"I couldn't believe anything could rival my love of Bengal handlooms … until I came across South Cotton sarees." 

South Cotton Sarees

Cotton sarees in the southern part of India are known for being soft, having good texture and a lot adornments. These sarees are because of their light weight, airy feel and all-day comfort. Many women prefer to wear a cotton saree on account of the feel and comfort. 

The South cotton saree is quite popular as summer wear for being suitably light and comfortable. They come in a vast range of colours and adornments, and can easily go from workplace to a formal dinner.

Handloom clusters of south India are known for unique weaving, regional motifs, traditional zari or thread borders with very elegant pallus.

Narayanpet sarees with their renown checked fields.

South Cotton from Craftsvilla

The Appeal of South Cotton Sarees

Pure, mercerized (which is strong and have a lustre), gicha and unbleached cotton are some variants used in weaving. South Cotton sarees are cheaper than pure silk and easy to maintain. Cotton is a moderately strong natural fibre that is soft, airy, comfortable, and has little to no lustre. It has good acceptability for any colour of dye, affords good comforting feel, keeps the body cool in summer and warm in winter. 

Source

The Sexy Belly Factor

The Saree and the Uptight American

A saree, to many uninitiated Americans, is confounding: a length of fabric draped to cover and expose the belly.

That's the problem-the belly.

The saree covers legs and accentuate hips, but as for the torso-oh my, the belly is exposed! And for many Americans, that is a HUGE no-no. You just cannot expose the belly, no matter what size you are, in public, besides the only place to expose a belly is at the gym or beach (only if you have washboard abs).

So, what does this mean? It's all about culture.

However, it's amusing to see Americans freak out when they see a woman in a saree. The panic button is hit, because you cannot show the belly. However, in parts of Indian culture, the belly is celebrated-note key word "parts" since India is made of of hundreds if not thousands of unique cultures-and we think that can be a good thing.

So, what is being said?  The saree is as sexy as hell-o my good friend. And if a woman wants to don one, go ahead and look as beautiful as you can be. The saree accentuates and at the same time presents a demure look to the wearer.

Simple saree, but it's the short choli that brings it all together.

Covered up yet looking beautiful.  The fascinating enigma of the saree.

Vidya in an extravagant outfit.  Love the saree, choli, jewels and hair.  Excellent!

Vidya Balan (one of my fave actresses) in a hot red choli.  It's the choli that has the wow.

Vidya Balan in a saree and jewelry.

Linen Life

Muted Colors and Soft Drapes

To be honest, I am not a linen person-strictly cotton-since I' don't like the material. To say the least, my experience with linen is summed up with one word: difficult.  I remember khaki and beige, heavily wrinkled  dresses that needed the highest possible setting on the iron-it wasn't fun ironing dresses that weren't mine!

However, I may change my mind. I've heard that linen sarees are lightweight, breathable and elegant. Something that is perfect for hot, humid weather-has been plentiful this spring! There are also claims they are perfect for the office.

Hmmm.

I haven't found anything I don't like about linen sarees. All I have found, so far, are muted colors and soft folds-yet there are always exceptions. Of course, I am a tactile person, and I wanna touch before I buy. Maybe, one day ...

So after scouring the internet I've come across some promising outfits.

Enjoy!

Saree by Anavila.

I can see myself doing just this in an Anavila Saree.

Saree can be found at Jabong World.

Saree can be found at Craftisan. This is my favorite!

Pearls

The "Pearl"-fect Embellishment

Okay, I will admit two things: one, I hate the color white, and second, crazy about pearls. Ironic isn't it? Just combine the two elements, and oh what a lovely storm! Admit it, a saree and choli embellished with pearls will be a wedding dress dream come true (for me), and imagine the gasps.

Besides, pearls-which happen to be my birthstone-and come in a variety of colours (speaking of natural not man-made) from white, cream, peach, pink to deep black.

As a matter of useless movie trivia, pearls played an interesting part in Devdas (2002); like, how could you forgive Devdas for striking Paro with those strands of pearls before her wedding!

Saree from India Fashion Expo.

Saree from Palki.

Saree from Walia Jones.