Author Archives: Anu M

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About Anu M

A potted history of Indian clothing and fashion.

The 1950s in India

Posted on 26/07/2014 by Anu M

The 1950s was the first decade of India as an independent, sovereign country.  After the excitement of the 30s and 40s, it is a decade in which the excitement lies in nation-building.  This was a decade of nationalisation in which … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 20th century, History, Independence, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Lootera Deconstructed

Posted on 17/07/2014 by Anu M

There is nothing as much of its time as the period film – see successive Jane Austen adaptations for e.g.  I am therefore not terribly fussed about authenticity in period films, though it is always pleasurable if filmmakers do their homework … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 20th century, 21st century, Actor, Bengal, Bollywood, Cinema, Contemporary, Costume, Early 20th Century, fashion, Hair, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Movies, Old Bollywood, Period Drama, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, Tumblr, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Bang, bang, bang, Its the 1950s!

Posted on 02/07/2014 by Anu M

WordPress has been frustrating – I can’t seem to access it more often than not. Apologies for being away so long. On tumblr as always you can follow sari history and the decade which kind of defined Indian style for … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, Actor, Cinema, Culture, fashion, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Movies, Sari, Sari Blouse, South Indian Cinema, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The 1930s post

Posted on 14/05/2014 by Anu M

The Sari: 1931-1940 Almost every decade has a signature sari. In the 1920s it was the chiffon with a zari border (pics 1 and 2 are from 1924 and 1931). The borders were generally small and stitched onto French chiffons. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, British Raj, Colonial, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian Women, Royalty, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, Studio Portraits, Tumblr, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, vintage sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Kanan Devi

Posted on 14/05/2014 by Anu M

My tumblr avatar is usually that of the actress Kanan Devi, a star of the 1930s and 1940s. Though the silents had a number of famous actresses, it is with the talkies and the 1930s that you find stars and … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, Actor, Bengal, Cinema, Colonial, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Singers, Indian Women, Music, Sari, Sari Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The evolution of the modern sari

Posted on 08/04/2014 by Anu M

It’s been difficult for me to update this blog along with tumblr as I am a little hard pressed for time. The only significant thing that I need to update here are a series of posts I am doing on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 19th century, 20th century, Bengal, British Raj, Colonial, Early 20th Century, Flapper, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian Women, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Spring Post

Posted on 07/03/2014 by Anu M

पुष्पिताग्रांश्च पश्येमान्कर्णिकारान्समन्ततः। हाटकप्रतिसंचन्नान्नरान्पीताम्बरानिव॥ And look at these flower-tipped karnikāras everywhere – they look like men robed in yellow and laden with golden jewellery. [X] Spring (Vasanta) in India is generally in the months of Phalguna and Chaitra (roughly March and … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Contemporary, Culture, Flowers, Hinduism, History, Indian Dress, Indian men, Late 19th century, Literature, Paintings, Sanskrit Drama | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Group Photo Post

Posted on 07/03/2014 by Anu M

Group photographs are great because they give an actual sense of what people wore back in the day. The first pic for example is probably Madras in the 1930s. All the women are in the then modern six-yard sari.  The … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, churidar kameez, Colonial, Costume, Early 19th century, Education, fashion, Girls, History, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Photography, Salwar Kameez, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, Tamil, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the West

Posted on 07/03/2014 by Anu M

  Indra Dugar‘s paintings of the 1940s-the colours and costumes suggest Rajasthan/Gujarat.

Posted in 1940s, Art, Costume, fashion, Indian Dress, Paintings, Rural, vintage art, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Notes

Posted on 06/03/2014 by Anu M

I haven’t updated this site in a long time meanwhile the tumblr keeps getting refreshed. Partly this is because I have just been doing simple posts and there is no grand theme: Newish movies; Recurring patterns in Hindi cinema [X, … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, 20th century, 21st century, Actor, Colonial, Contemporary, Costume, Culture, Early 19th century, Early 20th Century, fashion, Hair, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Personal, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment