Author Archives: Anu M

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About Anu M

A potted history of Indian clothing and fashion.

The Parsis Post

I mentioned in previous posts that Jnanadanandini was influenced by the blouse and sari style of Parsi women in Bombay. Here are a few examples.  Most have “ribbon border” sari with motifs on the ribbon is quite common in Parsi … Continue reading

Posted in British Raj, Colonial, Dress Reform, Early 20th Century, Edwardian, fashion, Indian Dress, Late 19th century, Paintings, Sari, Sari Blouse, Victorian, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Break

Apologies for having been away so long. The process of moving meant I wasn’t able to juggle tumblr and wordpress.

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The Art School Post

Two of early 20th century art/dance schools in India, Santiniketan/Viswa Bharati and Kalakshetra were not just involved with a revival of Indian dance and art traditions but were also responsible for a new kind of aesthetic.  Khadi, so intregal to … Continue reading

Posted in 1920s, 1930s, 1980s, Art, Asia, Bengal, Culture, Dance, Early 20th Century, Education, Girls, Indian Dress, Indian History, Indian Women, Sari, Sari Blouse, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Independence Post

One of the most significant influencers of the way we dress in India was the freedom movement, in particular Gandhi’s thoughts on the moral dimension of clothing, the quest for an authentic Indianness and clothing as a unifier of India’s … Continue reading

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, British Raj, Colonial, Dress Reform, Early 20th Century, History, Independence, India, Indian Dress, Indian Women, Men, Politics, Sari, Sari Blouse, Tumblr, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Village Post

Achhut Kanya was directed by Franz Osten and shot in the Bombay Talkies studio on Europeanized sets of a typical Indian village. It has been cloned times without number ever since in Hindi films.The Indian village, in its romanticized image … Continue reading

Posted in Bollywood, Early 20th Century, fashion, History, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Old Bollywood, Rural, Sari, Sari Blouse, Village, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Sari School

  And of course you need to know about the many drapes possible at The Sari School.

Posted in Sari, Sari Blouse, Women | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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  Mothers and Daughters-1 MS Subbulakshmi (MS) was one of India’s most famous and celebrated singers. Her mother, Shanmugavadivu (note that the S in MS is her mother’s name) was a famous veena player. Pic 1 is of her mother, Pic … Continue reading

Posted in Early 20th Century, fashion, Indian Dress, Indian Singers, Indian Women, Music, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Women | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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The ancient style of antariya and utariya to the sari in the 1930s. Blouse Styles in the 1940s.

Posted in 1930s, Ancient India, Illustration, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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I have been tied up a bit with a move but tumblr had some queued posts which got posted over the past few weeks. A few sets as usual which I always find useful to demonstrate the persistence of a … Continue reading

Posted in 18th century, 1950s, 19th century, Art, Indian Dress, Islamic Dress, Paintings, Sets, Tumblr, Vintage, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Paintings Post

This gallery contains 3 photos.

In the Gallery: 1.  “An elegant lady stands facing right holding a white floral garland with both hands. She is finely dressed in an olive green pleated sari edged with gold over a crimson underskirt, the end draped over her head like … Continue reading

More Galleries | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments