Author Archives: Anu M

Unknown's avatar

About Anu M

A potted history of Indian clothing and fashion.

The Long Sleeved Blouse

Posted on 11/11/2012 by Anu M

[X] Indian Christian Girls, circa 1900 with long sleeved blouses.

Posted in 1900s, Christianity, India, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Pandita Ramabai

Posted on 11/11/2012 by Anu M

Pandita Ramabai, author of The High Caste Hindu Woman and an early feminist and social reformer, converted to Christianity and went on to found the Mukti Mission. It isn’t completely clear in this picture, but Helen Dyer records in her biography of Ramabai that she … Continue reading →

Posted in 1880s, Authors, India, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Missionary Post

Posted on 11/11/2012 by Anu M

Christianity has a fairly old history in India. However, the arrival of “Christian soldiers” during the British Raj seems to have given rise to questions of attire for missionary work.  For the most part, most women missionaries appear to have adopted … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 1910s, 1920s, Christianity, India, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Scent Post

Posted on 09/11/2012 by Anu M

Both Maitreyi and Na Hanyate (books I referred to in my post on Mircea Elaide and Maitreyi Devi) refer to Indian flowers and scents. So I thought I would do a post on advertisements for Indian/Ceylonese scents. Though not all of them feature saris … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 1910s, 1920s, India, Perfumes, Sari, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Book Cover Post

Posted on 08/11/2012 by Anu M

Apart from the movie based on Maitreyi/La Nuit Bengali, the book covers also leave much to be desired featuring as they often do a generic exotic Indian woman barely indicative of the decade in which Maitreyi takes place. The first … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, India, Literature, Romance | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Modern Girl Post

Posted on 06/11/2012 by Anu M

At the 1931 Congress meeting, Manmohini was a minor celebrity, beseeched by young women and men for her autograph and frequently snapped by Brownie cameras. When a young man offered to drive her and her friends to an airstrip where a … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The War Effort Post

Posted on 06/11/2012 by Anu M

Training for Air Raid Precautions, Bombay 1942. All the sarees are worn Parsi style. Its kind of interesting that the blouse as a form of sedreh worn under the sari is relatively unchanged over two decades or so. As are … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Book Extract Post

Posted on 04/11/2012 by Anu M
Posted in Authors, India, Literature, Sari Blouse, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Period Drama Post

Posted on 04/11/2012 by Anu M

The movie adaptation of Maitreyi starred Hugh Grant and Supriya Pathak and is a listless Jean-Claude Carriere adaptation in which the costuming is the least of its troubles. But it is as uncertain as Hugh Grant’s French accented English in the film, … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Cinema, India, Period Drama, Sari Blouse, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When Mircea met Maitreyi

Posted on 04/11/2012 by Anu M

She is without doubt the most gifted and enigmatic of all the girls I have known.  But obviously I cannot marry. What will become of my freedom? Mircea is twenty-three, I am sixteen. But both of us are a bit too … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, India, Literature, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment