Category Archives: 1890s

The Rangoli Post

Posted on 09/10/2015 by Anu M

Source for Rangoli terms-X.  Pic Source – X. (~1890s, click for larger view). Making an Alpana, Santiniketan, 1954. Life Magazine, 7 February 1955. From what I know, the use of rice flour or paste is intentional and is meant as … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 1950s, 1980s, 1990s, Bengal, Culture, Decorative Arts, Early 20th Century, Hinduism, India, indian art, Indian Dress, Late 19th century, Photography, regional styles, Salwar Kameez, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, vintage art, Vintage Dress, vintage photography, Women, women in art | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lit Post – 1

Posted on 18/09/2015 by Anu M

After a few days, he began to visit the boy’s home in Palayamkottai and met his sisters who, dressed in the daring new style of pavadai, blouse and dhavani, strolled about book in hand. Extracts from Padmavati, A. Madhaviah, Trs … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 19th century, Christianity, Colonial, Costume, Culture, Dress Reform, Fashion Quote, Girls, Indian Dress, Indian Literature, Indian Women, Late 19th century, regional styles, sari history, Tamil, tamil Literature, Tamil Nadu, Vintage, Vintage Books, vintage costume, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Kerala Post

Posted on 26/02/2015 by Anu M

This post was in response to a reader request on tumblr. Its fairly basic and is confined mainly to the 19th and 20th century but does cover some ground. Here goes! Though the “set-mundu” consisting of two pieces of cloth … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1970s, 19th century, 20th century, Accessories, Art, Colonial, Costume, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Flora, Flowers, Girls, Hair, historical costume, historical dress, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Literature, Indian Women, Kerala, Late 19th century, Malayalam Cinema, Period Drama, Photography, regional styles, Royalty, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Sets, South India, South Indian Cinema, Studio Portraits, vintage costume, vintage fashion, vintage hair, vintage jewellery, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 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 Diaspora Post

Posted on 13/12/2013 by Anu M

The heavy silver jewellery and skirts of Indian communities from Central and Western India are reflected in early photographs of immigrants to the West Indies. Early immigrants were often indentured labour from the then United Provinces and Eastern India. [X] … Continue reading →

Posted in 1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 19th century, British Raj, Colonial, Costume, Culture, Diaspora, fashion, History, Immigration, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Late 19th century, Vintage, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ceylon Post

Posted on 10/12/2012 by Anu M

I must confess that all I knew of the Sri Lankan sari was that it was “a variant of the Indian sari”.  It turns out that this is not entirely true. Sri Lanka has a rich and varied sartorial history … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 19th century, Photography, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Artful Pose: Early Studio Photography in Bombay

Posted on 17/11/2012 by Anu M

The Artful Pose A few pictures from The Artful Pose, Early Studio Photography, c 1855-1940.  All the photographs are by Shapoor Bhedwar to the best of my knowledge. There are girls in short tunics worn with sarees (looking like early versions of Hakoba) with … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, India, Photography, Sari, Sari Blouse, Studio Portraits, Vintage, Vintage Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

Gandhi Jayanti

Posted on 01/10/2012 by Anu M

  Gandhi Jayanti today. The book excerpt demonstrates Gandhi’s anxiety regarding the proper attire for his family on the eve of leaving for South Africa in 1897.  The picture is taken on their return to India in 1915. Gandhi seems to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, British Raj, Colonial, Sari, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment