Category Archives: 1940s

The 1940s Salwar Kameez

The adaptation of the salwar kameez with modernity is perhaps less documented than the sari. In the 1920s and 1930s, the new kind of sari drape was the on trend garment. By the 1940s, the salwar-kameez (or on occasion the … Continue reading

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, Early 20th Century, fashion, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Islamic Dress, Salwar Kameez, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Salwar/Churidar/Kameez Post – 1

A SHORT AND INCOMPLETE HISTORY OF THE CHUDIDAR, SALWAR, KAMEEZ ETC. India’s links with West Asia date back to antiquity.  It’s significant influence on attire, particularly in North West India, is probably best documented during Mughal rule, especially from the … Continue reading

Posted in 18th century, 1940s, 1960s, 1980s, 19th century, churidar kameez, Contemporary, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Girls, historical costume, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Islamic Dress, Late 19th century, Mughal, Paintings, Pakistani Artists, Salwar Kameez, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The 1940s Post

The late 1940s was a time of somewhat boxy, padded blouses.  This blouse on the actress and dancer Suryakumari for example is almost like a man’s shirt (or perhaps more correctly a pyjama top).  As can be seen from the … Continue reading

Posted in 1940s, 20th century, Cinema, Dancer, Early 20th Century, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, Singer, South India, South Indian Cinema, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Puff Sleeve

The puff sleeve blouse. Always popular in almost every decade of the 20th century, particularly for young women. Judging from photographs I have seen, the simpler version (unlike the exaggerated sleeves of previous decades) was kind of de rigeur in … Continue reading

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 20th century, 21st century, Actor, Colonial, Contemporary, Early 20th Century, fashion, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Midweek Post-2

Women in blue saris playing cards, B Prabha George Keyt‘s cubist work, Woman in a Blue Sari, mid 1940s

Posted in 1940s, 20th century, Art, Early 20th Century, India, Indian Dress, Indian Women, Paintings, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sri Lanka, vintage art, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

1940s-1960s

A brief look at fashions on film. 1, The 1940s. Noor Jahan in Anmol Ghadi (1946). This kind of square neck blouse was popular in the late 40s and continued to be so in the early 50s. The sequinned sari of course has … Continue reading

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, Actor, Cinema, Costume, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian Women, Movies, Old Bollywood, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Families Post

A look at families from the late 19th century till about the 1980s.  Its impossible for me to do justice to the many photographs documenting families across region, religion and caste so this is just a sample. First up, North … Continue reading

Posted in 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 19th century, 20th century, Asia, Bengal, Colonial, Contemporary, Costume, Culture, Diaspora, Early 20th Century, Edwardian, Family, fashion, History, Immigration, Indian Dress, Indian History, Indian men, Indian Women, Islamic Dress, Late 19th century, Photography, Royalty, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, South India, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Saraswati

Srimati paints in water colours, in what can be termed the classical style……The inspiration for this is the Ajanta cave paintings near Bombay-frescoes dating back to the sixth and seventh century of this era. Sandglass, 1966. Saraswati playing a vina, … Continue reading

Posted in 1940s, Art, Asia, Culture, Goddess, Hinduism, Illustration, Japan, Paintings, vintage art | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sharara/Gharara

The sharara and the gharara are lower garments that are like flared pants. While a variety of such garments were in use in India in the 18th and 19th century, some of the examples shown here were fairly common wear … Continue reading

Posted in 18th century, 1940s, 1950s, Costume, Early 20th Century, Islamic Dress, Vintage, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a 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