Category Archives: Colonial

Regional Dress in the 1920s

Posted on 13/03/2013 by Anu M

From MV Dhurandhar’s set of watercolours from the 1920s. It pretty much covers the diverse costumes of communities at the time and you can see a number of regional variations at play. This set largely has attire worn in Bombay and Gujarat … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s, Art, Colonial, Early 20th Century, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Classical Drape

Posted on 17/02/2013 by Anu M

Post Alexander’s North Indian excursion, there were a number of Hellenic influences in that part of India.  It is hard to say how much the Greeks influenced the precursor of the sari (Greek garments at the time included the peplos and chiton) but thedepiction of … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, Colonial, Paintings, Sari, Victorian, Vintage, Vintage Dress | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Indian Men

Posted on 09/02/2013 by Anu M

  A break from the usual – some random posts on the attire adopted by Indian men.

Posted in 19th century, 20th century, British Raj, Colonial, Indian History, Indian men, Islamic Dress | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Corset Sari

Posted on 03/10/2012 by Anu M

  The corset is †a mutilation, undergone for the purpose of lowering the subject’s vitality and rendering her permanently and obviously unfit for work. British India at times seems like a marriage of opposites, the often uncomfortable melding of extreme corsetry … Continue reading →

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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

The Princess Post

Posted on 27/09/2012 by Anu M

Princess Victoria Gowramma’s story, the subject of a recent biography, is a somewhat sad one of a girl caught up in the politics of empire. There are a few parallels with the Pocahontas story – the conversion to Christianity, the inter-racial marriage, travel … Continue reading →

Posted in 1850s, 19th century, Colonial, Royalty, Sari, Sari Blouse, South India | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Cycling Post

Posted on 16/09/2012 by Anu M

Continuing the cycle theme, this was probably a college student on her daily commute. On a “ladies” cycle with a very low central bar. Her attire suggests pre-Independence Bengal – probably the teens/20s. They did have a lot of blouse … Continue reading →

Posted in 20th century, Bengal, Colonial, cycling, Victorian, Vintage, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Modern Girl Post

Posted on 12/09/2012 by Anu M

Rehana Mogul’s very demure blouse with the puff sleeves common for young women and girlish plaits contrasted with a hitched up sari (was it a sari or just draped cloth?). The pic source site has interesting bits on the modern girl in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 20th century, Art, Colonial, Photography, Sari, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Studio Photograph

Posted on 30/08/2012 by Anu M

Lady Abbas Ali Baig by Lafayette (Lafayette Ltd), half-plate film negative, 14 May 1929. Love all the elements here – the cacophonous sari and a rather magnificent cape-shawl.

Posted in 1920s, Colonial, Early 20th Century, fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Princess Post

Posted on 23/07/2012 by Anu M

And the princess of Cooch-Behar in a blouse that shows a more demure Edwardian influence. Also from the National Portrait Gallery. And another princess of Cooch-Behar in what appears to be Edwardian costume. More on her here.

Posted in 1910s, British Raj, Colonial, Edwardian, Sari, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment