If Rokeya wrote in a humorous vein, Rashid Jahan was a writer who was part of the Progressive Writers Movement, a fiery feminist, a doctor and a contributor toAngarey. The photographs are from an article on her husband, Rashid Jahan is the woman on the … Continue reading
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Though Rashid Jahan and Attia Hosain were from Uttar Pradesh, as Pran Nevile’sbook on life in pre-partition Lahore indicates, the upper classes in the North of India (given this was the 1930s I guess Nevile is referring to Lahoris as … Continue reading
I mentioned Rokeya Begum in an earlier post as wearing a Brahmika saree. As these excerpts from Sonia Amin’s book indicate, both Hindu and Muslim women in Bengal moving from the private sphere into the public sphere were evolving a new kind of attire. … Continue reading
I am a little hesitant to club these three writers together as representative of subcontinental Muslim women writers in the early part of the 20th century. However, though as writers they are quite different, for the purposes of today’s post … Continue reading
Brooch 2: I have seen a few 40s Indian movies where the brooch was used to fasten the saree at the waist. However, this photograph is the only one I have found with said brooch. Also rare to find a … Continue reading
Brooch 1: An unusual placement of the brooch on the saree blouse. The blouse itself seems to be the square neck kind of style of the 40s. The photograph is of HH Maharani Krishna Kumar (the basis for Rekha’s character in Zubeidaa). [X]
Princess Shashi Raje of Dewas in an embroidered ghaghra-choli looking poised and a little enigmatic in a studio photo. The choli is almost completely hidden by jewellery and yet it doesn’t feel excessive. Arm bracelets seem to have been very popular in the … Continue reading
A pretty cap sleeve blouse which allows for arm bracelets (bazuband). Pic taken in the 1930s. Source: people.howstuffworks.com
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Navaratri starts on October 16th. From L to R, the three forms of the Devi worshipped during the 9 days – Parvati/Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati – in differing attire. The three painting styles are Kalighat, Raja Ravi Varma and Kalamkari respectively. … Continue reading
And last an interesting peek into the making of the dress of ancient heroines, including Shakuntala, in the Amar Chitra Katha comics. No doubt a Shakuntala of the 21st century would again be quite different (though we can perhaps skip this soap opera … Continue reading
Vintage Indian Clothing 