Category Archives: India

The Kerala Post

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 Mughals-1

It’s probably accurate to say that an indigenous form of the Islamic clothing brought in by the Mughals (a mix of Turkish and Persian influences) took shape during the reign of Akbar and Jahangir.  This period also sees the style … Continue reading

Posted in 1600s, 1610s, 1620s, 16th Century, 17th century, Art, churidar kameez, Costume, Culture, Deccan, Dress Reform, dupatta, fashion, ghaghra, historical art, historical costume, historical dress, historical fashions, History, India, indian art, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian men, Indian Women, Islamic Art, Islamic Dress, Islamic style, Mughal, Paintings, Royalty, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Republic Day

“The concept of this procession and exhibition and everything else should be to demonstrate both the unity and great variety and diversity of India…..Each State should represent some distinctive feature of it’s own in the tableaux or in the exhibition … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, Asia, Central India, Costume, Culture, Dance, Folk, Folk Dance, India, Indian Dress, Indian History, Indian men, Indian Textiles, Indian Women, Photography, Politicians, regional styles, Tamil, Tribal, Vintage, vintage costume, vintage photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Home Science in India and the 1950s

Home Science teacher trainees in Poona in 1957 learn to make rangolis to ‘brighten up” traditional meals, pound rice, scrape coconut, use a “model kitchen” and much more…..including making some kitchen music. Lots of nine-yard saris in there. [X]

Posted in 1950s, Culture, Deccan, fashion, Girls, India, Indian Dress, Indian Textiles, Indian Women, regional styles, retro, retro fashion, Salwar Kameez, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, vintage fashion, vintage photography, vintage sari, vintage style, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On the Street, India

Click for larger view. 1. Nauvari and Nath girls looking very lovely, Somaiya College, Mumbai. Taken on the college’s “Traditional Day”. 2. Mochi (cobbler) in Mumbai.  She is not alone: Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ernakulam, 3.  Anklet wearing schoolgirls. Taken in Bengaluru. … Continue reading

Posted in 21st century, Accessories, Contemporary, Contemporary Style, Costume, Culture, fashion, Girls, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Jewellery, Personal, Photography, regional styles, Sari, Sari Blouse, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Indian Clothing

The people of Pataliputra* dressed well in flowered muslins embroidered with jewels, and an umbrella was carried by an attendant behind the head of a noble when he went into the road. Kleitarchus, however, found that in other, poorer parts … Continue reading

Posted in 21st century, 3rd century BCE, Ancient India, Asia, Contemporary, Contemporary Style, Costume, Culture, fashion, gems, Girls, historical costume, historical dress, historical fashions, History, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian men, Indian Textiles, Indian Women, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Vintage, vintage costume, vintage style, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Bengal Sari

The stripes and greens of a Bengal sari. All prints by Lalu Prasad Shaw.

Posted in Art, Bengal, Contemporary, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Prints, Sari, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Birthday

My grandmother died not too long back, she would have been 88 today.  The studio pic is of her as a wee thing in about 1930-she was the eldest child so this must have been a special trip. She looks … Continue reading

Posted in 1930s, Girls, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Personal, Photography, Tamil Nadu, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Abhisarika Nayika

She’s taken off her belt (with it’s tingling bells) also her jingling anklets her silk sari is soaked through-her body too, to the bone. Thank God! for the lighting flashes: They show her the path the one her messenger described. … Continue reading

Posted in 16th Century, 17th century, Art, churidar kameez, Costume, fashion, historical art, historical costume, historical dress, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian Women, Islamic Dress, miniature paintings, Mughal, Poetry, Sanskrit, Sanskrit Drama, Sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The 1970s Recap

Wrapped up the 1970s on tumblr: 1970s, sari history, fashion history. And a very random round up of the decade it was: Indira Gandhi was elected Prime Minister with a decisive majority in 1971. The same year the Indo-Pakistan war … Continue reading

Posted in 1970s, 20th century, Actor, Bengal, Bollywood, Culture, Feminism, History, India, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Politics, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari history, Tumblr, vintage sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments