Category Archives: Indian fashion

The costumes of Devdas (1936)

Devdas may well be summarised by these three screen captures:) Saratchandra was 17 when he wrote Devdas, it is likely the author himself thought the novel an immature work in later age.  Despite it being a “youth novel” and  despite the … Continue reading

Posted in 1910s, 1930s, 20th century, Accessories, Actor, Bengal, Bengali cinema, Cinema, Colonial, Costume, costume design, Courtesan, Culture, Dancer, Early 20th Century, fashion, film costumes, Film Costuming, Hairstyles, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, regional styles, Romance, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari history, Vintage, vintage costume | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Period Drama Post

A look at a few contemporary period dramas in regional cinema, almost all are set in the 20th century. मी वेगळी आहे विन्या (I am different, Vinya).  The staging of a play in Ravi Jadhav’s short, Mitraa, during which Sumitra realises … Continue reading

Posted in 1880s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 20th century, Actor, Bengal, Bengali cinema, Costume, Early 20th Century, fashion, fictional detectives, Film Costuming, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Late 19th century, Lesbianism, Literature, Love, Malayalam Cinema, Marathi cinema, Novels, Period Drama, Regional cinema, Regional period drama, regional styles, retro cinema, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, South India, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage costume, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A short list of Indian period dramas

While doing posts on contemporary regional Indian period movies, I made a rough list of Indian period films. These are listed below. Some are historicals but the bulk fall into the 19th and 20th century.  The list is fairly rough … Continue reading

Posted in Actor, Ancient India, Bengali cinema, Bollywood, British Raj, Colonial, Costume, fashion, Film Costuming, historical costume, History, Independence, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian fashion, Islamic Dress, Medieval India, Movies, Mughal India, Old Bollywood, Regional cinema, Regional period drama, regional styles, retro, Sari, Sari Blouse, South Indian Cinema, Vintage, vintage cinema, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

2016

A bit late but Happy New Year everyone! Lux calendar for 1954 with Suraiya featured for January/February. A Painting from a Barahmasa series – The month of Magha (January/ February), Garhwal, 1780-90. Source.

Posted in 18th century, 1950s, 2016 posts, Actor, Cinema, costumes in art, Culture, fashion, historical art, historical costume, historical fashions, indian art, Indian fashion, Indian Singers, Indian Textiles, Indian Women, mid century, miniature paintings, Movies, Old Bollywood, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage photography, women in art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

All About the Bindi

The bindi/pottu/sindoor/tikli – whatever name it be known by – is probably the most emblematic of Indian elements of attire and also has a long history. It is symbolic (as a signifier of marital status or of caste),  part of … Continue reading

Posted in 1860s, 18th century, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 19th century, 20th century, Accessories, Ancient India, Asia, bindi, Culture, Deccan, Early 20th Century, East Asia, fashion, Hinduism, historical fashions, India, Indian Bride, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Late 19th century, miniature paintings, retro, Sanskrit Literature, Sets, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lit Post – 3

Kamala was simply dressed in a pink silk sari, fastened on the right shoulder with the diamond coronet which Tara had lately given her. The thick soft tresses of her long jet-black hair were wreathed with white roses, and she … Continue reading

Posted in 1910s, 1940s, Authors, British Raj, Chinese, Colonial, Early 20th Century, fashion, History, India, Indian Authors, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Literature, Indian men, Literature, Men, Photography, Studio Portraits, Vintage Books, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, Vintage Men | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Indian Royals – 2

The daughters of the Diwan of Travancore in 1868. They appear to be Bala, Neena, Sundara, Sati?. The Diwan was a Maharashtrian from Thanjavur, the sari and ornaments are similar to that seen in Maharashtra and South India in the … Continue reading

Posted in 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1900s, 1910s, 1930s, Costume, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, historical dress, historical fashions, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian royalty, Indian Women, Late 19th century, Maharashtra, regional styles, Royalty, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Sets, Studio Portraits, Vintage Blouse, vintage costume, vintage fashion, vintage sari, vintage style, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Indian Royals – 1

Unidentified man, Jaipur, possibly royalty. Painted portrait (gelatin silver print and watercolour) from the 1930s. The collared coat is possibly a sherwani – a garment that displaced the jama, angarkha kind of tunics of the Mughal and Rajput courts by … Continue reading

Posted in 1900s, 1920s, 1930s, 20th century, Colonial, Costume, Culture, Early 20th Century, historical costume, historical dress, historical fashions, History, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian men, Indian royalty, Islamic Dress, Islamic style, Painted Photographs, Photography, Royalty, vintage costume, Vintage Men | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Sobha Singh’s Art

‘an accomplished but somewhat sugary style that reminds us of Edmund Dulac’, as Partha Mitter describes it (The Triumph of Modernism: India’s artists and the avant-garde 1922-1947, London 2007, p. 146)……approximate date for the pictures….between 1931 and 1941. X. Sobha … Continue reading

Posted in 1930s, Art, Costume, costumes in art, Early 20th Century, indian art, Indian fashion, Paintings, vintage art, vintage style, women in art | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Magazine Post

  Covers of Chandamama Magazine. Pic 1: 1957, Pic 2: 1979, Pic 3: 1987 (Hindi), Pic 4: 1968 (Telugu), Pic 3: 1979 (Bengali), Pic 4: 1980 (Bengali), Some of the covers really require a Women in Art History deconstruction (though … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, 1970s, 1980s, Comics, Costume, Courtesan, Culture, Dancer, fashion, Goddess, historical costume, Illustration, indian art, Indian fashion, Indian Illustrators, Indian Mythology, Indian Tales, Magazine, Uncategorized, Vintage Illustration, Vintage Magazine | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment