Category Archives: Sari Blouse

The Politician Saree Post

Today is the birth anniversary of India’s third Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Mrs Gandhi’s handloom sarees and simple blouses set the style for women politicians for several decades.  Initially as her father’s hostess and later as the Prime Minister, she rarely got … Continue reading

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The Artful Pose: Early Studio Photography in Bombay

The Artful Pose A few pictures from The Artful Pose, Early Studio Photography, c 1855-1940.  All the photographs are by Shapoor Bhedwar to the best of my knowledge. There are girls in short tunics worn with sarees (looking like early versions of Hakoba) with … Continue reading

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The 1960s Post

  James Burke’s pictures of actresses like Madhubala and Nalini Jaywant are hopelessly cheesy so I was pleasantly surprised to find that his numerous pictures of Asha Parekh taken in 1963 are an interesting look at the actress on film sets, at rehearsals and … Continue reading

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The School Uniform Post

14 November:  Mr Nehru’s birth anniversary and Children’s Day in India. The older pupils of this girls school in 1880s India are all in Parsi style saris and long blouses.  Source: columbia.edu

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The Diwali Post

Diwali Week. As good a time as any to bring out the bling and the little brocade blouse.

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The Short Sari Post

20th September 1918:  Flag sellers on India Day wearing national costume.  (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images) Can’t locate what India Day was meant for – to raise funds for the war effort? The sari is probably a shawl wound … Continue reading

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The Long Sleeved Blouse

[X] Indian Christian Girls, circa 1900 with long sleeved blouses.

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Pandita Ramabai

Pandita Ramabai, author of The High Caste Hindu Woman and an early feminist and social reformer, converted to Christianity and went on to found the Mukti Mission. It isn’t completely clear in this picture, but Helen Dyer records in her biography of Ramabai that she … Continue reading

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The Missionary Post

Christianity has a fairly old history in India. However, the arrival of “Christian soldiers” during the British Raj seems to have given rise to questions of attire for missionary work.  For the most part, most women missionaries appear to have adopted … Continue reading

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The Modern Girl Post

At the 1931 Congress meeting, Manmohini was a minor celebrity, beseeched by young women and men for her autograph and frequently snapped by Brownie cameras. When a young man offered to drive her and her friends to an airstrip where a … Continue reading

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