Category Archives: sari history

Short Sari

Sharkeswari Agha received a B.A., M.A., and LL.B. from the University of Allahabad; then she completed her Master’s degree in Education at U-M in 1930. In India, she later served as the head of the Teacher Training Department of Crosthwaite … Continue reading

Posted in 1920s, Education, Girls, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

In the 1960s

I had a query awhile ago on styles for students and young women in the 1960s. While I answered that privately I thought a few points from it might be interesting to some of you. For comparison screencaps (top) are … Continue reading

Posted in 1960s, Actor, Bollywood, churidar kurta, Costumes in Cinema, fashion, film costumes, Films Division, Hairstyles, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, retro, retro cinema, retro fashion, retro hair, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari history, Vintage Blouse, vintage cinema, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, vintage hair, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Autumn/Festive Season

We are in autumn but it remains very warm.  Reading autumn poetry is about the only one to keep one’s cool. The skies, growing gradually peaceful, flow like long rivers across heaven, with sandbanks formed of the white clouds and … Continue reading

Posted in 1760s, 18th century, 2000s, Actor, Ancient India, Art, century, Costume, costumes in art, Culture, Dance, Dancer, Flora, Flowers, ghaghra, Goddess, historical costume, historical dress, indian art, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, indian festivals, Indian men, Indian Textiles, Indian Women, Literature, miniature paintings, Paintings, Sanskrit Drama, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Seasons, Women, women in art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lit Post – 1

After a few days, he began to visit the boy’s home in Palayamkottai and met his sisters who, dressed in the daring new style of pavadai, blouse and dhavani, strolled about book in hand. Extracts from Padmavati, A. Madhaviah, Trs … Continue reading

Posted in 1890s, 19th century, Christianity, Colonial, Costume, Culture, Dress Reform, Fashion Quote, Girls, Indian Dress, Indian Literature, Indian Women, Late 19th century, regional styles, sari history, Tamil, tamil Literature, Tamil Nadu, Vintage, Vintage Books, vintage costume, vintage fashion | 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

Costume Books

I have been reading a couple of books on Indian costumes and thought I would write a bit about two of them. Queen Subada, Detail from Shahnamah, Sultanate School, 1450. Costume Details: Phiran: of transparent material, form-fitting and ankle length, … Continue reading

Posted in 1990s, 20th century, Accessories, Actor, Ancient India, antique, Art, Asia, Authors, Costume, Courtesan, Culture, Dancer, fashion, Hinduism, historical costume, historical dress, historical fashions, historical hairstyles, Illustration, indian art, Indian Dress, Indian History, Indian Illustrators, Indian Theatre, Indian Women, Jaina Literature, Jewellery, Medieval India, Sanskrit Drama, sari history, Theatre, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Comics Post

For a lot of us in India at one time Comic = Amar Chitra Katha. My nieces are Australian so their book cupboard is wash with princess stories, fairy stories, Peppa Pig, Horrid Henry and the like.  The Indian comics … Continue reading

Posted in 1970s, 1980s, Ancient India, Art, Comics, Costume, Culture, fashion, Girls, Hinduism, historical fashions, History, Illustration, indian art, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian Illustrators, Indian men, Indian Women, Jaina Literature, regional styles, Romance, Royalty, Sanskrit Drama, Sari, sari drape, sari history, Sets, tamil Literature | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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 1930s Post

She wore an exquisite pink sari and the delicate gold thread embroidery on it added to the charm of both.  The vermilion mark and the tiny decorative dots of colour on her forehead and the collyrium-touched eyes added much grace … Continue reading

Posted in 1930s, Accessories, Actor, Bollywood, Colonial, Early 20th Century, fashion, Hair, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Old Bollywood, Postcards, retro, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, vintage hair, vintage jewellery, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment