Category Archives: Tamil

Sankranti Wishes

The wintry season that abounds with sweet rice and sugarcane and mounds of dark palm-sugar dainties; When Love waxes proud and love’s sport is at fever-pitch; when the anguish is intense of parted lovers; May this season be to you … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, Folk Dance, Hinduism, Indian Aesthetics, indian festivals, Indian Illustrators, Indian Women, Literature, miniature paintings, Paintings, Postcards, Religion, Sanskrit Literature, Tamil | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Parasakthi style in brief

Besides, love between siblings, particularly between the elder brother and younger sister, has become a specific marker of Tamil culture, mainly due to the impact of canonical Tamil films like En Thangai (My Sister, dir. M.K.R. Nambiar and Ch. Narayanamurthy, … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, Actor, Cinema, costume design, film costumes, Film Costuming, Girls, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Indian Women, mid century, Movies, Regional cinema, regional styles, retro cinema, retro fashion, South Indian Cinema, Tamil, Tamil Cinema, vintage cinema, vintage costume | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Deepavali Special

Manoranjan*, in its Diwali Special issue, published a separate section ‘Striyance Lekh’ (Articles of women writers). The enthusiastic editor Kashinath Raghunath Mitra, is responsible for the creation of a whole generation of women short-story writers [X]. Almost everyone must be … Continue reading

Posted in 1910s, 1960s, 1990s, 20th century, ananda vikatan, Bengali, Culture, Early 20th Century, Hindi, Hinduism, Illustration, Indian Aesthetics, indian art, indian festivals, Indian Women, late 20th century, Magazine, Maharashtra, retro, Tamil, Vintage Magazine | 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

Vintage Illustration

Tamil caption loosely translated: The two men in the background sporting a kudumi  – “We are now fashionable (or fashion has taken inspiration from us). No one dare tease us anymore.”  from Ananda Vikatan, 1962. I also found this illustration while … Continue reading

Posted in 1960s, ananda vikatan, fashion, Fashion Quote, Hair, Hairstyles, Illustration, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Magazine, retro fashion, retro hair, Sari, Sari Blouse, Tamil, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage hair, Vintage Illustration, vintage illustrations, Vintage Magazine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

All About Hair

I had a bit of a meandering look at the history of hairstyles in India on tumblr and as always this post collates it on wordpress. curnakuntala (Sanskrit): locks or ringlets hair style. alaka-avali (Sanskrit): hair arrangement in spiral locks … Continue reading

Posted in 1600s, 16th Century, 1700s, 17th century, 1800s, 18th century, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 19th century, 20th century, Accessories, Ancient India, Art, Asia, Bengal, Bollywood, Colonial, Contemporary Style, Culture, Dance, Dancer, fashion, Flowers, Hair, historical fashions, historical hairstyles, History, indian art, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian men, Indian Women, Jewellery, Medieval India, miniature paintings, Old Bollywood, Paintings, regional styles, retro, retro hair, Sanskrit Literature, Sculpture, Sets, Tamil, Tumblr, Vintage, vintage hair, vintage jewellery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 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

The 1940s Film Post

இது, இது, இது எல்லாம் ஜப்பான். எல்லாம் செத்து ஒரு ரூபாய் கூட இருக்காது! This, this, this, it’s all from Japan. And all together not more than 1 Rupee! 1940s movies can be a bit amateurish to the modern eye but they can … Continue reading

Posted in 1940s, 20th century, Accessories, Actor, Cinema, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Film Costuming, Flowers, Hair, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Japan, Movies, regional styles, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Sets, South India, South Indian Cinema, Tamil, Tamil Cinema, Tamil Nadu, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, vintage jewellery, vintage sari, vintage style, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The Autumn Post

We are kind of heading towards autumn in India. Less marked by weather and more by festivals these days. So a little bit about the kuṟiñci, an autumnal flower, that bloomed in some parts of the South this year. The … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Flora, Flowers, il nadu, oetry, Paintings, rinji, Seasons, South India, Tamil, Tribal | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The 1960s in Film – Kadhalikka Neramillai (1964)

Kadhalikka Neramillai (is a 1964 Tamil film. Given that it’s heroines are a pair of wealthy young girls you get plenty of 1960s fashions with a dash of the 1950s. Saris, salwars, slacks and half-saris all make an appearance. The … Continue reading

Posted in 1960s, 20th century, Actor, Cinema, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Movies, salwar, Salwar Kameez, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari history, Sets, South India, South Indian Cinema, Tamil, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment