Category Archives: Vintage

How to dress like a 1937 heroine

This post on ruffled blouses refers to Mukti (1937)* [X] [X].  The movie was a bit of a fashion influencer with Kanan’s crown braid and  Barua’s beret worn backwards apparently all the rage. It turns out the movie is on … Continue reading

Posted in 1930s, Actor, Bengal, Cinema, Colonial, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Hair, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Singers, Indian Women, Movies, Sari, Sari Blouse, Singer, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Indian Mod Post

Typically in the first half of an Indian movie you would have a Westernised heroine before the “curse of the second half” hit and out came the saris. And of course vamps were allowed to wear Western clothing all the … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, 1960s, Actor, Bollywood, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Old Bollywood, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Diaspora Post

The heavy silver jewellery and skirts of Indian communities from Central and Western India are reflected in early photographs of immigrants to the West Indies. Early immigrants were often indentured labour from the then United Provinces and Eastern India. [X] … Continue reading

Posted in 1880s, 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 19th century, British Raj, Colonial, Costume, Culture, Diaspora, fashion, History, Immigration, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Late 19th century, Vintage, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ayah Post-3

A look at how past fashions influence modern fashions: Detail from Warren Hastings with his wife and Indian maid, painted sometime between 1784-87. Floor length “anarkalis” (no doubt known by a different name) can be spotted in 18th century/19th century … Continue reading

Posted in 1780s, 1880s, 18th century, 19th century, British Raj, Colonial, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Late 19th century, Paintings, Photography, Sari, Sari Blouse, servind maid, Vintage, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, Women, Working Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ayah Post-2

Ayahs on film: Nandita Das in Earth. Ayahs on Stage: Anneika Rose in The Empress.

Posted in 20th century, Actor, British Raj, Colonial, Contemporary, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Movies, Period Drama, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, Women, Working Women | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ayah Post-1

By the 1930s the image of a cherished ayah had been enshrined in the nostalgia of the Raj that had been generated at the close of the nineteenth century. As that image took on a life of its own, individual … Continue reading

Posted in 19th century, 20th century, British Raj, Colonial, Early 20th Century, History, India, Indian Dress, Indian Women, Late 19th century, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Dress, Women, Working Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Goa Post – 1

The Reis Magos Fort in Goa has an exhibition of Mario Miranda’s 1951 illustrated diary. It is an amusing and  interesting look at Goan society (largely the Catholic part of it) circa 1951. I loved the captions and little quirky … Continue reading

Posted in 1950s, Art, Christianity, Comics, Early 20th Century, Goa, Illustration, India, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Travel, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Phryne Fisher

And speaking of kick ass ladies, one of the few TV shows I watch both uninterruptedly and uncritically is Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries (i.e. I am a fangirl so please don’t take the post as an endorsement to immediately rush … Continue reading

Posted in 1920s, Australia, Early 20th Century, Female PI, Vintage, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Tamil Historical Post

The illustrations for Tamil periodicals have a long history and some illustrators are nearly as well known as the writers. A number of serialised stories are historical romances (think Chola empire, Pallavas) and the drawings are fairly vivid in recreating an era, albeit … Continue reading

Posted in 20th century, Ancient India, Costume, Early 20th Century, fashion, Hair, History, Illustration, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian History, Indian men, Indian Women, Jewellery, Love, Novels, Period Drama, Romance, Royalty, Sari, Sari Blouse, Tamil, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Circus!

Shavanaas Begum with Her Three-year-old Daughter, Parveen, Great Gemini Circus, Perintalmanna, India, 1989. Mary Ellen Mark I guess you could call her a strong role model! Have a good weekend! [X]  

Posted in 1980s, Circus, India, ircus, Strong Lady, Vintage, Women | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments