As always the tumblr posts have raced ahead of wordpress:
1. The half-saree aka pavadai-davani of South India.
2. Mekhela-Chador (I love these and they look splendid on my friend, Mosushumi Kandali.
3. Balika Badhu or the Girl Bride.
4. Nose rings – a post Cannes 2013 post. I am not a fan of nose hoops, I prefer the studs. But when you post on fashion, you have to spread the love:)
For upper class fashions of the late 1940s you can go no further than Andaz (1949) in which Nargis, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Cuckoo play giddily modern Bright Young Things.
The centrepiece of the film is Nargis and the actress looks perfect in both Western and Indian clothes. There are a number of 1940s influences from the sweetheart and keyhole necklines of the sari blouse (coordinated largely with synthetic saris, possibly nylons, lace edged materials and the like) to collared blouses to wide trousers to knitted jumpers and much much more. The jewellery is minimal and Nargis as always wears her hair short. And don’t forget the cute dog. And two leading men:) Though Nargis is the lead, Cuckoo (who plays the bestie) has similar outfits.
Reviews of the film here, here and here including an entertaining take by a 15 year old.
Early 19th century attire for young Bengali gentlemen – (X), (X)
When spring came, tender-limbed Radha wandered
Like a flowering creeper in the forest wilderness,
Seeking Krishna in his many haunts.
The god of love increased her ordeal,
Tormenting her with fevered thoughts,
And her friend sang to heighten the mood. (from the Gita Govinda).
I did a couple of posts on the nine yard sari. Almost impossible to trace a cohesive history with my limited research. But that does not mean one can’t appreciate the style as is!
A bit on the nine yard sari as worn in Tamil Nadu.
And the Maharashtrian version.
How it can be very modern.
In the 1910s and 1920s Bombay painters painted the Goan/Maharashtrian sari style a good deal. Most are plain gold bordered saris and the whole effect is deshabille and mildy erotic. Here is AX Trindade‘s painting and here is LN Taskar‘s.
And an answer to a query on nine yard saris in dance (quick answer: I don’t know!).
There are plenty of links on how to wear the sari so I haven’t included it.
Just an update that there is a change in the name of the tumblr site and you might want to book mark it.
http://vintageindianclothing.tumblr.com/
Some of the links in previous posts here would have also changed.
New Posts there:
Sometimes its perfectly OK to be blouseless (Hemen Majumdar really really loves the plain diaphanous sari bordered with gold)
The beauty and eroticism of bare feet (also the pic for this post) and some shoe porn for our modern times.
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (d 3 April 2013) is probably better known for her collaboration with Merchant-Ivory on their period dramas. But early on the trio made a number of movies set in India based on Jhabvala’s books/scripts. A few pics from the 1960s.
1) The Householder (1963) starring (the very genetically blessed) Leela Naidu and Shashi Kapoor. The couple in the novel are conservative and middle-class, I think the sari is tied UP aka Gujarati style.
2) Shakespeare Wallah (1965) again with Shashi Kapoor. And Madhur Jaffrey as a Hindi movie star.
3. Bombay Talkie (1970) also with Shashi Kapoor. Aparna Sen (in the orange sari – the bun, the earring pinned to it, so late 60s) is the film star wife. And you know you want to listen to Typewriter Tip Tip Tip.
The author (apparently the only person to win a Booker and an Oscar – make that two) in a sari.
Vintage Indian Clothing 
