Hand embroidered vintage denim jacket

I have a thing for oversize silhouettes but the obsession takes a whole new meaning when it comes to Levi’s trucker jackets. This vintage denim jacket got embellished with hand-embroidery and mirror work in the Rabari style, during the months in self-isolation, resulting in something that is completely unique and very much my style.

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @shape.photos)

This Levi’s trucker jacket is from the early nineties, so about thirty years old and I have worn it non-stop for over a decade.

The self-isolation phase has been trying for many of us, my anxious thoughts took a lot of effort to quell and I needed creative ways to occupy my mind and hands. Hand-embroidery has brought me a lot of joy since I was a child and while we spent increasing amounts of time at home I dove right into complicated needlework projects.

The back and front of this jacket have been embroidered in the Rabari style of needlework and took almost two months to complete. I have written in detail about this style of embroidery in a previous blog post that you can access here.

Over the past decade, I have consciously tried my hardest to buy less, shop better and create more not only because it is good for the environment but also because it helps with my mental health.

I have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years and given a lot of it away as well but I believe I genuinely have enough to last me an entire lifetime. I absolutely don’t get tempted by fast fashion anymore but I do love handloom-ed and handcrafted textiles too much to resist them.

I haven’t bought anything new fashion-wise for almost a year now and I feel I will get to a point soon when I will be happy not buying anything non-essential at all. In the first photo I wore this jacket before embellishing it with a work horse of a handwoven saree on a trip to the highlands with my trusty palladium boots. In the second photo I am wearing the same jacket after I finished embroidering it with an Ajrakh hand blocked oversize shirt, leather shorts and an embroidered leather bag.

I am one of those people who continues to wear their shorts in the winter with summer shirts, albeit with stockings plus a merino base layer.

The embroidered tooled leather bag in the photos was made by the women of the Meghwal community from Kutch and has been in constant rotation for almost ten years now. It was first posted on my old blog here.

I have detailed below why I chose to become more conscious about my purchases and what I have done to ensure that I am buying only what I need. This is just a means to contribute to a discussion on sustainability, buying less and more consciously, while we make a determined effort to walk away from rampant consumerism.

I genuinely prefer handmade and like it even more if it is me-made: I believe handmade items are the height of luxury, craft-centric clothing is the epitome of style and traditional embellishments on modern pieces are the ultimate statement in the aesthetic I prefer.

Putting my values front and centre: By wearing ensembles that prominently feature handmade and ethical pieces predominantly made by female artisans, I am making a political statement that is centred around my belief system. I refuse to be tempted into buying what I don’t need and I refuse to be coerced into mindless consumerism to belong to a certain clique. I am me and very happy in my skin.

Sometimes finding strength in embracing our authentic selves in systems that weren’t created for us is the most radical form of activism. As a wom*n of colour, I believe that fully embracing the traditional arts and crafts of my ancestors is a way for me to draw strength and resilience from generations that came before me.

Gives me a sense of freedom: Buying less stuff means more than just saving money, it means freedom from any sort of competition with someone else and it really helps me unleash my creativity. Many of us have become so far removed from the source of what we buy that we remain blissfully unaware and deliberately unseeing of the environmental plus ethical effects of producing and disposing of it all.

Not going to malls: One of the ways I initially was able to curb any temptation to buy unnecessary things was by avoiding malls unless I needed something specific. I’d rather be out on a bushwalk than wander aimlessly in malls buying things that will add to the rubbish going into landfills.

Avoiding impulse buys: I always give my self at least 24 hours before I decide on buying something even if I really want it. I also maintain a wishlist of things I want for months and have noticed that when I revisit it I am organically able to reduce the number of items in it.

I am very critical of my consumption patterns and constantly have dialogues with myself on whether i really need something as much I think I do. Trust me, it just helps to stop hoarding stuff I have no need for.

Embracing pre-loved items: One of the simplest ways for easing into a more sustainable life-style for me has been embracing used/pre-loved and vintage items into my life. It has really unleashed the creativity and made my style just the right amount of unique mixed with a little bit crazy, just like myself.

I have found truly one-of-a-kind items from vintage stores and flea markets that I now treasure, it makes me laugh to look back at a younger me who wouldn’t touch anything second-hand.

Rejecting the concept of standard sizing: I love strong shapes and easy silhouettes that play with size and proportions in natural breathable fabric. Garment sizing is a concept that I have always consciously tried to do away with and my closet consists of every size from extra extra small to large.

I believe that not focussing on sizing and embracing different silhouettes has made my wardrobe more versatile and less season specific.

Doing away with the notion of gendered clothing: Eschewing the traditional notion of men’s and women’s wear is just the first step in acknowledging that gender is not binary. Once we do away with the ideas of clothing based antiquated ideas of masculine and feminine we stop missing out on potentially great pieces.

To be truly sustainable we need to keep items in use for as long as possible, which is more achievable when swapping or selling without the boundaries of gender; thereby keeping more clothes out of landfill.

A simple way for me to practice self-care: When I am busy creating art and craft, it is oddly therapeutic, its like me giving myself permission to play. I get to create something beautiful simply for the joy of it and no monetary calculations are involved.

Drawing or embroidery gives me the opportunity to let my mind slow down while my hands are busy at work.

Finding community: Crafting has helped me connect with a lot of like-minded individuals who are also quietly intent on slowing down and consuming less. It has helped me belong to a community that is in equal parts inspiring and inviting, which I believe makes me a better person

I have a long way to go before my lifestyle is completely sustainable but I am doing better everyday. I would love to know a little bit about your journey into a more ethical lifestyle and the steps you’ve taken toward it.

Of versatile hand block print tops, Odisha handlooms and larger- than-life handmade clay idols

An entire community of generations of artisans living and working in an enclave in Kolkata where they use clay to create magnificent likenesses of deities for Hindu celebrations…

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

This post is as much about the clay-works-of- art-in-progress that I am surrounded by in the images as it is about the handcrafted fabrics featured in the photos.

The saree I am wearing is borrowed from my friend with an eagle eye for fabrics. I swear she can spot brilliant textiles buried under rubbish from kilometres away, it’s just one of her super powers. If you don’t believe me, check her instagram out and you’ll see what I mean.

This saree is actually a massive length of hand loomed Odisha dhoti fabric with the distinctive ‘phoda kumbha’ border, that the state is known for.

The top I am wearing here was made by my tailor back home ages ago, and I wear it A LOT with denims, sarees, as a swimsuit cover-up etcetera. It features hand block print on well-worn cotton that is all kinds of comforting. You can see it worn with denim shorts over two and a half years ago here.

If you are keen to read more about hand block print fabrics from India, I have previously published the first in a series of post about the various kinds of this type of surface ornamentation on textiles from different parts of the subcontinent, which you can find here.

The top and the saree were a match made in heaven for a sweltering afternoon in Calcutta, we walked around for hours amazed by the statues in all forms of production and to see multiple artists working together.

This entire area houses craftspeople who live and work in narrow intersecting lanes, that in spite of the lack of space do not feel claustrophobic.

Each of these stunning clay deities is usually crafted by a team of between three and five artisans, the process begins with a bamboo frame that is bound with bundles of straw to create a basic shape. Malleable clay is then applied on the contours of the structure by the expert craftspeople, moulding it on the frame with their bare hands, brushes and the chiyari – a bamboo sculpting tool.

Then begins the more complex task of creating the feet, hands and head with clay; once the whole frame has been layered, it is wiped with a cloth soaked with wet clay to prevent cracks once the statue dries out.

Once the clay form dries, the final painting begins, after an initial coat of base paint, the idol is decorated with an array of vibrant colours. The entire process reaches its artistic apex when it comes to the idol’s eyes ⁠— a ritual known as chokkhu daan (gifting of eyes).

So revered is the act of painting the eyes of a deity that the artisan will often ritually cleanse himself with water – and sometimes meditate – before doing so. The final step sees rope-like hair glued onto the idol, which is then clothed with various shimmering textiles.

Once completely dry, the clay Goddesses are dressed in beautiful sarees, their 10 arms decorated with abundant ornaments and faux jewelry

I found a statue of Durga in the second photo especially striking – the tiger she’s sitting on was so lifelike (a very close inspection was had). I have always marvelled at the intricate beauty of the idols during the various Bengali festivals honouring Goddesses and to see these works of art in progress was quite special.

Coming across such a wealth of arts and crafts knowledge just brings home the beauty and richness of culture in the Motherland, that we’re unfortunately fast losing to rampant consumerism.

Here’s hoping that these art forms flourish for centuries to come and the craftspeople are paid wages that befit their immense skill and knowledge.

Why I wear sarees the way I do – Part deux

A quintessential double ikat from Telangana with its distinctive red border and geometric motifs worn with a comfy-fit blouse made with Manipuri handloom fabric with the temple border typical to the state …

 

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

These pictures pretty much sum up what we get up to most weekends, wearing relaxed handcrafted clothing, getting away from the city, walking in the forest and drinking chilled beers. So instead of writing about anything in the photos, I will regale you with idiotic queries and statements that come my way when I post photos of myself in sarees online.

Over a year and a half ago I made this post with some unfiltered responses to asinine questions/ comments I get, but of course in the ensuing months there were more such gems that came my way…

Now I don’t believe in making lemonade, I believe that chancing upon lemons means that the universe is asking me to line up the tequila shots and have some fun.

So, here are a few wonderful questions/ comments that made me stop and stare stupefied at my screen and/or laugh at the idiocy of the person asking/making them. If you don’t like opinionated women who use strong/ coarse language, this is the time to look away.

1. Can you show me how to look slim in sarees?

No I can’t, maybe you could just wear sarees (and/or whatever else you feel like) and feel wonderful about yourself?

   2. You seem to trek a lot, what make up should I wear on one?

As someone who barely wears makeup ever, trek or no trek, I am not the one you should address your question to. How about you do what ever the hell you want?

    3. Why don’t you do giveaways like other instagram influencers, you have so many sarees?

Because I don’t want to bother. Why don’t you buy the sarees you want instead of asking random strangers online to conduct giveaways?

4. Why don’t you wear more accessories/ make up/ saree blouses?

I wear what I want, how I want to. Why don’t you get a life so you can focus on something other than another woman’s styling choices? Or better still, why don’t you shove your head in a toilet, close the lid shut and flush your brain clean?

    5. What is the need to wear sarees without petticoats?

Umm, because I felt like it and I don’t like petticoats. Also, who took a shit on your breakfast to make you this grumpy about my underclothing choices?

6. Did you know you look like servants when you wear your saree short like that?

Do you know you just display your immense stupidity and tremendous levels of prejudice with comments like this, you entitled piece of crap?

Also, I think most women whose daily work involves physical labour are way fitter and more fabulous than you’ll ever be, I’d be honoured to look anything like them!

    7. What is the need for such complicated drapes?

For you, clearly there is no need since you don’t have the capacity to comprehend or to create.

    8. Why don’t you bleach your skin to make it look more uniform?

Why don’t you take a dip in a tub full of toilet cleaner, maybe that will help clear your mind fog and help you understand some of us love ourselves just the way we are?

    9. Do you even comb your hair?

No, I don’t. Do you derive any particular joy from asking inane questions or is it just a tic you can’t control?

 10. How do I deal with friends who make fun of me for wearing sarees/ wearing sarees differently?

I’d get rid of them!

   11. Get real! No one can wear sarees like you wear and avoid being jeered at. In India, where women get molested and raped even while fully clothed it is not logically feasible.

You get real! I am clearly wearing sarees the way I want to, travelling the world and having fun. You on the other hand seem to be burning with some sort of pent up rage that I want nothing to do with.

When a person is raped or molested, it is because the perpetrator chose to inflict the horror on them and there is no other point to be made about such heinous crimes.

   12. Wearing bralettes and swimsuits with saree is not really going with our urban lifestyle.

Wearing whatever I want goes with my lifestyle, you on the other hand seem to have nothing better to do than to make disparaging comments about random strangers whose life you know nothing about. Here’s a suggestion, don’t look at and/or obsess about my photos.

  13. Personally saree means elegance and I don’t see that in your pictures.

Personally, I believe one should keep their opinions to themselves unless they’ve specifically been asked for them, so keep your fingers off the keyboard and go do something constructive with your time. Also, I am not here to pander to anyone’s gaze, if you don’t like what I am wearing, look away.

If you have also been subject to such moronic nonsense, please share snippets of them in the comments so we can all have a big laugh?

 

 

Different styles of Indian hand block prints

Manual block printing on textiles using wooden blocks has been an artisanal craft practiced in India for centuries …

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

Hand-block printing is one of the oldest and currently among the most popular forms of ornamentation on textile surfaces.

Based on available historical texts it is believed that printing designs onto fabric most likely originated in China about 4,500 years ago but it is on the Indian subcontinent where hand-blocked fabric reached its highest visual articulation.

Indian artisans of yore possessed unparalleled expertise in the secrets of natural plant dyes, particularly with mordants which are metallic salts that both create color and allow it to adhere to fabric.

Between outside influences from Persia and elsewhere, the impact of Mughal invasion and the diversity of the subcontinent’s own indigenous communities and tribes, India has one of the most spectacular pattern vocabularies on this planet.

The saree I am wearing the the photos features the Jawariya Dana, a tribal print from Tarapur, a village in Neemuch district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It has a beautiful combination of alizarin hand block printing on the body and Dabu resist techniques on the border and parts of the pallu, displayed on mul cotton fabric.

Jawariya Dana is just one of the many styles of hand block printing from India and I thought I’d list a few of the types I wear quite often over a couple of posts here on Pleats n Pallu.

Jawaria Dana is colloquial speak for ‘jowar ka dana’ (a grain of sorghum or cereal grass), it is a traditional design term used for the block prints made on the odhanis (scarves) of women from the Bhils, Jats , Bhilals and other tribes of Rajasthan and MP.

They usually feature a red or pink (pink for the bride in kachcha colour, the colour is supposed to bleed and colour the bride pink) with small dots allover which are the size of grain of jowar.

Traditionally the danas would be made using the Indian tie and dye technique called bandhani however, these block printed ones are more common these days. A few local artisans in the area still follow the traditional bandhani technique to decorate odhanis and lugdas (body cloth).

These are sarees hand block printed and alizarin dyed in black and red . Blocks used are same as what the printers use for printing for the tribals so there would be misprints or defects as well.

Nandana is another elaborate style of manual block print practiced by the local Chippa community in Tarapur. It is a time-consuming, labor-intensive process involving about 16 steps to get to the final design.

Traditionally these prints decorate rough thick fabrics used for making ghagras (gathered skirts) for the women of tribal communities in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. These prints have a limited number of block patterns, mostly flowers and fruits that are printed in the same manner all over the fabric.

I believe there are just five designs ranging from small buti to big buta known as mirch, champakali, dholamaru, amba and salaam are the signature motifs for these prints. You can see a saree featuring this print on a previous blog post here.

Dabu is a unique fabric art-form created by a mud resist process using wood blocks in the Bagru village of the western Indian state, Rajasthan. In this, a design is sketched onto the background cloth which is covered with wet clay sprinkled saw dust.

The saw dust clings to the textile as the clay dries and then the entire cloth is dyed in select colors. The parts with the clay and sawdust mixture do not catch the dye and remain colourless. The fabric is washed post dyeing and drying and may be dyed again in a lighter shade to cover the patterned area.

Traditionally this form of printing was environmentally non-toxic because it used no harmful or synthetic dyes.

You can see sarees featuring this print on sarees in previous blog posts here and here, on dress and shirts here, here and here.

The Bagru style of hand block printing is eponymously named after the village it has originated from, which is a short drive from Jaipur.

In order to created these prints an artisan first stamps the background block (locally known as gudh), followed by an outline block (the rekh) and finally the datta are filler blocks which complete the design.

On average, a printer uses a minimum of four or five blocks to etch one motif on a length of hand printed cloth.

It sometimes takes a couple of days just to carve and finish a single block, as the selection and seasoning of local woods is an elaborate process, specific to each pattern.

In Bagru, carvers often use woods like sagwaan (teak), sheesham (Indian rosewood), or rohida (desert teak or marwar teak) when constructing blocks. You can check out this print in an older post here.

There are many, many more types of manual block printing on fabric from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu etcetera that I will elaborate on, in another blog post.

Seven types of silk sarees that can be worn casually

Silk sarees don’t have to be limited to special occasions and can be worn casually while going about everyday activities, one must just choose the right kind of low-maintenance weave that ensures comfort…

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

This is part one of a two-part series on silk sarees that I love to wear for everyday pursuits because they render themselves beautifully to casual activities. I have a previous post on silk sarees I love during the festive season that you can peruse here.

Many of us have silk sarees that we tend to put aside and never find the right occasion to wear them because they are not grand enough for the fancy festivities but they are also not perceived to be as comfortable as every day wear.

In no particular order of preference, here is a lineup of the handloom silk sarees that I reach for when I am out and about on an everyday basis:

1. 1. Ikat silk sarees from Odisha, Andhra or Gujarat: I have a massive thing for ikats from all over the world and find them extremely suitable for every day as well as fun occasion wear. The saree I am wearing in the photos is a vintage Pochampally silk which has softened with age and just feels like I am floating in a delectable cloud. I wore it over a bright swimsuit sans a petticoat or safety pins, for brunch before heading to a little bay with the fur baby and spending the whole afternoon splashing around with her.
      More examples of ikat silks worn casually here, here and here.
   2. Khadi matka silk from West Bengal: Hand spun and hand woven silk khadi more often than not has some amount of cotton yarn in the mixture. Matka silk is what many people colloquially refer to as raw silk, it has a rough texture and is woven in the towns of Malda and Murshidabad in West Bengal.
   3. Arani silk sarees from Tamilnadu: These lightweight silk sarees are woven in Arani in Tiruvanamali district in Tamilnadu. According to handloom weavers I’ve spoken to, the yarn used to make these sarees are two or three ply unlike the four ply used in Kanjevarams, which is what makes these sarees easier to manage in my opinion.
   4. Kuchai silk sarees from Jharkhand: This organic variant of wild silk popularly known as tussar, is produced in the Kuchai region that is spread over Seraikela-Kharsawan district in Jharkhand. The cocoon for this silk grows on Sal and Arjun trees and according to a Jharcraft spokesperson this is the first Indian fabric to receive an international organic silk registration.
   5. Mysore silk sarees from Karnataka: These vibrant hued GI tagged fabrics that are subtle when it comes to motifs on the body are produced by Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited (KSIC) in Mysore. The erstwhile princely state has been manufacturing this textile since the turn of the last century and a present day original Mysore silk has a unique code number and hologram stamped as identification marks on each of its zari sarees.
   6. Mashru silk sarees from Gujarat: This delectable fabric is a handwoven, interlaced mix of silk warp and cotton weft with a characteristic fine satin finish and bright contrasts in bold colours. The word ‘Mashru’ means ‘permitted’ in Arabic, its Sanskrit variation ‘Misru’ means ‘mixed’ and it is believed that this textile got this name when Muslim men, who were not allowed to wear silk, started wearing this fabric. It is currently predominantly manufactured in Patan and Mandvi in Gujarat, India.
   7. Molakalmuru silk sarees of Karnataka: These mulberry silk fabrics are named after their place of origin, Molakalmuru, a small town in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka, near the state border with Andhra Pradesh. The silk sarees made here are also known as ‘Karnataka Kanchipuram’, I particularly love the ones with abstract temple motifs and reach for them again and again.

I love wearing my silks regularly even in the hotter months of the year and I like to think that they benefit from the airing! I will have the next post detailing the next bunch of silk weaves, that I love to wear on a daily basis up soon.

 

DIY: Saree into lehenga

An example of yardage that was worn as a saree for ages before moonlighting as a lehenga (or gaghra or chaniyo, depends what you prefer to call it) …

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

Reusing, recycling or up cycling is a one way to breathe new life into sarees that have ceased to be used.

This is one of my favourite prints but I have a whole lot of kalamkari sarees in similar colours and had my tailor in India upcycle them into various things last month. This one in the photos is a DIY, made at home following the pattern from another India made one.

One can make the most of one’s six-yard beauties by repurposing them into timeless pieces. It just takes a little bit of inspiration and a can-do attitude with generous helpings of not caring if the piece is not absolutely perfect!

This lehenga is a little uneven at the bottom, there is a lot that we could do better next time but I am ecstatic wearing it knowing that it was made at home and that’s what makes it perfect to me!

I wore it for an afternoon at the beach with a striped croptop, beat up sneakers and one of my many Wayuu Mochilla bags. I genuinely feel like there’s no such thing as having too many lehengas because they are versatile pieces that can be dressed up or down.

This particular piece for example can be worn casually with a tee to the beach, can be dressed up with a cute crop-top for brunch, I will be wearing it with bandhani during Navratri garba/ dandiya dance-athons, it can totally be wedding-appropriate with the right top, worn with a long kurta or anarkali with a bunch of jewellery would make it fancy-do friendly, or just wear the lehenga as a dress by tying it way high up and and so much more.

Cotton lehengas, even embroidered gaghras can be styled in myriad ways and it is a great way to repurpose sarees that one doesn’t reach for anymore.

Some of the ways I plan to wear this lehenga are listed below and I am always looking to add to this list:

1. With a white shirt and wedge heels
2. With a backless choli, heaps of beaded jewellery and mojris/juttis
3. With wedge heels, a fun bandhani blouse and saree
4. With a Kutchi embroidered choli, a tonne of chunky silver jewellery and Kolhapuri chappals
5. With a silk full sleeved blouse and sky-high heels
6. With another block print blouse, plain khadi saree and sneakers
7. With a bandhani dupatta worn as a cross body blouse
8. With a plain cotton long kurta and an oversize tote
9. With an anarkali and tonnes of fresh flowers
10. With a swimsuit top/ sports bra and fun jewellery

What are your favourite ways to upcycle sarees and what is your preferred way to style a lehenga?

Lightweight silk saree at the beach

As the warmer weather approaches my drapes get more casual for relaxing afternoons by the water and vintage silk sarees at the beach become the norm …

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

I have a massive obsession with vintage silk in any form, sarees, scarves, dresses, kurtas, tops, bottoms, you name it and I am sure to love it.

I prefer older silks because more often than not they soften with wear and were made at a time when the water used in the production process was far less polluted than it is today – which is one of the reasons I feel that they keep the vibrancy and depth of their colours far better than their modern counterparts.

In the late 1960s, long before ‘Ritu Kumar’ the brand, there was just Ritu’s Boutique on Wellesley Street in Calcutta, with the most sumptuous hand block printed silk sarees like this vintage piece bought over forty years ago.

Family albums from the 1970s show my Mother wearing these sarees, in different locations of the world while sailing with my Dad. One of the best parts about this saree? What looks like a hand written signature at the corner simply stating Ritu’s Boutique.

I am always attracted to older more worn-in pieces over newer/trendier items and love to make them my own by wearing them in ways that suit my life and activities.
I’d rather have a perfectly (or imperfectly) preserved one-of-a-kind vintage piece over anything that a seller (or influencer) touts as a present-day must-have. The scarf I am wearing in my hair is also a vintage silk made in India in the 1970s.

Acquiring vintage pieces is easier than caring for them and preserving them over a period of time. Here are some of the rules that I follow when storing my delicate hand crafted clothing:

1. I believe sarees and other vintage fabrics should be stored clean, so I always wash or wipe them down before storing them for an extended amount of time. Dust particles over time can actually cut fibers through friction and abrasion.
2. The greatest danger to all textiles is super bright light, both artificial and ultraviolet (daylight). Over time, light causes fading in the colors of the fibers, eventually damaging the fibers themselves.
3. For long-term storage, I prefer a spot that is dry, cool with even temperature and clean air with good circulation. An environment comfortable for me is suitable for my vintage textiles, I avoid using trunks or boxes in hot or damp areas like attics or basements or garages.
4. I avoid mildew and moths by keeping textiles and their storage places perfectly clean, dry, cool, and regularly aired and consistently inspected.
5. I remove my precious fabrics from storage periodically and air them as well as wear them around the house if need be. If a saree has been folded, I take care to refold it and change the position of the folds so that the same fibers are not subjected to the tension of folding, which can cause breakage over a long period of time.
6. I avoid storing my vintage pieces in plastic or non-woven garment bags as they can cause irreparable damage.
7. To preserve and protect the integrity of my vintage pieces I prefer pure cotton or muslin bags, they are the natural and safest alternative to the damaging plastic and non-woven garment bags.
8. When I run out of garment bags to store them in, I just wrap my each of my delicate sarees in a different worn-in cotton t-shirts to prevent creasing.
9. I take a lot of care when I handle delicate textiles, I wash and dry my hands to not transfer grease, make-up or food stains from my hands to clothing.
10. I use lavender sachets to keep away pests and creepy crawlies. However, I ensure it is near but not touching my vintage clothing.

If you are interested I have previously written a post about my do’s and don’ts for cleaning and maintaining sarees at home. Older posts wearing handloom sarees at the beach are here and here.

I am sure there are many more tips, tricks and methods out there that are kind to the environment while helping us preserve textiles, please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments.

 

Winter saree with a cardigan

Layering the winter saree with cardigans, sweaters and coats without adding bulk is all about playing with length and proportions …

 

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

A handblock printed saree worn with a merino base layer, sweater and long waterfall cardigan, along with sheepskin insoles for my slip-ons all combined to ensure that my winter saree style was not only fun but comfortable.

Bundling up for the colder months and adding layers doesn’t have to add bulk! Cropped sweaters, chunky cable-knits, duster coats, waterfall cardigans, v-necks and striped crews to turtlenecks, oversized cardigans and merino base layers have all helped me continue wearing sarees as the temperatures drop. Examples here, here and here.

I have written posts about wearing sarees in the winter and staying warm here, draping the six yards in the snow here, I have worn it with jeans for winter here and about the unstitched cloth being the ultimate all weather garment here.

When it comes to dressing for the chillier months, it’s all about combinations. Knowing which silhouettes compliment each other and layering my favorite pieces means so many more outfit possibilities than most people can imagine.

A chic knit or the right jacket is the perfect way to upgrade an outfit for the chilly weather as one braves the elements. From bright turtlenecks to patterned pullovers to leather and denim jackets, I’ve rounded up my favourite winter wear that work as wonderful stand-ins for saree blouses while battling a nip in the air.

Sweatshirts: Fleece lined sweatshirts by themselves or over merino base layers work wonderfully with sarees in autumn/winter. Case in point here.

Cropped sweaters: I love wearing my stash of cropped wool sweaters with interesting sleeve details with my six yards and remain forever on the lookout for a perfect vintage piece with fun buttons. A previous example here.

Long cardigans: Wool cardigans of varied lengths make for interesting layers during the colder months. Streamlined or bulky, I love these on their own or under jackets to add dimention to my outfits while staying toasty.

I have a fun collection of duster cardigans in brights as well as neutrals to have fun styling stuff in the winters.

Waterfall cardigans: I love flowy silhouettes, fluid lines and slouchy styling that truly convey the laid back, touseled vibe I like. Knits with interesting details in the front combined with a scarf fashioned out of my pallu is all kinds of fun.

Turtle neck sweaters: Oversize able knit turtle necks are my favourite for work or play and pair beautifully with the unsticthed fabric to create unique looks every single time!

Leather jackets: I believe that a worn-in leather jacket is a versatile piece that can be worn at all times of the day, for any occasion and in nearly every season.

It is a great piece for transitional dressing and layering saree blouses or sweaters in the fall with a leather jacket is the perfect way to tie my outfit together in a fun way.

Denim jacket: I have a thing for oversize, distressed denim. They are fantastic to grab and go plus work wonders with sarees for an understated, casual look.

Striped knits: Nautical or vibrant colour block lines, stripes go with a plethora of patterns and are a great way to elevate one’s cold weather saree style.

Merino, cashmere, mohair, lambswool and angora fabrics on their own or combined with silk keep me incredibly cosy when the temperatures drop.

Those of you who don’t think you could wear winter wear with sarees, think again. Not only is the seasonal combination a practical solution to the frost’s harsh bite, but it’s also all kinds of fun — and super easy to pull off.

My favourite types of Banarasi sarees

The luxurious handwoven brocade beauties from Varanasi — Banarasi sarees with their detailed renderings of flora, fauna and geometric motifs are more than just fabrics, they are works of art that transcend generations…

Photos: Vincent Boyer (Say hi on instagram @vincetravelbook)

The various types of Banarasi sarees define sublime decadence and exquisite craftsmansip.

In these photos I am wearing a vintage katan silk Banaras saree with a Meenakari border made using the kadiyal technique.

Personally I prefer handloom-ed kattan or kora silk banarasis with zari in various designs and I’ve tried to list what I know about the sarees I have.

Only brocade made in the six identified districts of UP namely Varanasi, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Bhadohi, Jaunpur and Azamgarh districts, can be legally sold as Banaras brocade.

Katan (Kattan) is a type of silk prepared by twisting a number of silk filaments to create a sturdier fabric and a firm base to then bring intricate designs to life.

Kinkhwab (kimkhab) is a heavy, gilt brocade known for extensive zari work which renders the underlying silk fabric almost invisible. The word literally translates to ‘tiny dreams’ which is interpreted to mean that Kinkhwab is ‘the fabric that dreams are made of’.

Tanchois are a very fine weave banarasi fabric that use an extra weft thread to create delicate patterns. I find them super easy to drape.

Meenakari patterns involves the painstaking addition of supplementary coloured resham threads during the hand-weaving process.

Valkalams are woven using pure satin threads in the kadhwa and phulkari techniques to create intricate patterns on the borders and pallu (headpiece) of a saree.

Kadiyals are a beguiling play in contrasts. This traditional technique involves changes in the warp and weft to weave the borders and aanchal in colours that are different from the body.

Jangla fabrics feature gridlike compositions comprising of what looks like an unending array of flowers, leaves and vines.

Bootidar silk sarees feature intricate brocade made of silk, silver and gold in a distinctive manner and may be called Ganga and Jamuna as well.

Various motifs in these kinds of sarees include bel and bootis including angoor, gojar, luttar, khulta, baluchar booti, mehrab, doller, ashraffi, latiffa, resham, jhummar, jhari, kalma, patti, lichhi, kairy, ginnie, vriksh, geenda etc with the use of real gold and silver zari and katan silk in the weft. This is also referred as the amru brocade saree.

Shikargah, primarily featuring motifs of human figures, birds, animals, flora and fauna, these designs pay homage to the royal hunts of yore.

Kadhwa (kadhua), is an elaborate and laborious technique that involves hand-weaving each motif separately to make a very sturdy embossed pattern, which stands out on the fabric.

Jamavar is an exquisite jacquard fabric from Kashmir and in Banaras, they combine the technique used to create jamavar shawls to make the uber intricately woven brocades with the same name.

I am sure there is a whole lot more to know and learn about these magnificent textiles, I would be very grateful if any of you could point me in the right direction. If you are looking for festive season silk saree inspiration, here is a list of twelve kinds of handloom silk sarees I love. If you are looking for some festive saree draping ideas you can find them here, here, here, here, here, here, here here and here.