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.
- 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?
Pleats N Pallu 