20% on Discount
25/02/2022
A part of this fashion culture that we women carry, is the blouse.
“Fashion is part of the daily air and it changes all the time, with all the events. You can even see the approaching of a revolution in clothes. You can see and feel everything in clothes.” —Diana VreelandA lot about the Indian culture has traveled overseas.
Not just the cuisine, but people carried colourful traditions too.One such significant addition Indian women have carried since time immemorial is the saree – a representative of Indian culture, beliefs and values.A part of this fashion culture that we women carry, is the blouse.
This introduction of ‘blouse’ has a colonial history of its own.It was at the time of the Victorian era that most women didn’t feel the need of wearing a blouse under their sarees. A simple wrap of their saree around their body was the staple look. But we need to know how blouses were even systematically brought into the culture and why.
You see, back then, women weren’t allowed to enter places like the clubs under the British Raj if they didn’t meet a particular dress code – it was Jnanadanandini Debi, the wife of Satyendranath Tagore, brother of the famous Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore who when denied entry to a club, decided to popularise blouses, jackets, chemises and the modern style of the saree in India.
The intensity of the incident was not one to be passed, but to be woven into a motivation, a motivation to craft the traditional Bengali saree into a modern mixture of culture and fashion. The modern Bengali saree also showed the tinge of a modified European style blouse.If not like wildfire, the style was accepted and popularized throughout India where an Indian saree, no matter how ordinary one thought of it, was paired with an impeccable taste of style and belonging. One that they chose to represent.Something to think about, how once a saree was considered an independent garment has now grown out to be inseparable from a blouse, so much so that they collectively are called a traditional garment. English garments – the blouse and the petticoat, have now become a major part of an Indian garment we call saree, all because of an articulation of someone’s thought into craft. This in turn becomes a great example to shoot a merger of both English and Indian traditions, as one.Evolution does take us forward, but it’s also imperative for us to trace back to the time from where it all began. From the Indus valley civilization (yes, that’s how far we can think of!) till today, the ‘blouse’ has evolved in many ways.Indian clothing with a touch of medieval influenceThe establishment of the Mughal empire surprisingly influenced the culture of Indian blouses.In the 15th century, divided garments became women’s go-to choice. With the rise of salwars as a popular dressing code, the tradition followed the idea of stitched clothes – mainly, blouses. Not just the Mughal, Kangra and Rajput style paintings showed women wearing stitched blouses or cholis with wide skirts or Ghagra during this period. Amidst the hundreds of different styles when it came to wearing the saree, not all of them required women to wear a blouse, since many of these drapes were demure enough and covered women fully, as seen in Bengal.While the Victorian era started to take its position in India, firm and strong, their standards widely spread the word of propriety and high morality. The growing exposure of the Indian caste system also reflected.Blouses and cinemaAs far as our memories can travel, we know how Indian cinema broadcasted the latest fashion trends and inventions. Not just then, but even today, it doesn’t take more than an overnight’s time to bring something from the television into our daily lives.Similarly, during the 1940’s Indian cinema began to make its way. The pavement gave rise to not just production of terrific movies and setting standards, it also produced silver screen stars.The desire to look the same as these stars, feel a part of their life was something women and men found adventure in. Iconic stars, when left the silver screen, not just whistles and thunderous claps stayed with the audience, they left behind a slice of their fashion statement. Stars like Vaijyanti Mala, Nargis, Meena Kumari, Mumtaz and Saira Banu, who wore long sleeved blouses, sleeveless blouses or even flamboyant coloured blouses, were the style influencers of their age. Inspiring thousands of young women with their fashion pick.Their style of dress further popularized the modern saree blouse and resonated with Indian women. But what has really changed today? We still are followers of trends and everything we watch on television, big screens or even small screens. Indeed, inspiration is everywhere.Remember those times when someone says,”Earlier fashion statements are being adopted now, in the 2000s.” It indeed is an observation of gold when you see how old cinema influences the cinema of today. Is it a comeback of blouses? Or, has it always really been there? Today, wear saree blouses like long tailored tops or don’t wear it at all, it’s history crossing our paths.Be it shirts, sweaters, high necked Victorian blouses, strapless or one-shoulder blouses, today’s boho-fashion trends are inspired from history. Similar if not same.A statement blouse never meets a slippery slopeToday, it’s all about comfort. Not just feeling comfortable but the easier the better. With ‘less is more’ in fashion, statement blouses have never met point zero, it has always been rising. Designers are now going all out with their trendy designs, be it incorporation of buttons or sleeves, material or the game of prints. They are open to more changes and variations. More options and more mix and match.Blouses today have become more about comfort with convenience. This combination is difficult to crack, but nobody said it’s impossible.Gone are the days of waiting for your tailor’s appointment and getting the perfect size after rounds and rounds of correction. Keeping up with the rise of statement blouses, readymade ones, which are not only stretchable but available in vibrant colours to suit your taste are the new go-to garment. One that easily takes the shape of your design and your body.Well, sure times have evolved and how. Once there used to be a time where you’re spending days to get your perfect blouse, hunting through magazine pages, getting the perfect measures, and having various styles to choose from – all for the perfect blouse. And today, where you get all under one roof, readymade. Think of all the time you’re going to save – from cutting down design hunting time, to waiting for the tailor to take the measurement of your blouse.Get all of it under the same roof, category and at the same time.
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