In the winter of 2022, a neighbour sought volunteers for a photo-shoot. She is the owner of an amusing sari brand called Tejaswini. The photo-shoot involved the saris of her brand.
Being done in February, this photo shoot was aimed at a promotion leading up to the International Women’s Day. I, of course, volunteered. A chance to feature in a photo-shoot.
A chance to wear a sari. A chance to do both! I would be mad to not say yes to such a concept.
S, my neighbour, first called each of us volunteers to her studio. We chose the saris that fit our personalities and sensibilities. I chose an off-white silk sari which went with the understated dressing that I prefer.
In the second go, S asked us to choose blouses/ tops that we wanted to pair with the chosen sari. I went with a black & white Kalamkari crop top that I’d gotten stitched a few weeks prior.
The Kalamkari crop top went well with the muted sari.
Finally, the D-day arrived! I marched to S’ studio to get my sari draped correctly. I can drape a sari but my style is more casual. When I need a formally or neatly draped sari, I need to take help.
Of course, S made it glorious! I wore a crop top without worrying about showing my tummy. This allowed me to take a pleated Aachal. This is exactly what S did and how – so – tremendously!
I kept my accessories minimal – a pair of earrings and a pair of slightly chunky bangles.
I admired myself in the mirror. Those who know me know that my self – love is quite high. LOL! Yes, I’ve body image issues but I usually love how I look once I take the effort to dress up.
I moved away from the mirror when one of the other volunteers made me realise that I was hoarding it!
S loaded us all into cars and dropped us off to our neighbourhood bakery & café. There were about 15 of us. Chatting and giggling, we made our way. All eyes were on us; we felt that; and we loved that.
At the bakery & café, we were seated and our beverages & food were ordered. Then, S hosted a fun game. We had to identify female Hindi movie actors by the saris they wore.
Think of Deepika Padukone in the sequinned blue sari in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Also, remember Raveena Tandon in the wet chiffon sari in Tip Tip Barsa Pani! I, obviously, lost.
My knowledge of Hindi movies borders on zero. But it was fun and I did get the Deepika answer right. The winner of the game was awarded a beaut stole. We settled down to drink, eat and talk.
That was a time when I didn’t interact much in my apartment. So, that day, I actually came to know quite a few women of my complex. And what a powerhouse they were/ are!
These women ranged from home bakers to entrepreneurs to Yoga trainers. Each one was/ is good in her own right!
And then came an even better part. We modelled. One by one, each of us sashayed down the gallery. It brought back memories of schooldays. In the 1990s, India ruled the beauty contests.
We used to have mock beauty pageants with friends. We tried to emulate the beauty queens! I was born to be a model; only my figure stopped me. LOL!
The saris that each of us wore, all of them were very good. From my brill off-white silk to a lavender tissue to a multicoloured modal to a heavily – detailed velvet to a soft white linen to a red with alphabets written all over it…
Grand! I was quite in love with each of the saris the queens wore. Let the images speak for themselves. It was then time to wrap up. We decided to walk down from the cafe.
On the way, we posed some more – dancing around trees to striking Yoga asanas to playing football! An extremely exciting day had come to an end. Leave a bunch of women together and, rest assured, they’re bound to have fun!
This also made it clear that we, as a sari-loving community, were bonded together. Saris are a symbol of cultural identity and tradition. They bond us through shared experiences and a sense of belonging.
With rich histories and diverse styles, saris become more than just clothing; they represent heritage and legacy. So, when are you draping your next sari?
P.S. Since then, I’ve bought & worn many, many saris from Tejaswini. A huge shout out to them for having such a wizard sari collection. A big thank you to my neighbour S for being so brilliant!
