[07] Saree, not Sorry
She's classy. She's adaptable. She's seductive. She's evergreen. She's modest. She's perfect for every occasion. She will have my heart forever.
Often made by hand and worn by millions, the saree is the epitome of femininity: everything all at once.
Silk for important occasions, chiffon for whimsy, and cotton for the mundane. The elegance begins when I pinch the edge and run my fingers along until I find the end of one side. It continues as I tuck the top edge into my underskirt — the petticoat — and wrap it all around my waist. Whether hurried or languid, the pleating is my favourite part. As a girl, I'd watch the women in my family deftly gather the excess material into neat pleats, and it would blow my tiny mind. How could they do it so quickly? How did it always look so perfect? How did they always know how many pins to use? Did they know how divine they looked?
I've been wearing sarees to celebrate the milestones in my womanhood and I love how they make me stand out: the bold Kanjeevaram handloom from my mother's collection for grad, the cream chiffon chikankari for high tea, the olive green mul cotton for a Christmas dinner at home and a gentle walk afterwards. The saree is more than just clothing. Each piece arrives with blessings and sparks a desire to be worthy of the material. Each piece has a unique, unshakable character I get to embody: bold, demure, quirky, sensual, honest, alluring, majestic — each one more expressive than the last and every single one a privilege to be.