The last
post I did wherein I wrote something I loved, was a long time back! Really
long! I think it’ll take me a few articles to really get back to that stage,
but I will try nonetheless! Today, I will attempt conveying through pictures. I
bring another one of the #MNSIndieProject posts to you, after months,
literally!
This one is
a bit close to my heart. I have mentioned many times that I have been brought
up roaming across the country, because of my father’s job. But, I have always
been a Bengali girl at heart, no matter where I stayed. I have always preferred
luchi over puri, saree over salwar, Tant er sharee {Cotton saree} over Chiffons
and my most favorite, Alta over Mehendi. Indian women dress up beautifully, and
we don’t even leave our palms bare!
Henna
covered palms and elaborate mehendi ceremonies have been romanticized enough in
Bollywood movies and honestly, done to the death! Like almost everything these
days! You pick out a simple thing, name it something fancy and it becomes a
rage! Now coming to the day’s main focus, sustainable fashion, which has been
again, done to death at this point.
Most
designers price a simple outfit exorbitantly and people with money to spare
jump on the bandwagon of “making conscious sartorial decisions”, without a
single second of research. Now, I won’t blame anyone. Designers want to sell
and people want to be cool! The worst part of it all is, that only few of these
garments labeled as “Sustainable fashion garments” are actually made by
following a proper production process and priced fairly. I am afraid that the
trend has made this slow fashion movement, into another “Fast fashion” trend.
Also, this
might be a new thing for the western world, but in a country where our previous
generations have always preferred/worn cotton, grown organically, dyed with
vegetable colors and indigo, this should be a huge rage. But, unfortunately it
is!
But, there
are actually ways to follow the slow fashion movement without breaking the bank
and polluting the environment, after all it IS Eco-friendly fashion.
Borrow from
your parents and grandparents. Wear their clothes, reuse!
Customize
them if you want to! Pick an old saree or two, visit the tailor and turn them
into dresses, shirts, skirts, anything you envision them to be!
Source
cotton cloth from weavers; learn how to dye or get them dyed from someone who uses
indigo or vegetable dyes. Get these tailored. Believe me, it feels so good!
The saree I
am wearing here is sourced directly from a weaver, the embroidery {Kantha
Stitch} done by an artisan after my Mother picked out the design. She has had
this saree for years now and honestly I love wearing her sarees.
This
particular saree is a Tangail saree. A commonly worn type of, Kantha stitch is
another specialty of west Bengal. It started typically for re-purposing used
clothes {Kudos for reusing and recycling to my older generations!}, and then
Nakshi Kantha came to be, with motifs on clothes, for the purpose of design and
decoration!
This photo
series is a visualization of combining a few of the favorites I have as a
Bengali girl. All decked up, and putting finishing touches with the Alta on my
feet while enjoying a little bit of the
spring sun {Boshont er rod}. And I chose a Shaada- Laal paar {white with red borders}
saree because we Bengali women have a special place for these sarees in our
heart {not to stereotype}, not that we don’t love other colors or designs!
Hope you
guys liked the story! Let me know what you think in the comments below!