Fashion & Purchases From India

       
          C here- to tell you all about the second stop on my trip: India. In a lot of ways India is different than Singapore; There is a totally different feel to India and it's not as modern. Plus the heat is unbearable and the moisture in the air was very thick. It's also very rare to find someone dressed in Western clothing- even the school uniforms are in an Eastern style. We stuck out like a sore thumb because most of the time we weren't dressed in customary Indian outfits. While in India I didn't see a single western clothing store, instead there were various sari shops; This is expected because the fashion is very different there compared to North America, Singapore even. Honestly there was a bit of culture, and temperature, shock since we weren't used to the way the other side of the world lives but despite the heat we had a great time in India, especially the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

          Now back to the fashion... when in India, there's one thing you've got to buy: Saris!!! I've only recently started wearing saris, so it was exciting for me to look for new ones, especially in India. I got all of mine from a sari shop in Tirunelveli, India called Chennai Silks. When it comes to sari shopping I'm very picky- I prefer simple saris and I don't want to have to search for them. This is a very tricky task seeing as most shops have shelves with saris piled one on top of the other from floor to ceiling and even more hanging on racks all around the store. The saris I chose were all in pastel shades, as you'll see in the pictures below showing just how big the pastel trend really is. (Check out our Playing With Pastels post.)

          Most saris come with extra material that can be made into a blouse but a lot of people like to buy material in a contrasting color. I chose to use the material that came with my saris, and have blouses made to match. Here are front and back pictures of the saris I bought, with the matching custom blouses:

          For the ladies in my culture, saris aren't our only options; There are also other forms of dresses. These are usually worn by younger girls and as you get older you transition to saris. While in India, I bought two different styles of these non-sari's. The first is a "Salwar Kameez", a two piece outfit that comes in different versions for both men and women. It consists of a Salwar which is a loose pajama like pant that has a wide top and a narrow bottom and the Kameez, a long tunic. 

          The second outfit I purchased is called an "Enagali", it is also a two piece outfit. It is a dress that can be long sleeved, short sleeved, or sleeveless. What makes Enagalis different from other Indian outfits is the fit; The slight v-neckline and flare of the dress are both excellent for dancers. The other piece in this outfit is a pair of tight, fitted, straight cut pants. The "Salwar Kameez" and "Enagali" both have intricately detailed and embroidered designs and they come with a Dupatta- a thin shawl meant to be draped around your neck or across your body and shoulder. Here's a look at these two outfits: 

          Another must-buy item from India are Pashminas. These soft scarves are perfect for cold weather and very stylish. There are so many styles and they come in different levels of thickness so you can really wear them for any temperature. The pashmina scarves I bought were much cheaper then they are in Canada, and with a bit of bargaining on my mom's end we got a great deal! I also got a couple of cushion pillow cases that have designs just as intricate as saris. Lastly, during my trip I was desperately looking for anklets with bells on them, a typical accessory for Indian dancers. Only while walking around the airport as we were about to leave for Sri Lanka did I find a little store that sold them. My wish came true and I finally bought one!