Jungle Vibes

I almost blend into the foliage in this top, it was made with fabric from a blouse piece. I love the bandhani saree it came with, the parrot green colour looks stunning worn with anything but I'll probably say that about any bandhani piece, I love bandhej in every colour. I have bandhani sarees in many shades of green, love wearing the all kinds of sarees as well as blouses/ cholis together as well as separates as you've seen here, here, here, here and here.

I believe that sarees as well as their blouses make great statement as well as staple pieces, it just depends on the styling. Trust me if anyone tells you otherwise they have no idea what they're talking about. This bright orange carpet bag is what dreams are made of and I've had it for ages, but love it more everytime I bring it out to play. As usual I am wearing nothing special but tried and tested pieces that will stay with me for many many years to come, I have no desire to shop for a new wardrobe every time the season changes, I will just continue to buy hand-crafted goodness when and where I can find it.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week, I've spent the day stomping about in fern covered jungles, so I am happy. Have a great Saturday!

Pochampally & Kutchi embroidery

Pochampally, is a group of many many villages, in Nalgonda in the South Indian state of Telangana where skillfull weavers on traditional hand operated looms make these amazing woven fabrics. They weave stunning silk sarees and cotton fabric that I constantly dream of and ensured that I picked up a bunch of this fabric during the Hyderabad leg of the trip. This top was made from some of the Pochampally ikat fabric I fell in love with, it is a simple shirt/ kurta that I can wear with denim or churidar and dupatta or even wear to work with a skirt. I love the fact that slowly I am creating a wardrobe that includes things that I consider staples; ikat, block-print, bandhani, leheriya, shibori, traditional embroidery etc.

This bag is made by the ladies of a tribal group in Kutch and was picked up in Dhordo a tiny village in the Rann of Kutch. I am currently in love and wear it with everything. All the jewellery worn in this post is silver from various silver-smiths who cater to and specialise in designs specific to certain tribes. While I was walking around the markets one day, an older gentleman was very confused as to which tribe I was from because I was wearing jewellery from three different tribal clans. The cuff that I am wearing on my left wrist is something I haven't taken off in over a year and the jumbled bunch that is my anklets stay put all through summer. I am also wearing a hooked clasp silver key ring at the waist similar to a 'chatelaine'. It is called 'Chabi ka Challa' or 'Chabi ka Guccha' in Hindi I think. The lady of a house wears one of these with all the important keys of the house. Depending on their socio-economic status these could be of 22 carat gold with precious stones or silver with semi-precious stones.

I just don't see the point of changing things that are already perfect. Instead of trying to get my hands on what's trendy every season I try to source traditional jewellery and handicraft items that will last me for years and something that will hopefully be passed down generations. I'd rather spend my money ensuring that traditional craftmanship remains profitable.

I am wearing these with Kolhapuri leather chappals that I bought from a street stall in Colaba, they are destined to be used like crazy over the summers to come. I wish one day I am able to spend extensive time in some places with a rich textile heritage and master some of these crafts, until then I am going to live in them and hope the magic of creating beauty rubs off on me.

Summers are for Mini-Anarkali/ Kediyu

Post Dusshera prancing about on the balcony garden after I got a hose and sprayed water on every leaf, the things that make me happy are really simple! I have a bunch of these mini-anaarkali/ kediyu that I wear all summer round with shorts, in winter I wear them with jeans like you've seen here.

It's one week to our adventure, the house cleaning has begun, I don't even know what to pack but I've bought my travel diary ofcourse and already started drawing in it. In the meantime I obviously don't have time to take outfit photos but then it's not like I wear anything other than everyday wear in outfit posts. So here I am in another one of my Ajrakh staples just after watering my plants with greasy hair :)

Rock n Roll in a Saree

These pictures were taken on a pre-spring fun afternoon out and feature my current favourite way of wearing a saree. This way let's me move/ dance freely,look good with heavy duty boots and/ or leather jacket and above all allows me sit on a bike. I can't wait to get more sarees and wear them more often. It sometimes astounds me when the rest of the world is so unaware of the rich, luxurious textile traditions of Indian and the a many other parts of Asia. The joy that comes from wearing handloom silk, khadi, cotton or wool is second to none. And I'd rather wear a vintage saree than a dress made in a sweatshop somewhere!

Block print by the sea

Flowy hand block printed cotton dresses, beaded bangles, silver, shells, embroidered camel leather, a mirror work belt and bandhani chunnis make perfect autumn wear in my books. Going to the beach to watch another spectacular sunset is made even more special. I feel tremendously lucky to call such a beautiful city my home.

Appreciation not Appropriation

Early morning train rides, walking through crowed market-places, breathtaking temples at every corner, street food fragrance wafting through the air, incense and glowing lamps at dusk, there is so much to see do and experience in the only place that will ever be home. I will travel, I will experience new things but when I drift to sleep, I crave the comfort of home, of being able to worship at a temple or mosque or church or Gurudwara, my home where Eid is celebrated with as much excitement as Diwali; Durga Puja and Christmas share traditions, where Navroze Mubarak isn't just something alien on one's tongue, where we don't need a Harmony Day to celebrate diverse cultures.


Where wearing a Rabari shawl, bag or cuff isn't just a fad, where we know the meaning behind traditions and don't just jump on the cultural appropriation bandwagon because it is cool to suddenly pick and choose the shiny parts of my culture. Bindi; mehandi, lehenga; choli, rangoli; Holi and Om these are not just words, they mean the world to us. And that thing that you wear and call it a slave bracelet, its actually called a haath-phool which literally means hand-flower.

Running around in an embroidered choli

In my opinion things can't get better than hanging out with one's loved ones in a tropical jungalow by the coast with three massive dogs and a cat wearing embroidered clothes made by kickass women!

This choli was bought off a lady from Kutch and is among my most treasured objects. I cannot wait to go back to Kutch's magnificent white sand encrusted desert plains soon.

The landscape and arts and crafts are exquisite, while Rajasthan is being marred by unsustainable tourist influx thankfully Kutch is off the trail for most. I find people who go to Jaipur for three days, Jaisalmer for two, buy some shiny looking clothes only tourists buy, then come back to the first world and start calling India Motherland and decide to wear bindis to every music festival. People like that are just so ignorant and very funny to me.

Two days to Fridaaay, yaay!

The last day of summer

Today is officially the last day of summer and I am loathe to let the season of swimming in the sea and basking in the sunshine go, so not ready for anything more than light layers with boots and can't bear the thought of dreary weather. So I dressed in a way that although super common for me makes me feel really happy; old, washed-a-million-times-soft cotton with suitably ventilated jeans and converse.

For ages I knew that I like traditional Indian kurtas and angrakhas but recently have come to the conclusion that I am also only attracted to cuts that are similar. I also only like natural fibres, obsessively check tags to know the exact fabric composition and may have a slight problem. I digress, what I mean to say is these traditional Indian cuts are my go to regardless of current trends and I am getting more and more comfortable in my skin to bother with anything else.

This bag was bought off a Rabari woman in Gujarat who was jaw-droppingly beautiful in a way that only real (read non-fashion) people can be. Currently I am obsessed with travelling and paring down my belongings to keep only things that matter; handcrafted beauties and things with sentimental value.

Have a great weekend, world!