Stories are tumbling out of wardrobes these days. Direct DIL SE tales of happiness, sadness, fun, amusement, madness and just plain memories. Lots of women are turning story tellers..all searching for tales of glory within their wardrobes.. Each epic as glorious as the six yards of wonder that they bespoke.
Bengaluru-based friends Ally Matthan and Anju Maudgal Kadam, the brains behind this movement had never thought that a coffee table conversation about the lost glory of sarees could become a sensation that is changing Indian women's perception towards the saree. The hidden heirlooms are getting back in fashion and this time, with stories interwoven with the loom. Age no bar, cast no bar, the saree stories are becoming a way to vent out pent up tales and all sorts of emotions are seeing a outpour with them.
Hoarded in our wardrobes but seldom worn are some beautiful sarees that we don't really plan to wear.“At present, there are many of us who wear saris only during a festival. The saris remain in the cupboard during the rest of the year, unworn and unseen. That was when we hit upon an idea. We decided to wear a sari on 100 occasions in 2015. That was our pact,” says Ally.
Then Anju and Ally had a sparkling idea. They decided to invite friends and friends of friends to join in the pact. All that they had to do was send in snaps of them or their relatives or friends wearing a sari accompanied by a little tale about the sari they were wearing. Thus was the #100sareepact begun on March 1.
Every saree has a story — be it a wedding gift, an heirloom piece or simply an impulsive buy. Each saree signifies an inherent celebration of life, relationships and memories.
While some linked their saris to special occasions, others wrote about memories that a sari evoked. While some highlighted the design and weave of their saris, others recalled the places and the people who were connected to that sari. From heavily embroidered Kanjeevaram silks to Chanderis to Bengal Tants, with the pact gaining popularity, women are discovering the nuances of rich, Indian weaves.
Priya Kadapa Shah, who took the pledge on March 17 and has worn 19 sarees since then ha s a highlighted a very important issue. She says if we stop using these sarees an entire generation of weavers lose their livelihood, Besides, it sorts out every women's pertinent problem of "I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!"
Very similar is the story of Rajeshwari Iyer, who prefers wearing only handloom ones, which are sourced directly from the weavers. Her first saree of the pact, a blue dabu print Maheshwari has three different printing techniques, making it a masterpiece. "At work, you would rarely find someone wearing a saree, so if you happen to wear a saree, you are showered with comments more than compliments. 'Birthday hai kya', 'Anything special', 'Kuch toh baat hai'. And, if you continue wearing sarees to work, there has to be something going on in your life. Basically, wearing a saree has a direct correlation to a very important event in your life," she points out.
For Sandhya Udayshankar, her rust-coloured saree brings back memories of her engagement ceremony, six years bacK ,Sarees are empowering, she believes.
For some it was about legacy and heirlooms; for some it was about feelings, emotions, sentiments…the way they felt while wearing a particular sari. And not to forget the younger more experimental crop of women who love their fashion and have joined the pact to quirk up their style statement!
So Graduation day, weddings, birthday gifts, anniversaries, a pick-me-up sari to get over a divorce, bangle ceremonies, there's a saree story for everything now. The anecdotes open many doors to Indian life, culture, traditions and more. Reading these stories, these clicks take one into the hearts and hearths of Indian homes and lives.
Wearing 100 sarees this year means 2 each week. Its about celebrating the joy and the pride of draping the 6 yards of wonder rather than some ostentatious pretence. Its about reviving the glory and the high that women get in doing the feat that was occasional on an everyday note. Its about making it a life choice.
Their fan following is growing- On facebook, twitter and everywhere else you see more and more women doing the #100SareePact! Its a phenomenon and its magical. More and more women are taking a fancy to this beautiful idea and joining up by sharing their stories or those of the saree soirees around them...of Friends , neighbors and countrywomen!
The pact has, in a way, revived the idea of elegant dressing and the belief of treating the saree with more conviction than before.
Why don't you join in the revolution in your own little way and celebrate womanhood with your choice of saree from PEACHMODE? Psst..we are running a little contest!
Shop (click here for sarees) with us and share YOUR saree story with the world! Mail your story to us here- contest@peachmode.com and the best story stands a chance to win awesome goodies from PEACHMODE! Celebrate femininity the ethnic way in these 6 YARDS OF WONDER ladies, because you are one of a kind!
