Sarees and Women – Part 2

Ever since I embarked on this journey to encourage and inspire women to wear sarees I have made this interesting observation. I have seen that a lot of women who are in powerful positions be it the corporate world, the government sector, the education sector or anywhere else, choose to wear a saree over any other form of attire. They find that wearing a saree is comfortable contrary to the commonly held perception that not only is it not comfortable but difficult too! I am sure some of them must be wearing Western formal attire too but saree seems to be the preferred form most of the times for them.

In this manner these Super Women are doing their bit to revive the saree which is such an important part of the Indian culture.

So in today’s series, I have covered some of these Empowered women to understand why they wear a saree. Read on and find out what they love about the six-yards.

#saree #empoweredwomen #sareelovers #powerfulwomen #sixyardlove

Jaya Kumra

I am a lawyer by profession based out of Hong Kong currently hosting a talk show Dreams, Passion and your HK story. I am a fun-loving, adventurous and positive person who always likes looking at the bright side of things. I like to try out new things and I am proud of picking up new passions and hobbies at every stage of my life.

Why she loves wearing sarees?

I love wearing sarees from a very early age. My mom only wore sarees and each time she would come back from her college and take off her work sari to put on a home wear sari, I remember draping her sari as a child and admiring myself before the mirror.

The Handloom weave she loves-

It’s hard for me to point out at one handloom weave that I love as I love so many different handlooms of India. But here in this picture since I am wearing a gorgeous Dharmawaram, I would like to talk about a Dharmawaram sari.

Dharmavaram handloom pattu sarees are textiles woven by hand with mulberry silk and zari. They are made in Dharmavaram of Anantapur district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. They are commonly worn in cold weather conditions and weddings and functions.

Aditi Misra

Aditi Misra is a career educator since 35 years.

She’s worked at several DPSs – RK Puram, Vasant Kunj, Dubai and now heads DPS Gurgaon since 2001.

She’s authored and ideated several books for children. Her hobbies and interests included classical Indian music, dance and reading.

Why she loves wearing sarees?

I love sarees because I think it’s the most graceful attire. The six-yards (or nine) suit everyone! And the sheer variety of colours & styles is amazing!

Her favourite Handloom weave

My favourite handloom weave would be a cotton Chanderi or Maheshwari
This is because both these cotton sarees are light and allow my skin to ‘breathe’!

They don’t ‘crush’ too much either.

Perfect for the hot Summer months.

Anjita Shroff

A self-taught professional, Anjita Shroff is a storyteller who uses visual design to bring narratives into life.
 
Born & bought up in Kolkata, the rich cultural heritage of the city provided her opportunities to dabble in design through various workshops & training programs.
 
A Chartered Accountant, armed with a degree in Accountancy honours, she chose to follow her passion for designing over professional qualification.
Her experience as a teacher in one of the leading educational institutions in India helped her explore various auditory & visual mediums to cultivate an engaging bond between the content and audience.

She went on to start her venture, designing digital content & products in various spheres for individuals, leading corporates & educational institutions.
 
Why she loves wearing a saree?

Saree is a medium to tell your story. It could hold a memory, a valued inheritance or just an expression of how one is feeling. I love experimenting with drapes, trying different permutations & combinations and adding to my collection of evergreen weaves. Be it nine yards or six yards- sarees are timeless!

 The handloom weave she loves

Though I appreciate all weaves that our rich country has to offer, I am particularly fond of weaves from South India. The rich fabric with vibrant hues and colour match my personality. I am also fond of linen being the coolest of fabrics that allows the skin to breathe.

Upasana Mahtani Luthra

My name is Upasana. I am a Director at GurgaonMoms (the largest women’s community in the NCR with 36,500 + members)

I am an avid Book reader and review all the books I have read at

https://www.facebook.com/TheBookReporter

https://www.instagram.com/thebookreporter/

Why she loves wearing a saree?

I always thought that wearing a saree was cumbersome, uncomfortable and made me look too large. Then a few compliments came my way when I did wear one and then there was no turning back. I owe a lot of Inspiration to the Facebook group “The Saree Story “and my dear friend Shakti Khanna. We even did a gorgeous fashion show and I walked the ramp wearing a saree. I was also co-MC for this show and in that one afternoon, I learnt a TON about sarees.

Growing up in Chennai seeing a woman in a saree was the most commonplace thing. My grandfather and his brothers ran a huge clothing store and were known for their fine silks. Later my parents also ran a store and I remember meeting many suppliers and learning about different sarees.
 
We at Gurgaon Mom’s have one mega event every year called The Mom Achievers Summit and our dress code is a saree. We all wear the same colour and the entire day is spent in that garment. The saree is irreplaceable. The way it commands attention at an event can be done by no other garment. The way it formalizes an event is also firm.
 
The one thing I missed most when the lockdown began was going to events and wearing sarees. In between when I didn’t wear a saree my colleagues would ask why! I brought back a bunch of my mom’s sarees (she doesn’t drape them anymore) and started using them with vigour
 
Then one day we were doing a book launch with an author at an online event and I decided time to don a saree for that event feel. I did this on many occasions. The most fun moment for me was when – inspired by a WhatsApp forward I wore a saree over shorts! It was so comfortable!
 
The Handloom weave she loves

I love Chennai – Madras to me and every time I visit my parents I end up buying at least one handloom cotton saree. The variety is in abundance and it is so very tempting. So, I would say these are my favourite weaves. After that, it is the Kanjeevaram. Most of mine belong to my Mom.

Sonali Mohan

I am an international admissions consultant, mentor and coach to young adults.

Why she loves wearing sarees?

As a Bengali the saree is a part of my DNA.

• as a child, Basant Panchami would be an opportunity to wear yellow sarees specially woven for children
• once I reached the teenagehood, Durga puja became an opportunity to start a personal saree collection
• a tradition my daughters continue today.

The Handloom weave she loves

I love the handwoven sarees from across our country but my weakness is the ones from the eastern states of Bengal and Assam

• rich in its repertoire of the MUGA, the Jamdani, the innovative Batik from Bishnupur and the resplendent white and red ‘garad’ worn during Durga puja – memories and blessings all woven through its warp and weft
• a whiff of Bengal no matter wherever I am.

Shivani Aggarwala

I am a practising Chartered Accountant, a homemaker and a Kettleball athlete. I have represented India several times in various Championships like the Asian Championship for Kettleball in 2017, the 26th and the 27th World Gira( Kettleball) Sport Championship organised by the International Gira Sport Federation in Uzbekistan and Melbourne in the years 2018 and 2019 respectively and won a Gold both the times.

Why she loves wearing sarees?

I love sarees because it’s 6 yards of pure grace and elegance.

The Handloom weave she likes the most

I love Banarsi because it’s the best mix of royalty, tradition, grace, beauty and is so classy..it’s pure bliss. I feel I look the best in a Banarsi.