This is more of a personal post than a “blog” article, I haven’t received any deliverables to advertise all the products that I have listed here, hence this is not a paid promotion.
“I believe in Evil Eye 🧿 and jinx, there was a time when we would go to Aza & Ensemble and I had a Sabyasachi Patiala set in my fav Coral shade, it was entirely embroidered in net/mesh fabric…”
*I have shared a few shocking things over here*
I still remember we were having a really hard time in 2017, we had literally gone bankrupt and as a family we were surviving on change, we were collecting change from old purses to pay for food, I still remember a friend who was constantly nagging me to join some digital marketing course inspite of being aware of my situation by saying it’s barely for 10k (you should’ve seen the condition of that “class”) after refusing several times she started taking revenge and all, this is exactly why I don’t have friends :/ she was anyway very cheap… and this is probably why girls like me are alone for the longest time while such girls are constantly surrounded by people. Anyway, coming to the main topic by the end of 2017 when we finally got some money, my brother decided to spend it all (cuz he was tired of living on scraps) and I started collecting it, that was my trauma-response… I have been collecting since then ie. December 2017, as guessed we didn’t even have any clothes for Eid that year and my mom got a Kurti from some stall (they’d hosted one mini exhibition at Infinity, Malad) and although they had extremely beautiful clothes over there we had to compromise on the lowest priced kurti, like I said I take a lot of care of everything that I own so I had 2 salwar and dupattas which I’d taken when I was 15 (one was cotton silk and the other was in silk organza) I never had the chance to wear them so after 7 years I finally matched them with that Kurti and no one could make out how inexpensive it was, the salwar and dupatta were also not pricey, in fact to be honest I was okay with everything, it actually doesn’t matter… all people want is acceptance, care & some love for who they are instead of these superficial things, you know how much I love fashion and style but certain things are far more important in comparison. After that whenever I was given money for Eid or New Year’s or even my Birthday I would save them in my “saving’s box” this year, I saved the Birthday money and Ramadan was only a month away so I bought something for Eid… I believe in Evil Eye 🧿 curses and jinx, there was a time when we would shop at Aza & Ensemble and I had a Sabyasachi Patiala set in my fav Coral colour, it was entirely embroidered in net/mesh fabric and it had a full sized net Odhni (I’d rather call it that than dupatta) in the same shade… I had taken it for just 27k, I was probably 19, there was only one piece left in my size at Aza, Altamount, I loved going to Sabyasachi’s flagship Boutique in Fort, I would even go to the old one… when we went there we realised that it was all sold out, they only had the grey-beige colour left and I was glad I got my fav colour, I wanted to try it (the coral one when we had gone to Aza) but a lot of customers were asking for it so we headed straight for billing…I had matching Kundan earrings with that (they were those “inexpensive” budget buys) when I shared my pic on Facebook, a lot of people were eyeing it, they were leaving snide, flippant remarks in a sly shrewd “sugarcoated manner” which made me realise I had to get rid of them, they would constantly stalk me and they were too materialistic, so they were coveting all my stuff and I found that very intimidating, that’s usually the case especially in India, people equate sophistication with luxury & a “rich lifestyle”, they don’t see that some people just want quality stuff or they like a certain style/look/design whatever, they only see things ostensibly for their label and brand names. I still remember when the geyser bursted right before my eyes… back then I was 17, I saw the flames reflecting on the tiled wall as I lurched out of there, we immediately pulled the main tripper and used the faucet to douse it, that same morning my ex “best friend” (who would bully me a lot I’ve shared about her in my tweets/twitter @TheBigBadBook) had stalked me & accidentally hearted one of my photos, she was always jealous of me even though she was from Dubai, people can have money but no one can buy your style 🤷🏻♀
You might think I’m connecting her with this incident but guess what? The same thing happened again, she again stalked me using another friend’s ID who was also very envious of me, they left me several scathing remarks by saying I’m a “loner” with imaginary friends… I’m this-that, the same day… one of the pipes/water spray bursted into my face with flaming hot water (I was again in my teens) I instinctively covered it but my hand was burnt (that too luckily not much, God saved me) the plumber said it was “impossible” for that to happen cuz the pipe wasn’t even connected to the heater but my mother told him that the water was boiling hot and there was steam everywhere… like I said I do believe in getting jinxed, we probably even had a financially tough time because of that, you might think something was wrong in the bathroom lines but trust me, even though it was our common bathroom both the times, no one else but me, I was present in the bathroom and she had stalked me (on the both the days) that too not with any good “intention”, moreover, the geyser wasn’t even connected to that faucet and they don’t go off on their own… it turned on remotely (and then immediately bursted) how?
Some people are very materialistic and gluttonous and they covet everything you have, I have shared more on twitter in my “BigBadBook” you’ll have to wade through a lot of sad posts though… coming back to my Eid shopping, usually designer dresses start from 25k; you won’t get Sabyasachi anymore in that range because he has grown extremely successful now and he’s my fav when it comes to traditional wear, I love his colour palette - he uses a lot of jewel tones for his classic “heritage style” trousseau. I was given a budget by my dad so umm my mom told me to find a dress within that amount and there were outfits ranging from 25-35k but one of them had a flouncy A-line cut and I don’t like that shape at all, I picked a Chanderi Dress, the Kurti which was for 5900/- & Palazzos - which were more like slim trousers + dupatta were all sold separately, it was great but their sizes run large, even the XS was sounding huge almost like Biba… I also liked the other striped dress (for casual wear not for Eid) it reminds me of novelty wrapping papers, the metallic stripes and floral embroidery is so cute, I’m referring to the second photo. The first pic has the pink trousers I was talking about, they had matched it with a Kashmiri style Kurta, it was quite plain and simple and the whole beauty was in their (Chanderi) odhni but realistically speaking, I feel all this should look equally appealing in real life, the images have been significantly enhanced, the embroidery was great but it didn’t have any zari work or sequins, nothing of that sort so they were quite simple, the other one had a beautifully buttoned lapel collar with metallic thread embroidery but it was again more minimalistic… I wanted something fancier like Doris around the sleeve and ¾ sleeves, pretty frills or borders, etc. much like Karachi style, these were quite masculine, maximum designer wear that you get in India is like that, they have big cuffs and straight lapel collars, nothing delicate or feminine… I like the second one though, it’s quite unique. I love the scalloped hem and multicoloured flowers and even the metallic stripes are looking gorgeous, they’ve matched it with a tissue dupatta. The last peach coloured Kurti is a clear reminiscent of the 90s, they had such kurtas back then, some of them used to come with jackets if you remember… I was a toddler but I have a very good memory. I don’t like the palazzos though :/
I’ll tell you what I had in mind… so I was looking for something more Middle Eastern than ethnic since it’s for Ramazan Eid, I was looking for something similar to what you get in most Islamic countries, had it been Diwali I would’ve opted for Jewel tones or Royal Rich colours, this was supposed to be more of Karachi or Kashmiri-Pathan style… the reason why I included this “inspiration” over here is because in India (although I never wanted to believe or even acknowledge this) but over here, Muslims are still treated as minorities, I don’t want to get communal but even though most brands are aware that even Hindus look for Karachi style outfits on many occasions, it’s like a craze… they are not ready to budge from their Tribal Aztec prints, according to them it has to be strictly ethnic, even their colour palette corresponds to that and this prejudice or whatever is so deeply etched in their minds that every year during Eid they’ll add big banners (online/real life) to appear inclusive and secular but never have anything dressy or festive, everything will be dreary and dull… the fabric that they use for most ghararas is always cotton, the product code will have “Gharara” for namesake but it would be a typical Kurta-Choli, they will always add that tiered “cotton skirt” which they wear in villages and regional areas… just because they don’t want anything which would reflect Islamic culture.
For the last time, crinkled cotton is not Gharara-Sharara material
This was in the “Eid store” ranging from 30-80k
I’m not objecting because I’m a “Muslim”, I like celebrating all kinds of festivals, I love Diwali cuz it’s a Festival of Lights and my name also means Light so that’s obvious, I love the decorations… all those dazzling lights and diyas, our househelp used to get Diwali treats for me and my brother when we were very small, she would prepare it for her children and their friends/family so she would get some for us too cuz I was always curious about their pakwan and it was such a sweet gesture, you don’t get such people anymore… I always used to wonder why we never had anything for Christmas in India and I was very happy when they started with gingerbread cookies & pound cakes everywhere, now you even get nativity sets and Christmas decor… *finally* earlier, I used to get all that from high-end supermarkets, had to emphasise on “high-end”, I’m not being cynical but like I said, some people find all these things very swanky and luxurious, they see sophistication as something “opulent” or posh… this article is getting very candid but since its a journal entry, I guess I’m entitled to that much freedom. As a kid when I was once going through Tanishq’s eclectic catalogue I saw different kinds of brides, there was a Bengali bride, a Muslim bride sitting for her Nikah, a Marathi Kokani bride with Nathani & green bangles and a Modern bride with a Diamond necklace… I thought the customs would depend on my future husband and we’ll probably have to hold two weddings cuz I never wanted marry someone from the same religion, I always thought it would be boring, like I’ve said I wanted to have another culture in my house… when I saw those looks I was like, I want to be each one of them haha they are so beautiful. This is nothing, one of my grandfathers had married a Japanese woman and shifted to Japan… when I was 7 I had done a Japanese dance in a Kimono on the song Saayonara and everyone in my family said I reminded them of him.
That’s the lovely Anushka Sharma from Sultan, I have always admired this look, it incorporates a blend of both Karachi & Konkan…
I am born & brought up in Mumbai and my grandparents were also born here, in fact my great grandfather had a two storey spice shop in South Mumbai where they would sell expensive spices and condiments like saffron but he lost them cuz he would bet on horses lol it has become a family joke now, we would’ve been very rich today… like I said although we hail from South Mumbai, my genealogical roots trace back to Konkan.
I love the sharara trim & chanderi lehenga, the length of the kurta is also sharara style and the signature green bangles and ghungru on her sleeves reminded me of Kokani brides
I was not keeping well so it was hard for me pick something, I had a panic attack and my pressure has been down since the past two days, my bp kept falling I don’t know why… anyway I tried my level best to put something together, I was looking for something specific so I had to narrow down my options; I had taken a lightly embellished (faux) silk kurti from some online store long ago for 2019 Eid, it was very cheap, hardly for 1000/- bucks but the fit is great and it looks really pretty, I had matched it with a beautiful net dupatta in the same shade and some palazzos. Speaking of traditional wear, I still have my Sabyasachi dress, I also have an Emerald Green Pathani dress, it has lots of beautiful embroidery on top, it’s a Cotton Silk Kurti with satin palazzos and a georgette dupatta… but other than these, I don’t have much in Indian wear. When I went online, I remembered my teenage years, everything resurfaced right from all those designer shops in Colaba & South Bombay to my favourite hidden gems, I recalled Ogaan, Curio Cottage, Amrapali, Aza & Creo to name a few. I remembered Lion’s Gate and the Sabyasachi boutique at Fort, I had tried his Sari Lehenga when I was just 16 and I had told my mom I’ll wear something like when I’ll get married, it was a net Mermaid cut sari-lehenga (something unusually modern for Sabyasachi) it was fully embellished but not heavy at all, it was easy to carry and what I loved the most was the dual toned ombré colour palette, it had this beautiful Champagne nude gold colour on top which would bleed into a beautiful mauve purple towards the hem and it was around 90k this was almost 10 years ago so the prices were not that high.
This was clicked when I was 3 years old, look at the Sharara fringe... I was at my grandmother’s old house in Wadala
Since I always loved Street food my nani used to buy me Dabelis & Wada pavs from Dadar and Prabhadevi which were famous for it and when I was in my teens, whenever we would go to South Mumbai, we would always stop at Babulnath
Hmm… I was looking for something particular and I also wanted to break the norms of islamophobia, so I tried my level best.
I got a necklace + earrings (I still have to finalise the latter) a Gharara set & Batua bag + another choker necklace, I love them and I’m glad they are back in style, I would see my mom and aunties wearing beaded chokers at weddings and all, it’s sooo 90s. I was particularly looking for a choker necklace and Gharara or palazzos… in Silk Organza or Chanderi, with tulle dupattas, I wanted something minimalistic but at the same time beautiful, something that is easy to carry and which can be layered with jewellery and other accessories... like I said I love chokers but if you are planning to skip the necklace then you can always opt for statement earrings or Chandbalis, I personally love everything in Kundan when it comes to ethnic wear.
I got these Velvet Jhuttis, I like to call the first one Arabian Nights, the name in their catalogue is a little different, I feel these coins and colour have that typical "Banjaran" look from the old streets of Marrakesh & Turkey, it reminded me of all those ravishing Belly Dancers with Tambourines and Medallion belts (kamarbandhs) I got one more pair with Ghungroos because you know how much I adore Punjabi culture, they are a must-have...
These are the Ghungroo jhuttis with mirror work, they are both made to order so they usually take around a week's time to get processed... but I just got updated, they have already booked the shipment within 24 hours
I came up with these two looks, I like the embroidery and overall look of the Aubergine one, especially that fringed “sharara border” on their dupatta, it’s from my fav brand. I got the beautiful Kundan choker for 2655/- thanks to sale/offers and an additional 10% discount… it can easily amplify any outfit
I anyway didn’t have anything for weddings because I never had any friends so I’ve never attended any wedding as an adult, it’s been extremely sad, you know how my friends were, I’ve shared that in the beginning of my post… so here’s my final look, I got this batua - there was only one piece left + another necklace this one’s designer and earrings (I haven’t ordered the earrings yet) the necklace has two Crescent moons like Eid ka Chand and the Dudhi or Pistachio green colour is again a signature shade of Islamic culture. The whole look is very simple yet elegant, I’ve added this necklace to bring out the soft gold colour of my Gharara. I love such muted tones and sophisticated colours, they can make your entire traditional outfit a lot more contemporary… The Gharara set has a beautiful dori at the back & it is made in pure Silk Organza, it’s for 5225/- after discount, I was looking for something exactly like this, light and beautiful at the same time.
So I got 2 Necklaces, one Batua, one Gharara set & one Kurti Set, I’ll be adding one pair of earrings either these or the Maroon ones and matching this choker with some other earrings (or anything minimalistic)
Update: The brand from where I got my necklace, never shipped my order even after confirming it (it was readily available for dispatch) I already accepted the Batua which I had matched along with that choker and I was so excited, I was buying Eid clothes after nearly 5 years, I can't take more stress due to my critical health condition, I was palpitating and getting tremors and convulsions again yesterday. I slept at 6 am in the morning because I was unable to breathe, I wanted to get better, to finally dress up and go out, I have been bedridden since long and I haven't left my room since 2018 since long before the pandemic started - for you'll... I guess now we all know what it's like to get ostracised and to live in isolation... I would only buy loungewear and avoid haircuts (since 2017) and soon everyone started doing the same thing, well that's Karma. They tactfully removed the delivery date because they never shipped it, they were dropped several mails by the call centre but they were being unresponsive, when we called them up the woman was sounding extremely conceited & rude, forget helping, she was going on evading and she kept hanging up our calls, what do they think of themselves when they use that fake accent? We were told the delay was from the seller's side and the seller (whoever was on the other line) was not ready to help us in any manner. I know a lot of brands who have the same stuff and pastel coloured drops - they are my favourite and they don't cost a fortune, I had taken this necklace because it went with my bag and now I can't return it, I never expected this from them, International brands like LV and Burberry or Gucci are obviously incomparable, I have all of them including Bottega Veneta, never faced any such issues, Indian Designer labels on the other hand have always lagged and that has something to do with such narcissistic employs, Indians tend to get overwhelmed ie. even with a tad bit of attention and they become excessively proud. What sets them apart is that they are more into statement jewellery (that too in a beautiful colour palette) so that's great but if this is how they are going respond to their own customers then I am appalled and I don't think I'll be able to buy from here again, I can't take more stress and you know why I can't stand narcissism, right? I got bedridden at the mere age of 21 because of someone who was like that and I lost my entire youth in that process. Things never got better for me because that guy easily got away with everything without ever apologising, just like all other men... he didn't have to be like that. Stop asking people to "forgive" someone who doesn't apologise and start teaching your kids to do that before it is too late. I can't imagine how someone can be this cruel or apathetic, I have started to dislike men because of that, growing up in India makes you hate them anyway because most are very lecherous and perverted, it gets worse when you turn into an adult because it also narrows down your options while finding a life partner, I don't want to be anyone's prey, nor do I want a boring husband who sees marriage as a "Season Pass" for s*x
Another Update: They finally dispatched it after I left them a review on Google. Had we not called them up or done that they wouldn't have sent it... Anyway, my choker shopping didn't end there, I got these chokers too, the first one was quite cheap, now I don't want to compare but since my blog is all about budget buys, there was another choker with this same Emerald cut and Regal look for 6000/- (not from the previous brand) This one has a slightly smaller stone (completely artificial) but it has pearl drops, that was more simpler and I didn't like their quality, it was looking more artificial than this and the make was also very shabby & poor, this choker set comes with a ring and two earrings, it was available for 375/- and the the pink one was for 399/- I like it for casual wear, I love Indian Jewellery as much as I love fine Jewelry and chokers are my favourite, I would've been the first to bring this trend back had I been physically fit, in fact I was the first to sport Boyfriend jeans in India when I was 15, I would buy 2 sizes up to achieve that look 'cuz I was always a tomboy. Coming back to the chokers, I love the pistachio green choker it sparkles a lot in real life, it looks like mesh but it is actually beaded, the middle one is going to get shipped in May, it was available on a 50% discount and although it's a bit pricey I got it because, the style is perfect if you want something light & it reminds me of the 90s... I had something similar when I was 5 or so, it's going to get deducted from next month's budget, I got it for 3950/- after discount. I love the third one, it's for 2650/- (again with some discount + first purchase coupon) like I said it will look beautiful with any outfit. The kundan choker (second one from first row, vertically, not pink) is another favourite piece of mine, it comes with matching earrings. Luckily due to some glitch I got a discount code which otherwise would’ve been invalid, looks like I’m all set for the wedding season…
My all time favourite Heritage brand I remember I had taken earrings from here for my Sabyasachi outfit. They still give you that brocade pouch to store your jewellery… I have cropped their box to create a vintage looking cutout. These earrings are gold plated and they have a very beautiful golden colour and lustre.
They reflect my personal style which, when it comes to Indian wear is a classic blend of both Glamour & Antiquity. Be it Indian or Middle Eastern, our culture is much more elegant and modest, it’s all about dressing up and celebrating life so if I’m wearing something like that I would want it to be exactly the way it has been passed on from generation to generation like traditional Heirloom pieces… for me a “modern version” of Indian clothing is not like going a notch higher but way below my standards - not because I find it raffish or anything, it just doesn’t look rich enough.
Xx Love,
Zara Sauleh
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