Please Note: Whatever I’m sharing is half heartedly it’s Contd. from the previous sad post on Tumblr. I’m committing Sui-cde I won’t be wearing it. My condition was too bad when I woke up and although I’ve been given a lighter dose of meds they are still heavy for me because I have become internally weak due to this constant emotional battle, so it gets worse this way or that way.
I didn’t want to waste that money on anything bad or at all those places where they cheat and give nothing but a kerchief in the name of a Dupatta (which is the main component, if it’s a sari it’s the pallu, in clothes it’s the dupatta which sort of highlights your outfit, and finishes the entire look, you can also style it in many ways) I browsed one store but then I realised they were giving free stuff to bloggers and I liked whatever they had but in anything heavier I just felt like they were cheating, the dupatta was as small as you get in children’s wear and the collection was also getting slightly dreary or repetitive, honestly it wasn’t worth more than 7-8k but it was pricier, you get better options from some store at hailing from the Khan Market or from where I got my stuff which has also been featured in Vogue, one could opt for without Dupatta here but you don’t always find anything matching and like I said it is an integral part of the entire ensemble. I realised apart from the bloggers their clientele list included mostly lower middle class people and they were recklessly spending on these clothes but you know they lack that choice or taste which you’d find relatable… so I thought it would best if I’ll just keep looking, some of you won’t believe me when I’ll say they were indeed getting prodigal here but it was like the camera where some guys (like all the “pantar” gangs) were impressed after wasting 60k on a defective product, hopefully it was just one batch and all the educated people were leaving frustrated reviews. I could make out the quality so I never got it even though I didn’t have a camera for years.
So even here, the material was quite shabby, the quality was not upto the mark, it was looking crinkled right from the beginning and shrunk too, however I did like the rest of their stuff but nothing went with my personality, it was something that I’ve never worn even as a kid maybe it was too feminine and not the kind that I would necessarily like, it mostly had a blend of chikankari and floral panels. So I decided to skip that brand it wasn’t a designer place anyway… I initially wanted a Choga I can’t divulge much ‘cuz I do have a lot of eyes on me right now and I don’t want anyone to imitate me, honestly I’ve always faced this and although I’ve taken it spontaneously for years (mlike Coco Chanel once said, “If you are original you have to get ready to be copied”, I do find it unfair now as a grown up because I have never been with any guy ever, in my entire life, I’ve never been face to face much just twice or thrice that too I’ve never even been kissed so I’ve never had that kind of an equation and I feel like an untouchable now… I’m afraid those girls who are stalking me right now will take these ideas to impress certain people, so I can’t write much no matter how passionate I am about this subject, I can’t, you can ask me the name of the brand if you want in messages but I won’t share anything much here. I’m not in the state write anyway.
Chogas have originated in Punjab, Kashmir and Karachi, they are worn oversized and mostly in velvet that’s my preferred choice of fabric so I had picked one and luckily you are getting a variety of chogas but I was not in the state to wear high heels for now like those really tall ones and chogas are already lengthy 48 inches I could’ve customised it but I still wanted to avoid the heels and they are huge I anyway wanted the sleeves and the body to be big otherwise what’s the point? And you need heels to carry them… so I chucked that idea for now and got something else which I was determined to buy and I got 2 of them + one for Bakri Eid. All sales/offer details are in the other post. I do like certain looks which are more feminine it’s not like I don’t but like I said I had something specific in mind, there was a 3rd item which I had liked from the other store from where I got most of my stuff, it was very beautiful, it was white with a Satin Kurti, it had some thread work near the neck and the bottom hemline, the rest of it was laden with rose butti and there was a sparkly dupatta along with that (I’ll be talking about their dupattas later on, it’s one of the reasons why I even chose that place, it was like a dream come true I loved that entire collection) the bottoms were either in white organza or net, with a layer of pink foil lining inside, they were Ghararas, this was one had a Romantic theme so it also featured puff sleeves in full length and a pink and white combination with pink insets, it was so pretty… I’ll get into more details later on. It was passionately put together by someone who probably loved fashion just as much as I did.
First up we have this Chanderi Suit with Organza Dupatta in Greige, I feel it’s more of an Oyster Grey in real life, the material is great, it’s quite luxurious and the cut work gives it that designer’s edge, I prefer places where they don’t compromise on the quality or the fabric or any kind of needlework. And amidst all the competition I really appreciate it when these stores or designers take enough initiative to give you something worthy which justifies the price tag and also earns them more credibility cuz it doesn’t look like they are flaking on it… I love the material like I said and the shipping was fast because they had it ready since it’s quite light and simple, I think it’s perfect for Eid, I have a matching choker in a Rustic finish with taupe Kundan beads to go along with that. You can’t make out much in the photo but it’s this crisp chanderi with a thick organza dupatta and quality is awesome, it looks different in the photos but in real life the material is rich and beautiful.
I had a Sabyasachi Patiala ages ago when I would go out, in my late teens from Fort, he had a smaller boutique back then which was later expanded into this beautiful atelier with a tiny booth inside (downstairs) where he launched his first jewellery collection. I got it from the SS range so the colour was summery and light, it was coral with lace embroidery which was there throughout the kurta as well as the dupatta, it was entirely in net with fulls sleeves and there was chun at the wrist, there was one last piece left and another girl who had come with her mom was constantly eyeing it when she saw it in my hand, we did an advanced payment and got it delivered cuz it was an impromptu purchase. But there was still Eid coming up so I had an occasion to wear it. I had paired it beautiful ethnic earrings I didn’t want to overdo much as the neck was already very beautiful. I still have it tucked away safely in my closet, back then the prices were not that high, it was for 32k and you would also get cotton ones in a lesser range but they would sell out very fast within a short span of time cuz all the Billi Masis would pounce on them and even fight if they had to, that’s how rich people get rich… they save money. I always looked up to them and knew I’ll be like them one day, it’s good to be catty and wise and they were all so very sophisticated - which is not the same as being rich, it just means being cultured with a refined taste, that’s my definition. The sari lehenga which I was talking about in one of my coincidences, that too was from Sabyasachi I had tried it on where I was barely 16, it was in Champagne gold which would blend into a beautiful ombré in shades of mauve & purple, I was telling my mom I’ll get my dream job and buy something like that for my engagement when I’ll get married, it was for 1.2 lakh. It had a fish cut and a little ghera at the bottom, it was relatively more modern than the rest of his stuff although I’m myself much more interested in ethnic wear, I do feel it was refreshing for a change. It was glamorous too… I had taken a lehenga, I won’t lie but people see it very materialistically so it was one of the most coveted things in my wardrobe and I still remember the pic that I had taken (it was very beautiful even the look that I had put together with that messy bun and matte lipstick) it was envied a lot and I had delete it later on. So my current state can be understood from that jealousy is a very bad thing and especially in India people are such, they don’t see things as something to be admired or appreciated such as the work or design, some of us do, that’s why we even buy it but there are certain people who only see these things as monetary “assets”. There was a time when I wanted to be a fashion designer cuz you know how much I love fashion and style (ever since I was 2-3 years old lol) so I would visit these boutiques and even browse the bridal collection spontaneously ie. even if I knew I couldn’t afford it, we had taken a lehenga for some wedding, but I wasn’t sure if I would’ve been able to buy one (on my own) from the much more pricier range if I had to that is, for my for own wedding… so people need to take things in their stride instead of envying others, they don’t even visit these stores so they are not aware of the exact price range and they believe it is all super expensive (well now it is) but like I said they see these things as assets to flaunt and they assume everyone is like that.
As an adult, I don’t think it matters much, not that I liked it because of the price range I have never been an “Elitist”… it’s not required. I loved Sabya’s heritage style, but it’s too expensive now, I still believe he is definitely one of the best and the most prolific designers of India in fact he’s celebrated all across the world and it’s something really cool. I can’t write much so keeping it short if I were to get married, for me the label or the price tag wouldn’t have mattered, I just wanted something of my choice something that I would’ve really liked, something special, and luckily you have a lot of emerging designers nowadays who are making such beautiful outfits so you are bound to find something or the other in fact you’ll probably have a hard time choosing from an overwhelming range of options… I think my style has evolved over the years and as a grown I feel like I it’s best to save money considering all the uncertainty in today’s times. Here are a few references you can enlarge the photos, I really love their look, it’s very sober like the 90s, it’s traditional & heavy but at the same time - minimalistic, it’s well balanced I can’t write much as I’m feeling really weak and lifeless rn due to my infection and meds so I’m gonna directly skip to the good part… haha I just wanted to give an idea of what I really like and there’s more if you’ll continue reading. I was determined to get something specific and I’ll be talking about that as well but in short.
I had something in mind… I told my mother about that childhood friend and her gown (she was wearing gowns in maximum functions) and they had a cake and all & I was like some people prefer a very modern look she was saying all youngsters buy like that but I wanted to explain my choice, so I told her I was totally into I regional styles such as a mix of Rajasthani, Punjabi, Karachi. She realised I wanted something which was traditional to core, I had written about it earlier in one of my blog posts, I found one place where they had exactly what I wanted, an eclectic blend of Gota, Butti, Zari work & foil, etc. I wanted something which had Shagun dupattas and oadhnis + you know those tacky shimmery ones with that typical sharara fringe and foil Patti design or different types of threadwork/karigari just like the brides who dress up there, you even get such things while street shopping so I only had those fancy dupattas in mind in net, organza or tissue. Whatever I had in mind was both bold and slightly elaborate and here we are… I kept looking for something like that and I realised a lot of designers were making such things, I’ve made a list of my top 5 fav boutiques and I am really happy with my overall shopping experience. Here… I didn’t buy this as it was quite heavy but I can describe it to you (not much cuz not well)
I love these two outfits below, one of them has a jacquard layer underneath, the other one has a dupatta which is inspired by Shagun dupattas with criss cross design, they are in red, this one is in a béautiful sea green colour that I really wanted. I didn’t buy it because it was heavier and I’m not actually getting married right now but I’ve kept this place in mind (people would believe I’m “crazy” or assume I’m still hoping for someone which is more than insensitive it’s in fact appalling, they take away your hope and then they assume you’ll be crazy enough to believe in love again or keep them in mind while discussing these clothes, I was talking about a celibate contract marriage without intimacy just platonic that too I have no one)
Here, this is the first thing from my purchase, it’s light and summery again and I love the colour palette: Pastel Leaf Green with a deeper salmon pink dupatta in net typical Rajasthani style, I love the neck and which perfectly goes with the sleeveless pattern, the only thing I was worried about was the Gharara because I initially thought it was one of those crinkled cotton skirts which look very basic but then I realised it was georgette that too ruched which will look very stylish… how pretty right? Luckily I had a discount coupon valid on minimum 30k so when I bought 2 I was able to avail max 8k off… they had a certain limit and I was not able to get a complete 30% disc. but something’s better than nothing and I am really happy with my choice, I bagged them for 24500/- which exceeded the budget that I was given but I got 2 (thanks to the offer) so I guess that’s justified. I had taken that choker last year so it’s either going to be that or the earrings not both, I think choker will go better with this, the burgundy purple drops would match this leaf green colour and the dupatta as well.
Next, I got this although it was an exception as I am not a huge fan of full sleeves, I prefer 3/4th or small ones but it reminded me of Punjabi Brides that’s why it was so special to me, as a 3 year old I would always say I’ll marry a Punjabi cuz I guess I always found them very cheerful and free spirited, I loved their culture, all the music and dhol and dancing, I also believe Sangeet has to be Punjabi if not then it won’t make any sense c’mon… The colour scheme of this outfit is: Mint Green and Ivory with lots of pink, gold and ruby red… it also had those beautiful beaded drops at the hemline near the border, you can zoom it. The Dupatta is dual toned I’m glad they didn’t forget or sideline it, and I love the thread work, the border the fringe everything… it was hard to miss out on these and I also loved that other White one which I had described earlier on top. DM me for brand name as I’m too possessive about it, so it has to stay a secret online.These two have a similar colour scheme… l guess I was drawn to them because of that, I really love how they’ve infused the red it’s so pretty. It's Satin & Net.
Bye I'm signing off now
Xoxo Zara Sauleh
