Since my schooling days, I grew up seeing my mom, grandmoms and aunties all so beautifully clad in their sarees of all types, be it going to the temples on Fridays, attending a wedding or even for casual home occasions. I just simply loved the way mom would drape her sarees so easily and quickly and yet carries herself so gracefully. I simply couldn’t wait to be a old enough to drape one soon by myself. The time came soon and I was so excited when I learned I will be tying a saree for a function the next day. But that didn’t really work out the way I expected it to be, as I got super uncomfortable with the heavy Kanchivaram saree I was tying and couldn’t wait to get out of it soon after the function ended. I wondered how my mom and grannies carried themselves so well and comfortable throughout the function, even hours after the function ended. I then opted for other simpler alternative clothing at least until the age 25 when I was all back and crazy again for Sarees !

Just like my own experience, I believe fast fashion is merely a “phase” in a person’s life where one prefers but for a short while. Whilst slow fashions like saree and ethnic suits is a facet of sustainable fashion that will lasts forever.

A saree is undoubtedly one of the most suistanable fashion which could be reworn again and again matching it with different blouses and draped into many different styles. Sarees prove to be both fashionable and sustainable choice as it could also be recycled and stitched into an ethnic suit, and or also be remodified and be made into a trendy saree.

Sarees are in fact a slow fashion facet which is worth investing so that we could invest in a single qualitative piece of cloth rather than investing in so many quantitative pieces, to be able to reduce waste and garbage. Saree also proves to be economically viable, even though comparatively may be higher in cost but definitely less consuming than buying cheaper fast fashion unsustainable clothes every few months once.

Handloom sarees also supports local artisans and weavers, which in turn allows us to celebrate our culture. Last but not the least, wearing a Saree not only reroutes us back to our culture but it also proves to be beneficial for the environment. So let’s embrace our roots of tradition clad in a Saree – an epitome of Indian poise, grace and beauty ! 

With Love,

Vasantha