Wraparound Sari skirts… Etsy product update

If you are a regular blog reader then you are perhaps already familiar with my love of saris, the unstitched fabric. I have a huge collection of it despite the fact that I don’t get to wear them on a daily basis. I have shared my passion for saris with my other friends who are not of Indian origin through sari parties and it has always been fun.

I have found that most folks who love the idea of a sari, for its color, texture or heritage aren’t really conducive to the idea of wrapping and managing six yards of fabric on a short notice. To solve this issue, I’m introducing a concept of wrap around skirts made out of specialty saris that have now become a heritage product and define the cultural history of the place, they stand out as trademarks of the regions where are produced. The artists that usually make these saris have been doing this for generations as the craft was handed down from Father to Son… 

These specialty saris are handmade and support the artisans who have been losing out on making a decent livelihood because saris have now been reduced to a special occasion costume to be worn in weddings and on festivals in most modern cities and is replaced by a seemingly more comfortable costume of salwar-kameez (pants and tunics). And add to that the mass produced mill saris, that are cheaper and can be updated so easily every season and keep up with fashion.  

As I have said earlier in this blog, my dream is to build bridges, and that includes both the physical structures that connect lands and also the intangible ones that connects cultures, heritage, old to new and of course artists to patrons.

If a wrap around sari is something that catches your fancy, please check out the listing in my Etsy shop. These skirts are made from saris that are all handmade and bought either directly from the artist or from the artist's co-op. You'll find in the shop currently, a handloomed Jamdani from Bengal, embroidered Chikan sari from Lucknow and Chanderi from Madhya Pradesh. And of course profits from these sales would go right back to the artisan community in an effort to bring handmade items and their makers to the forefront. These would make a wonderful gift for the upcoming festival season as well and would extend the value of money beyond the product you purchase and impact the lives of artists…

The photo shoot that I did the other day with my friend Carol features some of those wrap around skirts. Carol, as I said before, has a great sense of style and graciously agreed to model for these handmade items and contribute to further the cause.