Hello Everyone, I hope everyone reading this is safe and healthy, tricky and trying times we are in PHEW!! In this age of Insta-fashion probably the most bizarre of all so called norm is: you can’t wear the same outfit twice.

WAIT WHAT!?

If you say this aloud to my middle class Bengali mom, she will roll her eyes to say "joto nekami 😏" For all her life she has loved and lived in her handful of sarees. Never heard her whinnying about she doesn't have anything to wear from her little wardrobe. But for our social media dependent generation, we often find it "embarrassing" to repeat and upload same outfit pics. Moreover popular fashion blogs or Insta-accounts often calls outfit repeating “daunting”, “lazy dressing” and “a fashion faux-pas”. Also according to those articles, women are “very self-conscious” (in a negative way) when repeating the same outfit , especially when around the same people. Thus it puts a certain kind of unnecessary pressure on fashion conscious people when repeating outfits. Just think about that for a second. It blows my mind.

I feel like the rising of fast fashion and our over-sharing behavior on social media outlets such as Instagram might have even worsened the shame that comes with outfit repeating.

 But I have found  this trend quite unreal and stupid. Why can't I or rather why shouldn't I re-wear my fav saree to multiple parties especially when I love it and I feel good in it.. When I spend my hard earned money on a saree or a dress why should it be resting in my cupboard? Its extremely unreal to scroll through every see Insta-celebs account as you will rarely spot them repeating any outfit twice! I hear they get their clothes sponsored which they can return later. But isn't it a demoralizing trend specially for middle class people like us. Lets be real in our fashion sense and also what we put out on our social media handles. 

So I want to say it with pride and honesty that I love flaunting my favorite outfits over and over again. And I love to mix and match them with different makeup and accessories everytime to cut out any boredom.

Styling Details

Look 1:

So here's my favorite Batik (mom chitra batik to be specific) Murshidabad Silk which I have repeated several time on several occasions as its vibrant and a easy drape. I got it from a popular Kolkata boutique called Srijoni. It has magical myriad of colors all along its body. The swans and lotuses painted on it remind me of my watercolor books in school. Lets get to the first look, where I styled it with its own blouse. I designed the blouse to be a boat neck one. Paired it with a peacock kundan earrings and stacks of colorful bangles. 

Look 2:

The second look I created was very recently on Poila Boishakh, I paired the same saree with a blue Asos crop top. Its an old crop top which again I have been repeating with many sarees of mine. Here as the look was more casual for a celebration at home, so I wore a beads earring and minimal natural makeup.

Look 3:

The last look is my most favorite but unfortunately doesnt have much photos clicked in this one. I wore the saree for one Saraswati pujo specially for the lotus and swans and cranes in it. I [paired it this time with a mock neck white puff sleeve top. I got this fitted top from Shein and is extremely handy when you want to wear a saree in colder weather. The blouse adds onto some much needed drama to the look. I only wore big kundan turquoise jhumka. They are again my most worn favorite pair I got from a Pakistani seller.

I Hope you liked all three of the looks. Please leave me a comment on which ones your favorite and whats your take on repeating outfits.

Will back soon with some interesting posts. Till then stay healthy and spread kindness

Love always

From

Moumita

I have known myself to be a very conservative saree lover who doesn't want to experiment much with her saree styles. But pushing my boundaries and getting out of my comfort zone, has given me immense self-confidence and excitement. Thus now a days I look forward for opportunities to try out newer styles and drapes. Recently had seen Sonam and Rhea Kapoor flaunting casual palazzo sarees from their brand Rheason. I absolutely adored the looks which were edgy, stylish yet effortless. To me it is an eclectic mix of style & sass while keeping it wearable! The palazzo saree is a boon if you’re mostly awkward in drapes but love a good offbeat outfit for a casual Friday to work or when you just want to be extra 😉 So it was about time I recreated a similar outfit from a favorite pair of printed silk palazzo and a long dupatta. 

So here it is! A DIY trendy palazzo saree to be styled at a party or a casual night. I paired it with a white turtle neck crop top from H&M and a green belt to give that pop of color. Accessorized the look with a heavy tribal necklace, my favorite Fossil watch and a grungy boot.

Currently am loving this new trend of revolutionizing saree drapes and style. Let these new fusion wears coexist happily with our classic traditional six yards. So get out of your comfort zone and try out something which you would never have.

Let us know how you like this palazzo saree style. Like and Share our post if you really find it inspiring. Follow us on our social media handles Instagram  and Facebook for more anecdotes. See you till our next post!

“Esho, he Boishakh, Esho Esho. Come, O Boishakh, Come, Come”

– Rabindranath Tagore

Every year, April 14 celebrates the arrival of the Bengali New Year or Poila Boishakh, part of a unique calendar system determined by the seasons. The same day is observed elsewhere as the traditional solar new year and a harvest festival by Hindus and Sikhs, and is known by other names such as Vaisakhi in central and north India, Vishu in Kerala, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu and Rongali Bihu in Assam. While growing up, Poila Boishakh used to be my (Moumita) favourite day of the year as it is the only day when all Bengalis will unwind and celebrate, irrespective of religion, class or caste. Ladies clad in white sarees with red borders, men in dhuti and kurta, take part in the Probhat Pheri processions early in the morning to welcome the first day of the year. On Pohela or Poila Boishakh, a Bengali home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned, people bath early in the morning and dress in new clothes. Everyone spends much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbors. Our early memory of a Poila Boishakh day is about wearing new clothes, eating scrumptuous Bengali delicacies all throughout the day and what a fun it was to visit neighborhood businesses to celebrate their Hal Khata or opening of new ledger book for the year. We used to participate in various cultural programmes that usually take place to usher the first day of the Bengali calendar singing Tagore’s songs, not to mention wearing red & white saree and fresh flowers in hair.  Here in America, the celebrations are not quite as elaborate but the traditions are kept alive within the Bengali community. 

Look of the day:

As mentioned earlier, Poila Boishakh has an intimate connection with red and white saree for a Bong lady. It represents tradition along with festivities and rituals. The colors red and white symbolizes a wierd combination of love, passion, peace, sanctity, and fierceness for me. When planning about this look we thought of skipping the typical red bordered white saree but wanted to keep the essence of red and white colors. Thus the tussar saree with block prints was chosen. It had both essential red and white but yet was unconventional for the day.

I(Moumita) draped the saree in the traditional Bengali আটপৌড়ে style. Full sleeved blouses matches perfectly with this kind of traditional drape and brings in a lot of drama and style. For some extra servings of drama paired simple yet unusual accessories. The gold necklace and kaanbala earrings is complimented by the showstopper Marathi Nathni. Adding the nath makes the whole outfit all the more spectacular and deviates from the usual bengali look. The golden potli bag was a gift from a dear cousin and was a match made in heaven for the outfit.

Before ending this post, wishing all of you a very prosporous and a Happy New Year, শুভ নববর্ষ. May all your dreams come true this year. 

I hope you enjoyed the look and found some inspirations. If you have liked this look and feel inspired, then please share this post right now with your friends on Instagram and  Facebook. Leave us a comment or two below so that we know our effort was worth it.

Outfit Details:

Saree: Adi Dhakeshwari Bastralaya, Gariahat, Kolkata India

Blouse: Designed by Moumita

Gold Jewelry: N.P. Jewelers, Gariahat, Kolkata, India

Nath: Gehna

Potli Bag, Gift, source unknown.