Ten years ago, Me and K(Sr.) became husband and wife.  I remember that day as if it were yesterday.  It was the most pleasant day in March when I was this coy, naïve bride waiting at the alter and the shy groom he was, the 3 day long fanfare, fantastic celebrations, food-coma,  and what not.   We were nervous, excited and full of love. We didn’t know a lot back then but we knew that our love was special and that we belonged together.  Many thought us foolish for taking such a big leap of faith so young and dating only virtually (yes we didn't meet in person till 3 days before our marriage).   Now, ten years later, I can say that I got my best friend, my forever rock in him.  Marrying my man was the best leap of faith of my life. So now after 10 years we are here with receding hairlines, and acceding waistlines, and most importantly a toddler to jump in every couple pics. Thus this special occassion needed a special celebration and a blog too! Gosh I have almost lost touch of blogging but this had to be penned down and shared. 

Look 1: The Simple Yet Chic

 

I always thought our celebration for 10th  one should be special than other years which is usually a fancy dining out. I wanted to celebrate with friends and family. But the pandemic came in the way. So we decided to do an outdoor mini photo session a couple of days ahead of the anniversary. It was supposed to be very simple, classic and unpretentious . Something you might notice that in our anniversary pics our toddler plays the main cast as he is! We wanted to be included in this celebration and let him know that he is a huge and integral part of our marriage.  I kept our outfits pretty simple, true to who we are with just a subtle sync in color theme. I always loved white Christian bridal gowns. But that would have been little OTT with the theme, so I wore this beautiful floral two-piece outfit with ever so graceful pearls. Kept my makeup simple and subtle,

Look 2: Regal & Timeless

My anniversary without sarees, infact any of my special occassions without saree is incomplete. Hubby dear gifted me my second most precious saree (the first being the wedding benarasi) , a customized red muniya paithani. I always wanted to wear something which is traditional and one-of-a-kind saree which would be statement in itself. My months long search came to an end finding this red paithani. On the day of our anniversary I was fasting whole day as it coincided with the auspicious Shivratri. So couldn't style it as I wanted. Here's a pic of that day that we clicked after the puja, at home. I look pretty pale and too tired to even do my favorite posing.

 So as we went on a staycation in a boutique hotel for the weekend, I decided to drape the same saree again and style it in a more regal way I always imagined. The accessories are chosen to match the classic look, didn't want to look anyway less than royal. The punjabi chura (red bridal bangles) which I wanted to wear on my wedding but couldn't was always on my wish-list so I thought of finally getting it this time. The royal ambience of the hotel actually enhanced the whole photoshoot and matched with its theme perfectly.

Look 3: Effortless One

So The last look is not actually a well planned look. It was on the last day of our staycation that I wanted to take some pics in a more homely and cozy setting. Thus put on this favorite red dress, a gift from my sis and a simple brown pearl dangler. 

 I Hope you all liked the looks and do comment and let me know. Hope you all be safe and good. Till the next time i decide to blog

Bye!!

Moumita

 A must-have for Bengali brides, Banarasi Sarees are among the finest sarees in India. They are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. Most of us have been familiar with these rich weaves tucked with care in Ma or granny's armoire for ages. I

The #Banarasi sarees are made of finely woven silk and are decorated with intricate design, and, because of these engravings, are relatively heavy.are being churned out by thousands of weavers with Mughal inspired patterns like intricate intertwining floral and foliate motifs, kalga and bel, jhallar at the outer, edge of border, hunting scenes etc. They are known for their intricate gold and silver works, compact weaving, intricate figures, metallic visual effects, pallus, jal (a net like pattern), and mina work.. These sarees embellished with expensive art work can sell upto Rs. 2 lakh or up. Of course you get several varieties of them in different price ranges depending on the work and material.

Apart from the high cost, Banarasi Sarees have irreplacable sentimental values  attached to them. They have been inherent part of family's wedding trousseau for generations.   Some lucky ones of us may have inherited  heirloom Banarasi sarees from their grand moms. But we rarely take out our Banarasis assuming they would be too boring/ not so cool to wear or even over the top for occasions. 

But trust me nothing  can replace the glamour and grace of a Banarasi saree for your next family wedding or party. You just have to style it to your comfort and choice, drape it properly and voila!! By draping a handloom Banarasi saree and embracing these heritage weaves you're actually doing you're bit to encourage and support the livelihood of thousands Banarasi weavers. Thus here's our few styling options for your next Banarasi outing.

As traditional as it can be!

This is for the ones who loves the conventional vibes of the saree and want to keep the feel intact. Drape and style your Banarasi in the most conventional simplest way you can. As the saree is heavy enough you don't need work to hard to accessorize the look. Your most traditional gold or kundan jewelry, simple makeup and a gajra paired may look just perfect. 

Recently was just bowled over by some of our Bollywood celebrities donning the most traditional of Benarasis in the most conventional way. Here are some of the pictures I saved in my heart as soon as I spotted them.

Twist to the traditional Banarasi

Here's the part which some of you may hate or love. Pairing your conventional Banarasis with the most unconventional blouses/tops. Here's I have draped my Banarasi in the most commonly found color combination of maroon and green with a black ruffled bodysuit 😎😎. Its outrageously experimental for the kind of saree it is but, instantly changed the bridal vibe of the saree. Its a cool way to wear your wedding sarees again without repeating a similar look. Experiment with various blouse options with one saree to give it a different vibe each time. 

So if you're up for the game and need some more inspirations...here you go!! Bring up your games with these unusual styling of the orthodox Banarasi weaves.

If you want some more Banarasi treats...stay tuned for the next part of the series on our blog!
In the mean time let us know through your comments which look did you like most and would opt for. 
If you're interested please look into our other traditional saree posts.
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December rings in a whole new party vibe which continues till the next year. The chill in the air and roads and houses lit up for the season adds on to this festive spirit. There are a lot of invitations that we have to attend this winter ...Christmas parties, weddings,reception parties, new year gatherings, year end office parties, dinner parties with friends and family etc. etc. These days most of us tend to reach out for our cocktail dresses or our heavy salwar suits for most of these events. But let me tell you that you can easily ditch the "Oh-so-Obvious" winter party wardrobe and drape your pure silks with elan. I remember my Ma and aunts flaunting their traditional coarse silk and tussars in winters with lots of confidence and comfort. Be it their office parties, winter weddings or year end gatherings, their utmost glamour and grace in finest 6 yards would amaze us.  So if you are with us in this, lets talk about how to #bringbackthesaree this season ladies!!

Recently had to attend an evening party at a friend's and while planning for what to wear, I thought of reaching out to my heavy silk saree. It has been a part of my trousseau and lying in my wardrobe to be worn at a suited occasion. It added the perfect bling to the event that night, was most comfortable as the warm silk hugged me all around and stood out in the crowd, garnering a lot of appreciations. So after I came back from the party, I thought of clicking few pics to post for you all.

Tips to wear traditional saree to evening parties this winter

Your heavy traditional sarees too may be waiting to get out of your closet, so bring them back this party season. Style them unconventionally, increase the oomph in them by strategic styling and feel their warmth this winter. 

Here are few tips for the season:

• Choose the right saree for comfort and glamour. Wearing the right fabrics will keep you looking great and feeling warm during the short days of the cold season. A good winter fabric should be strong, warm and natural, but should look amazing as well like pure silks, brocade, cashmere, etc.

• Pair them with unconventional blouses like, sweaters, jumpers, warm t-shirts, velvet cholis/blouses, jackets, crop tops, winter coats,. This is the season you can experiment without melting in them. Wear according to the weather so that you feel comfortable while looking stylish.

• Ditch the petticoats  and wear wool leggings and skirts instead for comfort through long hours in cold. Depending on the temperatures and your comfort choose the right material for the leggings or skirt. Merino wool is my choice of base on the lower part of my body. This will help to dance away the night in comfort.

• Layer your saree with a jacket or overcoat if you're having a late night outdoor party or you need a extra warmth. Intricately embroidered shawls can adda lot of style to the whole saree look. But drape them nicely rather than just clumsily putting them on. Don't shy away from comfort. Concentrate on the base and outer layer of the saree as much as you do for the saree itself.

• Accessorize to balance out the look. Choose heavier accessories to accentuate subtle sarees and concentrate on statement pieces for rich embroidered sarees. If you are wearing an outer layer on the saree like a coat or a jacket, consider visibility of your statement accessories like necklace, either skip them and wear big earrings or pin them over your jacket. There's no point wearing any jewelry if its hidden below your shawl.

What Was I Wearing

Let me breakdown the look for you. This royal blue silk saree has exquisite zari work on its border, pallu and pleats. Although it came with its own matching blouse, but to keep the season's color in mind, I paired it with a heavy embroidered velvet net choli. The choli came with a lehenga set, and was perfectly warm and rich. Paired my favorite over-sized "katori"(as my Ma would call them 😏) jhumkis and a studded bangle. I opted out deliberately of any other statement jewelry in the look to avoid crowding the look thus keeping it easy and smart. Kept my makeup bright to be in sync with the ambiance.

Saree: Priyo Gopal Bishoyi, Kolkata, India
Choli: Came with a set of lehenga choli bought from Utsav Fahsion
Bangle: Gift from a friend, bought from Chique, Kolkata
Earrings: Gariahat Hawkers Market, Kolkata, India