The Saree Series: Deepali Nair On Holding On To Memories In Fabric

Sarees are an amazing garment - when they are at their prime, they look elegant, classy and gorgeous on any Indian woman, and once they are old and worn out, they can be turned into any other piece of clothing. They have an amazing property of getting refurbished into just about anything - salwaar kameez, blouse, table cloths, lehengas, cushion covers and so much more. That’s what Deepali Nair has done with many of her mom’s old sarees.

Deepali has been in Marketing and Branding for years, and has been wearing and collecting sarees for over 25 years. She has worn sarees all through her professional life, and she says that she has travelled all over India and collected all the different kinds of weaves. She adds, “I’ve been to the insides of markets in Calcutta, been to Chandini Chowk, to Odisha and so many other places in India to pick up the different and unique handloom sarees from all these places”

Starting a new series, The Saree Stories. In conversations with some wonderful women who believe in the power of looms #SareeStories

Her favourite saree has been inherited from her mom. It is a fuchsia coloured chiffon saree, with golden sequins work. A classic saree that Deepali loves and adores. Deepali has also taken some old sarees passed down from her mom and has converted about 5-6 heirloom sarees into lehengas. Deepali says that the heavier the saree is, the easier it is to convert to a lehenga. She talks about her mom's reaction to her refurbished lehengas, “My mom is so happy that even her oldest sarees are getting used. Whenever I wear something that she has given me, her eyes light up, and seeing that always gives me a wonderful feeling”

Also Read: The #100SareePact

One of the issues that Deepali has faced recently while wearing sarees and working in the corporate world is that, whenever she sits on a chair with wheels, her saree’s edges get stuck in the wheel and she finds this quite irritating. She says, “Perhaps that is why it is easier to wear western clothing in an office setting. However, nothing beats the saree when it comes to the looks, it is the most classy and elegant of all”

Deepali has a large collection of sarees, but says that she prefers silk sarees because they are easy to wear and fall well. Silk sarees can be worn at parties with heavy jewellery or can be worn to work with minimal jewellery, she said, “Silks are very versatile that way, and that is exactly what I like about the material”

SheThePeople.TV is meeting with women who love their sarees, and believe in the power of looms. Have a story? Share it with us – write a note in the comments, and we will be right in touch.