Saree not sorry, but this Indian attire is a moment and we cannot let that slide. Especially all the unique versions of it by creator and 'saree architect' Natasha Thasan.
What's it like to be wearing 9-yard beautiful silk, with pleats that are perfectly aligned while the rest flows effortlessly around the arms all accentuating our beautiful Indian body? It makes you feel like a goddess. The magic of a saree is not just about how incredible it makes you feel but also about the history that each pleat holds. It has to be one of the Indian attires that's a part of cultures pan India although each state has its own way of draping the 6 yards. While we love our streetwear and Y2K fashion, it's hard not to love how good it feels in a saree and Instagram influencer and 'saree architect' Natasha Thasan is proving it with each drape.
Cultures and age-old stories are passed on to generations and draping a saree or even owning one is more than a fashion statement. A saree is all about emotions, culture, love, tradition, and a long line of ancestral history that's passed on to us and each saree holds a story and love from our parents and their family before them. The Toronto-based blogger has embraced this part of her culture and is doing her bit in sharing the same with the world. From holding her own workshops, teaching people interested in how it's done, sharing its history, and defining how we carry it today, Natasha's page is informative and fun!
There's a said camaraderie between a saree and our bodies. There is no body type that is perfect for a saree. Everybody - thin, thick, light, dark, everyone can wear the saree and look like the queen that they are. One thing she's known for is her way of draping it in the usual way but giving each saree a twist showing us the flexibility that the material of cloth holds.
Natasha understands the importance of representing a culture, especially on a global platform. Having been born and brought up in a place away from her home country, Natasha has made sure to share every bit of well-researched knowledge she has about this Indian attire. She was noticed by the netizens after she shared a video of the impact of India's colonization on the way the saree is worn now. While there have been many who shared their criticism for wearing the piece of the article without a blouse, like we're used to, she decided to educate the people with a beautiful video. She also shared the video at the time when the US legally banned abortions, putting a restriction on women's bodies and what they do with them.
Among the thousands of restrictions that were subjected to our ancestors, one that continues to be practiced unknowingly is the way women wear a saree. Natasha points out that one of the ways the Britishers tried to silence Indian women was by telling them what they can and cannot wear. We have seen our patti (grandmother) with a stretched-out earing hole, saree tight around their waist without a blouse as she sat on their rocking chair while she prepares her paan. She sure looked really comfortable in it as she shared stories of the past. Throughout history, we have known the atrocities and systematic butchering that the Britishers had inflicted on our culture with the aim to divide and push us down. Natasha used her platform to share the same stories of how colonizers sexualized women and their attire forcing us to cover up our bodies and take away our freedom to practice our culture.
A saree has always been one item of clothing that speaks volumes about our tradition and culture. Be it the epics like Mahabharat where the saree became the thing that saved Draupadi's modesty or us wearing the same saree at our wedding that our grandmothers wore at theirs, each saree holds a history of its own.
Over time, we have seen different genders being dressed in sarees. Our Indian creators have also shown us how it can be reimagined and worn by a man taking the whole gender aspect attached to it away. Like any other garment, the saree has no gender too. It's natural that a piece of cloth can be worn by anyone and everyone.
So no matter what age, religion, or era we belong to, the saree will always and continue to be an attire that will hold a special place in our closets and hearts.
Do you like Natasha Thasan and her saree content? Tell us in the comments below!
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