Old is always Gold!

Vintage style back in fashion!

“Mooooom, I have nothing to wear for Marium’s wedding! What am I going to do?!”. So this is a usual dilemma us girls get stuck in especially when it’s the wedding season and the invitees are the same. There are two sets of problem that you mostly face.

1)      You are totally tired of flicking through unappealing designer racks and can’t something you really like.

2)      You are too broke to afford the exclusive designer clothes you are craving for.

Lets face it, we all have (for once or more) found ourselves in either one of these situations.  I have too, although, a lot of times! So what did I do for Marium’s wedding? Well here is my trick. Go Vintage! And no its not outdated or it doesn’t make you look like a nani/dadi rather wearing Vintage has suddenly become a fashion. Also, real quality stands the test of time and will always be appreciated.

Traditional clothing has always been an inspiration for the designers as well, but well you don’t have to buy those expensive gaudy dresses from the top notch designers (because you might hardly repeat it again) but just go search for riches in your grandmother’s/mother’s closet. They’ll probably be able to point you straight to classic beautiful pieces such as gara borders, Chantilly lace saris, kalamkar shawls, kamdani shirts, antique borders. Look into your mother’s jehez items. Those outfits can be a treasure trove for you and chances are that she will have stored it in a muslin wrapped bundle somewhere making it look as good as new. Look for real zari embroidery, handloom textiles, antique lace or crochet, French chiffon saris, hand embroidery, banarsi dupattas and sari borders. Ornately embroidered Ezhaars and dupattas can be worn as they are while kameezes can be altered or turned into jackets. Sari borders can be picked off and put on new outfits while a sexy new blouse can contemporize a vintage sari. 

You can always wear it without making any alterations in it, but here are few tips to add both a traditional and chic look to your outfit.
 

·         Don’t wear vintage head to toe.

·         Use neutral tones to highlight a dramatic piece.

·         Good fitting is vital – don’t be afraid of alterations.

·         Do give vintage pieces a mini-makeover, changing buttons, trimmings or hemlines where necessary.

·         Mix with modern pieces to bring the look up to date

·         Pay attention to styling. Accessories, draping and silhouette are important – the  idea is not to look like a museum piece.

·         If an old piece is too worn, stained or fragile to wear, don’t be afraid to take parts of the vintage item and work them into a new outfit.

·         Treat pieces as separates. For example, belt  a lovely antique dupatta with palazzos and a short camisole.

·         Recreate delicate pieces – we have plenty of kaarigars capable of recreating heirloom pieces.

·         Use old embroideries as inspiration – it’s what our best designers do.

Styled properly with a modern twist, these treasures can look as if they are straight off the runway, but with an air of timeless beauty. So don’t be afraid to dig into your mothers/grandmother’s closet and experimenting with those pieces of treasure for your next friend’s wedding. Happy wearing your Vintage look!