#Sarinotsorry

I have always loved ethnic Indian wear, the colours, the bling, bangles, jewellery, the stress, and drama to find them.

My first ethnic Indian wear at the age of 10 or 12, was this very unflattering and not my size kameez or style of a kameez that yes, I picked out myself. When I was 16 however, my mom chose a lehnga for me and I remember my dad saying aw my girl is all grown up and pretty.

My mom has an amazing collection of ethnic Indian wear that I help myself to from time to time and what I have learned from her is just how timeless and elegant a sari or kameez can be. Over the recent years, my work friend Veena inspired me to wear saris to work, simply because we do not need an occasion to wear one and a reminder that this garment used to be and is still worn daily by women around the globe.

Here in Fiji, we would know of ladies that still wear them daily, but we now tend to only associate saris to occasions.

Pre COVID days, I would try to wear a sari once a week to work and everyone would be like oh what is the occasion, and I would say none. Just trying to normalise wearing a sari.

This year, I continued to work from home and while I did miss dressing up to the office, it never did stop me from dressing up. Although I did miss my sari wear and thought I should just start wearing it to events.

I had learned from my mother how to drape a sari neatly and most importantly how to choose the right sari for the right occasion. Looking for cocktail saris has been more of my go to for events because paired with a crop top to pass off as a blouse and correctly accessorised turns out to be quite a look.

My go to when choosing a sari: Always look at the fabric and fall of it. Choose prints and colours that you mix and match crop tops with, especially if you are going for a modern western. Many of you girls have said to me how you wish you could pull off a sari, but you think you can’t for whatever reason, but honestly I think a sari looks good on anyone.

As my sari collection grows, and if one day I ever do have a daughter, I would want her to look at my sari collection and want to wear them as well. Yes mom, I get dibs on all your saris always.