clothes and cover ups..

[smittenbyu]

I have given up on western clothing. I find myself going for the kurthi (I guess you would call them tunic tops here) top and jeans or salwar kameez more often than any other western tops in my shelf. I just don't like the way I feel in them. I feel so much more conscious about my body in a very negative way. I can never find stuff in my size. And sure I could get it altered and stuff or do it on my own, I just don't have the money for it.

Plus I get so much validation from family/friends in India. Bwaha ha ha.. It's amusing how many people ask to see if I wear Indian clothes in the US. When I say yes, they actually give approval that I am a good Indian. really?!

They just don't know the real reason I wear them. They are so much more comfortable and less focus on the body curves. It looks good for any sized woman really.

And this article came up on NPR and it makes sense: Covering Up With The Hijab May Aid Women's Body Image.

I enjoy shopping in India for "ethnic wear" as it's called even India so much more than I do shopping here. And that's just sad.

I go to office tomorrow. Although I don't require to be dressed in any particular office wear/code, it would still be nice to look nice. My office gear from my work days no longer fit me. sigh. I am dreading going shopping later today! sigh. It really shouldn't be this way.

I guess the difference is, Indian wear leaves room for growth and loss. Unless you put on significant amount or lose a significant amount doesn't require you to run and get a whole new wardrobe. All the tops I got earlier in the summer that I got so excited about because they were from the thrift store but also fit me well, no longer fit, because I put on a mere 4 freaking pounds! No wonder you need walk-in closets here!

grrr...ah well. I have been good in getting out and exercising! I feel better and the clothes I wear shouldn't matter as much as it's also a lot more to do what's in your head than what you actually wear or don't wear!

Comments

[neslihan.livejournal.com]

You posted a link not too long ago to a website selling Indian clothing, and I thought all of their kurthi tops were THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS EVER. I basically wanted to own EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!! Alas, they were horrifically expensive once I converted the dollar prices into my third-world currency. :( But I both support AND envy your clothing decisions 100%!! Except maybe salwar. Here those are the "stereotypical" style of Kurdish people who are, on average, about 100 years old, and the "crotch" of the pants is like down to the knees of the wearer, which might be more hardcore than the Indian style, I dunno. I am totally down with Kurds, but totally not down with dressing like 100-year-olds. :P They probably ARE super-comfortable, though!! And we don't have tops here **quite** like kurthi! We don't really have a special "style" of long tunic shirts, so it is really hit or miss. Some years and seasons I have a hard time finding anything decent in between "way too short of a shirt for my tastes" (I want at least an inch or so of fabric beyond my waist, like so I'm not flashing skin to people if I suddenly start lifting my arms or bending to pick up boxes!!) and "full-blown abaya" !! Ugh, clothes-shopping is THE WORST, at least in my eyes!!

And congrats on the exercising! It's so important! I really believe that the more we move around, the happier we usually are!

[smittenbyu]

Well, there are different kinds of salwars... I think you are referring to what in India they call, Patiala (http://www.shopclues.com/plain-patiala-salwar-with-dupatta.html). It's great for air circulation down there, though! :) In South India, they have amended it to be semi-patiala, which doesn't have so many pleats but more than a regular salwar. I wore that and walked about and felt so conscious! But dang it in summer and humidity it's so comfortable!

The regular salwar, is just a little lose but not as much as a patiala. Anyway, I wear mostly churidars or so commonly known these days as leggings!

The modern Kurtas are catering to jeans wearers and are shorter than normal kameez/tops. But it was so hard to find this time around in India. I guess leggings have become so popular now the thigh length/knee length kurtas have become more popular!

[neslihan.livejournal.com]

I'm totally talking about this kind of salwar! :P At least, we call them salwar here. Maybe in India you call them "atrocious" instead. ;) The photo you linked is more artistically draped than these!

http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosya:Schalwari_in_Bulgaria_PD_4.JPG

[smittenbyu]

oh my goodness... no offense to them! But oh just wow! :) There's a new trend of a dhoti style patiala, looses all the pleats (Indians love pleats) but I thought THAT was atrocious! Oh I stand corrected!
http://www.utsavfashion.com/indowestern/white-cotton-readymade-patiala-dhoti-salwar/bpp51-itemcode?gf=us&gclid=CP6AtqS67cACFSsV7AodslkAqw

[aliki.livejournal.com]

Erika has two shirts in that style, they are really the tops of "baju kurungs" and she loves them!

There is a website selling kurthi tops...? Post again!

[smittenbyu]

oh for the US there are several sites. The one I shopped a fair bit in India were Jabong.com (they ship worldwide too). They were great. The sizing is a little annoying to figure out, but that's India in general!

But heard of this site in the US: http://www.utsavfashion.com/indowestern/kurtis-type - I have never used it though.

But my favorite is: FabIndia - http://www.fabindia.com They use natural dyes and love their styles. My only grumble is because they don't use chemicals to preserve (or whatever the proper technical term is) the colors, the colors do bleed and require hand wash/dry cleaning, at least in the beginning. Colors do fade quickly if you do decide to quit dry cleaning and hand wash.

I wear salwar kameez everyday I don't have to go to work

[dakini-bones.livejournal.com]

About the comfiest thing in the world to wear!!