Network TodayNetwork Today
    What's Hot

    Macron’s government beats 2 no-confidence votes in French parliament

    March 20, 2023

    Smuggling the abortion pill into Texas could land you in legal peril, if this bill becomes law

    March 20, 2023

    2 Illinois teens die after sledding accident at Colorado ski resort

    March 20, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Monday, March 20
    Network TodayNetwork Today
    • Home
    • News
    • Politics
    • Business
    • Energy
    • Technology
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Sports
    Network TodayNetwork Today
    Home » Saris, Lehengas and Why Carrie Bradshaw Should Know the Difference

    Saris, Lehengas and Why Carrie Bradshaw Should Know the Difference

    January 22, 20225 Mins Read Lifestyle
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email Reddit
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    When the sixth episode of “And Just Like That,” the reboot of “Sex and the City,” aired earlier this month, it garnered a lot of attention from the South Asian community. Named after the Hindu festival Diwali, the episode used the celebration as a plot point and provoked strong reactions to a faux pas that is now being called sari-gate.

    In one scene, Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, and Seema Patel, a real estate broker played by the Indian-British actress Sarita Choudhury, are shown buying outfits for a Diwali party at what Carrie calls a “sari shop.” After the episode aired, many viewers pointed out that the store was actually stocked with Indian garments beyond the sari, and that Carrie ultimately bought a lehenga, a three-piece garment worn at Indian weddings and celebrations.

    Later in the episode, Seema and her mother are seen wearing saris, which consist of an uncut piece of fabric that’s wrapped around the body and draped over a shoulder, along with complementing blouses. But the script never makes an effort to distinguish between their saris and Carrie’s lehenga, an oversight that disappointed some viewers who were otherwise heartened to see Indian culture and fashion enjoy prime real estate on a mainstream TV show.

    In an Instagram post shared the day after the episode aired, Imran Amed, the founder and chief executive of Business of Fashion said “I think it’s really cool” that Carrie wanted to wear Indian clothes to the Diwali party. “The issue is that there are now millions of people out there who think what Carrie is wearing is a sari,” said Mr. Amed, who lives in London. “It’s not.”

    The ‘Sex and the City’ Universe

    The sprawling franchise revolutionized how women were portrayed on the screen. And the show isn’t over yet.

    What’s in a name, really? In this case, centuries of cultural history.

    The lehenga (or ghagra) is believed to have emerged in popularity around the 16th century, during the Mughal reign over India, and is more predominant in northern India.

    “The lehenga set is typically made of three elements — the voluminous floor-length skirt called the lehenga; the blouse or choli, often like a crop top; and a dupatta or stole-like drape,” said Divyak D’Souza, a stylist in Mumbai and the host of the Indian edition of “Say Yes To The Dress,” a reality TV show.

    Carrie’s much-discussed lehenga is a burgundy skirt and midnight-blue blouse ensemble from the spring-summer 2020 collection of Falguni Shane Peacock, a line founded by husband-and-wife designers Falguni Peacock and Shane Peacock. The ornate ensemble, made at the designers’ atelier in Mumbai, features colorful embroidery and gold thread accents on a jacquard fabric, and also comes with a matching tulle net dupatta that Carrie does not wear in the episode.

    “The motifs on the lehenga feature architectural domes, inspired by the palaces of Udaipur, Rajasthan,” said Ms. Peacock, whose brand enjoys popularity with several celebrities of the diaspora — its lehengas were also recently worn by Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Mindy Kaling for Diwali celebrations in 2021. Mr. Peacock added that he and his wife approach their lehengas almost like gowns, which also makes them a hit with a younger crowd.

    The sari is an even older garment. K.H. Radharaman, the creative director of Advaya, a brand that is known for its technical innovations of the sari, said that the drape has a rich history. “The sari is one of the oldest surviving garments in human history, with its origins going back to the Indus Valley civilization.”

    “The nature of our ceremonies has changed, but the sari has stayed constant,” said Mr. Radharaman, who lives in Bengaluru. “It represents centuries of continuity in thought, tying us to our past and its traditions.”

    Saris, he said, are paired with a stitched blouse and mostly worn by women, though some men also wear them. “The commonly depicted way of wearing one is that it’s wrapped around the waist down in concentric pleats, while the extended part — the pallu or tail piece — is thrown over the left shoulder,” said Mr. Radharaman. More contemporary ways to style a sari include wearing it with a tailored jacket, crisp white shirt or even a cape.

    In its undiluted form, the sari is a textile that assumes the form of a wearer, which means there are as many ways to drape it as there are communities in India.

    “Every region has its own sari and corresponding visual design vocabulary, with motifs and techniques whose lineage and origin are steeped in history or mythology,” Mr. Radharaman said. “It is deeply symbolic of the culture of both the wearer and its maker — thus representing different cultural sensibilities in a way few garments around the world can.”

    Between it and the lehenga, is one more popular or more appropriate for certain occasions than the other? In a country as culturally diverse as India, it’s hard to generalize, as both have been part of Indians’ collective sartorial lexicon for centuries (alongside other garments like anarkalis, kurtas and shararas to name a few). Every community has its own mandate on their preferred silhouette or drape for festivities, though Mr. D’Souza said the lehenga is often a choice when an event calls for more formal dressing.

    “The sari is common garb for many Indian women even for everyday wear,” he said. “The lehenga, in comparison, tends to be brought out more for festive occasions and weddings; seen on both the bride or the guests.”

    A lehenga’s “colors and surface ornamentation are often linked to the bride’s cultural context,” added Mr. D’Souza, who noted that not every version is spice-colored or high on bling and floral patterns. “The silhouette has evolved immensely. Many designers are taking a modernist approach; experimenting with traditional weaves, contemporary updates and modern styling.”

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Related Posts

    Stuart Hodes, Who Danced With Martha Graham, Is Dead at 98

    March 20, 2023

    Peanut Butter Stirs an Old Debate: To the T.S.A., What’s a Liquid?

    March 20, 2023

    Three Novels Where Love Takes Center Stage

    March 20, 2023

    Kelsea Ballerini Is Ready for Lift Off

    March 20, 2023

    Catching Up With Hillary Clinton at “Bob Fosse’s Dancin’”

    March 20, 2023

    No Joke: Jeremy Scott Is Leaving Moschino

    March 20, 2023
    Trending

    Macron’s government beats 2 no-confidence votes in French parliament

    March 20, 2023

    Smuggling the abortion pill into Texas could land you in legal peril, if this bill becomes law

    March 20, 2023

    2 Illinois teens die after sledding accident at Colorado ski resort

    March 20, 2023

    Stuart Hodes, Who Danced With Martha Graham, Is Dead at 98

    March 20, 2023
    Latest News

    2024 Watch: DeSantis tops Trump by double digits in second straight GOP presidential primary poll

    December 14, 2022

    Pope Francis says resigning ‘does not cross his mind’ amid health struggles

    June 22, 2022

    At the World Cup in Qatar, Even V.I.P.s Are Not Very Important

    November 30, 2022

    What We Learned From Week 18 in the N.F.L.

    January 8, 2023

    Karen Bass’s First Act as L.A.’s Mayor: Declaring Homelessness an Emergency

    December 12, 2022

    Selling Trump Isn’t What It Used to Be

    February 4, 2023

    Network Today is one of the biggest English news portal, we provide the latest news from all around the world.

    We're social. Connect with us:

    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube
    Recent

    Macron’s government beats 2 no-confidence votes in French parliament

    March 20, 2023

    Smuggling the abortion pill into Texas could land you in legal peril, if this bill becomes law

    March 20, 2023

    2 Illinois teens die after sledding accident at Colorado ski resort

    March 20, 2023
    Featured

    Polls show Democrats becoming party of elites as working class and minorities shift toward Republicans

    July 14, 2022

    Wisconsin man allegedly threatens to shoot lawmakers who vote to arm teachers

    June 3, 2022

    Illinois medics charged in patient’s killing held for trial

    January 20, 2023
    Copyright ©️ All rights reserved | Network Today
    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.