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Revive Style

fashion, design and old world charm

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Oorja Makkad

Blogger | Designer
Millennial Sareephile
Indian Textile Aficionado

Musing on fashion, handicraft, sustainability narratives, cruelty-free beauty and eclectically homegrown design. Find me on Instagram @oorja.revivestyle.

#HANDCRAFTEDISBEAUTIFUL

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This morning, I had an interesting discussion with This morning, I had an interesting discussion with my students about the traditional Indian pattern cutting of our garments, the salwar and churidar. Indian costumes are mostly based on simple geometric shapes coming together to form a 3D garment. When one sees ancient bifurcated bottoms preserved in museums - there is SO much room in the crotch and waist area - the drawstring (or naada) when laid flat creating a huge waist girth. Our traditional approach to design, rediscovered and appreciated all over again now, was so sustainable and minimum waste. It can be said that these garments were designed for longevity as a priority as significant as aesthetics, not with an assumption of easy discarding.⠀ ⠀ Think of the churidar. Today, it's stretchable knit jersey churidars in standard sizes and if we change shape, we buy another. But if you look at the historic traditional churidars cut and stitched from woven silk or cotton, the amount of allowance at the waist and crotch would easily enable wearing this same churidar if you size up or size down considerably! The chunar - gathers and folds - at the ankle, in all its excess, would allow for an increase in height if we take the example of a wearer transitioning from teen to adulthood, whether male or female. Since Indians have always practiced clothes being passed on and handed down across siblings and generations, this design sensibility made the lifespan of each garment so long - wearers in several sizes and life stages could wear it. In today's times, we have all gravitated towards slim cut and well fitted clothing and this excessively bulky - albeit conscious, frugally wise and thoughtful - salwar or churidar is definitely not to our tastes. But, it's interesting to note the thoughtfulness in traditional garment construction. A practical confluence of design, sustainability and slow processes of handicrafts used. Today, it is so difficult to find, afford and access clothing that combines these three. Back then, it was effortlessly the normal, the only way even. Design heaven 🌻 #ReviveAndChill in an earthy, marigold speckled anarkali from @cottonsjaipur, a hand-me-down so some #SecondhandSeptember in here! ⠀
Out here cooking up tacos and guaca in a silky, ha Out here cooking up tacos and guaca in a silky, handblocked Ajrakh with 🍷 and a lovely Latino music mix, the kind of evening I want everyday for the rest of this life! This is a #ReviveAndChill post in a handblocked halter dress from @fabindiaofficial, so there's no need for me to explain the unironed crinkles is there? "It's a pandemic baby" needs to be added to my default auto-replies on all messaging and email inboxes now 😎😂
#SecondhandSeptember warrants posting two glam-est #SecondhandSeptember warrants posting two glam-est secondhand fashion pieces ❤️✨ Purple, a hand-me-down. I've seen my mother wear this way back in my school days, it is still lovingly preserved and now worn by me! Even in the pre-2020 world, it was tough to come by occasions elegant enough for this ruched, floral appliquéd gown without worrying if I'm a tad overdressed. We've all chilled out and dressed down a bit too much as a society - what with athleisure and all - don't you think? I certainly think the descent of an all permeating sense of 'casual' had become a bit too casual for my taste. At least in Bombay, I see that jeans can and will be worn absolutely anywhere! If it was tough wearing this back then; in a lockdown, this gown is as good as museum goods hahaha. The slinky satin black dress with an embellished mesh cutout was found at @fair.trunk's fashion swap last September 🌼 Lean in to secondhand alternatives, you'll be truly surprised the beautiful pieces you may find!
To be soft spoken and masked is a whole different To be soft spoken and masked is a whole different agony at the grocery store 😂 I have to shout (for my standards, I'm told that's what the rest of the world calls 'talking') for even face to face interactions. Does anybody else suffer this too? I think I'm the first one talking about it. Or maybe we simply don't hear the soft spoken women when they share their masked communication troubles, tee hee, pun intended.⠀ ⠀ A lot of patterns and prints kitsching together with this mask, kashidakari clutch and a long ignored, hardly worn block printed top for you #restylingwithpenaaz @drapeastory, and on that note I need new masks! Please drop recommendations in comments below if you have a brand in mind that has pretty (and also safe, multi-layered) hand embroidered masks, I'd love a mask with cute embellishment. I don't quite see the sense of handloom masks because handloom fabric is a very loosely woven, porous fabric textile wise compared to a powerloom. I fear it makes it far easier for pathogens to permeate inside so I'm not keen on buying any handloom masks. If they have adequate layering and filters, maybe that's still better.
A blog post on how my relationship with Instagram A blog post on how my relationship with Instagram has changed in lockdown. Link in bio 🌼 Do share your thoughts and feedback if you resonate!
If you use the word 'simping' I assume you do not If you use the word 'simping' I assume you do not know how to spell gallantry 🌹⠀ ⠀ Y̶o̶u̶r̶s̶ ̶a̶f̶f̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶a̶t̶e̶l̶y̶⠀ Rather disdainfully,⠀ All the exasperated old world souls stuck in the 21st century
@facevirtual recreated my signature shawl outfit i @facevirtual recreated my signature shawl outfit in a beautiful digitally illustrated avatar, the attention to detail on the kashidakari chinar motifs is just sublime 🖤❤️ And of course, the Veronica Lodge from old school Archie comics hair mood must be mentioned, tee hee. It feels wonderful to support the work of a talented and creative artist like you, Amit. This was my first time purchasing customised digital art 🤩 If you fancy a beautiful, affordable, professional digital avatar for your brand logo, website, social profiles, or just to hang up on your wall, I loved Amit's work and quick service, would definitely recommend!
Zoom lecture in Sep '20, Goan vacay in Sep '19 🥺🌴 An ombré chiffon worn last year with a hand-me-down crocheted top, and today with raw silk and a hand-painted Jaipuri ceramic pottery neckpiece from @kaisoriindia. I wear this saree very rarely, being partial towards handicraft textile drapes much more so than romantic Bollywood-esque chiffons. The styling may be better today, but the feels of this saree in Goa remain unmatched; sipping on Bailey's on the rocks, sea breeze in my hair, no concept of time, SIGH. No #wearsion of this saree worn before, or after, those vacay days can ever compare. I'm about to go curl up with this month's Condé Nast Traveller, a cup of tea and travel mentally 🌼 #sotd is from my mom's wardrobe, something worthy of @msppj's #wearsions and @drapeastory's #restylingwithpenaaz!
silver glam 🍸🖤 baubles from the ever tastefu silver glam 🍸🖤 baubles from the ever tasteful Riya of @_alankaara_
I have something to ask you - What do you do? BUT I have something to ask you - What do you do? BUT you can only answer something, absolutely anything, apart from the thing you do to earn money. What do you do? 🌼✨ What would you like to describe you if your job wasn't the only way to define you? Share below ❤️ I'm excited to know more about all of you like this!
Reality vs Instagram hahaha 🍸 Head to toe in ha Reality vs Instagram hahaha 🍸 Head to toe in handloom, pasta underway, G&T poured, music on, this Sunday evening is quite the #ReviveAndChill moment. Wearing a gorgeous made to order handloom, polka handblocked muslin shirt from a brand called 'Ans,' and ombré handloom cotton pyjamas, both shopped online from @jaypore. Handloom is hands down the butteriest, softest, comfiest homewear textile and it feels so pretty! Try it to believe it. If you've ever asked me for recipes - a lot of people do from my stories - pls note this actual footage of me cooking. I don't have organized recipes, I just stand there and drink and let the kitchen angels whisper to me and through me, and my loved ones can attest my food turns out pretty good by these means 🌚
minimalist blue 🗻 I can't believe I've worn thi minimalist blue 🗻 I can't believe I've worn this gorgeous ombré only once in my life? It deserves a lot more experimentation with. Blank canvas sarees are so exciting to me ✨ Source: Borrowed from mom, she purchased 5.5 mts of a silky, satiny fabric from a local fabrics-by-metre shop called Tirumala and they custom dyed it in her choice of colors!
Blooming 🌺 It's #SecondhandSeptember, and these Blooming 🌺 It's #SecondhandSeptember, and these floral suits, romantic as ever, are my most fav hand-me-downs among several others that I regularly wear. Swapped, hand me downs, heirlooms, borrows, pre-loved buys, there's so many ways in which we all can embrace secondhand fashion - increasing the lifespan of a garment before it gets to a stage where it may require repair. In India, taking away consumer stigma surrounding pre-owned clothing as well as creating a lot more spaces online and offline for people to easily and conveniently procure secondhand clothing is so, so important right now. I hope that someday, we could all nonchalantly walk in to a vintage or thrift store round the corner and treat ourselves to a serendipitous, abundant buffet of style pieces. Beautiful clothes will find their way to our wardrobe from their previous owner, to find something gorgeous that's secondhand is such a sweet joy because it feels like fate when someone out there decided to part with something that's exactly your size and your type. We'd all be wasting less, throwing less, donating less, and keeping fashion in the circle before it's recycled, upcycled or refashioned! That's the dream ❤️
jhumkas and mudras 🌸 jhumkas and mudras 🌸
A different side 🌚 What we know of an IG Friend A different side 🌚 What we know of an IG Friend is so two-dimensional. Wholeness, dualities, layers, complexities, the entirety can never be fully encompassed on a feed. What I see of you and your endorsed opinions, is but one page in the library that is your being. My online real estate is about a passion for Indian textiles, the intrinsic goodness in these conscious, traditional, accessible local crafts, hence only wardrobe choices that reflect this enchantment make it here.⠀ ⠀ But, I also need glamour, aesthetics beyond the Indian. For me, aesthetic fulfilment is as essential for happiness as ethical alignment. Over the years of Revive.Style, I discarded the unconscious narrative of treating sustainability as an Instagram competition wherein one must constantly preach (lament?) how much more we should be doing, point out flaws in fellow travellers in journey, the endless loop is so tiresome. We think we're 'spreading knowledge,' but it's a fine line from being caught in a cycle of holier-than-thou ego fulfilment. What's the point if I focus on what's not enough much more than what's thriving? Inspiring others at their own pace? ⠀ Fact: I'd sooner die than wear something drab that I don't vibe with, just for a label of handmade/slow. Fashion is art, expression, a most glorious kind of play. There's so much more to us - needs and desires - beyond our causes, isn't there? Majorly, my non-artisanal clothing is secondhand/swapped/hand-me-down/borrowed but I haven't boycotted retail entirely, so far I only avoid shady brands with proven malpractices - Zara, H&M, F21 and the like. I like to minimize retail buys, always going for slow fashion labels if they have what I desire, and sticking to India manufactured retail if not. From mall-ing every weekend to once in months, it's been great. I still use Forever 21 dresses I purchased 5+ years ago - with care, they're pristine. I certainly need my pretty, sexy, date night outfits and I like to do my 'sustainable best' when it comes to sourcing them, I think it makes more sense to tweak my consumerism around my aesthetic desires than the other way round. All of this is a journey, ever evolving, never flawless. ✨
I-wish-I-was-a-hand-model moments 😂✨ Which ae I-wish-I-was-a-hand-model moments 😂✨ Which aesthetic is your fav and why? ❤️
kasavu moods in the past year ✨ I often wonder w kasavu moods in the past year ✨ I often wonder why kasavus are treated like a typecast saree - worn only on Onam and Vishu primarily - and I don't often see them worn apart from these two days. A humble, simple cotton weave with but a border is perfect regular/work wear as well, but even in most workplaces this isn't a nonchalant drape to drape unlike other cotton-zari weaves. It's a humble, elegant cotton with an understated design when it's only striped without figuring. It has its more royal and resplendent motif specked variations as well. For me, the starchiness of this drape is a bit of a turn off from wearing it often. However, do you ever wonder why, in the saree world, we may wear sarees from all the states of India to anywhere and everywhere but we don't always do that with this one? With most drapes, we don't feel the need to stick to only sarees from our own region of origin and we keep creating beautiful fusions and hybrids. But the Kerala Kasavu still has this sense of 'costume' to it, worn only on Kerala related specifics and associated so strongly with these two festivals only? I think styling a kasavu for a regular day can be super easy as well. Worth experimenting with in a series sometime soon! Images: @reenarosedass's zero waste applique kasavu that uses upcycled textile scraps, a silver and black from a weaver, and my mom's hand-me-down from yesterday.
kasavus feel like you're in a Raja Ravi Varma pain kasavus feel like you're in a Raja Ravi Varma painting, and I love that✨❤️ #sotd from my mom's wardrobe, adornments from @sukkhi_jewellery! I was supposed to wear a silver kara kasavu saree today which is mysteriously lost somewhere among the wardrobes, so out came this one with a touch of wine figuring and golden peacocks abound. Tagging this for @afsarnama's joyful journey of #OnamOnMyMind, and if I find that silver kasavu soon then yet another lategram shall be made!
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Revive Style

fashion, design and old world charm

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