I was ready to call this remake of a sari an unwelcome appropriation of traditional clothing. A South Asian woman on my block who sold her saris before she died expressed a final wish that they not be cut up into dresses.
However, in my search for sari remakes I discovered that this is a practice in South Asia as well. Why not reuse the stunning fabric in another design?
Sari fabric can be up to nine meters long. One end, called the pallu, is highly decorated and traditionally worn over the shoulder. The rest of the fabric has fewer decorative elements, but usually has a strip echoing the pallu along the side.
With some knowledge of sari fabric, I think I can see how the dress was constructed. Whoever made it placed the pallu on the bottom. The pattern of the fabric changes around the wrist, indicating a seam. The dressmaker used the remaining fabric to construct the rest of the dress, embellishing the waist, sleeve and neck with the side trim.
What was the occasion for this dress? I hope it was not for a costume party. If someone found it decades later, lets hope they reused the beautiful fabric again.
I’d doubt it was for a costume party. Just an elegant formal dress. I also noticed the long string of pearls with a knot. That was very popular back then, too. I enjoy your blog!