I have been in love with maxi dresses ever since I have known about their existence.They are like my personal style statement. I wear them everywhere and all the time. No matter what the problem is (getting late, unwaxed legs or when I have no clue about what to wear) they have been my saviours forever.
On one of my trips back home, I was helping my mom clean her wardrobe. She was giving away the sarees that she hadn’t worn in ages. That’s when I found a blue saree that she had probably received as a wedding gift from one of her relatives. She must’ve worn it just once or twice as she wasn’t particularly fond of it.
Our house maid would have gotten lucky had I not noticed the gorgeous saree and fallen in love with it. It was that shade of blue that could bring colour to the grayest of the days (not exaggerating).
I took that saree from my mom and decided to get it stitched into a maxi dress. I am a big fan of the boat neckline and I was pretty sure that the dress would look good with it. I surfed the internet for some inspiration and took a print copy of the one I liked the most – a simple maxi dress with an umbrella skirt and a boat neckline.
With the design copy, I went to one of the best boutiques of Lucknow with my mother, only to be disappointed with the one month waiting period. I COULD NOT wait that long. Like...NO! Summers were shooing away and it would soon be fall if I had to wait for them.
Also read: #FashionDiaries: A Day Before My Farewell, I Had Nothing To Wear
I had to go back to Delhi the next week and I decided to take the saree with me. I went with the design copy to the familiar tailor bhaiya who used to sit right outside my society. I explained all the details to him and asked him if he was up for it. He was unsure, as he had never created anything like that before, but he took up the challenge. After I briefed him about how I wanted the dress to look, he took my measurements and asked me to see him two days later.
Two days after, I went back to him, and guess what? There it was! The most perfect dress ever. The ‘Blue Umbrella’ dress that surprisingly forced me to twirl (even though I hate twirling). All gorgeous, for just a 100 bucks. Yes, that’s all he charged me.
I wore the dress to college one day, and I was bombed with compliments. Not just that, almost all the girls who complimented me wanted to know where I got it from. They wanted the same dress for themselves. I had no clue how to answer their questions, though I told all my good friends.
Also read: #FashionDiaries: My Sari Came Off… At My College Fresher’s!
The secret is out now! And for all of you reading this, you now know what to do with those pretty old sarees! And for everyone who thought it was something really expensive – don’t be disappointed because the best things come from the places you least expect. So make the most of what you have because what you have right now could be something you have always wanted. Just look at the right places and you will find them! 😛
