The Supreme Court of the country might have passed a law that
sons and daughters have equal rights to parental property. But girls, you know
it, only you will have the sole right to invade your mother’s closet. And that
is pretty much what we aimed at since childhood. Didn’t we all take mom’s
dupatta and drape it all round like a sari? Yeah… we couldn’t wait to grow up
to claim our ownership to everything she had in her closet. So, the fashion
might have changed a little, but there is still a treasure lying out
there that so we must dig into:
1. Mom’s Old Saree
from Her Spinster Days:
One thing that you might have to fight your younger sister with
real hard, is your mother’s favorite saree from her spinsterhood days. Every
mom has preserved one such saree since like forever. She wouldn’t have worn it
much fearing damage to it and used it just a few times, saving it for eternity.
Grab it. It is basically yours (well, if your sister has not already claimed
it) with all due rights. But be really careful while wearing it. Though it
brings its antique charm along, it does need a lot of attention while you are
in it. Make sure you are pining it up carefully and not ruining it.
2. Mom’s Bridal
Wear:
Be it a bridal lehenga, salwar suit or a saree, this one has a
special aura about it. If your mother chooses you to pass it on to, trust me
you are really special to your mother. You need to remain grateful to her
irrespective of the monetary value of the outfit, because she is perhaps
handing over to you the most cherished moment of her life. You may want to
revive this piece a little, make a few changes here and there, and it will make
a perfect ensemble for your own wedding. Get the wedding blouse design altered
to fit you. Most of the time they leave a enough cloth at the seam so as to
facilitate the altering or re-fitting. Get the lehenga cropped a Iittle if you
are not as tall as your mum. However, if you are blessed with dad’s good
height, you may add some golden or silver lace to the bottom of the lehenga.
Again, adding a patch of a contract colored velvet or silk detailing or piping
will also add an extra dimension to the look, while adding to the desired
length. Re-doing the dupatta with trendy laces and sequences will also help in
bringing the dress back to the trend.
3. Vintage Wedding
Jewelry:
They just don’t make Jhumkas like those any more. I have checked
in so many stores, but they just don’t have those designs. Even if you take a
sample with you, the artisans these days won’t be successful in replicating it
perfectly. So, maybe you would just want to stick to the good old pair your mom
has. They have a royal air about it. The intricacy of the patterns were rustic
and inspired for elements of nature like flowers, leaves, and buds etc. The
jadau set that you mother owns is a collector’s item, and you will have to earn
it from her. But even if you get it eventually, be sure to preserve it the way
your parents have. These jewelry which in most cases are your mother’s wedding
jewelry are something you wouldn’t want to part with even in return of the
entire world.
4. The Silver Key
Ring:
The silver key ring is a vintage piece. They don’t use it much
these days. It must have been lying in some inconspicuous corner of the
almirah. But if you can carry it with panache, there is nothing that captivates
a rattling and dazzling silver key ring tucked to your saree, at your waist
line. It looks super sexy and if you have the perfect waistline to show off,
nothing can stop people’s attention from getting there. However, you need to
give it to the jeweler once to get it polished as it might have lost its luster
lying at the dark corner for all this while.
5. The Warm Shawl:
If you know how to manage it, a shawl goes well with both Indian
and western attire. I have one kept in my office drawer to save me from the
over cooling of the corporate air conditioning. Mothers generally have a
generous collection of shawls as in most cases they do not wear a lot of
jackets and sweatshirts. And her shawls will be of the best quality because back
in the days they were made from pure wool-unadulterated with cotton or any
other synthetic fiber. You can find an original Kashmiri shawl with intricate
embroidery or one from Assam or Manipur with mirror work detailing.
6. The Potli or
Batua:
The batua/potli trend has come back a long time ago and is in no
hurry to leave. So this is the time you claim your right to your mother’s good
old batua, if you have not done that already. The potli shaped batua is a
perfect to be carried with any traditional attire. It can be given some make
over by sewing a few sequences or stones on it, or defining the edges with a
golden zari border. This will be very simple and you could do it yourself at
home.
7. The Vintage
Jewelry Box:
It is not only the jewelry but the jewelry box too, which she
must have inherited from your grandparents, is a treat to the eyes. Thanks to
the safety issues, now-a-days people do not keep expensive jewelry at home, but
in a bank locker. The empty jewelry box must be lying there in the almirah. I
inherited a wooden jewelry box from my mother with fine brass and minakari work
at the top. I just keep it as a show piece on my side table under the lampshade
in my living room. And it sits there perfectly. You can grab one as well, think
of few constructive ideas and put it to some good use.
8. A Vintage Watch:
This one might be a real tough one. May
be the first one that your mother was gifted by her parents on the completion
of matriculation or getting the grades she promised. Those were the days, you
had to earn your first watch. So, you might have to work a little harder to own
your mother’s vintage watch. If you feel it does go well with your regular
look, wear it with a traditional attire. It will perfectly blend in.
Expensive or inexpensive – each of these items have a memory
weaved into them. You ought to be really lucky if you got your hands onto any
or all of these vintage fashion collectibles. It is a heritage passed onto you.
Style them up, use them as much as you can. They are smeared in love after all.
Hope this article on vintage fashion collectibles is helpful.
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