Saris and Body Piercings


Quite a while back I went to Mubeena's Mehndi night. There was belly dancing, henna tattooing and a beautiful swing seat for the bride to sit on and survey everything. Fast forward a little bit and she's married and living in the UK. Life goes by faster than you can get Purusha to help you put on a sari. I find traditional dress so enchanting and I jumped at the opportunity to wear one but I was also worried because I didn't want to come off as disrespectful towards something I hold in high regard. I put on liquid eyeliner, found an old 90s bindi set for a fake nose piercing and put on some Edie Sedgwick-style earrings. I hope it turned out to be more of an homage because wow, wearing a sari is an elegant experience and I can't actually wait to wear one again.

Culture and its influence on fashion interests me. When I was attending college, I had to research body modification, learn the origins of body piercing and examine how it evolved into its very own subculture. I can still remember our fashion history lecturer pointing out two ladies with nose piercings while briefing us on a research project as to why people wear what they do. In one moment he showed us exactly how fashion filters down; how something isolated becomes a modern trend. I've always had a secret desire to get a septum piercing because I think it would really shake up my face, I'd get myself some affordable body jewelry at Fresh Trends and try to rock that look. Now if we're talking about getting our kiss on then I fully endorse boys with tongue rings because I think every girl (or boy for that matter) should smooch at least one in their life :P There might not be something culturally significant about that but hey, maybe it should become the modern girl's dating rite of passage? Hahaha.

Do you have any cultural traditions or body piercings? Which do you admire?

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