Fashion blogger Subhiksha Venkat started an online campaign to fight the taboo against the colour black. #teamblacksari has since gone viral on social media, with people posting pictures of themselves in black.
CHENNAI: Bold, sexy and classic — black is considered a universal fashion statement. Closer home, however, you’d hear quite the opposite from your mom (grandparents, neighbours, relatives, and sometimes even the so-called well wishers): “Why you wearing black to the wedding?” And we dare you dare to ask them why!
The colour considered as ‘ultimate classic’ in fashion worldwide, is considered ‘inauspicious’ and ‘vile’ in most regions in India. Why? Nobody really knows, and it is only more confounding to notice the auspicious black Chandrakala sari, worn from Makarasankranthi in Maharashtra, the black mangalsutra beads worn in Northern parts of India and even Sabarimala devotees all wear black veshtis!
Facing mean stares and passive-aggressive chiding all through a wedding ceremony, a Chennai-based fashion blogger decided to question this long-standing and seemingly unreasonable cultural taboo against black, by taking to social media. “A gorgeous black, mustard and red silk sari caught my eye at a store, and my dad loved it too so we got it. But when I wore it to a wedding few weeks later, it was mayhem! Some said I looked like a political party flag, and some even shouted at me because I was wearing a black sari on an auspicious day,” recalls Subhiksha Venkat.
When she posted this on her Instagram blog, many of her followers posted back in solidarity, thus creating a campaign #teamblacksari. “I saw over a hundred posts with the hashtag! Didn’t expect that kind of a response,” she laughs.
While some women hunted their wardrobes to find that hidden-away black sari, others actually went out and purchased a black sari for the occasion, using it as an excuse to add one more black sari to their wardrobe. “Subhiksha’s hashtag campaign is a remarkable initiative. Despite living in a society where we all are well-educated independent women, we still succumb to certain superstitions and restrictions…though we wouldn’t have an iota of personal belief in them,” says Varsha Arvind, who took part in the online campaign.
Draped in black cotton, silk, chiffon and lace, several women posted their stories of black saris and the Indian obsession to oppress the colour. Nivedha Parthipan, a business analyst at Zoho Corporation, related to Subhiksha’s experience of wedding fiascos. “Black is inauspicious, Black isn’t for the good girls, Wearing black is a crime - I was tired of these slew of restrictions. My first ever ‘pattu’ sari was black, my favourite, and I could never wear it to my friend’s wedding or anywhere else! But when I saw a bride’s sister flaunt black drape at a wedding, it inspired me!” she quips.
And it’s not just weddings, but also other social gatherings like music concerts that black is shunned from, we learn. “As someone who learns and has performed Carnatic music on stage, I’ve always been told not to wear black for concerts - at least, not in large doses. My family has also always discouraged me from doing so, saying that it is not appropriate for a young girl to wear black,” says Lavanya Narayanan, a model and journalist.
Though on the surface it seemed like this campaign was all about the black sari, it was really in fact addressing a much larger issue, that of freedom of fashion choices. “This movement was a way to talk about all the pressures society puts on us. I realised a lot of women face so much judgement for wearing shorts, T-shirts, ripped jeans etc,” she adds.
Talking about this on public platforms can also strengthen feminine solidarity. “I respect norms that have scientific reasons to it — but I also believe that if you love wearing black sari, letting your hair loose and flaunting red ‘pattak’ lipstick, you should be able to do so!” she asserts.