Aloe Vera Sarees- Handloom Sarees with a Difference!

You might have heard about aloe vera gel for skin care or aloe vera extract for health care but you would have never heard of sarees made of aloe vera! After being used for giving magical glow to  Cleopatra's skin and medical wellness to Alexander ages ago, Aloe Vera has landed right into the wardrobes of Indian women in the form of sarees!

Weavers in Anakaputhur suburb of Tamil Nadu are experimenting with aloe vera fibers to make colorful sarees. Till now, these weavers were making handloom sarees from traditional natural fibers like cotton and silk. However, with the increasing prices of yarn, they started finding other options for making their sarees. First they used banana fibre, and now they have started using fibre from the Aloe Vera plant. “Sarees made from Aloe Vera fibre are in demand. Weavers today are earning well,” as told by Sekar, the President of the Anakaputhur Jute Weavers Association.  What more? These are very cheap saris as compared to the traditional handloom sarees. They can be bought in as low a price as 700 rupees though in Tamil Nadu only. Hopefully, these sarees will soon be available in other parts of India and world too!

Aloe Vera Textile in Other Parts of the World

In the western countries like Germany and Spain, Aloe Vera enriched clothing is in the initial stages of development. It has been claimed that aloe vera in garments prevent aging of the skin; rejuvenate skin cells: and keep skin free from microbial infections. Dermatology tests related to the textile applications of these fibers were conducted by a research university in Germany. Presently, these garments are manufactured in Barcelona, Spain. It is mainly used for manufacturing inner garments, stockings etc. due to the claimed additional functions like absorbing bad smell, and providing anti-bacterial features. Looking at the initial stages of development of garments from aloe vera, the achievement of Tamil Nadu weavers is really commendable as they are making full fledged embellished sarees with Aloe Vera!

Salwar Kameez- Reasons Behind its Traditional Modernity

Salwar Kameez, in whatever form, is perhaps the most popular woman wear in India today. It is simple, neat, trendy, classy, cool, smart- all at the same time. That's why it seems to be so popular among the young Indian women- in colleges, offices, parties- everywhere you can see these women donned in some or the other beautiful creation of salwar suits.

What makes salwar kameez so popular?.....May be the reason is the comfort and ease of wearing it. It is comfortable in all seasons and at all places. You just need to choose the fabric with care and to change the salwar suit designs a little and it becomes apt for any place and occasion. Women who feel a little uncomfortable in revealing dresses like skirts etc. (it is not a generalized belief, such dresses are revealing in their view), they also can remain trendy by wearing a designer salwar kameez. The salwars give women the freedom of movement- especially to those women who find jeans and trousers a little tight and uncomfortable. By just shortening or lengthening the kurtas one can get different looks. Moreover, a dupatta carried with salwar kameez lends further grace to the overall personality of the wearer. What more! One can even mix and match- take a kurta and match it with neutral color salwars or swap the kurta to be worn sometimes with salwar and at other times with churidar. In short, there is a lots of scope for experimenting with salwar kameez.

Know more about this traditional as well as modern attire of Indian women- Salwar Kameez!