Cover Sumitra Selvaraj
Sumitra Selvaraj
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PR consultant Sumitra Selvaraj shares her truth on what it's like to dare to wear the saree beyond Diwali and special occasions
"Oh, you're wearing a saree..."
I’ve heard these five words said to me for almost 30 years now. The tone has ranged from puzzlement to surprise, from joy to outright disapproval; and has been directed at me in boardrooms and ballrooms and everywhere else in between.
Even family and friends who know me well have been known to blurt out the phrase despite having seen me wear sarees to occasions both formal and casual.
So, what is it about the saree that causes such consternation?
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On the Indian subcontinent, the saree is still daily wear for millions of people. Across such a vast tract of land, with different cultures and traditions, the saree takes on myriad forms and functions depending on regional influence. The Nivi drape, which is the way a saree is worn most recognisably, is only one of the innumerable styles of pleating a saree. The fabrics that sarees are woven and manufactured in range from wild silks to reconstituted banana fibres. There is not even a standard length for a saree; anything from 4.5 to 11 metres is used depending on the particular legacy of a weave.
And so, why has the saree been homogenised to reflect just one avatar?
A saree was considered neither corporate nor quirky. It was seen as traditional, fusty, and quite simply, auntie.
I’ve asked two questions thus far, that I really do not have answers to myself.
And I don’t feel particularly qualified to delve into the answers either; as a Malaysian woman of South Indian descent, my introduction to sarees was shaped by a very immediate influence. My mother wore sarees to work from the mid ’70s to the late ’80s, and so when it came time for me to think about a workwear wardrobe, I turned to what I saw a successful career woman wearing in my own growing up years.
Of course, when my mother wore sarees to her civil service job in that period, it was a familiar enough clothing option. By the time I started worked in the early noughties, a twenty-something woman wearing a saree to work was a bit of an anomaly. Especially since I was in television production and presenting.
Still, I persevered.
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A decade later when I joined a well-established public relations agency, I received gentle advice that I may not be taken seriously if I didn’t dress the part. My options at that point were going the route of the suits and being sharply dressed for meetings, or turning up the fashion dial to demonstrate that like other “creatives”, I was at the cutting-edge of ideas. A saree was considered neither corporate nor quirky. It was seen as traditional, fusty, and quite simply, auntie.
It was everything the PR industry desperately tried not to be.
I listened to the advice, thanked them for their insights, and the next day for my first client meeting, I turned up in a starched cotton saree.
And for the next one, and the one after that, and again and again and again.
Above Sumitra in a Japanese silk saree, a style popular in the 1970s–1980s
Sumitra in a Japanese silk saree, a style popular in the 1970s–1980s
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It has been 12 years, and I still work in public relations.
I’ve led successful PR campaigns for global brands without a single client whimpering that I don’t look the part. I truly believe that part of my confidence to execute my work stemmed from the fact that I refused to compromise my personality to make others feel comfortable.
I must admit that in the early years, I had little patience for “oh you’re wearing a saree”. I would respond with an arched eyebrow or some typical firebrand comment about focusing on my deeds, instead of my dress, or even administer a scathing reminder that I could choose to wear whatever the hell I wanted.
Thankfully, like the fabric of my silk sarees, I have mellowed over time.
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Where do I start now, when people ask me why I’m wearing a saree?
Do I tell them about how I watched amma get ready for work every day? Do I tell them that it is an inclusive piece of clothing that has been my non-judgmental companion through 30kg weight fluctuations? Do I tell them that I feel powerful and elegant not just because of the way I look in a saree but because it reflects my personality?
Or do I tell them that when Tamil labourers arrived in Malaya to plant and work rubber plantations, the women wore sarees as they toiled? Decades later women of Indian and Sri Lankan heritage wore sarees regularly to government and private sector jobs. And while these days the saree in Malaysia is most often seen in cultural and religious settings, it does not mean that the function of the saree as a utilitarian garment has changed.
In an ideal world, I would have the time and wherewithal to say everything, and then some.
But it is not an ideal world.
I understand that the saree has largely been replaced with outfits that people feel are more convenient and suited to their needs.
Which makes total sense because I truly believe in wearing what one is comfortable in.
It just happens to be a saree, for me.
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Photography: Imran Sulaiman
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About
Lynette loves travelling and dancing to Latin music almost as much as she enjoys period films and pastry desserts. She is constantly in search of the perfect nude lipstick and finds her best ideas through walks in nature.
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As the Editor-in-Chief of Tatler Malaysia, Lynette leads the content teams for print, digital and social media platforms of the brand. She has over 20 years experience in media, having been editorial director and editor-in-chief for lifestyle titles such as Cleo, ELLE, Esquire, Men’s Health, and Women’s Health.
Follow her on Instagram @lynette_ow or LinkedIn
