50/100
When I first heard about the #100sareepact in April, I was already wearing sarees more regularly than I had been doing in the past. A couple of months back, when we had a family get together, I had been the only one from the extended family in a saree- even my aunts had been in trousers- and I realised then exactly how empowering it could be to be draped in 5 1/2 meters of unstitched fabric. The pact resonated with me, but I hesitated before signing up- I had just left my job and we were moving to a new city; the future was absolutely uncertain, and I didn’t want to commit to something I could not give time to. Finally, I gave in- the number of times I draped a saree during the year was not important, committing to wearing a saree as often as I could was more important!
In September, I was at 10/100. I could have dropped out, but I didn’t. I decided that my personal pact was to reach 100, no matter how long it took. Then came the festival season, and I discovered the wonderfully vibrant and supportive community of fellow pacters. I started wearing sarees even on occasions that didn’t at all merit them. The meter started ticking faster than I anticipated. And without knowing exactly how it happened, I am at the halfway mark! Will I succeed in draping 100 sarees before the end of the year- almost certainly not. Will I drape a saree whenever I can- definitely. Will I call myself a saree person- can we make that “shorts and tee, or saree person” please!

So here it is, saree 50/100. A polycot in a shade of green that for some strange reason reminds me of Lord of the Rings. Woven with a purple warf and green weft, it is definitely green, but of a shade that defies classification. The cream threadwork is either an abstract pattern, or a tribal doll- I’ve never figured out which- and the saree drapes as delightfully as all its sister polycotts. A go-to saree for a full day at work.