Going the whole six-yards

Dear Ritu Beri,

I am writing this open letter to you on behalf of my daughter who is an ardent fan. Your gorgeously designed Air India uniform for the cabin crew happens to be her favourite. Smera fell in love with it when she was only a few months old. At first we thought it was the colour red that she loved, when she would see her grandma drape it.

As time has passed and she grown up to be a fine two year old child, the sari still remains to be her all-time favourite. She will beg, plead, try her puppy face or even get angry to lay her hands on it. She loves to feel like a big girl I guess!

Image: newindianexpress.com

Mum has a huge collection of sarees and but among all of them I think it’s her uniform sari that appeals to her the most. Smera loves to see her grandma dress in inherently graceful and elegant Indian clothing. Working for the airline I have always admired mum’s dressing sense of this marvelous drapery - no wonder it excites the little one too.

Smera knows it when her grandma dresses up in her uniform she is going off to some place exciting. And when she comes to visit us here in Dubai, she comes wearing her favourite sari. However there is a  flip side to it too,  when she ready to go back Smera is most upset as she would have to bid farewell to her and the sari with teary eyes.

Once Smera is dressed in the 6-yard garment, she would go for my shoes and not to forget a matching handbag. She would then head to the mirror as if it’s almost a ritual to stand in front of it and admire the beauty of her entire get-up.  With great difficulty she would walk up and down in the house and once she is really tired she will ask the first available person to wear it on her behalf. It can be me, her grandma, my husband and even the grandpa has not been spared.

Watching Smera being so passionate about the sari I can’t thank you enough, Ritu. Your design has in ways has brought at least one of gen-next closer to an important part of our Indian tradition – The Sari.

Thank you!