Indian Saree Brands I love on Instagram

A saree is not merely a garment; it is a snapshot of India's vibrant culture and diversity

Dear Reader,

Warm greetings from India!

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sharing a beautiful sunset photo I clicked from the lovely place called Lansdowne, where I enjoyed celebrating a quiet Diwali weekend with my family.

Right now I am writing to you with near-frozen fingers, the sound of typing keys on my laptop is almost comical but I still had to send this before we zoom into the New Year.

This feels like a good time to express gratitude for all the mixed blessings that 2021 has brought into our lives as we gear up for yet another unpredictable year - 2022.

So, this week's newsletter wants you to enjoy some shopping therapy with lots of saree bling and yes, I am also sharing few book cleaning tips to add to your New Year resolutions!

2021, I am grateful to you for lessons learned

There is so much that 2021 has taught me - the good, the bad and the not-so-bad. Wish I could tell you all of it at one go but hey, the newsletter should come in useful for you, right? So let's take things easy and I can still share my personal updates later!

Nothing is in our control - the last two years taught us this. To live in each moment is the only response to take forward. Okay, I don't want to get philosophical right now - I am sure you have enough to deal with. But you get the drift, right? 

How about some shopping therapy? Christmas and New Year provide the perfect alibi, so to speak!

I love promoting homegrown saree brands. So, bookmark this list of must-check Indian saree brands on Instagram.

FYI: I don't earn any commissions from any of the brands that I am recommending here. These are my favorite picks based on my own experience and that's why I am sharing it.

This festive season, take a look at these best saree brands on Instagram which are my personal favorites. These are presented in alphabetical order:

Curated by Piya
Just as lovely as the name sounds, the sarees are unique, beautifully and aesthetically crafted and of the best quality. 

Over the last few years, I have also known the lovely lady Piya, who is the name and the face of the brand. Elegant, stylish and with a heart of gold, Piya has infinite patience and is one of the most well-mannered, gentle speaking saree connoisseurs you will interact with - trust me, that has been my experience so far. 

Piya’s eye for detail, coupled with her vast repertoire of expertise on curating sarees and the exquisite work that her karigars show to innovate sarees are commendable. 

From light weight designer sarees to handlooms, Curated By Piya has an exquisite and rare collection of sarees that are a pleasure to wear. From my own experience, I have bought at least 2-3 sarees every year from Piya. The quality of all sarees from Curated By Piya is top notch.

Little details make a big difference.

For instance, from the eco-friendly packaging to the sweet and loving note that she tucks in with her handwriting to a complimentary 'designer' mask that accompanies every saree, the magical yet ever loving 'Piya' touch accompanies every saree delivery.

And over and above the gorgeous sarees, I absolutely ADORE Piya. She's such a wonderful, loving person that it just warms my heart like toast every time we have a conversation.

Sharing one of my favourite ‘Curated by Piya’ sarees below:

Do check out Curated by Piya's entire saree collections here

https://www.instagram.com/curatedbypiya/

Roop Kriti Boutique
This boutique is a recent 'Diwali' discovery for me and I love their courteous service.

Lovely sarees in vibrant shades at affordable prices is their USP. Courteous service and prompt and very sweet responses if you message your queries on Instagram make it a pleasure to buy sarees from them.

Their warmth and responsiveness really comes through well and this brand is all about eye-popping colours within an affordable price range that suits every budget.

Head out to Instagram to see their saree collection: https://www.instagram.com/roopkritiboutique/

Selai Nayaki 
It just happened that I was scrolling on Instagram and checking out sarees when I spotted a LIVE and I joined out of curiosity.  There she was - a beautiful smiling face greeting everyone with such warmth, love and care that I was hooked to the entire LIVE video.

You know what they say, "First impression is the best impression." This sounds so cliche but when I saw Amrita, the founder of saree brand Selai Nayaki, it is what I felt.

An instant heart-to-heart connection. We hit it off like good old friends in no time!

And the best part is that Amrita made me feel as though she wasn't a stranger but a friend who lives just next door. Many things about Amrita reflect in her choice of weaves that she showcases. And in many aspects, I see a lot of myself in Amrita’s saree choices.

Her candid and humble manner of answering queries patiently, explaining the logic behind prices and how much silk is there in a silk cotton saree, do heavy borders on traditional weaves suit those who already feel they are on the heavier side - these are all seemingly small details but the way she presented it so candidly, it really clinched my interest and curiosity.

Over the last year, I have bought so many sarees from Selai Nayaki and gifted them to dear friends - so many of Selai Nayaki sarees. Most friends loved the sarees and thanked me profusely after wearing Selai Nayaki sarees because of the unique design, the traditional nuances that are brought alive in each saree and  the rare colour combinations that are blended in masterfully into every weave.

Here’s one of my favourite ‘Selai Nayaki’ saree pics and I am wearing an aubergine coloured, light-as-a-feather Maheswari silk saree with a stunning red pallu.

For those who want to wear great quality sarees within an affordable budget to those who love to splurge on big ticket purchases, Selai Nayaki covers it all. 

Sometimes I love so many of the Selai Nayaki sarees at one go and become confused that I actually ask Amrita to choose a saree for me or ask her ``Should I go with A or B or C?" like that. Every time, Amrita is candid as to what she feels will suit me well and often nudges me to try out something different and unique while choosing sarees.

Here's another lovely Selai Nayaki saree that I wore and this saree is so easy to drape and breathtakingly red and gorgeous in its colour combinations that I simply love it.

Don't miss out watching regular IG videos where Amrita explains and presents the sarees. I love how she presents each saree and explains what makes it unique. Recently, Selai Nayaki has launched a wonderful cotton collection of must-wear kurtis too that would be perfect for home and office - check it here ou can check it out here:  https://www.instagram.com/selainayaki/

Shambhavi's Boutique

Having few detailed interactions with Kalpana Ji, who runs the very popular Shambhavi's Boutique, which is now active on Instagram, I can only say that I absolutely love the passion with which she blends the best of both worlds - gorgeous silks and top notch quality, and also the affordable range of sarees. Kalpana Ji’s patience is noteworthy, as is her passion for rare colour combinations in sarees.

My only recco for this much loved saree brand is that I would love to see more IG videos where Kalpanaji’s passion for sarees and her in-depth understanding of fabrics are showcased on a regular basis - at least once a week.

At Shambhavi Boutique, a wide range of salwar suit materials are also available. Do check it out too. You can check out latest collections on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shambavi_boutique/

Shrisha's Boutique

For all gifting purposes particularly marriages, I have made this my number 1 choice. The feedback I have received from all those who were gifted their sarees has been overwhelming and full of compliments. Their soft silk saree collections have a traditional touch in contemporary colour combinations. Their soft pastel silks are so beautiful that it simply takes your breath away. It makes a perfect gift for any wedding gift/wedding occasion. The 'icing on the cake' is not just the quality and the beauty, but every saree is within an affordable range and their cute cloth bag is super adorable!

My only recco for this fantastic and growing brand is simply this - while the cloth bag is adorable, it may help to create one more layer inside the outer packaging as a safety layer. In my view, the outer packaging needs to be sturdy, not flimsy.

https://www.instagram.com/shrishas_boutique/

Okay, now that I have shared some of my favourite saree brands, let me know yours and I would love to check it out. I love wearing sarees and I can’t help wanting to know your reccos.

Over to my favourite reads this week include:

For the great Indian love of festivals, here's Mahima Vashisht nailing the festive season's unspoken moments in her post titled Lamps, Lights and Limitless Labour!

For those who find winters in Delhi a depressing season as I do, my favourite comfort read of the week is Ila Reddy's post titled 'Whereabouts'- I absolutely loved reading this! And for all book lovers who worry about keeping bugs out of their book, here's a must-read article you shouldn't miss! Also, if you want to know how to keep your precious collection of books super clean, bookmark this article .

In case your books are way too damaged and there's no other option available, it's time for you to let go and move on. Read this to know why it is important to recycle your unwanted books. 

Wondering what books to wrap the year with?  Adithi Rao’s “Left from the Nameless Shop stories” is one of the best and most heartwarming books I have read in 2021. It takes you back straight to the Malgudi Days kind of an era. I love it and would be happy to see you read this book to wrap up the year!

I enjoyed these book reccos on Deepanjana's post titled 'Books to remember' and I am tempted to recommend a few of my own.

Now it's time to get out a bit, enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations. 

Drop me a line in case you want to share something related to this post. It could be an idea, a thought, a recco - anything that catches your fancy.

You know, I would love to hear from you - till we meet again - enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations!