Umbara Designs- clothing- be spoken!

  The inspiration for young women is largely the fashion industry, one does see models on the ramps and actresses at social dos dressed in what may be considered outrageous garments. For impressionable teenagers and young women, clothing is a critical element of self-expression and independence - they do not see anything wrong in ‘wearing what they want’. This is despite the all prevalent male gaze, which research and personal experience shows is quite different form the female gaze. Advertising has numerous examples of the male gaze: the elegant outline of a car’s form is compared to the curves of a woman. (I have elaborated the point here .) The ‘Me-too’ movement threw up narratives of women being at the receiving end of inappropriate behaviour. The oft-cited excuses have been the ‘provocative’ garb of women. In contrast to the ‘body objectivising’ that happens when a man is in the picture, is the sheer body positivity that young women feel, which springs from within. There...

      Decoding Fashion Psychology             There has been a buzz recently on social media about   fashion psychology. Having spent a good part of the five  decades of my life in this industry, I am asked very  often about my views on this. I decided to do a series  of videos that you can find on  YouTube: THE SCIENCE OF FASHION PSYCHOLOGY and WHAT IS FASHION PSYCHOLOGY with more coming up. In case you are more comfortable with that medium!  Else, stay on, read and reflect.    Let us get definitions out of the way.  The word ‘fashion’ implies styling, the way one chooses  and wears clothing (primarily) to make a statement  about oneself.  Psychology is the science of emotions.  Though most people cannot articulate it, psychology is  reflected in personal fashion. Take, for example, a  teenage boy whose ‘go to’ outfit is a black hoodie.  In choosing this p...

  pic courtesy: https://ditterderdatter.wordpress.com/ Why we do what we do.......... Head Heart and Hand -I There is a gap between the potential and the animate. many times, it is a large gap. For some us, the potential remains unexplored. For many of us the potential needs a push to get started. For some of us, who are lucky the push comes because we needed it so bad. The World realigns itself for those who aspire. Umbara style, this story is an offering for valentine's day to our followers. A story that could be a leaf off  of anyone of our own journeys. A sister's tale................ Prateebha is a young mother. Much like most of us. She dissolved in her roles as a wife, daughter and daughter in law and now as a young mother. Dissolve as she may, her identity persisted through   all these roles and asked, nay begged to be noticed....... How was one to help herself?  Her memories of  being a working woman, a young aspiring des...

CONCEPT NOTES DTD. 05/02/2013 The seed of how and why to make this a business Social upliftment is integrally in the hands of women. A happy and joyous woman will spread comfort and joy in the house and be warm and understanding in bringing up the children. This onus lies with women to make a house a home and provide a grihastha a grishasthashramam. A haven where people who come and go can live and feel peace and contentment within the matrix of social structure. Among the multiple issues that Indian women face some of the most obvious and unconscious issues are faced by the lower middle income and lower income groups. Unable to understand their needs and address them, unable to ask for support and help, they are struck by social lifestyle and demands to have a position in the social structure.This makes them push their spouses to earn more, push their children to perform better but they increasingly feel incapable of reaching their desires. Women need the...

How to order for your ready made blouse? We have made basic blouses in a few designs to kick start the ready made blouse orders. Get into a well fitted bra. Note the size listed on the label. This has 2 components- say, 38B. 38 is the chest size and B is the cup size. To cross check the label measurement in your bra, you may want to measure yourself too Look up the Umbara blouse measurement chart, match the blouse size that is closest to the chest measure. The blouses chart is made for B cups. However, cross sizing works here just as it does for bras. So, if you are a 38B,  you could also pick a ready made blouse which is a 36C or a 40 A which can be worn after minor sewing adjustments.

   Client Services: We offer complete wardrobe services, based on a deep understanding of your social and professional needs related to clothing. Custom clothing Umbara goes much beyond regular tailoring services with a professional approach to the creation of custom clothing for women, men and children. We develop style sheets based on your body and personality type, the context in which the clothing will be worn and of course, your budget. The result is a design library, just for you. Fabrics are sourced based on specifications. We develop 'fit patterns’ over 2-3 sittings; these would culminate in fit pieces that are preserved at Umbara. These ensure that a perfect fit is replicated across multiple garments that you may commission with us, irrespective of change in the works-woman.  Prices for fit pieces vary from Rs.500 to Rs.750. All variances of the silhouette are taken into consideration in one fit piece. For e.g., if you invest in a...

UMBARA DESIGNS   Our Take on Customised Clothing What is good clothing? The basic principles have always been fibre, weave, fabric, texture, colour, silhouette, design, technique of cutting and method of sewing. When we say that a person looks ‘eye catching’ or is a ‘head turner’, essentially what we are admiring is the outcome of all these aspects that have come together harmoniously. What is the function of clothing? The integral function of clothing in modern times seems to be associated with 'presence'; making an impression, leaving the viewer with an image that influences all future interactions. While this is certainly important, merely aping fashion trends and movie stars in order to meet the objectives of creating a good ‘first impression’ leaves us unsatisfied. Why is that? Out belief, is that, at a physical level, clothing should be a ‘second skin’ that permits the body to function in an unrestricted way. Also, going beyond this, it should allow se...