The Kate Sharmas in Real Life : Indian women in 19th Century Attire
As an Austenite, I find Bridgerton an abomination, from the costume to plotline. However, like many people I found the 2nd season a bit tolerable especially the storytelling. Simone Ashley who was Kate Sharma (it’s rather pronounced as “sher-ma”) reminded me someone, especially someone dressed in western clothes in colonial India.
It is a preconceived notion by many that Indian people, especially women did not wore western clothes until it was post 1960s, but it is not true. The most fundamental garment, a blouse for saree was a Victorian addition. The eastern Indian women often worn saree as a single garment, and in ancient times, Saree or “akhanda vastra” (undivided cloth) was worn with a “kanchuki” underneath, or an Indian version of Bandeau. Blouse, in its modern form was then called a Chemise (semij, as the local vernacular called it). It came as in late 19th century, and the trendsetters were Upper class Bengali women. Rabindranath Tagore mentions how modern yet scandalising it was for a woman to wear a “Semij” in his numerous novels, especially in Chokher Bali .The picture below is of Princess Sudhira of Cooch Behar wearing what can be deemed as the earliest Indo-Western Fusion fashion in 1900s (she was known to have some good european wardrobe)
You might be thinking, Indo-Western garment is not anything near to the empire line Regency costume! yes, it is not. But before you at me, behold this historical photograph.
She is Maharani Suniti Devi, Queen of the Princely state of Cooch Behar, North Bengal. This shot was taken at 1902. I Know I am 100 years too late but during the 1813 Indian royals were busy from saving their states from the British Subsidiary Alliances, and Artisans were getting crushed by the flooding capitalists as the Monopoly of the East Indian Company was abolished by the 1813 Charter Act--- long story short, they didn’t wear the western garments that early. I picked her photo specifically because Simone Ashley, as Kate Sharma reminded me of her. Tall, slim, thin mouth, bright eyes, voluminous hair and dark skin.
It is not that there are no dark skin rulers in India, and there were no royal women who donned western clothes--there are: in Fact the Daughter of Daleep Singh, the last Sikh Emperor and the Maharani of Kapurthala, both were photographed in Late Edwardian costumes in the beginning of 20th century. My pick is specially Suniti Devi because she exudes a classic ethnic Bengali beauty. I am emphasising on the fact Bengali because in Indian pop-culture Bengali women are portrayed as docile soft shy beings venerated for their big eyes and pliant beauty. However here you can see that this women is anything but. She is properly clothed in Late Victorian gown. From the prim contours of the waist it is clear that she is wearing proper undergarments like longline corset; light bustle as it was fashionable at that time and the correct petticoat. Loose but well arranged Gibson curls define her thick Bengali waves at the front of the head. The entire thing does not come off as costume-like, she looks like she was made for wearing it: she was not obviously corset trained because Indians often prefer loose fitted clothing and yet she does not look least bit out of place in that dress.
Despite everything western in that dress from the Gibson hair to the black passmentary lace detaiiing on the white skirt, there is a distinct Indianness that graces the outfit. A long trail of English tulle is draped across the chest, as to emulate the shoulder drape of the saree: in India, a gentleman’s daughter is required to cover her chest with the drape of saree or a light scarf with Salwar. She didn’t need to; she was a Maharani, she could go without it, but she chose to drape it anyway. she also wears bangles in both hands, again a Custom by Bengali women who think a girl should not leave her wrists empty, because it symbolises widowhood. It was unlikely for a Victorian or Edwardian woman to wear bangles in both hands, especially without gloves-- but she did it anyway.
This distinct Indianness with western outfit is the exact essence which Kate replicated in the Wedding Scene
