wombat1138 | Sari, sarong number.

A discussion elseweb about salwar kameez has caused me to find this page (and subsequent galleries) of intricately embroidered Indian bridalwear. I'm pretty sure that they're genuine silk interwoven and embroidered with actual gold/silver thread. There's even less chance than with the hanfu that I would ever actually attempt to wear anything like this[*], but wow. Just wow.

[*: most of these seem to be choli/lehenga sets, with a short midriff top, a long skirt, and a gauzy dupatta scarf-thing. I do actually own a salwar kameez set-- I wore it at

owenthomas's wedding celebration, so both he and

happypete have theoretically seen me in it-- but it's much less elaborate, with an intricate black curlicue pattern printed on a red background but no metalwork, embroidery, or beads. I'm not entirely certain how I got it in the first place; it may have been left behind in a laundry machine by one of my neighbors when I was still living in NJ.]

Mind you, it's sobering to compare their prices to India's GNP per capita income, for which estimates seem to hover in the $700-1000 range.