Four Inches, That's Not Too Many

[akirlu]

Sometimes it pays to document.

I got a bit of birthday money, and decided to sink it into a new summer-weight salwar kamiz. The fabric I won at auction is a magenta-tinged, garnet-colored cotton, striped dark and shot through with gold threads, and with an embroidered panel down the front. It should be stunning. I am very pleased.

Yesterday came time to send my measurements in to the Indian tailors, and I decided to re-measure myself for safety's sake. I lost a bit of weight back in March, and while I feared some of it had crept back while I grew lax and pathetic in these last few weeks, it seemed sensible to verify. Good thing I did. On my computer desk, I found the same scrap I noted my last measurements on. Since January, I appear to have lost 4" each off my bust, waist, and hip measurements. 1" off the biceps. Good lord. I know some of my pants are still fitting better/more loosely and all, but I had No Idea. If ever there was incentive to keep up and redouble my various sneaky ways of building exercise into my week, that's pretty much it. Go me.

Comments

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

How exciting on the weight loss and where do you get your salwar kameez? I want another one but refuse to pay Swedish prices.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I buy mine through eBay auctions. The two vendors I have been pleased with were Namaste India and Indian Art Cart, while Teresa Nielsen Hayden's favorite vendor is India Shop, which I haven't tried yet. If you go to eBay and search on the string "salwar any size" or "salwar free stitch" you will find a series of auctions by dealers who are essentially offering uncut fabric to be made up into a custom garment made to measure for the winner of the auction, at no cost above the winning price of the auction plus shipping. The prices often wind up ridiculously low even by U.S. standards, so presumably moreso by Swedish, for all that the krona is currently kicking butt in currency exchange with the dollar.

N.B. that if you have couture-quality finishing expectations, i.e. are looking for french seam closures and hand-finish work, that is not what you'll get. But the better tailors do perfectly fine serged seams and lots of detailed machine embroidery and good machine hemming.

Also note that different buyers have had differing experiences with the same vendor. I've had better luck with the vendors I liked than some others have. A good one will endeavor to rectify any problems you have.

[idahoswede.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the information, very helpful. I got a salwar a couple years ago when I was in the States through eBay, can't remember the name of the vendor, but it was quite nice. I'd like a few more, but as cold as it's been here so far this summer, wool sacks are sounding more attractive at the moment.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

You won't see as many at this time of year, but both my extant punjabi suits are in fact wool blends. Depending on the weather you might still want an undershirt under the kamiz, but they are not what I'd call summer weight.