There may be snow on the ground, but spring starts in March and I’m thinking about a sari.
I have that bought something new feeling – when you want to wear it straight away and never be parted – but my Six Items Challenge, which continues for most of the month means I am banned from wearing my new sari dress.
If you’re thinking “what dress?” then you’ve walked into a wordsmith’s web. Now I’ll lead you to the secret sari dress sitting before my secret doors.
(the mirrors hide our washing machine)
I know it looks like a pillow, which is how I’m currently using it. Looking again, maybe I can work it into my Six Items wardrobe if I call it a clutch🤔. The dress actually folds even more neatly into a pocket like this, so I’m sure I could sneak in a phone and a lipstick.
Secret Projects, the people behind the Secret Sari Dress actually also do pillows and empower women in India by training them to sew the Secret Projects (the pillows also turn into snuggly blankets).
I met the founder, Fritha Vincent through Instagram and even though I hate the new algorithm I have to give it credit for the special connections you make. Fritha recently returned from Nilgiris, a UNESCO world heritage site in Tamil Nadu, where she met 50 women from rural villages near the Mudumalai National Reserve.
These women can earn around 220 rupees per day (approx £1.60) working on construction sites, filling pot holes on the roads following the monsoon, working in coffee plantations or as agricultural labourers. The women have to leave their homes early morning and do not return until the evening and are always paid less than men for doing the same work.
Secret Projects wants to help these women. For every three Secret Pillows they sell they can invite one woman on to the Training for Empowerment Programme. They need to sell 150 pillows to bring all 50 women on board ahead of the training session this month. Not only do the women learn basic tailoring skills, they are supported to help find employment local to them, to become financially independent, and to work together sharing equipment on joint sewing projects. They are empowered to help themselves and each other.
March also marks International Women’s Day on Thursday 8th, so why not #PressforProgress with a pillow – give it to a woman in your life and spread the positivity to a woman in India.
As I can’t wear it, my secret door is modelling my clever wrap-around dress, made from a vintage sari.
Here’s my pick. See more Secret Sari Dresses and Secret Pillows here.
©Photographs Reclaimed Woman and courtesy of Secret Projects