And I made it true, for my Bachelor’s graduation back in India, I draped a green, emerald colour saree. The fabric fell like a forest river at dusk: rich, elegant, and quietly powerful. I paired it with my beautiful and modern white blouse, rooted in tradition. Wearing that traditional outfit, adjusting my pleats with shivering hands, and walking onto campus, I felt like royalty. At that moment, the saree was not just a cloth, but it was a celebration of where I came from and a compiled expression of pride.
But now, I am in the UK. Now my choices for my master’s graduation are different. Here, my walk to university is lined with Victorian Brick rather than marigolds and honking rickshaws.
Now, when it's time for my master’s graduation, the question is: what am I going to wear this time?
My saree still calls me from the corner of my wardrobe, making me remember those delicate and beautiful memories. But this time, my inner self wants to do something different.
This time, I want to wear something Western.
It doesn’t mean I am turning my back on my culture; it is just that I spent the last whole year evolving, and now I have adapted to a new world. In between pronouncing my name twice at coffee shops, to explain to them about Diwali in detail, and to own my culture, I am just making space for new expressions of myself.
So for this graduation, maybe I will go for a pretty light blue dress with a slit cut, and flowy, and minimal details that will be highlighted when I walk. Or maybe a power suit, maybe in bold red. Something which will say: 'I carry every side of myself with pride'.
For some, maybe fashion is superficial, but for me, it is a way of storytelling without words.
For some, maybe fashion is superficial, but for me, it is a way of storytelling without words. What I wear on that day will not be just an outfit, but it will be a snapshot of life. So, of course, I am not going to wear a saree this time, but I will be carrying its elegance in my stride.