eight people wearing brightly coloured sarees stand in front of a colourful backdrop and blow a kiss at the camera
Two women stand on either side of a woman sitting in a power wheelchair, all smiling at the camera

About Balance

On the 22nd September 2024, we hosted a Funshop at About Balance, a yoga studio and sanctuary in Brighton. It provided a peaceful setting for an afternoon of connection and self-love.

Snapshot…

The Funshop…

The sixth SareeNaSorry Funshop can only be described as an exercise in self-love. Within the couple of hours that the group spent together, a positive and uplifting atmosphere was created through collaboration and creativity. Everybody got the opportunity to try on several different sarees and they were guided on how to drape them on themselves and each other. 

We were delighted to hear how fabulous everybody felt while wearing the saree. Multiple participants shared that they felt ‘confident’ and ‘expressive’ in the garment. Others described feeling ‘powerful’ and ‘like a warrior’, especially while wearing the trouser drape.

A couple of attendees confided that they had struggled with body image and had rarely felt beautiful or glamorous in the past. After wearing the saree and realising how playful and inclusive it is, the participants described feeling surprised and emotional at how good they felt while draped up. The saree, which can be draped in over 200 ways, adapts to the person and their preferences. We believe this is the way that dressing should always be - clothes should empower us and reflect our identities.

One person shared that they were surprised at how sexy the saree made them feel and how ‘inclusive’ it was of all different body types. Another person, who had attended the Funshop at the Ledward Centre, came along to experience the fun all over again. She shared that she ‘wanted to feel beautiful again’ and left feeling ‘complete’.

The session was shorter than normal which meant that more time was spent draping up and some of the time dedicated to reflection and discussion was cut short. It would have been wonderful to have had more time to talk, as the group had brilliant energy and brought forward thoughtful and unique perspectives which we would have loved to explore further.

Despite the limited timing, we had a number of fruitful conversations about confidence, expression and how we can feel connected to ourselves. As we wrapped up, participants expressed that the session allowed them to be vulnerable and open, in a safe space. One person summarised the experience by saying, ‘I had such a good time, I didn’t want it to end!’

  • “The Funshop made me feel special, beautiful and happy. I was surprised at my own emotions seeing other people feel beautiful. I had a great time - please make it longer!”

  • “I joined the Funshop because I wanted to try something new. It made me feel confident and expressive!

    I was surprised at how sexy a saree can look on all body types!”

  • “I wanted to participate in the Funshop because I wanted to learn all about the history of sarees and experience wearing one myself. I was surprised at how inclusive sarees are [of different body shapes and sizes].

    The Funshop made me feel energised and beautiful.”

  • “Thank you so much for a wonderful experience - the Funshop left me feeling very happy. I learnt so much about draping and a little about culture too.

    I wouldn’t change a thing, it was perfect!”

A person dressed in an orange patterned saree sitting in a power chair
A white British woman wearing a purple saree smiles at the camera
A British Bangladeshi woman wearing a black patterned saree helps a white british woman wearing a purple saree to drape it over her shoulder
Three women hold lengths of saree fabric in their hands to wrap it around themselves. Another women with curly hair squats on the floor to pick up a saree from the floor
Two white British women wearing sarees smile and stand next to another white British person in a power wheelchair wearing an orange saree
A woman with curly brown hair dressed in a red and green saree smiles at the camera
Two women wearing colourful sarees stand together - candid shot, they are not looking at the camera
Eight women wearing sarees all blow a kiss at the camera
Two people wearing sarees in a trouser drape stand in front of a colourful patterned backdrop - candid shot, they are not looking at the camera
Seven people wearing colourful sarees arranged in a line formation smile toward the camera
A white british woman wearing glasses and a blue patterned saree stands and smiles, looking away from the camera
A woman with brown curly hair wearing a red gingham saree in a trouser drape looks at her reflection
A white British woman wearing a black embroidered saree stands on one side, looking at her reflection off camera