Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Our World Tuesday - Amber Textiles - Tuesday ( in India ), August 12, 2014


For the most part, I really love India.  You meet all kinds of wonderful people, in the
course of your comings and goings.  Take my outing in search of "house dresses"
with my Indian "sister".  I rent a room from Rosy and her husband, Norman, the 
parents of Edsel and Danny Toscano, former Royal Caribbean crew friends.  It
is really nice for me, in Mumbai, a city of over ten million, to be with people who
are like family.

So, off we go to her favorite spot at Elco Arcade Shopping Center to get "house 
dresses" for me, during a momentary lull in the monsoon rains.  Playing "dodge 
'em cars" in our rickshaw, we arrive, amazingly, safe and sound.  On the first floor,
we pass shop after shop of caftans, saris, kurtas, and all the assorted Indian
ladies clothing, all looking basically the same.  If I stop to admire, Rosy calls me
to keep going, "It's just ahead."  

"Just ahead" is a tiny little shop that can only accommodate a few shoppers, 
especially after I have entered.  It is chock full of brightly colored cotton prints of
every hue, short and long lengths, dazzling to me.  I explain to both the young 
man and the older man in attendance what I want to see ( "everything" ), probably
in an extra large.  

The young man, who, I later learn, is Hitesh Narsinghani, gains my undying affection
when he tells me, "No, you won't take an extra large, only a large."  I remember when,
in 1997, during my first India trip, being told, during a shopping expedition to 
Bandra, "sorry, madam, your dresses will be four hundred rupees because you
are a jumbo."  He tells me to try on one of the dresses over my clothes and, lo and
behold, he's right, a large fits.







I tell Hitesh and his uncle, I believe it was, that I want both long and short house
dresses and out they bring at least two dozen folded choices in assorted colors.
Hitesh takes the first, shakes it open and holds it up so I can see it full length.  I love 
it.  He then starts for the second one.  I tell him to stop, not to bother unfolding them 
all, I can tell what I like with them folded.  Oh, no, like a showman, he insists, saying 
I have to see them opened up and it is no bother to refold them.













I ended up buying three long dresses and three short ones and I told Hitesh I would
probably come back for a couple more before I head home in November.  One 
black floral one that I loved was out of stock but he is sure they will get another 
shipment from Jaipur.  I told him they all reminded me of muu muus.  He had no
idea what I meant but I can just see myself in Hawaii wearing these and, for $35,
I could never get six muu muus at Hilo Hatties.  










When I asked Rosy how she had settled on this one store out of all at the
shopping mall, she told me because of the quality of the dresses, the durability
of the cotton and the colors and the good stitching which was not consistent
everywhere.  Also, the price was excellent, even better than what you would get
in Jaipur where the dresses are made!













I'll enjoy wearing these, I'm sure, long after I stop coming to India.  After all, I will
celebrate my 70th birthday here in October and I wonder how long I can keep 
traveling.  Oh, well, as Scarlett said, "I'll think about that tomorrow" ... a lot of 
tomorrows in the future.

Amber Textiles is located at 15, Elco Arcade Shopping Centre, Hill Road, Bandra
West, Mumbai - 400 050, India, Phone: 2640 6303, 2642 2606.


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20 comments:

  1. i love all the personality they put into the designs and colors...i hope you got the red one...that is def eye catching...what a cool part of the world you live in...i hope to one day visit india...i have several friends there now...and i hope that upcoming birthday is a special one for you....

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    1. Brian, it's Carmen....I know it's as though I live in India...I have been here, off and on, 15 months out of the last 2-1/2 years but San Francisco is still home...though, since retirement, I can't afford to live there full time, that's for sure. It wasn't hard with my great nursing salary, even supporting three sons alone but, with budget cuts, my job loss and only HALF a pension, things changed. I couldn't bear the thought of never traveling again and, having made so many Indian friends cruising with Royal Caribbean, this was a great solution.

      I bought all the dresses displayed, by the way, just not the skirt.

      Is Galen around. I don't see the Flash 55 when I've gone to post.

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  2. Replies
    1. Yes, making choices was hard...that's why I came away with six dresses!!!

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  3. That's funny ! I wear similar once coming from Morocco which I find here on the Brussels Midi Market for almost the same price ! They are so comfortable ! For winter I have velvet once, looks much better then a bathrobe !

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    1. Aren't they wonderful, Gattina? San Francisco is always so cool, my constant attire is usually sweats but these are so much prettier. If I get back to Hawaii again, I'll be taking them with me. I can't believe, though, that in the past 32 months, half that time has been spent in India where these dresses are perfect. I could never get adept at wrapping a sari.

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  4. You look very pretty in your new dresses. Hope you keep on visiting India!

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    1. Out of the last 32 months, I've spent half in India. Of course, it's harder to travel such long distances with arthritis and all the aches and pains that accompany my approach to 70. But, in California, there's no way I can get such wonderful massage for $5/hour.

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  6. wow, great deal and lively prints.

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    1. Goodness, Pearl, how do you do it? So many blogs. I can barely manage one!

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  7. shopping in Chinatown is daunting. something a size 12 Canadian is an XXL there.

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    1. I know what you mean. I am so happy to have lost 40 lbs since I started coming to India 2-1/2 years ago....still I am far to heavy. Another 40 lbs and I'll be happy.

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  8. Hellooooo Carmen! I remember you from another linky party a few years ago. (I was linking from my other blog.). I enjoyed this post a lot. This afternoon, the Husband and I saw the new movie "100 foot Journey" which featured a family from Mumbai who settled in a French village. Reading your post extended the magic of the movie for me. :-) Sweet house dress choices.
    Take 25 to Hollister

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    1. How nice to see you again. I'll have to look for that movie. I see Indian films all the time when I am in California but here, in India, they don't have English subtitles. By now, after 15 months in India out of the last 2-1/2 years, back and forth, I should be speaking Hindi!

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  9. Those dresses look mighty hot on you! Glad you enjoy your stay there!

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    1. Hi Icy....great to see you. While I do miss my darling little granddaughter, it's good to have a break and India has become my second home.

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  10. I'm a sucker for fabrics. The blue and white is my favorite.

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    1. These were definitely eye catching and I had trouble deciding. I chose five but I would like a few more...or some kurtas ( blouses ), too.

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