Threads of Indian royalty: Maharani Gayatri Devi and her love for chiffon sarees

Indian royalty has long been synonymous with intricate ensembles and ornate jewellery. More than it being just a fashion statement, it was a symbol of wealth and status. The image of Royal Indian maharanis and maharajas changed, however, when a rebel princess entered the scene and turned the narrative of royaltycore. Princess of Baroda and Maharani of Cooch Behar, Indira Devi put the chiffon saree on the fashion map of India, the featherlight fabric that once ruled the ramps of Italy and Paris. 

Chiffon was originally made from natural silk fibers and owing to its translucent sheen, it became a symbol of luxury among women in the United States and Europe in the 20th century. When Indira Devi travelled to France, she presumed the delicate fabric to make for a wonderful drape back home. She wasn't wrong. Nine yards of the flowy fabric were ordered and the rest was history. She paved the way for one of the most iconic transformations in both the fashion world and in Indian royalty, and we bet even Indira Devi didn't anticipate its impact. 

It wasn't until Indira Devi's second daughter, Gayatri Devi, came into the picture to cement the image of the chiffon saree as we know today. In 1940, she married Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II, and with her public appearances in pastel chiffon sarees, she reimagined the notions of royal Indian attire with this simple, soft fabric. Not just by the choice of the fabric, but also in the elegantly minimalistic way she draped and styled it; a stark contrast from the former Indian royal dress code. 

A confident, headstrong woman who was proud of her femininity, especially in a field mostly dominated by men, Maharani Gayatri Devi gave birth to the idea of modern dressing for women. The Rajmata, with her pearls and sarees, was a true pioneer of beauty and grace, even beyond the royal sphere.  When nylon was invented in 1938, printed chiffon sarees became popular owing to its accessibility to women from all walks of life. 

The influence of this humble, free-flowing fabric transcended the wardrobes of many Rajput women, as seen even today, and reached the wardrobes of Bollywood stars too. Be it Rekha in Silsila or Sridevi in Chandini, the saree that became a symbol of Indian cinema had Indian royalty to credit it to.   

Maharani Gayatri Devi's influence on modern Indian women's clothing, particularly through the chiffon saree, remains timeless. Her effortless elegance and regal yet minimalistic style transformed the saree from a symbol of tradition into one of modern sophistication. The chiffon saree today continues to be a wardrobe staple for women in royal Indian families and beyond, embodying heritage and contemporary chic for years to come.