Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s sartorial choices have always displayed an array of handloom pieces from across the country. Known for her love for Indian textiles, Nirmala has always been vocal about promoting handloom saris. In 2019, she expressed her love for Indian textiles and had also tweeted saying: Silk or cotton, Orissa-handloom sarees are one of my favourites- the colour, the weave, the texture, just so good. (sic).
Today, she arrived at the Parliament to present the Union Budget 2022 wearing an earthy rust Bomkai (Sambalpuri) sari with a deep maroon border. “It’s a matter of great pride that our finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman promotes and wears rich handloom saris. Today she donned a rust and maroon Orissa bomkai weave adding colour to the much-awaited budget. I do think as a designer who draws inspiration from rich textiles it gives us joy to see our leaders dress in classic Indian clothes promoting and exposing the youth of India to our diverse heritage,” shares fashion designer Gopi Vaid.
A minimalist, Nirmala’s wardrobe has always displayed the length and breadth of the crafts this country has to offer. An advocate of an unsurpassed legacy of Indian weaves, Nirmala Sitharaman’s style reflects the tradition of ethnicity of Finance ministers over time. “The choice of colours reflects the stoicism necessitated for her role in the government and appeal across all sections of society. It’s always understated, never too loud and brings a sense of gravitas to the office while displaying the length and breadth of the crafts this country has to offer,” expresses Narendra Kumar.
Speaking about her outfit of the day, Tamanna Punjabi Kapoor shares, “Nirmala Sitharaman is normally seen adorning handloom sarees in a warm tone and the handloom sari she adorned at the Parliament was simple yet elegant. She teamed the ensemble with minimal accessories featuring earrings and gold bangles and completed her look with a red bindi. Her sartorial choices are comfortable, and we love how she carries it off with so much confidence.”
Fashion designer Rina Dhaka is of the opinion that Nirmala Sitharaman showed confidence and grace and looks great in sari. “I loved the colours and the sari she wore. It has been draped well. She shows confidence and grace and it’s a great look.”
For fashion designer Sreejith Jeevan, there is something wonderful about the way Nirmala Sitharaman has defined professionalism with the clothes she wears. “It (sartorial choices) is Indian, very vocal for local and yet professional. The message is very clear. It is so subtle, and one might miss the attention to detail but the crisp pleated sarees and the details like the red cloth bag used to carry the documents define a very unique Indian smart casual for a woman who has taken her job seriously but with her own signature of uniqueness,” adds Jeevan.
A profound advocate of the unsurpassed legacy of Indian weaves and crafts, Nirmala has always been a champion of Indian weaves, feels fashion designer Shruti Sancheti. According to Shruti Sancheti, a woman as accomplished as Nirmala, her sartorial choices have always celebrated India. “Always a champion for Indian weaves, she has sported mangalagiri, gadwal, kanjeevaram, ikkat and kalamkari sarees. For the 2022 budget, which is really a crucial and highly anticipated one, she is wearing an understated but beautifully woven Bomkai ( Sambalpuri ) in an earthy rust with deep maroon borders,” says Sancheti, adding, “The FM has kept the look fierce yet moderate. She wears what she believes in, that is simplicity, being grounded and relatable to the masses. Always a champion of promoting her heritage, her minimal sartorial choices is her perennial style statement which was reflected in today’s appearance.”
