Bringing India Closer, One Preloved Saree At A Time

Bringing India Closer, One Preloved Saree At A Time

The act of taking something no longer of relevance or use and giving it a second life is known as upcycling. Although the term may have been coined in the ’90s, the practice has been around in India for far longer. Many of us grew up watching our mothers turn an old saree into new outfits, children’s festive wear, baby swaddles, cushion covers and even curtains. Some women also exchange outfits, especially for special occasions. Now that upcycling or repurposing has become an integral part of sustainability, people are not shying away from using upcycled or preloved goods. My City Links got into a freewheeling conversation with Susmita Misra, Founder CEO, The Magic of Sarees (MOS) who through her brand, MOS Preloved, is building a community marketplace for the exchange of pre-owned sarees. The USP of MOS Preloved is that each piece is unique, affordable and helps reduce environmental pollution through circular fashion.

Women often find themself in a state of quandary when choosing a saree. They keep coveting the next beautiful wear and yet feel guilty about the stacks of sarees stored in the cupboard over the years. While there are some sarees, they have worn only a few times, there are those which they have hardly worn. And some others that they have loved but have outgrown with the passage of time. Sharing the sarees with fellow saree lovers is a great option as the new wearer would both cherish the sarees and keep its magic going. MOS Preloved (@mos_preloved) is the perfect platform to turn to for this exchange.

The parent brand, The Magic of Sarees is the oldest online saree group and was started in 2010 by Suneeta Mishra, a learning and development professional based in the US and Susmita Misra, a senior marketing professional based in Gurgaon, to revive saree wearing. “The idea of The Magic of Sarees was sparked off by a casual conversation between friends about the ‘saree state of affairs’ and has today morphed into a 30,000-member group of saree enthusiasts with members from Melbourne to London to Atlanta and Kashmir to Kochi to Mumbai to Kolkata. Over time one has been privy to sarees and their stories- funny, nostalgic, poignant. Women dislike repeating their sarees. It is the age of social media where everything gets noticed. This discourages women from repeating their sarees and they start looking for affordable, reasonable weaves to revamp their wardrobe. So, a marketplace for preloved sarees seemed ideal for the exchange of these sarees for a fee,” shared Susmita.

A preloved saree is one that has been previously owned by someone else but is now ready for a new home. The reason for parting with a preloved saree could be varied. The objective is to be happy with parting with the saree, knowing that the new owner will take good care and wear the saree with love and pride. “The idea behind Preloved is also based on my very own experience and continues to be a way of life for me. Since I am the younger of the sisters, I inherited almost everything from clothes, books to rooms that I used. Preloved according to me has more character than something bought off the shelf as it carries a little bit of the previous owner’s personality/memories,” shared Susmita.

“Wearing a saree from Preloved means getting wrapped in a little bit of that love. I continue to drape sarees that belong to my mother, sister or friends. At least 30% of my wardrobe comprises preloved sarees. They are either inherited, gifted, begged, borrowed or even stolen,” she laughed. Magic of Sarees (MOS) was thus born out of my combined passion for popularising saree wearing and promoting sustainable fashion. 

Preloved sarees allow for affordable indulgence, access to rare weaves, sustainable fashion, and ownership of a varied collection. The model is inclusive and allows for women across the country to upload their preloved sarees or buy preloved sarees that have been listed on the website by other sellers. “Anyone who owns at least one saree in wearable condition with a valid ID proof and bank account can become a seller on the MOS,” informed Susmita. “The poignant memories attached to a saree are many. Women are emotionally attached to most of their sarees. However, they do realise that some of the sarees they own may never get draped again. So instead of locking away those sarees or giving it to those who really do not understand its true worth, it is better to pass it to another saree lover. Some wearers also face the obvious issue of not having enough space to store sarees, others prefer to practise and promote sustainable fashion by owning only a select few and buying pre-owned sarees,” acknowledged Susmita. Sarees that have been previously owned and loved could now find their way to newer homes/newer saree shelves. The saga of them being loved, worn and creating stories could continue.

MOS Preloved allows access to a varied range of sarees from vintage classics to last season’s favourites. The same quality or type of saree can be purchased at a fraction of the market price. Even some rare weaves which may have been discontinued can be found here. Curating and putting sarees from across the country under one platform is Preloved’s agenda. Women have parted with their much-loved sarees which are entwined with their life stories in the hope that these sarees find equally loving new owners. 

Saree lovers across the country have welcomed the idea and expressed that it was a much-needed one. An ecommerce website, www.magicofsarees.com, exclusively for preloved sarees has made it easy to both onboard as sellers and buyers. “Preloved has travelled 1,00,000 kilometres covering 12 states and 20 cities. Stretching from Srinagar to Perambur, Preloved has brought India just a little closer. Word of mouth has played a key part in our journey and with the active support of the sellers and buyers, we have managed to garner more customers,” she added.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are also extensively used for promotion. At present, the MOS Preloved offers sarees at a range of prices and styles – a week’s workwear for less than Rs.10,000, festive wear for less than Rs.3000. MOS Preloved is actively contributing to educating on preloved and sustainable fashion, something that is important within contemporary society at large. “Over the next few years, we hope to expand our user base and engage with a younger demographic. Preloved sarees are very close to my heart. I feel they have more character, memories of the previous owner attached to them. Using a preloved saree not only helps extend its life but also allows it to write completely new stories. I strongly believe it is the stories that maketh the saree!” said Susmita.