“The sarees were about 40-60 years old, and I wanted a way to catalogue them before they fall apart,” says the 44-year-old, adding that the caption limit of 2,200 characters on Instagram allowed her to venture into creative writing as well.

Sumitra was primarily influenced by her mum, who would wear a saree to work every day.

“My mum was a civil servant in the 70s and 80s. As a child, I would sit on the bed and watch her tie her saree every morning,” she recalls, adding that her mum was equally comfortable in sportswear and western clothing.

Over the years, Sarees and Stories grew in following and she now has over 72,000 followers.

At almost 175 cm tall – that’s five foot nine inches for those who still think in terms of Imperial measurements – Sumitra found it next to impossible to buy clothes for herself back in the 1980s. And social gatherings were a nightmare as she struggled to find suitable outfits.

“I quickly realised in my early teens that the saree was very forgiving, in the sense that it was a one-size-fits-all outfit,” she says, adding that she soon started wearing sarees on outings, with her mum’s massive collection at her disposal.

When she was 16, Sumitra wore a saree to her secondary school prom.

“I had a fabulous night. I danced the night away and I realised that this was it for me!” she exclaims.

When she started working in her early twenties, she naturally reached for a saree, inspired by her mum, who was a successful career woman.

“I did wear western clothing as well, but I was extremely comfortable wearing sarees and so I wore it very often,” she says, adding that although Malaysian Indians tend to wear sarees only on special occasions, it doesn’t have to be that way.

“In India, women wear sarees in the fields, boardrooms, construction sites and in schools. That is the heart of the saree – it is utilitarian,” she opines.

Early on in her career, people would raise an eyebrow whenever she showed up in a saree, especially during her stint at a beauty magazine. She also shares how her ex-boss once told her not to wear a saree during a meeting with a major client.

“I turned up in a saree anyway, and things turned out great. They eventually became one of our longest clients,” she says.

She also recalls how she would often get asked teasingly by taxi drivers if she was going to the temple even though they were dropping her off at a mall.

“It’s just a perception that if you’re wearing a saree, you must either be slightly religious or slightly ‘kampung.’ There wasn’t any other option,” she says, adding that things eventually got better later on in her career as people got used to the idea of seeing her in a saree.

In the past, Sumitra admits to occasionally being snappy and defensive whenever she was asked about her predilection for sarees, although she has since mellowed over the years.

“I used to wonder why people felt the need to keep looking at the physical form of how I expressed myself, rather than at my words, ideas and thoughts” she says, pointing out that Instagram has helped her to formulate the thoughts and messages she was trying to get across.

Sumitra says that the response to Sarees and Stories has been extremely heartening and encouraging. Young women even send her photographs of themselves wearing sarees to work for the first time, empowered by her confidence.

“I’ve maintained from the start that this is me, living my life in a saree, and if you think that you like it, you might want to try it too.

“All I’m letting you know is that it’s not impossible; don’t ever say you can’t wear a saree to a movie theatre or on a cruise. Just say that you haven’t done it yet, and acknowledge that there is a whole world of possibility out there,” she says.

Alas, given the anonymous accessibility of social media, Sumitra has had to deal with her share of unsolicited attention.

“The biggest portion comes from creepy men who send entitled comments, lewd pictures, or who are just plain nasty.

“The same people would never say these things if you were walking down the street because there’s some form of social contract,” she says, adding that the spotlight should be on those who initiate the bad behaviour, instead of the person on the receiving end.

Contrary to what people think, the idea behind Sarees and Stories isn’t about promoting sarees.

“It’s about wearing any damn thing you please, as long as you’re being yourself.”

Follow Sumitra as she waxes lyrical about her six-yard adventures on her Sarees and Stories Instagram account.