All About saree

India has been known to have wonderful dresses and costumes. The most common and accepted attire is the saree.

For a single length of material, the Indian saree must be the most versatile garment in existence. A saree is a rectangular piece of cloth that is five to six yards in length and sometimes nine yards. Yet, this dress is worn by millions of Indian women and is, by far, the most elegant. It is not merely an outfit but an ornament, lending both grace and glamour to the wearer. saree is for all purpose - party wear, daily wear, bridal wear and so on.

The age old saree has kept its popularity throughout the centuries because of its total simplicity and practical comfort combined with the sense of luxury and sense of sexuality a woman experiences.

saree is an Indian women’s statement to the world. What is a typical Indian saree like??? The saree can be a shimmering silk, or fine cotton or an elegant chiffon material. It can have the most intricate embroidery with silk threads or even silver and gold threads. The colors can be vibrantly bright or subdued pastels. There are sarees to match every mood and every occasion to suit every budget. The saree has an ageless charm since it is not cut or tailored for a particular size. This garment can fit any size and if worn properly can accentuate or conceal. This supremely graceful attire can also be worn in several ways and its manner of wearing as well as its color and texture are indicative of the status, age, occupation, region and religion of a woman.

The Indian saree has retained its beauty over centuries. This attire has retained its innocence through its original form but it has evolved in tremendous variety. A more feminine dress has never been seen anywhere. This attire can cover the body from head to toe, making a woman look modest and coy. But just shift the pallu, wear it with a stylish blouse and it could give any Western dress a complex.

saree is one piece of clothing which fits all….. fat or thin short or tall!!! The traditional 6 yard saree allows for generous pleating, and draping around the body and over the shoulders almost Grecian in style. The loose end of the fabric, which is thrown over the left shoulder, is known as ‘Pallu’. Pallu usually has extensive design or embroidery woven into it. saree is very flattering to all shapes and sizes and forgiving of the various flaws. It can ingeniously conceal the extra flab of fat, or it can accentuate the well-proportioned curve -- It is just a matter of how you drape the saree. This garment is in style for over 5000 years for the simple reason of its simplicity and practical usage.

This demure garment is a very versatile garment too. The pallu has a very multi-purpose use to it. In case of slight chill in the air, put it around the shoulder like a shawl, if it gets very cold wrap it around the head like a scarf. The saree is so practical to wear that you can even run a marathon in it with out any problem.

 

The most popular sarees are:

1. Silk sarees <Link>

2. Bangalore silk sarees

3. Embroidered sarees <Link>

4. Chiffon sarees

5. Crepe sarees

6. Printed sarees <Link>

Different parts of India have different styles of draping the saree.

In the state of Maharashtra the traditional saree is nine yard long. This saree does not require a petticoat or slip, and is more like a pant with the saree accentuating the derriere. Different parts of the country also prefer certain texture of saree . This preference is mainly due to the weather and availability of the fabric in that region.

The Southern style of wearing the saree is, however with pleats in the front and the pallu falling over the left shoulder. In the South, silk sarees reign supreme. Cotton sarees on the other hand are very popular in Bengal and Maharastra. For weddings and special occasions silk sarees are the norm. Typically the wedding sarees have gold (gold is pounded very thin and made into threads) woven into them.

The Bengali women have a style of their own with the pallu falling over their shoulders to the front.

The Coorgi style is daringly worn without a choli and with the pleats in front.
It is the faithful comfortable Gujarati style of wearing the ulta-pallu that finally finds wide acceptance among women all over India. The style of draping a saree keeps changing with the pallu over the left shoulder for the conventional version or over the right one for the Gujarati look. Designers always try to project the saree in a new light. For formal wear it is still the first choice among the majority of women.

To drape a saree, you need two essential accessories matching blouse and a petticoat.

Choli:

Along with the saree is a choli, the tightly fitted, short blouse worn under a saree. The choli evolved as a form of clothing in 10th century AD and the first cholis were only front covering; the back was always bare. Bodices of this type are still common in the state of Rajasthan.

The choli is a tight fitting item of clothing, and adds a fashion statement to the saree. The sleeve length travels from full sleeves to half sleeves to sleeveless over a period of time.

Cholis are often made of cotton or silk cloth and may or may not include a collar and sleeves. They are generally more tailored than simple knit tops, and may contain "feminine" details such as ruffles or embroidered decorations.

Cholis have buttons reversed from that of a men's shirts. That is, the buttons are normally on the wearer's left-hand and the buttonholes are on the right. The reasons for this are unclear, however. Some suggest this custom was introduced by launderers so they could distinguish between women's and men's shirts, and could thus charge more for women's blouses, supposing women are more gullible and submissive. Another theory suggests that the tradition arose in the Middle Ages when one manner of manifesting wealth was by the number of buttons one wore. Female servants were in charge of buttoning their mistress's gowns (since the buttons were usually in the back). Tiring of attempting to button the buttons backwards, they started reversing the direction of the buttons, therefore, easing their jobs considerably.

A choli reveals more than it conceals. Its cut, color and the way it is worn would tell you about whether the woman is casual, carefree, bold, reticent or orthodox. It is a dead giveaway of a woman’s attitude and personality.

The choli (blouse) has undergone a sea change. There are sleeveless blouses, spaghetti straps, and bell sleeves. You get them in all the bright shades. But reds, maroons, wine red and whites are more in demand with attractive saree these days. The work that is done on the cholis is elaborate and very intricate, at times. Zardozi, in-laid with stones, antique and gold work or sequins on them form part of the embroidery. When it is a part of a bridal collection there is lavish use of gold and antique threads.

The choli (blouse) has undergone a sea change. There are sleeveless blouses, spaghetti straps, and bell sleeves. You get them in all the bright shades. But reds, maroons, wine red and whites are more in demand with attractive saree these days. The work that is done on the cholis is elaborate and very intricate, at times. Zardozi, in-laid with stones, antique and gold work or sequins on them form part of the embroidery. When it is a part of a bridal collection there is lavish use of gold and antique threads.

Style-wise, the perennial favorites are the short-sleeved numbers and wrap-arounds, with or without straps. Blouses with prominent buttons at the back are equally popular. Also making strong statements are blouses with long sleeves in transparent chiffon or lace. Besides, there are off-shoulder versions as well as those held up with strings and lycra blouses for a casual, westernized look.

The fabrics used for designer blouses are mostly crepes, georgettes, silk and satin. Crepes are currently high in demand.

Designer cholis may have a sequins and beads work. Designer blouse with rich chikan embroidery in colored thread all over is especially designed for ceremonies. A designer blouses may also have a embroidery work in gold and bronze threads. Designer blouses have sleeves and neck cut in different designs.

saree cholis are worn quite snug and fitted in varying lengths, necklines and sleeves. All saree blouse should be created with a full opening either in the front or the back. They have to fit snugly like a corset. saree fabric for blouses included with sarees are only 1 yard x 44".

Little wonder, cholis are no longer treated as mere decorative garments. As designer Suneet Verma puts it: "It is a statement of a woman’s sense of freedom, an expression of female vanity and, most importantly, a celebration of feminine grace."

Petticoat:

There is a petticoat , or a slip, which is worn under the saree that holds the saree in place. A petticoat is a skirt that is essentially worn under the saree.

Petticoat is a waist to floor garment very similar to a lehenga or skirt, which is tied with the help of string or naada at the waist. A saree is wrapped over a petticoat. Petticoats are often made of cotton or polyester cloth. Usually a petticoat is of the matching color with saree. The saree is incomplete without a petticoat. The petticoat can be many in different varieties. They MUST have a firm waistband. Elastic will not do. One step on the petticoat and down comes the saree. The modern Indian petticoat is reminiscent to a skirt made up of many A-line panels. This has the advantage of giving a slim silhouette and using less fabric. The other petticoat is 4 yards of 45 wide fabric gathered onto a 3-inch wide waistband. This is the one which can be used for hot weather or when you need to walk a lot. This gives a greater movement and more air movement.


The Blouse Petticoat is a must when wearing a saree and is the key to the overall shape of the saree.

Steps on how to drape a saree
1.


First put on a choli and a petticoat. The blouse must be close fitting.
The petticoat must be ankle length and should have a draw string at the top,
Pull the drawstring and tie the petticoat around the waist comfortably.

2.


The petticoat should be tied tightly, so that the saree does not slip. Take the inner edge of the saree and tuck it into the petticoat in front, a little more to the right side, with the saree going towards the left.

3.


Gather pleats evenly and neatly, and tuck them into the petticoat, slightly towards the left side, but not too much to the left. See that the breadth of the pleats is equal, and that they are piled on top of each other evenly. The lower edge of the pleats should also be even and just off the ground. The gracefulness of the saree depends mainly on these pleats.

4.


Having tucked in the pleats, turn around again to the right, holding the top edge of the saree in your hand, and bring it round your hips to the front.

5.


Gather the pallu, and place it over the left shoulder. The upper border of the saree should slant across the bust from under the right arm to over the left shoulder.

6.


The palu should be about a yard (90 cm.) in length, just touching the fingertips, as it falls evenly behind you.

If you still feel it is hard to drape the saree. Designers have come out with a novel solution, pre-stitched sarees. Pre-stitched sarees makes saree wearing a one step easy process. These sarees are draped and stitched together with a petticoat to make it an easily wearable garment, just like putting on a skirt, without the fuss of tucking, pleating and adjusting the pallav length. This easy to wear, pre-stitched saree can be worn by any body without the bother of actually draping it.

saree is the only garment in feminine apparels that has stayed ‘In Fashion’ for 5000 years. Why? you wonder.. It is after all, only 6 yards of unstitched material, but look what it can do to any woman --- Make her look even better!!!