|
How to drape a saree
|
All About Sari
India has been known to have wonderful dresses and costumes. The most common and accepted attire is the sari.
For a single length of material, the Indian sari must be the most versatile garment in existence. A sari 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. Sari is for all-purpose - party wear, daily wear, bridal wear and so on.
The age old Sari 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.
Sari is an Indian women’s statement to the world. What is a typical Indian sari like??? The sari 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 saris to match every mood and every occasion to suit every budget. The sari 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 sari 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.
Pallu/Anchal.
Sari is one piece of clothing, which fits all… fat or thin short or tall!!! The traditional 6 yard sari 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. Sari 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 sari. 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 sari is so practical to wear that you can even run a marathon in it with out any problem.
The most popular saris are:
1. Bananasi Silk saris and Silk saris
2. Bangalore silk saris
3. Embroidered saris
4. Chiffon saris
5. Crepe saris
6. Printed saris
Different parts of India have different styles of draping the sari.
In the state of Maharashtra the traditional sari is nine yard long. This sari does not require a petticoat or slip, and is more like a pant with the sari accentuating the derriere. Different parts of the country also prefer certain texture of sari . This preference is mainly due to the weather and availability of the fabric in that region.
The Southern style of wearing the sari is, however with pleats in the front and the pallu falling over the left shoulder. In the South, silk saris reign supreme. Cotton saris on the other hand are very popular in Bengal and Maharashtra. For weddings and special occasions silk saris are the norm. Typically the wedding saris 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 sari 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 sari in a new light. For formal wear it is still the first choice among the majority of women.
To drape a sari, you need two essential accessories matching blouse and a petticoat.
Choli (blouse):
Blouse measurement (Back)
Blouse measurement (Front)
A - Neck Width
A - Neck Width
B - Back Neck Depth
B - Back Neck Depth
C - Neck Shoulder
C - Neck Shoulder
D - Sleeve Length
D - Sleeve Length
E - Sleeve Circumference E - Sleeve Circumference
F - Blouse Length
F - Blouse Length
G - Waist Midrift
G - Waist Midriff
H - Front Neck Depth
H - Front Neck Depth
I - Front Cross
I - Front Cross
J - Chest
J - Chest
K - Shoulder to Apex
K - Shoulder to Apex
L - Armhole
L - Armhole
Along with the sari is a choli, the tightly fitted, short blouse worn under a sari. 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 sari. 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 sari 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 sari 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.
Sari cholis are worn quite snug and fitted in varying lengths, necklines and sleeves. All sari blouses should be created with a full opening either in the front or the back. They have to fit snugly like a corset. Sari fabric for blouses included with saris 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 sari that holds the sari in place. A petticoat is a skirt that is essentially worn under the sari.
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 sari is wrapped over a petticoat. Petticoats are often made of cotton or polyester cloth. Usually a petticoat is of the matching color with sari. The sari 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 sari. 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 sari and is the key to the overall shape of the sari.
If you still feel it is hard to drape the sari. Designers have come out with a novel solution, pre-stitched saris. Pre-stitched saris makes sari wearing a one step easy process. These saris 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 sari can be worn by any body without the bother of actually draping it.
Sari 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!
_________________________________________________________________________
Banaras is one of the rich weaving craft centre of India, famous for Brocade Saris and allover dress material. Exclusive varieties of the saris are Jangla, Tanchoi, Vaskat, Cutwork, Tishu, and Butidar which are made of silk warp and silk weft, on plain/satian ground base, brocaded with extra weft patterns in different layouts introducing Buties, Bells, creepers, Buttas in ground, border and Anchal for getting glamours appearance.
As in the History of the India Banaras is known since regveda about 1500 year 2000 year BC and also a period of Ramayana and Mahabharat come to know identical reference about the fame of Banarasi Saree and Fabrics as known Hiranya Vastra (Putamber Vastra).
In the ancient time Banaras was famous for the weaving of cotton Saree and dress materials, but slowly switched over to silk weaving, during the Mughal period around 14th century weaving of brocades with intricate designs using gold & Silver threads called "Jari" was the speciality of
Banaras.
|
)