A sari or saree is the traditional garment
worn by women in the Indian subcontinent. It is the traditional women
clothing, not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
Nepal. In fact, Pakistani sarees are as famous world over as Indian sarees.
What is a Saree?
The sari is an unstitched strip of cloth whose approximate length is between
4 to 9 meters and width is about 1.2 meters. However, a saree can be made
long or short, wide or narrow according to the wearer's body measurement and
the style of wearing. Although there are
different ways
of draping sari,
traditionally, it is wrapped around the waist holding
one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff. Most of the
portion of saree is pleated at the waist and then wound round to make a
skirt or pair of trousers, with the remaining few yards swept across the
upper half of the body, covering at least one shoulder and sometimes veiling
the head. It is usually worn over a petticoat. A
saree blouse, often matching with
saree, is worn on upper body which usually has short sleeves and low neck
designs.
Types of Indian Sari
The traditional Indian sarees are perhaps the
most popular sarees that have even become popular in other countries of the
world. However, these are not the only type of saree. There are innumerable
sarees in India. In fact, sarees differ in their construction and design
from region to region. Sarees shopping is a very tempting hobby of Indian
woman. If an average woman of India buys one saree of each type, she can be
able to manage a saree gallery in her wardrobe. Over the centuries, saree
has become a fashion clothing with unique varieties which can be categorized
on the basis of fabric, weaving style, saree designs and occasions on which
they are worn. All the regions of India have their unique style of sarees.
Sarees of West India
The western states of India like Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra produce all types of sarees- woven,
embroidered sarees and
other fashion sarees with various designs. Some of the famous sarees of west
India include:
Sarees of South India
These sarees have simple and ethnic look with rich pallu made in gold and
silver zari. The most popular kanjeevaram sarees or kanchipuram sarees are
preferred all over India as festival sarees. In fact, they make excellent
wedding sarees too.
The traditional half saree worn by women in South India resembles the lehnga
choli of North India. There are many other sarees from south India which
include:
Sarees of East India
Sarees
of East Indian states like West Bengal, Orissa and Assam are famous for
their fabulous weaving techniques. These
handloom sarees are great
for summers. The richly worked on baluchari sarees and Muga sarees etc. are
excellent choices for
festival
sarees.
Sarees of North India:
The
world famous beautiful banarasi sarees are the specialty sarees of North
India. They are till now the favorite
bridal sarees of the
Indian brides. There are other light varieties of sarees too in North India
like the Chikan sarees of Lucknow with their exclusive style of embroidery
and the bandhani sarees made with tie and dye technique. Some of the famous
types of North Indian sarees are:
The Indian sarees can also be categorized on the basis of fabrics like
cotton sarees,
chiffon sarees,
silk sarees etc. They can be
further classified according to the occasions like bridal sarees,
regular
wear sarees,
party
sarees etc. When talking about
sarees by design, the
bollywood sarees and
designer sarees top the
list which also includes
printed
sarees,
fancy sarees
etc.
Innovations in Sarees
The latest sarees are no more a simple piece of long cloth. Many innovations
have been introduced by the saree manufacturing companies, innovative saree
designers and the leading brands of Indian sarees. Now you can find
saree-shirt
combination, which is known as Jodi Pattu and have a
designed saree with a matching shirt piece, meant for the ladys
husband. The
Durbar Krishna saree developed by RmKV depicts a
picture of Lord Krishna in the pallu embellished with Swarowski crystals.
Further, there are the
pocket sarees, having a pocket in it, which
can hold essential small sized belongings of the wearer. Then there are
denim
sarees which are esentially soft pure silk sarees but with looks of
denim. RmKV's yet another innovative saree- the
reversible sarees -
has four borders, four pallus and two bodies which can be worn in four
different ways. The saree comes with two blouse pieces. The RmKV has also
introduced the
Zodiac saree collection- 12 silk sarees having the
symbol of a zodiac sign woven into the pallu.
Romantica saree
collection of Sri Kumaran Silks are made of silk, but are stretchable. And
now the Indian women don't have to worry about fashion accessories like
bags- she just needs to buy the
handbag saree of Sri Kumaran Silks.
It is made of pure silk and comes with a matching handbag. And there are
more comfortable sarees- the
pre-stitched sarees or the ready to
wear sarees- these sarees are easy to wear, just like a skirt. In fact, pre
stitched saree is a skirt with stitched saree pleats at the centre worn over
a petticoat without the fuss of tucking, pleating, and adjusting the pallu
length as they are already set in the center to make the wearer feel more
comfortable.
Leading Fashion Designers of Indian Sarees