SAREE OR SARI

A sari or saree is a beautiful women’s garment that comes from the Indian culture and people, that consists of an unstitched drape varying from 5 to 9 meters long and 700 to 1,200 millimeters in width that's typically wrapped around the waist.

The sari also spelled as  “saree” is an unstitched length of gorgeous cloth, generally measuring around five to nine yards long, worn as an essential outfit of an Indian woman. The end strip is usually longer than a meter, which is called the pallu. The sari is traditionally teamed with a mesmerizing blouse and a ‘Petticoat’. 

Origin

The Sanskrit word ‘Sati’, which means ‘a strip of cloth’, the attire is now known as ‘saree’ or ‘sari’. People in India preferred and wore clothes that could be draped around the body, despite them being well-versed with the techniques of sewing and weaving. The reason that the saree was the most conducive outfit, to the hot climate of the country.

People wore long, unstitched pieces of cloths, during the time of the Indus Civilization. These loincloths were worn and wrapped in different styles with the cloth being draped around the waist first, after which the remaining stretch of the cloth would be passed underneath the legs and tucked at the back.

Making

Saris or Sarees online are either hand-woven or machine-sewn, with the procedure varying according to the fabric or combination of fabrics. For instance, a Gadwal Saree from Andhra Pradesh comprises an elaborate sewing process as it is hand-woven.

The cloth is first dyed in boiled colored water, after which it is dried in shade. Then, the silk fabric undergoes weaving through the handloom. Many saris in India are made using the handloom method.

Style

There are different regions of India, you can find a variety of Indian saris according to different fabrics, prints, weaving styles, embroideries, crafts, occasions, patterns, and every other you can think. There are countless draping styles to match every occasion.

It can be draped in different styles like Nivi style, Marathi style, Bengali style, and Gujarati style, to mention a few. It also has woven in multiple fabrics the Banarasi Silk saree from Uttar Pradesh, Gadwal Saree from Andhra Pradesh, Saris are woven in countless styles.

Present Day

The Saree varies in its basic outline and style of draping across various regions in India, owing to geographical and cultural influences. However, over the last few decades, the sari being high on comfort as it is, has been designed in contemporary styles by designers and fashion enthusiasts. The Lehenga Saree is one such innovation it merges the silhouette of the Lehenga with the Saree, and the pallu as separately draped around either shoulder, thus creating the look of a Lehenga Style Sari.

The half-half sari is another contemporary innovation of the Saree, with the two halves of the Saree cloth in two different usually contrasting shades. Similarly, the Kimono style sari and Saree Jumpsuit have become popular with time.

Maintenance

Since it is woven in a variety of fabrics from Silk, Crepe, Chiffon, and Brocade to mention a few, the maintenance required for different sari varies with the fabric or weave. The intricacy of embellishments is another factor. Sarees heavily embellished with stonework, for instance, should be dry cleaned ideally.