Indian Sarees | About Saree | How to wear saree



About Saree
A sari or saree is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Burma, and Malaysia. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff.

The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (लहंगा lahaṅgā or "lehenga" in the north, langa/pavada/pavadai in the south, chaniyo, parkar in the west, and shaya in eastern India), with a blouse known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment. The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped, and as such is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers. Cholis may be backless or of a halter neck style. These are usually more dressy with plenty of embellishments such as mirrors or embroidery, and may be worn on special occasions. Women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a short-sleeved shirt tucked in at the waist. The sari developed as a garment of its own in both South and North India at around the same time, and is in popular culture an epitome of Indian culture.


How to wear Saree



Instructions | Steps

Step 1: These are the "underneath" garments you need to wear before tying a Saree - a waist-to- floor length petticoat, tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring. You should not use elastic to hold the petticoat around the waist as the elastic might not bear the weight of the Saree. You have to wear an upper garment in the form of a tight fitting blouse that ends just below the bust. The blouse could be short sleeved or sleeveless. Its necklines can also be in different shapes and sizes.

Step 2: Now with your left hand hold the inside end of the Saree material .Tuck the top border of the inner end of the Saree into your petticoat starting at the navel, and complete one full turn from right to the left. Make sure that the lower end of the Saree touches the floor.

Step 3: Beginning from the tucked-in end start making pleats in the Saree, starting at the right, about 5 inches deep. Make about 7 to 10 pleats and hold them up together so that they fall straight and even. All the pleats should be at the same height off the floor.

Step 4: Tuck the pleats into the waist slightly to the left of the navel, and make sure that they are turned towards the left. Make sure the Saree is held there firmly. Tuck it in a little more if necessary and you can even use a safety pin to hold it in place.

Step 5: Drape the remaining fabric around yourself once more left to right, and bring it up under the right arm and over the left shoulder so that it falls to about the level of the knees.

Step 6: The end portion thus draped is the palled, and can be prevented from slipping off by fixing it at the shoulder to the blouse with a small safety pin.


For more details watch the following video