The Indian Sari, Traditional Yet Chic

One of the most important reasons for the popularity of the sari among Indian women is its simplicity of draping. Being a loose, unstitched garment, it can be worn by women of all sizes. Such are the wonders of the garment that it shows the beautiful, slim figure of a shapely woman and hides the extra fat of a heavily built one.

It is said that an Indian women looks most graceful in an Indian sari. It is the national garment of women in India. The sari is an ethnic Indian attire which, though traditional, is worn by the modern woman as well. In fact it has been seen draped by some Hollywood celebrities as well. The sari is also popular in other parts of the Indian subcontinent such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The origin of this marvelous garment goes back to over 5000 years. There is mention of it in the ancient Vedas also, though the wearing style may have varied. In earlier times, this garment was worn by members of both the sexes, but is now limited to the fairer sex.

This gorgeous nine yard or six yard garment has so much versatility that designers love to experiment with it. They continue to find out different styles to drape this ethnic Indian creation. In fact, designers have sometimes drawn flak for making this ethnic creation look too ‘sexy’, even though the very nature of the garment makes a woman look sensuous and graceful.

A word about wearing the sari. Proper draping of the sari is very important a simple inexpensive sari can look smashing if it is draped properly, whereas an expensive one can look flat if not draped well. The sari is worn with a long underskirt or ‘Petticoat’ and a ‘Blouse’ for the upper body. It is wrapped around the waist with one end, the ‘Pallu’ draped over one shoulder, generally the left one, left flowing free.

Saris are available in different materials like cotton, silk, georgette, chiffon, and many more. Their price range starts from as low as just a few dollars for simple saris to over several thousand dollars for the more exclusive ones. There are plain saris, Mysore silks with borders, printed saris, and embroidered saris. The embroidery on saris are done with zari, resham thread, using beads, stones, dubka, to name a few. Then there are varieties of saris such as chickenwork sari, bandani, gottapatti saris, and many more.

The latest high quality designer saris can be bought across the counter, or also online from online stores like indianselections.com. Go ahead and enjoy your encounter with the lovely sari.