JOIN USIt’s festival time and someone just mentioned saris. Don’t wince, because this time, you can wear one with ease and look swanky. Hema Anand delves into the world of unusual saris to offer some stylish suggestions.
The festival of lights is just round the corner. Apart from festive preparations, the other exciting aspect is deciding what you will wear. The sari is certainly a coveted ensemble for Indian women, especially during special occasions.
But many do not find it convenient. Mastering the art of draping a sari in the perfect manner is not so easy. It is quite a challenge to get the pleats and the pallu right. And even when you manage to get them right, keeping them in place is another challenge. But, don’t let all that deter you from looking your beautiful best in desi style. This Deepavali, try something innovative - traditional, yet easy, chic and comfortable. Here are some options you could consider:
Lehenga sari
Lehenga saris are pre-stitched; which means they come in a single piece. They are really easy to wear and the right choice for all those who love to wear the sari, but do not have the skills to drape one. One has to just wear the lehenga and arrange the pallu. A stylish blouse in shimmer or contrasting fabric will complete the look.
Chic and glamourous, they look just like the regular saris, only more convenient, as one does not have to worry about keeping the pleats in place. They are available in different fabrics like net, chiffon, georgette, crepe, with exquisite embroidery or sequins work. Try it; you will surely love its comfort.
Nauvari sari
If you like the traditional Maharashtrian look, go for the Nauvari sari. Draping the traditional nine-yard may be difficult, but the good news is that, nowadays, even Nauvari saris are available in the pre-stitched form. These are available in fabrics like paithani, semi-paithani, solapuri irkal, narayan pethi, to name a few. They look exactly like the original, but are easy to wear. One has to just slip it in like a salwar and then, arrange the pleats of the pallu.
Wear it on a regular blouse, along with three-fourth leggings, if you so please. Do your hair in a neat round bun (ambada, as it’s called in Marathi), wear a gajra over it and traditional hair jewellery called khopa. Complete your look with the right jewellery – thushi, mohan mal, lakshmi har, kolhapuri saag. Not to forget, the moti-nath (traditional nose ring), pearl earings and green glass bangles. A bindi in the shape of crescent moon called chandrakor bindi is sure to add that touch of authenticity.
Dhoti sari
This is a three-piece garment, which comes with pre-stitched dhoti pants, a dupatta and blouse. It is an innovative form of the traditional Indian dhoti, which was originally a male attire, but has now made its way into the female wardrobe. It is funky, stylish and at the same time, very comfortable. The dhoti pants are mostly made from light and fluid fabrics like crepe, satin or chiffon.
Wear three-fourth leggings and dhoti pants over them. Get a stylish designer blouse and drape the dupatta as it is draped in the sari. Some bold jewellery will complete your look and you are now ready with a fusion factor in your appearance. Dhoti pants can also be worn with traditional Indian jackets, short or long bright kurtas or poncho tops for an Indo-western look.
Double sari
This type of sari comes in three pieces, a three-metre piece, which has pleats made on it , dupatta and blouse. The piece with the pleats is draped over a petticoat and the dupatta is draped as in a sari. Both the fabrics used are of contrasting colours. The blouse can be of either colour or of a totally different shade, maybe the colour of the borders or a gold one. This type of sari is very comfortable and easy to carry off, as the pleats are pre-stitched and it has to be just wrapped around and it effortlessly stays in place to make you look gorgeous.
Half sari
This traditional South Indian dress has recently evolved in a modern avatar as a fashion attire. Originally called langa voni in Telugu, pattu pavadai daavani in Tamil and langa daavani in Kannada, the half sari recently became very popular when actress Deepika Padukone wore it in one of her movies.
It is a three-piece garment which consists of a full length skirt (langa), blouse and dupatta or a parand (voni). Nowadays, it is made in a wide array of fabrics - like chiffon, silk, georgette, crepe, net - with beautiful embroidery, mirror work or zardosi work.
The skirt and dupatta mostly sport contrasting hues. A stylish blouse of either colour or a totally different colour can offer a visual delight. Wearing the half sari is absolutely no-fuss, as one just has to wear the skirt and then, drape the dupatta or parand as in a regular sari. Wear traditional jewellery, with long earings and lots of matching bangles, and you are ready to rock.
Sari gown
This is a fitted gown, which mimics the fall and drape of a sari. Such gowns often come with a pallu or a drape hanging loose from the shoulder and sometimes even pleats are fused into the pattern. It is totally hassle-free and aesthetically combines the grace and fluidity of a sari with the practicality of a gown. One has to just slip into it and zip it up, while it stays in place comfortably.
Ghagra choli
This three-piece garment is very similar to the half sari and consists of a ghagra or full-length skirt, blouse and dupatta.
The only difference is in the style of draping the dupatta. Here the dupatta is either just thrown over the shoulders or draped over the right shoulder as is draped in Gujarati saris.
Easy to wear, ghagra cholis are available in a wide range of fabrics such as silk, satin, net, crepe,to name a few, adorned with beautiful and rich work on them. Complete your look with studded or kundan jewellery, and you are ready to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.