The whole nine yards

According to designer Rohit Bal, sari is an essential garment that should be present in every woman’s wardrobe. Not only does it lend grace but also glamour, he feels. “The age-old garment has retained its popularity throughout centuries because of its simplicity and practicality and the sense of luxury it provides. Moreover, a sari is not limited to one’s age or shape,” says Rohit.

Generally worn as a daily, party or bridal wear, a sari, he says, comes in many fabrics. From the shimmering silks, chiffon to the fine cotton, there is a wide variety to choose from. But handwoven sari is Rohit’s favourite pick for this season. “There is nothing like a handwoven sari. Its comfort is automatically transformed to the person wearing it. Even the kind of motifs one gets to see on them, of late, are very interesting and unique,” he says.

When it comes to the fashion circles, Rohit says it’s the combination of the most unusual colours that is currently making its rounds. “It’s strange colour combinations like lime green and red or pale pink and orange, that are blowing the fashion world away. It’s almost like any two colours can make it work on a sari,” he says while adding, “Nowadays, you can also go in for saris that have a different colour on the pleats, the pallu and the body.”

Also in is a combination of fabrics. A popular choice, that Rohit suggests, is that of the brocade and mal-mal. “People may feel that one can actually put anything together but in reality, there is a lot of thought process that goes into these combinations,” he clarifies.

There are high risks of getting too much on the garment. “One wouldn’t want to see too many colours and motifs at the same time. So when there are bright colour combinations, smaller motifs are a good pick. Even a small border will look good,” he suggests.
The blouse is an important part of the garment.

And a similar trend follows in the blouse, when it comes to colours. But while wearing a sari with a highly loud colour combination, Rohit suggests to go for a neutral shaded blouse.

“Youngsters can team their saris up with a bikini top blouse or a corset blouse, which are very in right now, the women of the older generation can try out the jacket blouses,” he adds.

The deep necks, backless and even the choli style blouses can never go out of style. “The Bengali puff sleeves too are back in vogue now,” he observes.

If there is something one must never leave the house with while wearing a sari, it is the right kind of bag, shoes and jewellery. “These are the three essential accessories that one should never miss. While there are many style statements when it comes to saris, I feel matching them to the garment is a personal thing and a woman can actually bring out her personality when it comes to accessorising her sari,” he states.

Keeping it colourful and simple

While Roopa’s collection of saris is limited to just special occasions, she describes the garment as something that represents the country. Though there are many fabrics to choose from, Roopa likes the traditional silk sari. “I generally wear saris only to functions or weddings. So I feel the traditional silk saris are not only eternally fashionable but also elegant,” she says.

During the day, Roopa likes to go in for light colours like blue, pink and red but for the night, it’s dark shades all the way. Even while accessorising, shoes are her topmost priority.

“I generally wear heels with a sari as they make a sari stand well, and I team it up with big necklace and earrings,” she says.