<p>Elizabeth Taylor once remarked that the sari is one of the most beautiful dress forms ever invented. Times have changed but this sentiment still finds favour with many fashionistas.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Graceful and suited for almost any occasion, the sari has remained a favourite over the years. But nothing remains immune to change and designers are not averse to playing around with this traditional costume anymore. One needn’t look any further than Bollywood to see this.<br /><br />Stars like Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor Khan were the cynosure of all eyes when they wore the ‘sari gowns,’ a mix of a fitted body suit combined with a pleated skirt and ‘pallu’. Sonam Kapoor made a statement when she wore a sari with the full pleats giving way to a ‘dhoti’, a classic example of fusion fashion. <br /><br />The list goes on and the experiments are fun to watch. The sari can now be teamed with a crop top instead of a blouse. A jacket with your sari is a sure head turner. Even a waist coat is not a taboo anymore. The skirt can also be ditched for leggings or comfortable cotton pants. Leather, fabric or embellished belts are also favourites right now as they not only give a different look to the sari but also hold the ‘pallu’ in place. <br /><br />Says Indrani Royan of Ranipink Studio, “The latest trend is the draped sari gown, paired with a jacket or a blouse. This style generally suits a slimmer body. A lot of my customers have opted for this outfit.”<br /><br />If you don’t want to experiment too much, you can try different drapes. Wearing the ‘pallu’ from back to front as well as the Bengali and Maharashtrian ways of draping your sari have been around for years now. Some of the latest entrants to this circuit are the ‘lehenga’ and ‘Mermaid’ sari draping styles where several pleats are tucked around the waist to give the illusion of a ‘lehenga’ or a skirt. The ‘Butterfly’ style is a slight twist to the regular Nivi style of wearing a sari, with the only difference being that the <br />‘pallu’ is made very thin. And since the trend among trends these days is to borrow something from the past, we have the ‘Retro’ look which involves draping the saree tightly around the lower body several times, so that it highlights your figure.<br /><br />Jonali Saikia of brand ‘Heeya’ agrees that a sari is not the same as before. “The customer base for our handloom saris is very distinctive but they are open to trying out new styles. We have people teaming up our saris with cuff tops, spaghettis and so on. <br /><br />For those customers who want to try out something else, we organise draping sessions to explain and demonstrate the different styles available. We do this mainly during the festival season and people have evinced a lot of interest.”<br /><br />With all the mix and match taking place, will the sari lose its original look? Says Indrani Royan, “The sari is timeless. Irrespective of the new drapes that come into the market, there will always be a demand for the classical sari.” <br /><br />And that is a trend that is not going away anytime soon. <br /></p>
<p>Elizabeth Taylor once remarked that the sari is one of the most beautiful dress forms ever invented. Times have changed but this sentiment still finds favour with many fashionistas.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Graceful and suited for almost any occasion, the sari has remained a favourite over the years. But nothing remains immune to change and designers are not averse to playing around with this traditional costume anymore. One needn’t look any further than Bollywood to see this.<br /><br />Stars like Deepika Padukone and Kareena Kapoor Khan were the cynosure of all eyes when they wore the ‘sari gowns,’ a mix of a fitted body suit combined with a pleated skirt and ‘pallu’. Sonam Kapoor made a statement when she wore a sari with the full pleats giving way to a ‘dhoti’, a classic example of fusion fashion. <br /><br />The list goes on and the experiments are fun to watch. The sari can now be teamed with a crop top instead of a blouse. A jacket with your sari is a sure head turner. Even a waist coat is not a taboo anymore. The skirt can also be ditched for leggings or comfortable cotton pants. Leather, fabric or embellished belts are also favourites right now as they not only give a different look to the sari but also hold the ‘pallu’ in place. <br /><br />Says Indrani Royan of Ranipink Studio, “The latest trend is the draped sari gown, paired with a jacket or a blouse. This style generally suits a slimmer body. A lot of my customers have opted for this outfit.”<br /><br />If you don’t want to experiment too much, you can try different drapes. Wearing the ‘pallu’ from back to front as well as the Bengali and Maharashtrian ways of draping your sari have been around for years now. Some of the latest entrants to this circuit are the ‘lehenga’ and ‘Mermaid’ sari draping styles where several pleats are tucked around the waist to give the illusion of a ‘lehenga’ or a skirt. The ‘Butterfly’ style is a slight twist to the regular Nivi style of wearing a sari, with the only difference being that the <br />‘pallu’ is made very thin. And since the trend among trends these days is to borrow something from the past, we have the ‘Retro’ look which involves draping the saree tightly around the lower body several times, so that it highlights your figure.<br /><br />Jonali Saikia of brand ‘Heeya’ agrees that a sari is not the same as before. “The customer base for our handloom saris is very distinctive but they are open to trying out new styles. We have people teaming up our saris with cuff tops, spaghettis and so on. <br /><br />For those customers who want to try out something else, we organise draping sessions to explain and demonstrate the different styles available. We do this mainly during the festival season and people have evinced a lot of interest.”<br /><br />With all the mix and match taking place, will the sari lose its original look? Says Indrani Royan, “The sari is timeless. Irrespective of the new drapes that come into the market, there will always be a demand for the classical sari.” <br /><br />And that is a trend that is not going away anytime soon. <br /></p>
