India has been known to have wonderful dresses and costumes. The most common and accepted attire is the saree or sari.
For a single length of material, the saree is be the most versatile garment in existence. A saree is a rectangular piece of cloth that is five to six yards in length and sometimes nine yards. Yet, this dress is worn by millions of Indian women and is, by far, the most elegant of all Indian costumes. It is not merely an outfit but an ornament, lending both grace and glamour to the wearer. The saree is for all occasions - party wear, daily wear, bridal wear and so on.
The age old Saree has kept its popularity throughout the centuries because of its total simplicity and practical comfort combined with the sense of luxury and sense of sexuality a woman experiences.
The sari is an Indian women’s statement to the world. The sari can be in shimmering silk fabric or fine cotton or an elegant chiffon material. It can have the most intricate embroidery with silk threads or even silver and gold threads. The colors can be vibrantly bright or subdued pastels. There are sarees to match every mood and every occasion to suit every budget. The saree has an ageless charm since it is not cut or tailored for a particular size. This garment can fit any size and if worn properly can accentuate or conceal. This supremely graceful attire can also be worn in several ways and its manner of wearing as well as its color and texture are indicative of the status, age, occupation, region and religion of a woman.
The Indian sari has retained its beauty over centuries. This attire has retained its innocence through its original form but it has evolved in tremendous variety. A more feminine dress has never been seen anywhere. This attire can cover the body from head to toe, making a woman look modest and coy. But just shift the pallu, wear it with a stylish blouse and it could give any Western dress a complex.
The traditional 6 yard saree allows for generous pleating, and draping around the body and over the shoulders. The loose end of the fabric, which is thrown over the left shoulder, is known as Pallu or Mundane. The pallu usually has extensive design or embroidery woven into it. The sari is very flattering to all shapes and sizes and forgiving of the various flaws. It can ingeniously conceal the extra flab of fat, or it can accentuate the well-proportioned curve -- It is just a matter of how you drape the saree. This garment is in style for over 5000 years for the simple reason of its simplicity and practical usage. The pallu is where the most embellishments are done.
This demure garment is a very versatile too. The pallu has a very multi-purpose use to it. In case of slight chill in the air, put it around the shoulder like a shawl, if it gets very cold wrap it around the head like a scarf. The sari is so practical to wear that you can even run a marathon in it with out any problem.
And to drape a saree, you need two essential accessories, the matching blouse (choli) and a petticoat.
Along with the sari is a choli, the tightly fitted, short blouse worn under a saree. The choli evolved as a form of clothing in 10th century AD and the first cholis were only front covering; the back was always bare. Blouses of this type are still common in the state of Rajasthan. The choli is a tight fitting item of clothing, and adds a fashion statement to the saree.
Cholis are often made of cotton or silk cloth and may or may not include a collar and sleeves. They are generally more tailored than simple knit tops, and may contain "feminine" details such as ruffles or embroidered decorations. A choli reveals more than it conceals. Its cut, color and the way it is worn would tell you about whether the woman is casual, carefree, bold, reticent or orthodox. It is a dead giveaway of a woman’s attitude and personality. The choli (blouse) has recently undergone a sea change. There are sleeveless blouses, spaghetti straps, and bell sleeves. You get them in all the bright shades. But reds, maroons, wine red and whites are more in demand with attractive sari these days. The work that is done on the cholis is elaborate and very intricate, at times. Zardozi, in-laid with stones, antique and gold work or sequins on them form part of the embroidery. When it is a part of a bridal collection there is lavish use of gold and antique threads. Latest trends have also narrowed the pallu to show more skin and blouses are typically sexy with tubes, spaghettis and halters the norm as well. The fabrics used for designer blouses are mostly crepes, georgettes, silk and satin. Crepes are currently high in demand.
There is a petticoat , or a slip, which is worn under the sari that holds the sari in place. A petticoat is a skirt that is essentially worn under the sari. Petticoat is a waist to floor garment very similar to a lehenga or skirt, which is tied with the help of string or naada at the waist. A sari is wrapped over a petticoat. Petticoats are often made of cotton or polyester cloth. Usually a petticoat is of the matching color with sari. The sari is incomplete without a petticoat. The petticoat can be many in different varieties. They MUST have a firm waistband. Elastic will not do. One step on the petticoat and down comes the sari. The modern Indian petticoat is reminiscent to a skirt made up of many A-line panels. This has the advantage of giving a slim silhouette and using less fabric. Also, the petticoat has to be slightly shorter than the length of the tied saree.
One the latest trends among non-saree tying women of today, is the ready-made saree. The read-made saree is done using the saree fabric and stitching it into wrap-around skirt with the saree pletes sewn already and the petticoat can be attached or separate. Basically, the person wearing the saree just has to wrap the skirt around and place the pallu, with the blouse of course, and presto, ready in minutes, no need for time-consuming practice to tie a saree.
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