Guide to Indian Sarees
For Indians saree is not simply a dress, but an emotion. Like food is an emotion for some people and they call it foodgasm, clothes like sarees give people what we can address as sareegasm.
Undeniably, all clothes carry an elegance of their own, but what sarees do to your personality, is unmatched, hands down. It indeed is a determining factor representing the cultural richness of the country India. It is a feeling which women choose to surround themselves with to feel complete in their own personality. While it is a very common dress across the country of India, it is also worn by people in the countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh. All these countries share a common history when it comes to saree.
There is a wide range of sarees that exist within and outside the border of India. The first time a girl wears a saree, it is usually her mother's saree. With this, they begin their journey of loving and embracing fabrics that will company them for the rest of their lives and then go on to hand over the legacy to their daughter. The dress is such that it is bound to make you look beautiful and elegant in a way you could not have imagined. If you visit the country of India, you must buy a saree for yourself to cherish the memory of the dress for the rest of your life.
You would be interested to know that sarees can be worn in different styles and there are a various number of patterns and fabrics in which they are created. While some sarees are hand-woven or hand-embroidered, some have been fashioned by machines to give them a modern touch. In this article below, we will be telling you all about the sarees that are made and worn in the country of India and beyond. Happy wrapping your head in the world of sarees!
Chikankari Saree
Chikankari sarees are brought to you from the Nawabi relish of the state of Lucknow. The work on the saree are carefully woven threads, which give a certain degree of sophistication to the apparel. To say the least, these sarees are all about showing off the elegance of the work, the very delicate thread work that breathes on the entire length of these sarees. The materials used are mostly georgette or chiffon, however, you can even get your own customised Chikankari saree on other materials such as cotton. Since these sarees are not heavily embroidered, you can easily carry them to work.
While there is nothing vibrant about these sarees, they are not less than any classy description of the art. You can choose to wear these beauties with a pair of oxidised jhumkas and black bindi styling your forehead and there you are! Looking like a goddess!
Tant Saree
The pronunciation of this saree is taa[n]t with only a hint of the letter n. Tant saree comes to you all the way from the land of West Bengal. It is a common complaint by women that that sarees are usually hard to carry and if they are heavily embroidered, it almost becomes unmanageable. You would be glad to know that the speciality of this saree is that it is extremely light weight and can even be worn on usual days. Let's say you can wear this saree on your office days as well.
The material of the Tant saree is cotton and extremely skin friendly. It is made this way so that the women living primarily in West Bengal can easily wear it in the humid climate that Bengal entails.
Kanjeevaram Saree
If you are looking for a saree that gives you a gorgeous rich look, then perhaps you are looking for Kanjeevaram sarees. These sarees are made on the fine quality of silk which is heavily embroidered with golden threads. These threads are woven alongside the borders of the saree, sometimes the pallu of the saree is also woven with spectacular geometric or flower patterns.
This breed of saree hails from the state of Tamil Nadu and are often worn by brides on their wedding day and by women primarily on any wedding ceremony. As it gained popularity, women across the country of India started to buy, wear and obsess over these Kanjeevaram silks.
Do you know that the silk of these sarees come from very fine Mulberry Silk threads and no compromise is made on the finishing touch it gives to the apparel? History suggests that Kanjeevaram sarees have some sort of connection with religious boarding and mythological stories.
These sarees are generally made in two colours to give them the contrast it needs to stand out in the world of sarees. While the entire length of the saree is of one colour, the aanchal is of a different colour. We would suggest you team up this saree with jewellery that have a golden touch to them.
Nauvari Saree
Okay, so this saree is something which is out of the ordinary. The history of the saree suggests that the style adopted to wear the dress was essentially for women Maratha warriors to ride horses and fight battles in the forefront. Is not that an insane strategy to adapt? The style of wearing this very admirable saree is called kashta which means that a part of the saree is folded at the back and the remaining fabric is arranged on both the legs of the wearer.
While there are women who find it difficult to even carry a saree because of its length and weight, there were women in history who wore sarees and went to fight swords.
These sarees come from the West Coast and are representational of the Marathi culture. The name suggests that the saree is 9 yards in length.
Bandhani Saree
Coming from the heart of Gujarat, we have the very famous dye saree called Bandhani printed saree. These sarees are generally of colourful nature, and it is so because there is a tradition followed in Gujarat that says more the colours in your life, the merrier you will be. The sarees are generally worn by brides on their wedding ceremony reflecting the fact that the colours on her saree are symbolic of the colours that are going to come in her life in the form of joy.
The hues imparted to the saree is by dyeing the fabric. The process requires patience and careful measurement as to what part needs to be dyed in what colour and what kind of an impression it will create on the fabric.
Bandhani saree is a representation of the traditional Gujarati culture. The material used for making these sarees is very delicate and lightweight, therefore, it is advised to the buyer to keep it carefully so that it does not get spoilt over time.
Chanderi Saree
Chanderi Saree and Nauvari Saree
This very exquisite display of sombre art is called Chanderi sarees. Although they hail from the state of Madhya Pradesh, they are loved and worn by women across the country and beyond. The saree is famous for the very detailed zari work it has, woven throughout the length of the fabric. The best part about the saree is that it is not at all heavy to carry, although it might look heavy with all the zari work embedded in it, it is light as a feather and can be worn on low-key functions or office parties.
The fabric of this saree is so costly and carefully created that even after you have worn it on several occasions, it will not lose its charm. You can choose to team up this beauty with Kundan Jewellery or heavy jhumkas and tie your hair into a neat bun.
Muga Saree
These beauties of Assam are known by the name of Muga silk sarees and are a unique blend of elegance and vibrancy. The look of this saree is quite rich with a touch of golden hue, making it outstanding in a room full of sarees. You can easily carry these sarees to any kind of festivities. The fabric used is soft silk so it can easily be worn on a humid day as well. Also, note ladies that the Muga silk saree is also one of the costliest sarees in the country.
To match its grandeur, we have the Banarasi silk saree and tusser silk. Because of the lightweight fabric and the very fine work on it, the saree is priced a little more than the others. You can easily pair this saree with oxidized jewellery.
Kasavu Saree
Coming from the southern region of India, this Kerala silk saree is sure to steal your heart at first sight. An interesting fact about this saree is that earlier it was worn as a dhoti, a stole and a blouse. Later, with advancement in the fashion world, the attire got transformed into a saree with golden borders woven on white or off-white fabric. The gold used in this embroidery is sometimes real gold.
The very minimalistic outlook of the saree gives it the modern and sober look you wish to carry. It is one of the staple sarees of the south and you are bound to find one of these in every house in South India. It is also a very common saree worn by brides on their wedding. An authentic Kerala silk saree is usually very costly. It is also seen worn by women during the very major festival of south - Onam. The saree was also worn by Deepika Padukone in the film Chennai Express. Women usually pair this saree with authentic south Indian jewellery and flower garlands hanging or attached to their well braided hair.
Banarasi Saree
Banarasi saree and Chikankari saree
If there existed the queen of all sarees, it would indefinitely be the Banarasi saree from Varanasi. It is also one of the most popular and preferable kind of sarees kinds are worn by women. These sarees are made from silk and are famous for the patterns and embroideries they inculcate.
In old days, sarees were generally hand-woven with fine threads of gold and silver and would be worn by women belonging to the Royal families or upper-class society. Later, as the fabric and the grandeur of the saree gained fame, brands started to make the sarees with fine threads of shiny silk which brings out a similar look. Nowadays, the saree is worn by many famous actresses. It gives out a certain golden hue which looks dazzling in the eye!
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