| Sari, the traditional dress of women is exotic, sensuous, | | | | The sari is usually worn over a petticoat, with a blouse |
| seductive and feminine. These are just some of the | | | | known as a choli forming the upper garment, baring the |
| glowing terms attributed to the sari; but why is it that | | | | midriff. The choli has short sleeves and a low neck |
| we glorify only women's traditional dresses this way? | | | | and, as such, is particularly well-suited for wear in the |
| Why can't women transgress the cultural norms and | | | | sultry South Asian summers. Cholis may be "backless" |
| wear more comfortable dresses without inviting snide | | | | or of a halter neck style. |
| remarks? Probably women, because of their | | | | Each region of India has its own distinct style of |
| child-bearing and rearing role, embody the continuation | | | | wearing a sari. In Maharashtra, women wear the |
| of culture. They are more symbolic. Is sari, the | | | | nine-yard sari which is passed through the legs and |
| traditional Indian women's dress, six yards of | | | | tucked in at the back. This, or similar kind of |
| sensuousness or six yards of shackles to bind them | | | | parting-at-the-legs style, somewhat trouser-like, is |
| into a cultural image? | | | | usually worn by working women, as it doesn't impede |
| For today's woman, the choice of wearing a sari | | | | movement. In Gujarat, the pallu comes from the back, |
| would depend on the occasion. For an evening or a | | | | and drapes across the front over the right shoulder. In |
| late night party or a wedding, saris - may be a | | | | Tamil Nadu, Brahmin ladies wear a nine-yard |
| luxurious chiffon or silk georgette in soft hues or | | | | madisaar-style sari with no petticoat, with a |
| flaming colors - would be great. But a woman hopping | | | | 'pinkosavam', or pleated rosette, at the back of the |
| into a crowded moving bus to go to college or office - | | | | waist. Particularly beautiful is the sari worm by women |
| an everyday scenario in any typical Indian city - would | | | | in the Kodagu district of Karnataka. In this style, the |
| definitely prefer a dress offering better mobility. A | | | | pleats are created in the rear, instead of in the front. |
| study on "South Asian Women in the Workplace" by | | | | The loose end of the sari is draped back-to-front over |
| the Harvard Business School says that most | | | | the right shoulder, and is pinned to the rest of the sari. |
| companies considered a traditionally dressed women | | | | Mundum neriyathum is the traditional clothing of women |
| as passive and submissive, unambitious and | | | | in Kerala; the mundu is simply wrapped like a towel at |
| unassertive, despite being technically adept. A sari, | | | | the waist, and is the surviving form of lower garment |
| worn with a matching blouse and a bindi, however | | | | of the ancient clothing referred to as antariya, and the |
| alluring otherwise, could thus be an anachronism in a | | | | neriyath is the modern adaptation of a thin scarf worn |
| highly competitive global work environment. | | | | from the right shoulder to the left shoulder, referred to |
| That said, we can glorify the enchanting six yards of | | | | in ancient Buddhist-Jain texts as the uttariya. |
| fabric as a synonym for elegance, beauty and style. | | | | While the sari lives on in villages and cities and is worn |
| Sari is as old as the civilization of India. Cotton was | | | | by a majority of older women, young urban women |
| grown and woven into fabric in India five thousand | | | | have restricted it to formal occasions only. Young |
| years ago. There are many sculptures of | | | | innovative designers in India, like Rohit Bal, J.J. Valaya, |
| Graeco-Indian Gandharan civilization which show a | | | | Rina Dhaka, Suneet Varma, Tarun Tahiliani, Sandip |
| variety of different sari draping styles. Today, the sari | | | | Khosla and Ritu Kumar have now given it a fresh life |
| is worn by women in the Indian sub-continent, from | | | | and a new twist for the new generation. These |
| Nepal to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. | | | | designers have revitalized the sari, adding heavily |
| Always in style, it is a forgiving garment that conceals | | | | embroidered blouses to plain saris and re-styling the |
| a woman's imperfections and enhances her assets. | | | | pallu to expose the bust enticingly. There are zip-on |
| As an embodiment of feminine mystique, it entices by | | | | saris for girls who may have trouble handling all those |
| revealing just enough to keep you guessing; yet, | | | | pleats! |
| probably by its association with virtuous womanhood, | | | | Styling a sari with tassled patchwork, applique, mirror |
| manages to stay away from giving a come-hither look. | | | | work, Bengali kantha-work, Kalamkari paint-work and |
| Even today for a young girl, draping a sari for the first | | | | zardozi have provided employment to rural weavers |
| time is the ultimate coming-of-age experience. | | | | and artisans. As Indians have spread around the world, |
| A sari is a very long strip of unstitched cloth, ranging | | | | they have taken the sari with them. Saris are a |
| from five to nine meters in length, which can be | | | | common sight in London, Johannesburg, Trinidad, |
| draped in various styles. The sari is first wound around | | | | Toronto, Hong Kong and Singapore. In fact, saris are |
| the waist, before being pleated seven or eight times at | | | | big business in countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and |
| the center and tucked into the waistband. The | | | | Japan which produce bolts of synthetics like chiffon, |
| remaining sari, called the pallu, is then pleated again and | | | | satin and nylon which are bought in six-yard lengths by |
| draped across the left shoulder to fall gracefully behind. | | | | Indians as saris. |