Turning the pages of history, one would find that saree has always made its presence felt. In every civilization, age or generation, woman of the eastern world have always revealed her true grace in a saree. A saree has always veiled her shyness, and expressed her dignity.
A sari is probably the most lengthy of the garments. The fact that it is unstitched, allows the artisan to use the entire dimension. The base tells a story and the borders draw the conclusions! The blouse adds to the final finish.
It is a panoramic. It can carry prints, machine embroideries and handworks. It can be worn in various ways to display the most prominently ornamented portions of the length. There is the simple style where the ‘aanchal’ or ‘pallu’ is pleated and tucked onto the left shoulder. This is mostly for young or modern women. The older generation might take the ‘aanchal’ up from behind, allow it to come in front over the right shoulder and fix the loose end on the left waist. There is yet another style preferred by the women of Bengal and Orissa in India and also Bangladesh.
In this the skirt is left non-pleated. There is a simple enwrapping. The ‘aanchal’ is left hanging over the left shoulder, at times a bunch of keys knotted on the end.
Again, in parties or weddings, the aanchal is left non-pleated to display work, if it is a saree with heavy embroideries and embellishments.
Choice of Fabrics
Various fabrics are available for weaving of sarees, depending upon the seasons and occasions. The stature and built of the person who would wear the saree also matters. Fabrics that are lustrous like tussar silk, brocade silk, jamevar silk are for heavy work sarees for very special occasions. Cottons, chiffons and georgettes are for casual wear. If one is slightly bulky and broad-shouldered, then chiffons and georgettes are best suited for her. The slimmer bodies should be draped in cotton, khadi and silk.
Saree coupled with the right kind of blouse
A saree becomes yet more elegant when the blouse is designed to be compatible. True artistry lies in bringing about a harmony between the saree and the blouse. There are several cuts, neck and back designs, based on the occasion, the ornamental works on the blouse. The sleeves can be spaghetti very short, short, till the elbows and covering the elbow. The shoulder could be puffed, piped, frilled or laced. There is the open back style, where the blouse needs to be string tied. It could be buttoned on the front or on the back. Nowadays, the pull –on blouses, that are not hooked, buttoned or stringed, are also in vogue. They are stretchable. Traditional sarees are usually coupled with bordered, embroidered and stringed blouses. The party wears are usually bettered by spaghettis and shoulder-less ones.
So a saree can be stylized and fashioned in every way. It can be the best friend of woman who adheres to tradition as well as the woman who changes her preferences with the changing fashions, or one who is bold enough to make her own style statement – a trend-setter. It veils a shy woman and reveals the bold beauty. Saree is ever beautiful and beautifying. It is hand-in-hand with history and heritage yet can bring a fresh lease whenever woman desires a new look.
