RESEARCH PROJECT ON SAREE
SAREE RESEARCH PROJECT
PRESENTED BY AARTI
YAMSANWAR
INTRODUCTION TO SAREE
The sari is the traditional item of clothing worn by women on the Indian
subcontinent. This garment is steeped in history, however is still widely
worn today. A sari is a length of material that is worn draped around the
body. Different parts of the Indian Subcontinent wear the sari with different
drapes, for instance women in the north will wear it with the drape coming
from back to front, in the south women will wear it with the drape thrown
over the shoulder.
The sari is woven in a single length and is typically between 12 and 26 feet
in length and 4 feet wide. It will be made from a lightweight fabric –
traditionally silk or light weight cotton, however today made from a variety
of man made fabrics too.
Different saris will be worn depending on the occasion, for instance a
wedding sari will be extremely ornate, highly embroidered and decorated
with metal threads, beads and sequins – perhaps hand dyed. An every day
sari is likely to be much more practical. However it is likely that a sari will be
brightly colored and made from a fine material.
Sari or saree or shari is a female garment in the Indian subcontinent.[1] A
sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine meters in length
that is draped over the body in various styles. The most common style is for
the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the
shoulder baring the midriff.[1] The sari is usually worn over a petticoat
(pavada/pavadai in the south, and shaya in eastern India), with a blouse
known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment.
The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped, and as
such is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers.
Cholis may be "backless" or of a halter neck style. These are usually
dressier with a lot of embellishments such as mirrors or embroidery and
may be worn on special occasions. Women in the armed forces, when
wearing a sari uniform, don a half-sleeve shirt tucked in at the waist.
A SHORT HISTORY OF A SAREE
Back in the old days, people of different cultures wore traditional
clothes for day-to-day activities. For men, their outfits were
usually variations of shirts and pants. For women, their dresses
were much more assorted and diverse. Today, however, things are
no longer so. Nowadays, people of different cultures tend to get
clothes off the racks of department stores and shopping malls.
They cram those factory-made clothes into their wardrobes and
only wear traditional garments on special occasions. Thankfully,
the trend is not prevalent everywhere. In India, women still wear
saree (also spelled as sari) everyday as their ancestors had done
for the past thousands of years. The dresses' styles and designs
are so popular that clothing designers worldwide often
incorporate them into their own work of art.
Technically speaking, saree is merely a long piece of unstitched
fabric donned over a blouse and a petticoat (underskirt). It has
neither sleeves nor trousers. To wear it, a woman would have to
pick out a style first. Among the numerous choices, the "Nivi" is
by far the most popular. For this particular form, the woman would
first wrap saree around her waist and tuck one end of it into the
top of her petticoat. She then would drape the loose end (called
pallu or pallav) diagonally across her front and let it drop over her
shoulder. The long end that hangs freely from the back of her
shoulder is often adorned with intricate designs and beautiful
ornaments.
Though saree debuted at the beginning of India's first civilization
about 4,500 years ago, its origin is still murky today. Due to the
lack of written records, we do not know how ancient Indians came
to make a fashion out of a fabric ranging from 5 to 9 yards. We do
know, however, that their specialty in weaving cloth with
sophisticated patterns and vibrant colors has long captivated
people's fascination.
DRAPING A SAREE
Saree, the eternally fashionable and elegant drape from India, has
defined Indian womanhood for over 5000 years now. Its charm
lies in its simplicity, flowing grace, the endless possibilities it
offers. Available in countless interesting fabrics, patterns and
colours, this six-yard wonder is the most preferred garment in any
woman’s wardrobe.
Over the years, the saree has evolved to suit the changing
lifestyle and preferences of its wearer. In spite of the growing
popularity of western wear, saree still holds its ground firmly.
Being the only garment that conceals figure flaws and brings out
the best in any woman, saree is equally admired by both wearers
and designers. It is considered the most sensuous, stylish and
sophisticated attire even today. From Shimmering Silks and
Elegant Chiffons to Flowing Crepes and Georgettes, available in
vivid colors and embellished with the most intricate embroidery
work, saree comes in the most mesmerizing avatars one can
imagine. Such wide-ranging variety makes it suitable for all
occasions – from weddings to formal functions and official
meetings to social get-togethers. Moreover, it looks gorgeous on
women of all ages and builds.
A saree can be draped in innumerable innovative styles. Few of
these styles have originated as regional preferences – Bengali
style, Gujarati style, Maharashtrian style, and others like the
Airhostess style to suit professional requirements. Rest are purely
inventive ways of wearing the same fabric differently. Most
popular style of draping a saree is the Nivi drape (reverse style).
Here the saree is tied around the waist, close to the navel, with 6-
9 pleats tucked into the petticoat at the front and the pallu
draped over the left shoulder. One can choose to either pin up the
pallu loosely over the left shoulder or try a more professional look
with a pleated pallu firmly put in place on the shoulder. Another
popular style is the Gujarati drape. It is different from the reverse
style, in the way the pallu is draped. Instead of the left shoulder,
the pallu is brought to the front over the right shoulder and the
left corner of the pallu is tucked near the left hip. Then there is
the charming Bengali style where the sari is tucked in at the left
side and then stretched back to the right hip from the left
shoulder. The pallu is then encircled around the back to come out
below the right arm and thrown again on the left shoulder.
Interestingly a heavy key is used to keep it in place.
These are just a few of the possibilities in saree draping styles.
With a little creativity, it is possible to experiment and create
different styles for different occasions.
STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE TO DRAPE A
SAREE: -
STEP 1 > Start with the Inner Edge (least patterned plain end) of
the Saree, with the Fall (lined border) falling along the inside of
the bottowm edge. Tuck the Inner Edge into the waistband of the
Petticoat slightly to the right side, with the rest of the saree
wrapping round to the left. The amount you tuck in depends on
how tall or short you are or how long you want to wear the saree.
Step 2 > Measure the length of the Pallu (the fanciest patterned
end of the saree that falls on the outside so that the design can
be seen). This will be on the other end of the saree from the end
you have just tucked in. Take this measured Pallu Length (approx.
1 metre) and take it behind you from your left and forward again
from your right.
Step 3 > Take the Pallu that you have just brought forward from
your right, and filling it over your left shoulder for the time being,
so it is out of the way. This is done to see how much of the saree
should be pleated into the waistband. The saree now left in front
of you is pleated to tuck into the waistband.
Step 4 > Pleat the remaining Saree into five to six inch wide
pleats.
Step 5 > Hold all the pleats together, making sure the bottom end
is level with the rest of the Saree all round.
Step 6 > Tuck this bundle of pleats in one movement into the
waistband of the petticoat, thus securing it.
Step 7 > The Pallu of the Saree can now be arranged to suit your
own style. The style normally and most commonly used in flinging
the Pallu over the left shoulder or pleating it and pinning it to the
left shoulder, so that the Pallu can swing open at the back.
The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the
waist, with the loose end of the drape worn over the shoulder,
baring the stomach.[1] However, the sari can be draped in several
different styles, though some styles do require a sari of a
particular length or form.
Nivi – styles originally worn in Tamil Nadu; besides the modern
nivi, there is also the kaccha nivi, where the pleats are passed
through the legs and tucked into the waist at the back. This allows
free movement while covering the legs.
Bengali style.
Gujarati – this style differs from the nivi only in the manner that
the loose end is handled: in this style, the loose end is draped
over the right shoulder rather than the left, and is also draped
back-to-front rather than the other way around.
Maharashtrian/Kache – This drape (front and back) is very similar
to that of the male Maharashtrian dhoti. The center of the sari
(held lengthwise) is placed at the center back, the ends are
brought forward and tied securely, then the two ends are wrapped
around the legs. When worn as a sari, an extra-long cloth is used
and the ends are then passed up over the shoulders and the
upper body. They are primarily worn by Brahmin women of
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Dravidian – sari drapes worn in Tamil Nadu; many feature a
pinkosu, or pleated rosette, at the waist.
Madisaara style – This drape is typical of Brahmin ladies from
Tamil Nadu and Kerala
Kodagu style – This drape is confined to ladies hailing from the
Kodagu district of Karnataka. In this style, the pleats are created
in the rear, instead of the front. The loose end of the sari is
draped back-to-front over the right shoulder, and is pinned to the
rest of the sari.
Gond – sari styles found in many parts of Central India. The cloth
is first draped over the left shoulder, then arranged to cover the
body.
The two-piece sari, or mundum neryathum, worn in Kerala usually
made of unbleached cotton and decorated with gold or colored
stripes and/or borders.
tribal styles – often secured by tying them firmly across the chest,
covering the breasts.
The nivi style is today's most popular sari style.
The nivi drape starts with one end of the sari tucked into the
waistband of the petticoat. The cloth is wrapped around the lower
body once, then hand-gathered into even pleats just below the
navel. The pleats are also tucked into the waistband of the
petticoat. They create a graceful, decorative effect which poets
have likened to the petals of a flower.
After one more turn around the waist, the loose end is draped
over the shoulder. The loose end is called the pallu or pallav. It is
draped diagonally in front of the torso. It is worn across the right
hip to over the left shoulder, partly baring the midriff. The navel
can be revealed or concealed by the wearer by adjusting the
pallu, depending on the social setting in which the sari is being
worn. The long end of the pallu hanging from the back of the
shoulder is often intricately decorated. The pallav may be left
hanging freely, tucked in at the waist, used to cover the head, or
just used to cover the neck, by draping it across the right
shoulder as well. Some nivi styles are worn with the pallu draped
from the back towards the front.
The Nivi saree was popularized through the paintings of Raja Ravi
Verma. By modifying the south Indian saree called mundum
neriyathum. In one of his painting the Indian subcontinent was
shown as a mother wearing a flowing nivi saree.
SAREE BEING LAUNDERED AND LEFT TO DRY
