The Charming World of Sarees

 


Saree

Raja Ravi Varma’s Damayanthi in a saree.

This post is my entry for the 500th Post Giveaway.

I had read somewhere that Indian men find saree the most sexiest outfit. In general, barring a few states, saree is like the “universal” outfit of women all over India, something like “world famous only in India.”  Although, saree is considered to be a very traditional form of dressing, many think that the “midriff exposure” the saree provides makes women all the more attractive and appealing.  You have to see Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings to believe how beautiful a woman can look in a saree.  But, wearing a saree is like a huge Herculean task for me and to carry it off is much more painful.  I have had traumatic experiences whenever I wore a saree, for instance….err…..when I had to get “married” and another time when I tripped down the stairs and hurt my back.  At another time, the entire saree came off, but thankfully, there were only females around who laughed their heart out at my expense.  In spite of my conflict with sarees, I have quite a few of them because one cannot demean the importance and worth of sarees.  If there is an important occasion like your own wedding or your sister’s/brother’s/best friend’s wedding and the numerous festivals and functions in the family, saree is the form of attire everyone would expect you to be in.  So, my wardrobe too has its share of silk sarees and sequined sarees that I drape myself in, on such occasions.  I have limited knowledge about fabric and texture, but I would like to present whatever I know and also some sarees from my wardrobe that have been picked up by me ONLY to be worn on certain occasions.

So, here are some of my favorites that I would like to own:

1.  Who has not lusted after a Satya Paul saree……
Satya Paul saree

2.  Crepe sarees have that old-world charm……reminds me of yesteryears heroines…..

Crepe sarees

3.  Nothing more appealing than a sheer black see-through saree.

black see-through saree

4.  We all know how Mandira Bedi’s sphagetti and sarees caused a stir during those cricket matches.

Mandira Bedi’s sphagetti

5.  Georgette saree.

Georgette saree

6.  My mom is a huge fan of Bengali cotton sarees, very graceful and elegant.

Bengali cotton sarees

7.  Sheer sarees in pastel colors……never goes out of fashion….

Sheer sarees in pastel colors

8.  A simple but lovely chiffon sarees.

chiffon saree

9.  Rekha is always clad in heavy Kanjeevaram silk sarees, personally, I do not like them.
Kanjeevaram silk sarees

10.  Aishwarya Rai in a Sabyasachi saree.

Aishwarya Rai

NOW COMING TO MY WARDROBE AND MY COLLECTION OF SAREES:

1.  My Kanjeevaram saree with gold, peach, and pink shades….I just wear it for weddings, otherwise, most of the time, it lies in cold storage.  Small white glass crystals are spread across the entire length of the saree and it cost me a bomb and now I am thinking how much makeup I could have bought with that amount…sigh!!!!

Kanjeevaram saree with gold, peach, and pink shades.

Kanjeevaram saree with gold, peach, and pink shades.2.  A wide-border light album silk saree that I love to wear.

album silk saree

Pallu of the same saree:
album silk saree

3.  A heavily sequined white virgin raw silk saree….one of my favorites. 🙂

heavily sequined white virgin raw silk saree

heavily sequined white virgin raw silk saree
4.  One of my favorites, a silk saree with crystals and silver brocade.

silk saree with crystals and silver brocade
silk saree with crystals and silver brocade

5.  A very light silver sequined chiffon saree….very comfortable and lovely color.

sequined chiffon saree

6.  A very light paper silk saree.

light paper silk saree

light paper silk saree

7.  A light pink silk saree.

light pink silk saree.

light pink silk saree.

8.  Another sequined chiffon saree…..

sequined chiffon saree
Georgette saree

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54 thoughts on “The Charming World of Sarees

  1. Wow, your sarees are beautiful. And I love the sheer black one Rani Mukherjee is wearing… very sexy 🙂

    I’ve worn sarees only twice in my life so far. I’m always scared that it’ll fall off 😛

    1. Hey Sunayana, I share your fear…..but my mom and husband force me to wear sarees and even though I refuse they buy me sarees…why can’t they get me Chanels and Lancomes of the world…I would love to have them….but on some occasions, I cannot avoid saree at all…. 🙂

  2. I have only one silk saree in my collection but have never worn it. Somehow I feel more comfortable in lighter sarees. i have a the see through black sari and a very similar pink that Kangana Ranaut is wearing. 😉

    Love wearing them but somehow I need a helper while draping it. 😛

    You have such rich collection. 🙂

    I drool over Satya Paul sarees. Will buy at least a few in coming years. 🙂

    1. Thanks Rati….I too need a helper…my husband helps me to drape sarees…….I do not even know how to take pleats…… :snicker:

        1. I am never going to buy another sari EVER..and if any of you hear I bought one…please feel free to come and KICK ME! I look like a haystack with cloth draped around it. Am short so that doesnt help either!! Envy people who look so beautiful and elegant in saris..but its just not for me. My hubby would buy me a Chanel if I can promise him he will never have to see me in one ever..its that bad 🙁

            1. I do wear heels, Rati, but there are so many places you have to roam around barefoot…and especially in Kerala its so HOT and horrible and the crowds at weddings…is HORRRRRIBLE. My poor Kanchivarams..they all get soaking wet and have to go straight to dry cleaning after 1 wear 🙁 Guess all that frustration just shows on my face when I am wearing saris :-(( :-(( :-((

              1. oh…I cannot wear these silk sarees but I do carry chiffons and the lighter ones pretty well. 🙂 I think in silk sarees I look bloated. 😛 I just have one pretty silk saree that too because that’s like a shagun kind of thing during the wedding. Rest I have all net and see through kind of sarees. 😛 So I gladly wear them he he…

                MAy be you could pick up sarees that are lighter. God!! i so don’t want you to stop wearing sarees. 🙁 They are so beautiful…..

              2. Agree with Rads, I get pretty uncomfortable with heavy silk sarees and if i wear then God save me….I will trip over anything and everything :-((

          1. Hey Rads, I know, those heavy Kanjeevarams weigh so much and it is so difficult to carry them. Yep, this is my last Kanjeevaram..but Rads you should try those album silk sarees from Seemati…they are very light and yet silky….. 🙂

          2. Hey Rads, its a pretty cool idea, whenever you want to buy Chanel, you can warn him that you would wear a saree………..ohh…..I wish I could also come up with a similar stratergy 🙂

        2. 🙂 Wow Rati……Sanjeev can calculate and formulate how many pleats and the distance between the saree and the floor…etc..

  3. hey jomol u have huge collection of silk saree , hv might hv cost u a bomb no…i liked the 2.3,4 & 6… 😀
    satyapaul sarees r v classy & eye catchy..bt the cost.. 😥 i wish some one gifts me :silly:

    1. Hey Sush, I too wish someone gifts me the exact same Satya Paul saree that Ash is wearing…..I have been eyeing it since a long time.

  4. I recently got this Sathyapaul saree that Aish is wearing in the pics above. I loved it like crazy and when I got it the shop owner said I am very lucky to get it as Aish has worn a similar one in a ramp show. Never knew I’ll see the pic here at IMBB. I still have not stitched the blouse as I am waiting to shed my weight gain after delivery 🙂 Though I love sarees I can’t manage with one for more than 3-4 hrs max and also I am still in the learning phase of draping a saree 🙁

  5. wow you have an amazing collection of sarees !! really love your white raw silk & you purple chiffon saree.Love what Ash is wearing (the color of her saree is gorgeous!!).

    1. Hey Insiya, I am sucker for purple color and blue color things….in school days, I used to match my tiffin box, pencil, eraser, pencil box everything in purple or blue…….I love my white saree…its kind of eye catching!

  6. Hey Jomol, I am so glad you opened the thread on saaris. This is such an elegant attire. At one point of time I use to buy saris like we do makeup stuff now. Silks, chiffones, cottons, georg.. traditional etc But Unfotunately 🙁 dont wear them any more. You made me remeber all my old days

  7. what lovely sareers jomo!
    my mother has a tam-bhram friend in mumbai and whenever we visit her, she shows use her immaculately stored sareers that cost a bomb. we’re always left drooling! sarees, unlike most other clothing, are like heirlooms, passed on from one generation to another.
    i love vibrant colours and needless to say, your sarees have left me drooling too! :yes:
    .-= Rima Kaur´s last blog ..Beneath The Smiles =-.

    1. Hey Rima, you know I like to look at sarees lying in my wardrobe rather than wearing them….how ironical….thanks for complimenting my sarees…………. 🙂

  8. Nice saree collection Jomol 🙂 I have a ton of silk sarees which I got for my wedding. It’s all still sleeping inside my wardrobe 🙂 Since I got it for my wedding, Its pretty heavy and looks too grand to be worn for other occasions 😉

    1. Hey Appu, I am EXPECTED to wear sarees on most of the occasions, festivals, but I have used the kanjeevaram sparinlgy, I pick light silk sarees now…. 😀

  9. Lovely collection jomol!!!!

    I personally absolutely loooove wearing sarees….and thankfully can drape it myself as well

    1. Hey HD…saree draping is like a huge task for me…..I can never drape it around satisfactorily, I always need help with it. 😀

  10. I love sarees… All types of them… :inlove: :inlove: :inlove:

    Silk, Georgette, Chiffon, Cotton… You name it and I have got it… And I am just 24!!! 😉 😀 😀

    I love love love sarees… And I am utterly surprised why I didn’t think of doing a Saree post myself!!! :-/ :-/ :-/ ?:-) ?:-) ?:-)

    1. Gee….Mrun….all of us here are eager to see your collection….I hope Rati will also agree….show us your collection too….puhleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez

  11. Lovely. Now, I would love to have lipsticks and eyeshadows in all these shades. Would love a lipstick in the Kanjeevaram saree shade…..let me look through my packets to see if I have one that matches this!

  12. Hey Sabrina….geeee 😀 ..I agree that the kanjeevaram;s shade is good for one lipsticks…….if you are going for a haul, let us alll know………………. 🙂

  13. I too love sarees..but find it quite difficult to manage. Esp the Kanjeevarams.
    I had to change atleast 6 sarees during my wedding and therefore my collection is quite big.

    And Jomo..that white with embroidery/bead work is a regular among Christians in Kerala no?? I love that style. Seematti in Cochin has a huge collection of them.

    1. Yes Poorni…guess what, I bought it from Seematti’s in Ernakulam….I made the rounds of Kalyan, Jayalakshmi, Alukkas, and at last found the perfect saree in Seematti’s….can’t believe all of them have so much range and collection :-* :-*

  14. and no Poorni the white saree is not an embroidery/bead saree….its a heavily silver sequinned saree with crystals and wire work….. :-))

    1. Just don’t get too conscious and you’d be fine. Also walk elegantly. Wearing a saree and walking as if you are wearing a jeans looks quite funny. There are special saree pins that are available in the market, you may purchase them.

      Don’t be nervous. Wearing a saree is all fun. 🙂

  15. Thanks 🙂 I’m so nervous. I think I want to do dress rehearsals :P. ooo sari pins? Had no idea…I’ll definitely get those. Thanks a lot 🙂
    note to self – don’t trip and fall :struggle:

  16. hey rati could u please help me with a saree query………..pretty please…… i wanna to wear a saree for a wedding n i have never bought a saree before in my life n everyone is against me and are discouraging me to buy one well except my dad coz they think it will go waste but i dnt wanna borrow from nyone can u please tell me what fabrics i should consider i like the chiffon ones… an i really liked d kangana’s saree is dat net???please could u recommend me some other fabrics and ny idea where i could find some in delhi??like a place where i can find an affordable one???thank u in advance 🙂 ps i love u n ur blogs <3

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