Ever since Dushasan pulled Draupadi’s sari like a magician pulls out linked handkerchiefs from a hat, the Indian male woke up to the sexiness of sari. There is so much that a sari can reveal that even though women tried their best to cover themselves up with T-shirts and jeans, men frothed at their mouth and gave cultural references to stop the extinction of the aphrodisiacal attire.
We all know that a sari reveals more than a western dress. Imagine Sridevi in Mr. India wearing a skirt instead of that blue sari when she flattened her lips on the lips of an invisible Mr. India and you will suck the oomph out of the song. Imagine Dimple wearing a Salwar Kameez in Saagar instead of a red sari as Rishi Kapoor does a Dushasan with her water soaked pallu and he would not have waited for her to say – Jaane Do na. Imagine Raveena in a mini skirt doing a tip-tip barsa paani with Akshay jungle Kumar and the authenticity would have been lost. It is surprising that even when a sari has been used as a sex toy in our movies, our cultural self-appointed hounds endorse it with the intensity with which Bhagyashree endorsed Himalaya.
Coming back to real life, a lot of women hate the wrapper. The primary reason is that it is completely unmanageable while you work in your office. Secondly, no one has the time to leisurely drape herself in the morning when your husband is screaming in your ear because he can’t find his towel and your child is pulling your hair because his bag is not ready. Wearing a sari is like making a dish for the MasterChef finale. You really can’t fast forward the process.
Who gave me the authority to talk on the subject? Well, I have seen women in my family grope with the endless piece of cloth. Their pain haunts me.
I have witnessed swarms of angry waves that swirl out of my mother’s eyes when she has to wear a sari. She likes Saris but only when they are hanging like slaughtered pigs in her almirah. She sometimes reluctantly wears them and ends up vowing never to touch them again. Geet and I bought her a really expensive sari recently for a cousins wedding who lives in a hill-station. She did not wear it. ‘You want me to get entangled in bushes and fall off the cliff?’ she asked. The said sari sleeps in her almirah, maybe till the end of humanity.
Yeah! If it was that easy!
My sister wore a sari at my wedding. She was at the end of her tethers throughout and looked as if she would fall to pieces if anyone poked her. Before that, the only time I remember her wearing a sari was when she was in class 6th and turned into Indira Gandhi for a fancy dress competition. She went on stage, raised her finger and forgot her line. I still have her photograph somewhere wearing a white sari with a blue border, trying to remember her dialogue with a raised finger looking like a roll of cloth wrapped on a rod.
So when Geet entered the house with two large suitcases full of saris, I thought that the attire will now get some respect in our house. The saris are still lying in those suitcases, wrapped and untouched. A few of them came out occasionally for weddings but boy! what a tornado that was. Usually, helping Geet wear a sari leads to these situations :
- Deep discussions about which sari to wear for at least a week before the function. If she has to wear one to school for special occasions, then the duration is reduced to 2-3 days. This includes taking out the contender saris and answering questions like – Why do you think this is better? Why not the other one? Give logical explanation.
- Help with the accessories. There should be matching things to wear in the neck, arms and ears. Matching sandals. Matching lipstick. Matching nail-polish. And a matching husband. Well, there isn’t much of a choice there.
- Wake up 30 minutes before time on D-Day.
- On the D-Day, help her wear the sari. Squat in front of her and hold the pleats of the sari in the correct position while she tucks them in. This gets really frustrating at times because it is never done correctly the first time. Re-pleat and try again. If it fails three times in a row, yell for mom.
- If it a cotton sari, hide in the bathroom.
Needless to say, Geet was as affectionate towards a sari as the rest of the female pack in the house.
The fact that Indians managed to invent something so difficult to wear goes completely against their image in my mind. Aren’t we supposed to be utterly lazy? Going by that parameter, wouldn’t we invent attires which are less time consuming to wear? But we invented sari, dhoti and pagdi which are enough to entangle yourself in so many layers. I have never worn a dhoti but I am sure I will fall flat on my face after taking two steps. Men in cities have completely given up the historical attires but it hasn’t changed for women. It is strange that we attach Indian-ness to it. If I am an Indian male who wears jeans or a suit, then why a woman is not being Indian if she wears a skirt or jeans? It seems that in addition to what we wear to cover our skin, we also wear a halo of double standards.
Anyways, I am very sorry for all the saris lying neglected in my house. All I can tell them is that destiny must have something else stored for them. One of them was turned into a Jaipuri Razai sometime back. I am wondering if they can also me used to make pillow covers, handkerchiefs, table cloths, kitchen towels, mop clothes, car covers, men’s kurta etc etc. Has anyone tried making any of this with a sari?
Mashed Musings 
Well, one saree = 100s of handkerchiefs. Idea chucked. Unless you are planning to sell them as side business. Table cloths & kitchen towels? Unless it is a cotton saree.. not really practical. Cotton saris can be converted into lots of stuff – pillow covers, kitchen cloths, and kurtis.
Most sarees will have sequins or thread embroidery. And will also be very expensive. Yes, I have had silk sarees converted into dresses. If one wears dresses, then 3 kurtis can be made out of sarees. But they will be as heavy as the saree and hence will have to be worn during occasions. And moreover, will have to be distributed among cousins if you don’t want 3 pieces of the same style kurti.
Nothing can be done, really!!
But if you try to make 2-3 handkerchiefs, 2 pillow covers, one kurti and 1 table cover from the same sari, then I think it works well.
I agree about expensive saris which will spend their life in a banwaas like Lord Ram. Even though they will not be worn more than once in their lifetime, they will never be put to better use. Such will be the sad story of their life.
True true.. but hey.. you don’t want a family of kerchiefs, pillow covers, kurti and table cover all looking the same. ha ha.. imagine.. someone wearing the same kurti as the table cloth.. that would be hilarious!!! When I was learning silai, I took some left over pieces of my granny’s nightie and stitched a pillow cover out of it. It so happened one day that granny was wearing the same nightie and her pillow had the same cover!!! My chachaji commented on that – something really funny… so nope it doesn’t work na..
Hahaha! Imagine a family photograph where the guy’s shirt, his wife’s kurti and his child’s shirt are made from the same sari. That will be a sight.
And I think some of the saris look really cool as Jaipuri razai. There is one in my house which is almost 10 years old but I love the look of it. Mom has been threatening to convert it into mops but I do not allow her to touch it.
Yes yes I have seen people use saris very creatively in Toronto. It’s exotic and spiritual you know! Nothing says ‘run away, hippies and new ageis here!’ more than a sari wrapped on a door to a yoga studio or a cafe. Plus India is full of mystic dresses so you shouldn’t really poke fun at such traditional outfits. I should ask you to send some of the saris in your house to me (I bet nobody will notice) since I have many people asking me to buy one when I go to India.
Sari is exotic, mystic and spiritual. Right.
Was I making fun? I never make fun of anything. I was really moved and touched by what I have seen around me. 😛
See, that is the problem. Even if the saris are not put to better use, they will never be shared.
I am a huge sari fan! You wear a very normal sari yet it beats the shit out of all other garments. No, I drape the sari pretty well without much skin show ;-). And yes, I also can’t wear it on a regular basis but do it for festivals and special occasions. You are right about the inconvenience, but I found that the more I wear it, the better I get at handling it.Have you noticed that the Indian sari suits every female body type from the skinniest to the fattest. It is a tragedy that Indian women do not understand that. I can tell you that there is not a man, Indian or foreign, who can resist a woman in a well-draped sari ;-). And here is my ode to the humble sari:
http://www.rachnaparmar.com/2009/01/humble-sari.html
I agree that it looks very elegant on special occasions but most of the women I know hate to wear them on a regular basis. And I don’t know why but I find an elegant evening gown equally irresistable as a sari. I think its just because we do not see women wearing such clothes in everyday routine. 🙂
An evening gown will not suit a “healthy” Indian woman unless it resembles a tent :). They look great on people with great figures or killing corsets :P.
Oh yes! I completely agree. I have seen a few walking tents and they are not a very pleasant sight. 🙂
“Men in cities have completely given up the historical attires but it hasn’t changed for women. It is strange that we attach Indian-ness to it. If I am an Indian male who wears jeans or a suit, then why a woman is not being Indian if she wears a skirt or jeans? It seems that in addition to what we wear to cover our skin, we also wear a halo of double standards”.
I Couldn’t agree with you more on this. I am among those who dread wearing the saree. Just don’t understand how some women wear them everyday!!!
I think it is a matter of habit. The aunties in my neighbourhood wear saris all day, even at home. They are just used to it.
LOL on Matching Husband! “If it a cotton sari, hide in the bathroom.” you and my papa will get along fine… though my mumm s been wearing saris for years she still drags papa as her unwilling assistant.
I hv tried sari for college farewell and my sister’s wedding & I mus say it ws totally worth it to see friends n family’s reaction. Compliment showers- and it was such a nice change from their usual snipes about my dressing.
But apart from tht sari s a pain, truly! I have seen people using it as wall hangings cut creatively (both nice & tacky), cushion covers, quilts, dresses… But some women are quite obsessed with their sari collection even if they dont use it often… theirs, i guess are doomed to a suitcased life
We always have to assist in case of a heavy sari. And I am completely terrified of helping Geet with a cotton sari.
Geet too gets compliments when she wears a sari mainly because half of the people are not able to recognise her and then they go – Oh my God. It’s you. In a sari. 😛
I agree with the last part. The sari which was used for the Jaipuri Razai in my house was dying. It was either that or exchaging it for 6 spoons.
Hey! for over a decade I wrapped myself in this starched/silken/wispy splendour in exactly 10 minutes and ran like PT Usha to catch my 6.45 AM bus. And mind it, the pleats, pallu were all in place.
I feel it’s one of the most elegant attires that does perfect justice to an Indian woman’s curves. Pity, it’s dying a slow death
Wow! I am impressed.
The previous school in which Geet taught had this compulsory rule that had to wear teachers saris. So, she wore saris for almost two years on a daily basis. That was before we got married. My mum-in-law shudders at the memories of those 2 years. She is glad that they are over.
I also was a sari scary person until years back. But now, I find it more easy to manage. I think it just comes with age and experience. However, my sister who is five years younger to me wears the sari more artistically and frequently. I thought many men like their women to see in saris. Somehow, when I plan to wear a sari for a party, S immediately goes off, do you have to wear that thing and run around kids? Why can’t you comfortably dress in a chudidaar? ehh..I go, you are the only man who tells this.. 😛 . he feels the discomfort more than me 🙂 Every time, we move an apartment he goes, next time dump this stuff in India or give them away to your sister..don’t keep piling them up..period..LOl..and though I have reduced accumulating them, still one or two a year adds to the existing ones…errr…long comment again.. sorry..and what to do with them..Punam has given you the answers…If not for the embroidery ones, you can donate them to teachers with low incomes or other govt schools or make dresses, frocks or lehgas out of them and donate to an orphanage…which again, you have to spend a bit of time and money. But you do it and I bet you will feel highly satisfied.. 🙂
I think the more you wear it, the more you get used to it. I have seen that the women who wear them on a regular basis are more comfortable with it.
// I thought many men like their women to see in saris
I think yes, most of the men do. I am personally fine with Geet wearing it but I never force her to wear it. She is above 18. 😛
Yes, it does get piled up, doesn’t it? She recently got another sari. God knows when this one will be honored.
Donatee saris? I think women never donate the expensive ones but yes the cheaper ones can definitely be donated.
Ah! My mother always wear the saree…and she is a teacher…BUT, if there is an occasion in the school, rest assured, Appa would be pulling out all the hair from his nearly bald head in answering all the questions she poses…Geet style 🙂
LOL on cotton saree – hiding in bathroom…appa tried it a couple of times, but Amma pounded the door so hard, that the latch broke 😉
Sarees are difficult to wear rey…but some people wear them so effortlessly that I am at awe!
It seems all the ladies are very similar in that respect. 🙂
Sometimes when we go out and suppose she buys 4 tops, you will not believe the kind of explainations I have to give to make her understand that we do not need to number them from best to worst. They are all number one since we have bought them with our hard earned money. 🙂
I have actually given Geet the ultimatum that it is either a cotton sari or me. She hasn’t worn them since a long time. But you never know.
Amit I literally fell on the floor laughing after reading your post. It so aptly describes he hungama that happens whenever I plan to wear one. My poor hubby faces the brunt of my wrath whenever I am in the sari wearing mode.
He has to kneel down and help with the pleats, the pallu and pinning the sari. I am sure just like you he must feel like running away.
But you know Sari is such an elegant attire, it beats wearing a salwar kameez any day. Even if there is a lot of pain involved..you do agree that sari does make a women look sexy 🙂
It seems that wearing sari is a way to shake up the house. 🙂
Once or twice is fine but sometimes the pleats refuse to be streamlined and sometimes the lady is not satisfied with them even though they seem perfect. In any case, it turns into a nightmare.
Yes, I agree that sari is elegant but I will be fine if a woman skips it. As you said, it is a painful way of achieving elegance.
First things first, I loved that description of your sis as Indira Gandhi. She sounds so cute! 🙂 Would love to see that photo some day. 😛
Secondly, lovely post. Aptly describes the woes of saree wearing.
I personally love sarees and can carry them quite comfortably, provided they are draped the right way, I have a comfortable place to sit/walk around, and the saree is of the right type. 😀 I do understand that it can sometimes become quite cumbersome to carry a saree. I am always amazed at how so many women wear sarees the entire day, for everything from cycling to household work. I cannot do that, I am sure.
You are right – those songs of Raveena, Dimple and Sridevi wouldn’t have had that oomph factor without the saree. 🙂 I think the saree is one of the most elegant of attires, suitable for so many occasions.
BTW sarees can be recycled in a lot of ways. They make lovely ghaghra cholis, salwars, stoles and gowns, if you can get hold of the right sort of tailor. Pillow cases and bed spreads and razais too.
LOL @ why this saree? Why not that one? Give me a logical explanation. I do that with the OH, too.
I still remember that sequence. I was prompting her to speak her dialogue. She was almost on the verge of tears. 🙂
I also do not understand how women carry those heavy saris weighing a kilogram? Geet wore a sari on a marriage and the pallu was so heavy that she could barely raise her arm. What is the point of torturing yourself like this? 🙂
Ok. I was right about how saris can be used in various ways, although the car cover bit was an arrow in the dark. 😛
Thank you for liking the post. 🙂
Errrr… the same point as when you torture yourself with an eight-inch long pencil heel, into which your feet are literally stuffed, so that they hurt like hell by the end of the day, not to mention a bad back ache? (I don’t do that. This is based on some experiences with colleagues)
Yes, women love torturing ourselves. 🙂 For me, comfort is the key to dressing.
TGND. Its not just women anymore. You should go in a guy’s saloon and you will be shocked. 🙂
i love wearing saree.. but with bunty around there is no time, or she tries to pulls the set pleats.. :(. during my pre-wedding days i used to wear them at least twice a week. revealing or covered was based on the work group and lunch group. :). i have a collection of only cotton sarees. tried getting help from hubby during initial days. but think he heard ur advice of hiding in bathroom. so got training from a air-hostess friend of mine.. now all the sarees are turning into salwar and frocks for my daughter. as they are all cotton sarees, they are used as su-su cloths for bunty’s bed.. :(.
Cotton saris are a nightmare. I told Geet to choose either me or her cotton saris. They haven’t come out of the almirah since a very long time.
Ok. Sari as a Su Su cloth is a new one. Very amusing. 😛
Hehe, your sari-wearing conditions sound like they’ve been lifted straight out of my house 😀
But there’s one thing you missed out on – there are two kinds of women: 1. Who cannot get their saris right even after countless times of pleating and re-pleating. 2. Sari goddesses who can get it right every single time in 60 seconds flat. Don’t tell me it’s practice, because it’s not. Oh, no, it’s not.
” It seems that in addition to what we wear to cover our skin, we also wear a halo of double standards.” – love this line!
I haven’t met such a Goddess. At least she was never reincarnated in my family tree. 🙂 But, yes, now since so many people are talking about the Goddesses, they must exist.
Thanks Suthewriter. 🙂
Wearing a sari is like making a dish for the MasterChef finale. You really can’t fast forward the process.
Don’t be so sure. Hubby’s aunt, who is a teacher, wears a sari to work everyday. And she ties it in all of 2 minutes flat….. every single day. Practice makes perfect, eh?
Wow, you help her drape a sari??? I’m impressed!! My respect for you has gone upwards a few notches!! In my case, it is mostly my mother or mother-in-law. Or else I head to the parlour for some professional help! 😛
Suthewriter was talking about Goddesses who can achieve that. It seems your aunt is one of them. 🙂 Yeah, its practice, I guess.
Yes, who else is there? 😛 We call for help when it goes completely out of our hand but I am able to handle it most of the times. 🙂
Hahahaha!!!! Couldn’t stop laughing for a good one hour after reading your post. Then I forwarded the link to my BOSS, who spent another hour laughing. She (yup! a lady boss) and I both wear Saris to work – EVERY DAY!! 🙂 …. Been wearing one to work for the last 15 years!!
And we can’t tell you how thankful we are, that you have documented the predicament of sari clad working conditions …… Now all we have to do is to make sure the board of directors read this, and ban the sari 😀 ……… BTW… my husband hides in the bathroom on the day of the cotton sari too…
OMG! Every day?!?! 15 years?!?! I think you too are one of the Goddess people are talking about in the comments.
Your board should at least allow you guys to wear Salwaar Kameez. I don’t think that will affect the work you do unless you work in one of Ekta Kapoor’s serial.
When there is a storm in the bedroom, bathroom is the best place to hide. 🙂
LOL! I’m planning to get one of my sarees stitched into an anarkali suit! :D. I totally agree, sarees can be quite a cumbersome attire to drape and manage which is why I only wear them to special occasions. There was a time when I used to wear it almost daily to work and pull the day off without tripping flat on the ground! 😯
Having said that I do find sarees elegant and graceful. 🙂
Good. That will be one less tormentor. 🙂
I think all the women who wear them daily should be given a bravery award.
Absolutely! My mom is one of those who find wearing a saree far more convenient and comfortable to wear..to work, at home, everywhere!
And you help your wife drape a sari? Then my husband is sure going to find resonance with you. He has taken a fair bit of training in helping me with the pleats when we were newly-weds..now of course he is well past the training days 😉
See! All the guys are so nice and sweet when they get married. 🙂
My mom has been wearing sari for ages, even at home. She is comfortable only in sari and she drapes it herself without help from papa or us. Her old silk saris became our frocks, long skirts, kurtis, curtains & pillow covers (she used to be a tailor too) and cotton saris she wears at home becomes kitchen towels, mop clothes and “su su” clothes when her grandchildren were born.
I love sari but I wear it only on occasions, with help of course. And another interesting thing is, my mom who is a goddess in draping her sari, is a total failure when it comes to helping others to drape sari, whereas my aunt who takes hours to drape her sari can drape sari for others perfectly in 2 mins 🙂
“If I am an Indian male who wears jeans or a suit, then why a woman is not being Indian if she wears a skirt or jeans? It seems that in addition to what we wear to cover our skin, we also wear a halo of double standards.” Totally Agree..
I think if you are used to wearing it from the beginning, you will be comfortable in it. It is like jeans. We are very comfortable in it but my parents find it very uncomfortable to wear.
And wow! Your mother has put saris to so many uses. Su Su clothes is a new one. 🙂
Saree is a nightmare for me.I’m shorter than 5ft and thing too.So wearing a saree is more complex and tedious than mountaineering.I will be very conscious and uncomfortable when I wear saree.I will walk as if a steel rod is inserted through my mouth till the belly.I will not bend or move.End of the day I will exhausted.Phew!! The first condition for my wedding will be that I wont wear a saree 😛
Hahaha! It was very similar to what my sis experienced. 🙂
Hey, I have mailed you but I will not have access to gmail till late night. So if you have to tell me something, you can put a comment on the contact me tab here.
That was a brain wave-combining sari,dhoti & pagdi-wow.
Regarding your query–i have turned cotton saris into quilt covers-really!
Thanks Indu. 🙂
Yeah, quilt covers seems like a nice idea.
he he… I am a big fan of sari but they still keep hanging like slaughtered pigs in my almirah… To give them required amount of air to breathe, I bring them out once in a while and try wearing them for important occasions which btw happened about 2 years back… time to take a look at them again 🙂
That is pretty much what happens in my house. They are so nicely stacked that no one tries to disturb them. 🙂
ha ha 🙂 indeed
To me saree is the best outfit. It seems to fit me like a ‘T’. But after coming to Czech Republic, I have never worn one yet (my marriage sarees blouse not fitting me anymore :-p). I love saree and ahem, boys used to go crazy when I wore one, It was good feeling :-p
Oh it is the same with Geet. Her blouses don’t fit her anymore. Then they have to be altered. Then tried again. Then altered again. Phew! Wearing a T-shirt is so simple.
Like you, she looks really sexy in a sari but I hate making rounds of Master Ji’s shop with her. 😐
ha ha. men are men..
I also agree sometimes a T-shirt with jeans or maxie is easier to wear and maintain.
i have been planning to wear a dhoti for past several years but not finding a suitable occasion for that. but i did wear saris a few times when i was a kid. just wanted to know how it’s done. enjoyed reading the post!!
Dhoti? Are you sure you will be able to walk in that? 😛
And why the hell did you wear saris as a kid? Were you in some play?
Thanks Debs.
Was laughing and nodding my head at the same time. I think the saree will eventually be worn like men’s dhoti/mundu or women’s lehengas and evening gowns, as a beautiful festive dress, or as a ‘formal’ work outfit. I and many other women I know have worn saris only for formal cocktails (and have frequently required some assistance ) where one had to stand, eat and talk, or on Diwali, or weddings, or some other festival or pooja etc.
I believe that in a few years, it will vanish even from formalwear in offices. I see a very few women wearing a sari in my office and they are from the previous generation.
When you focus on a subject, I know it will bared to the last atom!
I guess saree was worn by both men and women in ancient days and women’s pieces were simply five times longer than men’s, and much more colourful. Perhaps the sexiness of saree is manifest in its promise or threat to come off any moment -I hope I may be forgiven! 😛 But the same applies to men’s dhoti, lungi, mundu etc. although I don’t see the appeal here! Thanks for the joyride of humour and spice in your trademark style.
Ah! Now that you have mentioned it, I think we believed in wearing clothes which would come off easily no matter how difficult it was to wear them. After all, who has the time to fumble at that time? That puts the laziness question to rest. That is so brilliant! Our ansestors were excellent!
Thanks Uma. I am glad that you liked the post. 🙂
I like saris I have a couple of them but I never wear one unless absolutely necessary. In childhood I was very fond of it I asked my mom to drape it for me sometimes and played teacher teacher or mother mother with my dolls! There were 2 days reserved for wearing sari, Saraswati Puja (Vasant Panchami) & Ashtami of Durga Puja. I also wear it for weddings etc. but only very close friends’ or relatives’ wedding. I can’t imaging wearing saris on a daily basis. I even find it difficult to manage dopattas as once it was tangled around my neck inside metro and once in a rickshaw wheel & am super scared after those incidents. My mother and grand moms are super fast & comfortable in draping them. My masi and chachis on the other hand are more comfortable in salwar suits. My masi says, “I took out the sari, blouse petticoat, matching accessories etc. but at the end of it I was so tired that took out salwar suit & wore that instead!”
You tangled your neck in a dupatta? That was scary! I have heard of a woman who got her sari entangled in her husband’s bike. But that can happen with salwaar suits as well. T-shrits and tops are the best bet to stay alive me thinks.
My first time here Amit and I have been laughing since the moment I stepped here. What a rocking way to begin :P.. OK, coming to the point- I love wearing sarees and its a myth that its unmanageable. Yes it takes time master the art of pulling off a saree but nothing can beat the elegance that comes when you wear a sari. However, my dear husband has never had the patience esp when I decide to wear a sari so I have invested on a new almirah to hold all of them 😉
Thanks Sia. 🙂
I think it is unmanageable because most of the women never come out of the phobia of wearing it. It is like learning a new thing and to be scared of it initially. That said, I think it is definitely a bit cumbersome when you are running late or have to multitask.
I LOOOVE sarees. I have few opportunities to drape one here but I keep looking out for occassions. Am very comfortable with them as well as long as they are light or within reasonable weight limits. and I am always over awed at the colours, the prints and the story behind every saree. I am obsessed to an extent that I have met artists who make these prints on sarees. In short, I love sarees 😛
But, that’s only because I feel comfortable and good in them. Just like I do with a pair of favourite jeans. Or a skirt.
I loved reading about your sister 😛 You should share that snap someday if possible! And that logical explanation that Geet demands – I do too. K has never offered it so far though :
I think every woman love saris. It is only the wearing-them part which is a problem. 🙂
Got married few months back…and with this post…iam your fan 🙂 😛
Thanks Sonal. 🙂
Zack wishes to see me in a cotton saree some day, God knows why 🙄
I say any normal saree itself takes so much of pleating and re-pleating, by the time the cotton saree is draped perfectly, the whole function would get over 😀
Apart from silk and cotton sarees, the rest are manageable for me. I love wearing them 🙂
And if you do not wear a cotton sari properly, you will look like a starched tent. It is a scary demand. 🙂
Jaipuri Razai…I tell you, the best invention made out of saris! I bet, that’s what Sridevi did with hers 10 years after she sang her famous song!
Yeah. I love my razai. I think Sridevi can do an auction of all the razais made from her saris. It will bring in crores.
LOL @ Saree an aphrodisiacal attire!
Just recently I draped a saree myself, just as I am beaming in pride while people in the bus stop gave me appreciative looks (I think I was imagining this :)), the bus showed up and I boarded the bus in the process stamping over my saree…quite a scene that was! Since then I have vowed never to wear a saree and travel in bus!
There was this girl in my college who wore a sari to our farewell. Someone stepped on it. It was a miracle that the tragedy was somehow averted before it reached the climax.
Amit , try wearing a dhoti , uncomfortable at first, once ur accustomed it will be a lot more comfy than a trouser in the heat of summer… especially if u visit cochin or chennai or kerala….
google Kamat’s Potpourri: The Story of Saree
Saris started out as a unisex wrapping cloth, sarees were worn by men and women alike, chk out kamats potpoori The old style 9 yarders were much more comfortable, practical and functional..
The six yarder that is the norm since advent of the islamists and british is indeed more show less function!
Wait! I think you are talking about a different tying method for a dhoti.
In the South, the dhoti/lungi is worn by just wrapping it on the legs. I am fine with that but there is another complicated way by tying it between your legs.
I get the unisex wrapping cloth part but its dead. What we are left with is a six yarder which again is dying a slow death. I think clothes like these are extremely uncomfortable in both summers and winters.
There are Multiple methods to wrap a dhoti, even lungi is a variation…same with sari…
I think i have to disagree here , if u look at it , it is way better for the body, the nethers, keeping them cool and aerated..and great for ur reproduction system. our exec pants, and v cut briefs give us jock itch in summers and reduce fertility… !
The nav vari style or old style of sari wrapping is similar to wearing a dhoti
Yes, I agree. There are many ways and the attire is comfortable in summers. However, I would definitely not like to wrap a dhoti in winters in Delhi. I will not be able to feel my legs after 5 minutes. 🙂
🙂 And it must be freezing at 2*c without indoor heating !
Agreed ! Thats why the north of india had salwar kameez and kashimris had the kangdi ..
Dressing evolves with humans
“Bhagyashree endorsed Himalaya” and “She likes Saris but only when they are hanging like slaughtered pigs in her almirah”…two superb, classic lines!!!!
Thanks Roshni.:)
my mom she gave away most of her good saris to my wife .. and my wife loved it!
she converted the rest into bedsheets, razaais ..!
Haha! My mom hardly have any saris but she would have gladly got rid of them if someone would have given her that idea. 🙂