Tradition and trends in Indian Saree: Part 1

Trends may come and trends may go, but the inclination to drape a Saree goes on forever… this is very much true of women originating from the Indian culture. Ask one what she would prefer to wear for a special occasion and the answer without a moment of hesitation will be “saree”.
There is no dress that complements an Indian woman the way a saree does. Whatever be the style of draping the saree, it simply adorns her like a jewel and makes her the epitome of beauty.

A saree is nothing but a long strip of uncut and unstitched fabric that can be draped around a woman in different styles. It is usually worn along with a short blouse and a skirt-like petticoat. It is also the traditional wear of Indian women and has been in practice for many centuries. There is even a mention of “Darupati’s saree” in the famous Indian epic, the Mahabaratha. This is proof enough that women wore a saree during the ancient times as well.

A saree is classified into different types based on the fabric or material and the decoration or work on the same. Based on the above assumption, sarees can be broadly classified into categories such as:

- Silk saree

- Cotton saree

- Poly cotton saree

- Silk cotton saree

- Synthetic saree

- Georgette saree
The above mentioned classification is just some major categories and not an all-inclusive list. Among silk sarees, Kancheepuram saree and Benaras silk sarees hold a lot of precedence. Bengal cotton, Mangalagiri cotton, etc are a few that are well acclaimed among cotton sarees. Venkatagiri silk cotton, Benarasi silk cotton, etc are a few varieties from the silk cotton line.
These sarees are also available in numerous hues and shades, with a variety of designs or decorations on them as well. Whatever may be the occasion, a wedding, an official meeting, a casual party or get-to-gether, there is saree for every occasion.
Blouse is an important part of the costume. A well designed and stitched blouse serves to complement the saree. Blouses can be sported in different models and can help in making the overall appearance trendy or traditional.