#TravelSari – 5 Ladies who sojourn in their saris

Saris have been cherished and bought on shopping sprees. They’ve been carefully preserved in heavy trunks and worn with élan for weddings & parties. But are saris, these days, worn on travels & sojourns; on trains & plains; for road trips & cruises; at beaches & mountains; at museums & monuments?

Our sari feature today is all about the gorgeous ladies, who wear their beautiful saris during travel trips. These are #realtime women, who take their saris out of the social media realm and wear it during their holiday zone. It takes a shift in the way we think of our saris (i.e. party wear or for photo ops or for office/restaurant wear) and a little adjustment in how you carry it off as you trek up a hilly road, walk through golden sands or stroll through vineyards. 

Sangeeta Venkatesh: Going ‘beachy’ in a sari:

“My husband Venkatesh and I simply love Goa! With clean beaches, wide roads, great food (even for vegetarians like us), great hospitality  - this is as international as a destination in India can get. I can bathe/ swim in the sea and be the archetypal beach bum for hours! We have come back here again and again, and have celebrated some personal milestones in this beautiful coastal region.

And if it was Goa, it had to be a Kunbi/ Gawda revival saree from Goa Adivasi Parampara.  This saree was originally worn by Kunbi and Gawda tribe women who were basically paddy field workers.

Who says you can't pack a saree for a Goan holiday?”

Sari In Your Suitcase – 6 ways to travel light + in style with your saris (& a call for collaboration)

Even though I love wearing saris for pretty much any occasion, I didn’t like traveling with (yes, with) them. With petticoats, blouses and multiple saris, as well as the usual brouhaha of regular clothes and accessories, my suitcase would be brimming with things to wear. Not my favorite way of packing (I’d prefer to travel light any day), so the saris would have to be left behind or carried along in a larger suitcase. But over the years, when my travel often combines pleasure and work, I’ve found a way to pack light and still take along saris + the accessories to go with them.

Here are some tried and tested tips on traveling with saris and still staying light.

1. Choose saris of similar color to cut down on the number of petticoats and blouses to take along. If I choose a turquoise blue Chanderi cotton, a crisp greenish-blue Bengal cotton and a river blue Kota Doria, I can team them up with the same petticoat, and even the same blouse (I don’t wear matching blouses, but funky ones that can be mixed-and-matched to create new looks). That means two petticoats and blouses less to pack and carry! I use this trick often to reduce my luggage and still have the pleasure of wearing saris wherever I go.

2. Let the saris you pack be light + stylish. Personally, I prefer to take saris that are light (no heavy silks for me while traveling) and can be worn at various occasions. Example: Whether I’m teaching a workshop, attending a meet-up, going out to the club or tucking into a meal at a restaurant, my Kota Dorias and Chanderi cottons are great for all these occasions.

Sherline's Sari Style: Inspired by art & worn with boho-panache

Hello Sari/Saree-loving ladies! Today, we have sari style with an interesting twist.  Sherline Pimenta, a storyteller and Lush Green Wellness member (check out da community – you won’t be disappointed), shares a fun, fuss-free drape with us. 

Here’s what she has to say:

Sherline says:

“This is all about the Sari drape that I've been flaunting:).

The story behind the drape is a simple design problem that I faced.

I am a storyteller and I need to have both my hands free as gesturing is an important component of narrating oral stories. I am also a lover of saris and wanted to use it as my trademark costume for my storytelling sessions.

In the most common way of draping a sari the pallu is left hanging over the left shoulder. This did not allow me to use my hands as freely as I wanted to so I looked at alternative ways of draping the sari.

The other issue was the blouse, I have been losing weight and gaining weight so my blouses just don't seem to fit me well. So I was looking for something that does not show the blouse too much.

Additionally, since I am a performer, I will have people looking at me and I get very conscious if my midriff or cleavage shows.  So all in all i wanted a one step solution to all the above.”

Fauji Wife Sari Style - Standing Out In That Regiment/Squadron Sari

Earlier, when I’d hear about ladies of entire (fauji) units wearing the exact same sari, I’d roll my eyes and wonder why anyone would want to turn up in the same thing? I mean, why 'uniformalize' the sari for a party, even a super special party? (Ah! do wait...the gorgeous photos will change your mind.)

Photo credit: Strand of Silk

Over the years, I’ve seen ladies of units place an order for and dress in saris for official occasion that represent their unit colors (example: red & gold, or blue & white, black & gold), and the impact has been stunning. Instead of blending in, ladies decked up in that same shade of sari, stand out and proudly so. Wearing the same sari on a planned date generally takes place when there is something momentous happening for that particular unit – like a Raising Day function or a jubilee celebration, or sometimes even when the ladies are hosting a Ladies Club event (monthly evening get-togethers hosted by ladies of a particular unit and often with a theme).

Today, thanks to my fauji lady friends, I’m sharing some of their photographs.

Sari Folding - An Art Or A Science?

Hello there sari/saree girls! Today, I'm popping in with a different kind of #sari Friday. Not about style, but about sari humor. Cartoonist and writer, Ramya Sriram shares her take on sari folding through her images. Have you struggled with folding a sari on your own? I sure do :-).

Shares Ramya, "Every time I have worn a saree, I have struggled to get the folding right. I was inspired to draw this comic when I realised that I'd given up and asked my mom for help almost every time. I don't get to wear sarees often, though I do have a small collection that I hope to unleash one day. I adore Sambalpuri weaves and Kalamkari prints."

Posing with an Ethicus saree in Pollachi. Pic: Pravin Shanmughanandam 

Who is Ramya?

"I'm a cartoonist and writer, and I run The Tap (thetap.in) independently. I currently live in a small town in the UK, and go back to Hyderabad often, where I'm from. I like long train journeys, filter coffee, monsoons and the Western Ghats."

#sari #saree #sareefolding #ramyasriram #saricartoon #saristyle

Stay Cool In That Summer Sari: 11 Favorites To Inspire Your Summer Style

Summer’s in its element. If she was a lady, she’d be reigning the season in her marmalade and gold sari, her auburn hair swirling around her head in wild curls. Summer has fire in her belly and the sun in her heart. She rules with a fierce passion, weaving lava-hot sun beams into the dry landscape and trailing velvety ribbons of heat wherever she goes.

In one of my fav breezy Kota doria sari

But as Summer dances her wild dance, we on Mother Earth resort to everything cool and calm to seek balance in our lives. Chilled beverages, ice-cold luscious fruits, and gossamer fabrics.

Summer saris in crisp cottons, gauzy lace and breathable weaves are the perfect go-to-garments for our hot tropical climate. For this feature, I’m sharing a few of my own favorite summer weaves as well as showcasing what some of my sari sisters from across the country enjoy draping as the season notches up the heat. Get ready for a profusion of gorgeous summer saris that are lovingly worn by equally gorgeous women.

 Kanika Manaktala wearing her mom’s cotton sari and teamed with a top

Mukulika Sengupta in a Gamcha cotton sari

Corporate Sari Style - Tips & Tricks To Make Saris Work For You At Your Workplace

by Ankita Priyadarshini

Corporate dressing for women has come to mean business suits in predictable combinations of black, grey, blue and white. There is neither much room to experiment, nor many options. While I have nothing against business suits, I prefer the freedom and elegance of a sari. Its flexibility to suit any shape and size and the comfort it offers for all-day wear, is what makes it a great work-wear option.

Ankita - dressed for work

Choosing and styling saris the right way goes a long way in helping you look put together while being comfortable. Some aspects to keep in mind while creating your sari look:

Fabric: The fabric is the foundation of your attire. If the fabric is uncomfortable it will be difficult to bear it all day and will show in your demeanor. Choose easy-to-carry, comfortable fabrics. Handloom cottons and silks are a good place to start. Try your sari beforehand to make sure it’s not too much to handle for a 10 hour workday. Lighter fabrics such as georgette or chiffon are acceptable if the sari is not sheer.

Some fabrics to begin with – Linen, soft cottons, silk cotton and Mysore silk are light and easy to handle. Choose breezy fabrics for summer and heavier silks or thick cottons for winter. Avoid stiff fabrics such as Organdy, Organza and Tissue.

10 Reasons Why The Sari Is A Sustainable Style Option

At a time, when it’s even more important to make choices carefully, even in the fashion and style arena, the sari – especially the hand-woven variety, offers us a sustainable way of buying and wearing. Wondering what makes the sari a sustainable style option? Here’s why:

Though cotton requires a large dose of pesticides to grow and silk is harvested from silkworms (both of which don't make it very eco-friendly), the sari can still be a more sustainable choice of garment over factory-made apparel. And yes, there are organic cotton saris and Ahimsa silk too, to choose from, if you’d like to invest in a wardrobe that’s completely free of pesticides and cruelty.

However, for those who have plenty of non-organic saris in their closet and are wondering if saris can be brought under the green style umbrella, here’s my two-ana bit about why it is sustainable in so many different ways:

1. Handloom saris promote an age-old craft and tradition.

2. When you buy handloom saris, you're helping keep this art alive + helping weavers to do what they are so good at doing.

3. You can create a fabulous wardrobe with just a few saris. Mix-and-match your t-shirts and blouses + accessories to create new looks.

5 Do’s and Don’ts for wearing Summer Saris in the Workplace

Summer’s are here and promising to go full-bore very soon. With sunshine pouring in like molten lava, the hot air chafing our skin, and not to mention the sweat sticking to our skin, summer’s a season when you can only think of very airy clothes for the workplace and super short clothing for home-wear.

Choose cool, breezy fabrics

Saris are often not preferred as the ideal work-wear during this fiery season – it sometimes feels too cumbersome to wrap a sari around you when all you want to do is fling on something soft and cool. Well, it need not be like this. You can be a summer queen in your gorgeous saris with just a little know-how. 

Here are 5 tips (the do's) to rock your sari style this summer:

Soft cottons for the summer workplace (Priyanka Mehta Mahanty)

1. Your comfort-quotient depends a lot on the saris you choose to wear. I like to pick the breeziest and softest of fabrics in this hot and muggy season. My personal favorites are Kota Doria, crisp Bengal taant cottons, block-printed mul and river-like chiffon leheriya saris. Georgettes are also very popular with sari divas.

Pick earthy or cool hues (Pri)

2.Choose your colors with care. It’s a known fact that colors have a strong impact on one’s mood and the way they feel. While fiery colors like bright reds, hot pinks and oranges are great for evening wear or to a fancy event, try softer and cooler shades like pastels, creams, blues and indigo & earthy tones like brick reds, greens and ochres for office wear. This color palette also suits the office ambience, exuding confidence and calm.

6 Quirky Craft-based Techniques to Jazz up your Sari Blouse with

Believe it or not, a blouse can make all the difference between making your sari ensemble look funky or mundane. Go with a totally matching blouse for your sari and you risk putting together the usual look. But think out-of-the-box while choosing the blouse, and you’ll look like a rock-star. 

Wondering how to jazz up those plain blouses or which kinds of blouses can make your sari ensemble ‘hat-ke’ (different)?

Me in a blouse by Anagha

Embroider your blouses: If you enjoy the art of hand embroidery, then pick up some threads a needle and get to work. You can choose a motif of your liking and make it all pop on the canvas of the blouse. Again, choosing a design that can be the focal point can make that blouse uber interesting. Priyanka Mehta Mahanty, a sari sister I met online, does exactly that via her handmade label, Pri.

Priyanka sporting her embroidered blouses

Applique a design: The art of appliqué can feel a lot like creating a scrapbook, only in this we’re working with fabric-based designs. A bold appliqué on the back of your blouse can really rev up your entire outfit. Imagine a sprig of deep pink bougainvillea, a kite floating in its fabric sky, a mask or a portrait – go wild when creating your appliques. Alternatively, you can buy such blouses from brands like Parama by Parama Ghosh.

Some of Parama's out-of-the-box blouse designs

Cloth Patchwork: We associate patchwork with quilts and blankets, the kind we like to snuggle into on chilly nights. But, how about getting a blouse designed with elements of patchwork? Choose fabrics that’ll tango well and sketch out a design for your tailor to work on.

Hand-paint a motif: Whether it’s a few sprigs of flowers or a focal motif, you can paint something interesting on a plain blouse, especially on the back and the sleeves. You can also get this customized from entrepreneurs who specialize in this art.

Add-ons like buttons, sequins and lace: You can re-vamp an old blouse with a little lace or a bit of sequins or some colorful buttons. As long as you’re not loading your blouse with a lot of these elements, you’re good to go.

More of Parama's designs, featuring Sreyashi & Priyanka

Block-print an old blouse: If there’s a blouse or top that you’re getting bored off, try giving it a makeover with block-printing. The best way to get this done is by asking a block-printing entrepreneur if they can do this for you.

Do you know a craft-based technique that can jazz up a blouse?

For more out-of-the-box ideas to style your saris/sarees, download my ebook 'Everyday Sari Style: 22 ways to keep it fresh, fun & fuss-free' by subscribing to my blog (the ebook is free!). Sign-up by popping in your email add in the box below or on the side-bar, click the confirmation that comes to your inbox & download the book directly from the link.

Or join the sustainable style + green wellness for women project at Gorgeous Girls Go Green.

#saristyle #sareestyle #saree #sari #sariblouse #sareeblouse

That Elusive Summer Dress and 6 Simple Ways to Style It

There's always some kind of design/dress/sari/shirt that we have an idea of in our minds, maybe gleaned from a magazine or a photograph, that we cannot really get our hands on. Either we're in a place that really doesn't have stores that stock those designs, or those pieces of apparel look better on others when you see it in reality, or some other little hurdle that keeps you from adding it to your wardrobe. For me, it was the summer dress.

I’d been looking for a summer dress that’d be crafted out of handloom, block-printed fabric for a very long time. But most of the dresses I came across were either made of polyester or had a pattern that just didn’t suit me. And, whenever I did find something that I liked, the right size would elude me.

But finally, I stumbled across not one but three dresses that fit me to the T at a craft bazaar. 

Here’s moi in one of my summer dresses – what better way to say ‘hello’ to this fiery, feisty season than shedding the layers of winter woolens and wearing something that makes you feel like a summer princess J.

O Summer, treading softly on the toes of winter

Melting the mist with your sunny fingers

Showering gold, burnished and hot

Like molten lava poured from a pot.

When you’re here, it’s time for soft, mushy cottons

Breezy saris and dresses in pastels, creams and the colors of autumn

Let me enjoy you before you turn up the heat and sweat

Let me celebrate the newness of you, like an old friend I’ve again met.

7 Sure-shot Ways to go from Resisting the Sari to Lovin’ It

Did I tell you that there was a time, many years ago, when I didn’t like saris very much? Had someone told me then that I’d not only be gaga over saris and that I’d go on to write sari style articles and even a book (Everyday Sari Style) about them one day, I’d have rolled around with laughter.

photo: chandana

My relationship with saris was difficult at the best. I loathed the tussle that ensued every time I got one out from my trousseau box, wrestling with the pleats and pallu for hours, wondering if sari-wearing was some kind of new workout. I also didn’t think that saris were chic. Wearing them once in a while was okay, but give me a pair of smart trousers or even a party gown for dressy occasions. That’s what I used to think at that time.

In a nutshell, I believed that saris were fussy and belonged to our mothers’ generation. How wrong I was!

photo: pinterest

If you think that sari-wearing can be time-consuming or fussy, or that a pair of stone-washed jeans is better for a day out, then here are some tips to help you ease into the 6-yards of magic, and eventually fall in love with it.

1. Choose a few saris that you like the look and feel of. Don’t start your sari-wearing ‘career’ with textures that you don’t enjoy. If heavy brocaded silks aren’t your cuppa or if blingy net saris don’t light your fire, then don’t feel pressured to wear them (just because these came as part of your trousseau or they are your mom/mom-in-law/spouse/best friend/partner’s favorite.) So, if pastel-hued chiffons or crisp cottons or soft Maheshwaris entice you more, keep those saris handy.

Everyday Sari Style – 22 Ideas to keep it fresh, fun and fuss-free (and a Gift inside!)

If you’re reading this, then chances are that you love saris. The way they look – like butterfly wings; the way they feel draped on you – soft as butter; and, what this garment brings out in you – the regal bearing of a queen. A sari does that to every woman who chooses it over a hastily put-together ensemble. It makes you special even on an ordinary day.

It is this need to share the beauty and versatility of the sari that nudged me to craft my first sari post a couple of years ago. At that time I didn’t know that there were so many of you who loved saris or who, wanted to start wearing it more often. Every sari style post that I wrote was a way to curate all the little tips and lessons that I had garnered in my journey of going from not enjoying saris to falling head-over-heels in love with the garment.

Sari Love in New York - Meet the eclectic Kavita Srinivasan Rao

I'm grateful to have 'met' a whole bunch of interesting women through my sari blog. And today, I'm happy to introduce you to one such sari pal - Kavita Srinivasan Rao, a designer who creates up-cycled jewelery and writes poetry.

Please tell us about yourself – what you do, where do you live, your interests, family.

I used to be an IT-finance consultant once upon a time, but that seems likes ages ago. Now, I design and make (up-cycled and sustainable) jewelry, and dare to call myself a full time poet. I devour books and I love to dance - be it Kathak, Bharatnayam, Salsa, contemporary or good old Bollywoodesque. Music enthralls me, any time, every time. 

I live with my husband in an electric and charming New York. 

I absolutely love your sari style. How would you describe it?

I would like to call it casual, bordering on traditional, with hints of chic and bohème. The latter is perhaps a result of the poet in me. 

What kind of saris do you enjoy wearing, and what kind of occasions do you wear them for?

Cotton cotton cotton! And then, a little bit of silk. I dig sarees with texture. I like them thickish, roughish, heavy, and definitely unstarched. The khadis, linens, malkhas and Kotpads give me goose bumps. So do raw silks and tussars.

These days, I find myself wearing saris to every place, from parks to pubs, from pujas to parties, and even on no-outing days. 

Do you wear the sari the simple way, where you use what you have to create new styles or do you enjoy a more decadent style, with different kinds of blouses/jewellery/footwear?

I often find myself draping saris the regular way, but there have been a few times when I have experimented. My experiments are usually a result of the absolute need for convenience, or some sudden curiosity. I make it a point to never repeat a blouse-sari pair. Wearing the same sari with different blouses/accessories gives me the feeling of newness. Repetition tends to bore me.

10 Reasons why I write about the Sari

Do you want the honest truth? I never set out to be a sari blogger, let alone a sari wearer. 

Though I’ve loved the sari since I was a little girl, it wasn’t my go-to attire for many years. And when I did start wearing the 6-yards of elegance often, mostly for work assignments in the heartland of India and to rambunctious fauji parties, I never really consciously thought about the sari as more than a garment. Till I read an article about how the sari is dying a slow death, and how if we weren’t careful, it would end up being a costume than the tradition, story, heritage and history that it really is.

So, here’s the reason why I write about the sari – and believe me, it’s got very less to do with fashion.

1. I want to do my itsy bitsy bit in saving the sari from its costume-future. I mean, like Yoga and Ayurveda, we’ll soon have the West educating us about the beauty and benefits of the sari – and rightly so, if we aren’t very careful about preserving this piece of tradition.

2. I’d like to bring forth the story behind each sari. The stories of weavers toiling over manual looms in huts lit with lanterns.

Amy Aribam - a sari diva, mom and founder of ARIA Ethnic & Amaria

3. I want to draw attention to the fact that each sari really is a piece of art, not just a garment meant to hibernate in our steel trunks. Just look at the number of sari weaving traditions and styles across India, and each one is as intricate and beautiful as the other.

4. I’d like women to feel just as good in a sari as in a pair of jeans. For a long time, I’d get exasperated questions like “Why are you wearing a sari today?” or “Why not jeans?”, and I really couldn’t understand why the sari bothers some people so much. I still don’t. But you want my honest opinion – this graceful garment can only make you look better, not worse. So how does it matter where you wear it to!

Sari Love - Parama and her quirky, crazy, whimsical sari style

Hello Sari-divas! I can’t wait to introduce today’s sari love guest. A sari buddy I met through the very first sari blog post I wrote here (I featured a sari picture from Byloom and it turned out, she was the model), I’ve loved her unique sari style for a long time. Quirky, whimsical, fun, full of fervor, her sari style is totally like the kind of person she is. Ladies, I’m pleased to welcome Parama Ghosh Ganguly, a lawyer and artist from Kolkata, who I promise, will blow you away with her fabulous sari style.

 Please tell us about yourself – what you do, where do you live, your interests, family.

I am a lawyer and an artist from Calcutta. Born to a family of four generation of lawyers, I was almost destined to be one. 9 years into the profession, I could clearly see that law and I had an about-okay marriage and the mind strayed in love-struck alleys. The law firm job was like a rich husband who would sponsor my travels, stilettos and bags, but the heart longed to lose itself in the dimples of a starry eyed lover. 

In February, 2015, I took the plunge and launched my dream venture “Parama” (Narcissicus is my middle name). The love for handloom, slow fashion, handmade art and inspirations from every day words, pages of books, scenes from films, lyrics of songs made the project what it is. In the initial days, I was battling a full fledged law firm job in the day and creating stories on handloom by night. I am now consulting with a start up law firm for 3 days and use the rest of the days for my project.     

I love to write. I write particularly about Calcutta (about roadside tea, conversations, cinema, roads, statues of Calcutta, book fair, “Why Bengalis are God’s greatest gift to mankind”, among other things) and also about other mundane happenings that makes my life colourful. My blog, “Potpourri” can be found here: http://paramaghosh.blogspot.in/

My other interests would include Rabindranath Thakur, traveling, biriyani, reading, cinema, photography, thick milk tea, conversations with cab drivers, Farhan Akhtar.

I absolutely love your sari style. How would you describe it?

I would describe my saree style as “carefree”. It is an extension of my (eccentric) personality. It is second skin. I have often boasted and bragged about this and shall repeat it again.  I can drape any saree in three flat minutes. It takes lesser time than it takes for any man to get ready. This explains saree for me in a nutshell. It is as every day and as effortless as putting a bindi on my forehead or applying kohl on the eye contours.

Sari Love - Sadiya Kazmi and the soul of her sari style

Hello Sari-istas! I’m back with another sari love guest, and am happy to introduce Sadiya Kazmi, a social activist, fellow service wife and a friend. I love her casual chic sari style and the way she carries of her handwoven saris with elan. Like any fauji wife, Sadiya, lives and works from all across, and is currently based in Abu Dhabi.

 Sadiya, please tell us a bit about yourself.

Whatever I tell about myself has to be related to my love for sarees because whatever I do ,who I am and what I think is connected with my soul. And the word saree is just as much part of my soul and wraps up within its folds, everything I am and everything I do.

I take great pride in what I do - I am a social activist by profession. I chose this because staying true to oneself is very important for me in order to keep my sanity and honesty intact in my life. I work mostly with children and women, and take theatre workshops because that's what I am by nature and profession - a street theatre artist. My work allows me to share my belief and sentiments with. I choose social issues to portray in my theatre, something which I strongly feel about and love to spread this social awareness. It gives me immense pride when the concept is embraced enthusiastically by the people I work with .

And when I use words like enthusiasm, embrace, believe and soul, I feel like it's important to mention that I associate these with my love for sarees. I am married to an Air force Officer and I should give a lot of credit to my life as being a part of this organization that helped me build my confidence in wearing the saree the way I do today. I have been married for almost 19 years now and cannot imagine having embarked on this journey without tirelessly trying to prove that I can carry a saree and I love it.

 What does the sari mean to you, and what’s your sari style all about?

I stay connected with every saree I own because every time I drape it, every fold is an effort towards perfection and elegance that one needs to acquire as a proud Indian woman. It's the tradition, it's the history, it’s decades old of said and unsaid stories of women of all ages within the folds and weave of sarees. It's a part of our upbringing.

Sari Love – Priya Kadapa Shah and her eclectic sari style

Here's my next guest at Sari Love - Priya Kadapa Shah, an entrepreneur and educator from Mumbai, who wears her eclectic collection of handloom saris with panache.

Please tell us about yourself – what you do, where do you live, your interests, family.

I am a chartered accountant by profession, and a teacher by occupation. I run a coaching academy and teach accounts, costing, economics, finance and taxation as well as French to college students. And hopefully influence their career choices and also open up their horizons. I love finding new talent and promoting them and I help to organize exhibitions for designers. I am a voracious reader and a closet writer:).

I stay in Mumbai, with my husband who is perpetually travelling ;)and two kids- my daughter is 12 and son is 7.

I absolutely love your sari style. How would you describe it?

It's elegant with a dash of quirkiness and ethnic with a blend of the contemporary.

What kind of saris do you enjoy wearing, and what kind of occasions do you wear them for?

I am hard core cotton Saree person , I love Sarees that are thick and rough with a body and a texture. In silks, again I prefer thick silks like a Kanjeewaram or desi tussar or raw silks.

I don't really look for an occasion to wear a Saree- I think a Saree for me is an integral part of my life and wardrobe . I have worn Sarees on school runs, while grocery shopping, meeting friends and of course for family functions and social gatherings. And even on the beach as a sarong and with a jacket in the mountains.

Do you wear the sari the simple way, where you use what you have to create new styles or do you enjoy a more decadent style, with different kinds of blouses/jewellery/footwear (Please share photos)?

I wear it the simple way and have also worn it in newer styles for the fun element or to jazz up the old Saree by giving it a new drape.And yes, blouses are a great way to make the same Saree look different. I also love using accessories- could be Jewellry, or shoes or handbags or even sunglasses to add to my look. Doing my hair in different ways is also something I have experimented with along with newer Saree styles to jazz up the look.

What’s an interesting way to accessorize the sari, as per you?

One piece of statement Jewellry - could be earrings or a neckpiece or a hair accessory - and since I have a bag fetish- a bag that's too not too big or too small- and which matches the aesthetics of the Saree. Try using clutches, slings, jholas, ethnic totes, potlis- I tend to avoid very western looking glossy bags with the Sarees I wear. A proper bag will add so much more to the look of the Saree.

What’s your best tip for those who love the sari, but are hesitant about wearing it more often?

Start by wearing it once a fortnight for " non-occasions"- this will help to reduce your trepidation and people around you will get used to seeing you in a Saree :)

Wear it for your work or even at home or to a school meeting - you will get habituated to wearing it and working in it.

And trust me , the appreciation and compliments , said and unsaid that a Saree  invariable garners , will propel you further :)

Let your inner goddess shine!

Anything that you’d like to add?

A Saree is one of the most fluid and versatile garments - it hides and it shows. It conceals the flaws and displays the assets. It's such a forgiving and feminine attire and we have the shape to flaunt it :).

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