Sarees have been considered the most gracious and beautiful attire for women all over the world. Saree is a traditional outfit of Indian women that is used for both routine wear and special occasions. Give the rich cultural diversity of this country it is not astonishing to find innumerable differences even in the ways in which a saree is draped across different regions of India. As fashion evolved, designer sarees became a preference over traditional sarees. These sarees seem to have enticed especially the younger generation who love to experiment with elements from both cultures – Indian and western. However, the transformation was seen not just in the patterns and designs of sarees but also in the way they are draped. Below given are some simple steps that will help you drape your designer saree in a more sophisticated way:
- Wrap It Around Your Waist:
The first step of draping a designer saree is followed commonly to drape any kind of saree. Pick that end which is not the pallu of your designer saree and tuck it carefully into your petticoat just below your navel. Now start wrapping it around your petticoat and take one complete turn. Now tuck this portion that you just wrapped around your waist inside the petticoat just the way you tucked one end in the beginning. Do this after adjusting your saree according to your height. Make sure you wear your footwear while doing this since this will give you an exact idea of how high or low the saree needs to be.
- Adjust the Pallu:
A common mistake made by most women when draping a designer saree is to make the pleats first and then adjust the pallu. This often leaves the pallu loose even if it is pinned giving a shabby appearance to the entire costume. The thing with most designer sarees is that they are adorned with heavy embroidery or stone work and the pallu is usually the most highlighted portion. So, it tends to slip off or slide easily while adjusting the pleats. Thus, a clever way to drape a designer saree after the wrapping and tucking has been done is to adjust the pallu. See how long you want the pallu to be and accordingly pin it to your blouse. You can remove the pin later if you are used to carrying the pallu on your own.
There are two ways of adjusting the pallu. Most women usually drape a saree in an ‘ultapallu’ style which means that they take the pallu from front to back. However, with designer sarees, it is advisable to follow a ‘seedhapallu’ style i.e. take it from back so that it falls in front. This makes it possible for the heavily embellished pallu of a designer saree to be seen easily by everyone.
- Make Pleats:
You will now have a clear idea of the length of your saree that will be used in making pleats. Make about 6-10 pleats depending on the length and tuck them neatly inside the petticoat just below or slightly on the left of your navel. It is alright for this step to take the maximum amount of time but it needs to be done with utmost care. It is this step, after all, that will ultimately determine the overall look of your saree. After making these pleats, you can also make pleats on the shoulder. This will give a magnificent look to your pallu and highlight its design.
These three simple steps can be followed to drape any kind of designer saree for any event, festival, as well as traditional occasions of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal, Punjab or any other culture.
