Contrary to popular opinion, sarees can serve as a great attire for the office. But it’s important to select the right fabric, colours and designs. While there are specifics that matter such as your role, corporate culture and personal preferences, we believe this guide can be used as a reference by any woman choosing to wear a saree for work.
Choice of colors
Neutral Colors: Neutral colors like beige, black, white and grey are great options. They emanate professionalism and are safe choices for an office environment.
Subdued Tones: Subdued tones such as pastel shades of blue, pink, green and lavender are perfect for work. These colors are subtle yet elegant and add a touch of femininity without being flashy.
Earth Tones: Earthy colors like olive green, taupe, mustard yellow, and rust brown are ultra-modern selections for office wear saree. They communicate a sense of stability and maturity while still being stylish.
Choice of Designs/patterns
Classic Patterns: Stick to classic patterns like pinstripes or checks. Avoid bold and flashy designs that may appear distracting.
Printed sarees: Choose intricate prints that aren’t too bold; small floral prints on a subtle shade work well.
Small borders: Small or medium sized borders are more appropriate in an office setting. They can still look great while maintaining a minimalistic look.
Choice of fabric
Cotton: What you want for work is a fabric that is light and easy to work with during the day. Cotton is perfect for this. Cotton is light, organic and can be dyed in a variety of subtle colours.
Silk cotton: Made from both cotton and silk threads, silk-cotton sarees are also a great option. They combine the sheen of silk with the durability of cotton.
Silk: Heavy silk sarees are generally not suitable for work. However, there are light weight silk sarees/soft silks that are extremely light and easy to drape.
Art silk: Art silk sarees are made from synthetic silk fabric such as rayon and nylon. These can be dyed in a variety of subtle tones making them suitable for an office setting.
Linen: Linen and linen-cotton sarees can be affordable as well as light weight, making them an obvious choice. We recommend picking a linen saree with simple geometric patterns in a subdued tone for work.
Sarees are a great attire since they can be used for many different occasions. While our guide is designed to help, comfort and your own personal preferences should determine the kind of attire you choose to wear for the office!