Find Your Own Draping Style

Find Your Own Draping Style

More than 5000 years ago, the sari had evolved into a single piece attire in India and it was used without a blouse/in skirt or even lingerie for that matter. It was 6 yards or 9 yards of drape that could be used in any which way. So what did we do with it? We got incredibly creative! Every region had more than one style of weaving and draping!

 

Origin of draping styles

To Indian women, their sari was a work of art through which they expressed their creativity and identity. While there exists a professional or classical style of draping a sari, there are more than 80 variations of it across the subcontinent. There’s the pleat less Bengali and Odia styles, the Kodagu style saree which is a back to the front version of the classic drape, the two-piece Malayali draping style, and so on.

Every region came up with a draping style that best suited them, and every woman found her own style! They experimented, like how we experiment with different attires today. Somewhere along the line, these rules were too strictly followed and we stopped experimenting and having fun.

 

 Discover your own drape!

If you are a beginner or someone who would like to find your own style of draping, here is a quick rundown to starting your journey:

 1) Choose the right fabric and weave that best suits your requirement. Simple Kanjivaram silk sarees (if you don't have one, borrow one from your mother/grandmother/friend) are the easiest to start with.

2) Exploring different drapes and reading about it from various sources, which are just a click away. See which style you like the best, in terms of how it looks and feels on you.

3) Look up a video tutorial for that style. For example if you want to experiment with the Bengali style of draping, you could pick a video tutorial and try following it. Remember, don't get intimidated by the drape or the style. Instead, have fun!

4) Once you are comfortable with the basic rules of draping the style you have chosen, shake it up with your own dose of creativity. Make small changes to it, such as changing the way the pallu is worn or the size of the pleats.

5) After practicing the art of draping, mix and match different draping styles. Play around with it, experiment. You might not instantly arrive at something that suits you, but we guarantee that you will have fun with it.

6) Once you get the hang of it and start having fun with it, you will find your own style very soon. Draping is more of an art than science. If you've discovered a style that you like and can carry well, embrace it fully and make it your own. Being confident and feeling comfortable in your own skin is a big part of draping a sari!

Here are some unique draping styles discovered by some of our customers. Discover your unique draping styles and own them!

 

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