Although sarees are generally considered to be traditional garments worn by Indian women, their appeal has broadened, and they are becoming widely accepted by fashion conscious young women across the globe because of their wide variety of colourful materials and styles, plus the appearance of effortless elegance that they can bestow.
A saree is basically a strip of unstitched cloth that can vary in length from 3-9 metres, and can be of an almost infinite variety of materials, textures, and colours, often worn draped over a simple blouse.
Sarees made out of silk are considered by many as the most elegant, and are seen often in Mumbai, one of India's most fashionable and fashion conscious capitals. A big advantage of the saree is that it can be draped over the body in different ways, giving you more options for different day-to-day styles from the single outfit. The most common style is for the saree to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff. A fully covering saree though, is more suitable for evening wear or a formal occasion.
There are various traditional style of saree like Sambalpuri Saree from the East, Kanchipuram from the south, Paithani from the West, and Banarasi from the North, but many young women are forsaking tradition and wearing their sarees in a more contemporary way.
Sarees are beautiful in themselves and an excellent addition to the wardrobe for fashion conscious women who like to be unpredictable and not bound by old-school ideas of what should, or shouldn't be worn. Sarees can be worn by virtually anyone, and can be simple to give a casual but elegant look, or dressed up with extravagant design to look amazing and ultra chic.
Some of the newly available saree designs in faux Georgette feature stunning combinations of colours like black and dark pink, black and magenta, black and mauve, and black with off white. The more upmarket contemporaray styles are still extravagant in their effect despite employing modern or abstract, rather than traditional, patterns and designs, and are most suitable for parties or any special occasion. Some designer styles bring with them new dying techniques as well as new patterns and materials employing embroidery on pure fabric. These top of the range sarees are handmade and really rather special indeed.
