HISTORY OF THE SAREE | What is a Saree?

 HISTORY OF THE SAREE | What is a Saree?

 Saree is undoubtedly one of the oldest pieces of clothing known to us & has stayed put as a staple in the Indian woman’s wardrobe. 

With this video we’ll explore what the saree really is & how it came into existence, evolving into the versatile piece of clothing it is today.

 So what is the saree? Literally speaking a saree stands for a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk, elaborately draped around the body. 

The origin of the saree can be traced back to the Indus Valley civilization up to 5000 years back & is largely known to be worn by women in the Indian subcontinent. 

Women can also be seen wearing the saree in unique ways and drapes over different centuries and empires in ancient and dated paintings. 

Some more recent images of the saree are from the early 1900s where women & young girls from every region of India have been seen sporting this versatile piece.

 The classic nivi style saree drape which is widely known and worn by women has front pleats, a pallu usually on the left shoulder, and a petticoat and blouse underneath. 

It is widely believed that the cloth of the fabric must not be cut or sewn and be worn as is. That’s probably how there are more than 80 known ways to drape the saree.

 Some drapes vary from region to region, or even the culture that women follow. 

Some very commonly known saree drapes include the Gujarati seedha pallu, the Maharashtrian Nauvari saree, the Bengali Saree Drape and even the gol Parsee saree drape. Sarees were originally meant to be cotton or silk, Today, however, they are available in a vast variety of fabrics.

 Net, Georgette & chiffon sarees have also taken the saree scene by storm thanks to emerging trends over the years. 

While the usual saree today measures upto 5.5 meters of the fabric, there are many versions of the saree that are longer.

 For example like the Maharashtrian nauvari saree or nine-yard tree Like the name suggests, it measures up to 9 yards or a little more than 8 meters of fabric. 

Then there’s the half saree that usually measures upto 3 to 3.5 meters of fabric. It is usually worn with pants. 

With a history as vast as the saree’s, it’s evident that it is  rich with tradition & also a wardrobe chameleon.

 It has evolved in ways unimaginable to most of us not only through time but also through cultures & regions. 

All this & it is still one of the most favoured amongst Indian women, and not to mention our first pick when it comes to traditional attire.

 We hope this video brought you a bit closer to the culture & tradition that the saree stands for.