What is the first outfit that comes to your mind when someone says women’s everyday wear? Corporate suits? Chic skirts? Dresses? Salwar kameez? Jeans? Most Often your mind conjures up the image of a saree, the quintessential traditional Indian attire.
Today’s youth has traded the humble saree for outfits deemed more convenient and manageable. In fact, comfort and convenience are now the two deciding factors for purchasing everyday workwear for women and the saree has been relegated to category of outfits of choice for special occasions.
Women feel that a lot of effort goes into draping a saree, making it well-nigh impossible for them to wear it every day, especially when you have to deal with a daily commute, work stress, running around etc.
But the times are changing. More and more people are waking up to the realization that sarees are the perfect outfits for the Indian body type. Nothing can ever top the timeless appeal of a saree.
There is a saree to suit everyone’s personality and as more women are celebrating an individualistic sense of style, sarees are making a popular comeback as the outfit of choice for everyday workwear too. Have you noticed how the saree is the ultimate power outfit for many Indian female corporate honchos like Chanda Kochchar, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Naina Lal Kidwai and the like?
And with celebrities sporting the sari-clad looks and designers experimenting with the saree at fashion weeks to lend it a contemporary chic look, the garment is all set to be revived as everyday wear.
How to choose a daily wear saree?
Unless you’re a celebrity with lots and lots of help available, you cannot possibly wear heavy silk or Banarasi sarees every day. But you can choose from beautiful light and comfortable sarees in materials like cotton, georgette, chiffon and net, that come in diverse prints and colors. These are very easy to carry and draped properly, can give you an aura of desi chic, much coveted by all.
When choosing a saree for everyday wear, remember it should not be a source of distraction at work but should try to blend in with the surrounding yet stand out in its simple elegance.
Every workplace, regardless of the nature of the job, will expect you to dress professionally. Depending upon your working environment, you can opt for a sedate or more stylish look.
There are some other factors you need to keep in mind when choosing a saree for everyday wear.
Time of the day: For daytime work, you can choose sarees in light shades of yellow, light pink, powder blue, lime green or pastel shades. Go for sarees in deeper shades such as brown, red or even black during corporate occasions at night.
Weather: India is a country blessed with extreme weather conditions. However, there is something for every weather in our diverse collection of sarees.
Summers are ideal for flaunting your pretty and crisp, cool cotton sarees while in winter, you can opt for chiffon or georgette in diverse patterns and designs.
In winters, accessorize your sarees with gorgeous shawls, or give it a contemporary spin with scarves and jackets.
How to manage a daily wear saree?
Agreed that nothing looks as sophisticated as a saree but it also needs to be carried with much grace and confidence.
Almost every woman has had the experience of a saree mishap where either the pallu has fallen off at inopportune moments or they have tripped over their pleats and torn or undone it.
But with these hacks, it is possible to avoid these accidents and be comfortable wearing a saree for everyday wear.
Choose the right fabric: Avoid satins as they’re slippery and opt for beautiful silk, chiffon or georgette instead. Also, avoid heavy embellishments to avoid discomfort for long-duration wear.
Adjust your pallu: Manage the pallu length till it suits your height. Make sure it is not too short as it will look clumsy but also avoid extra-long pallus lest you trip on them.
Always keep a pin or two handy: Pin the inner border of your pallu discreetly at your shoulder with a tiny pin and you will never drop your pallu again.
Pick a proper petticoat: Avoid free-size petticoats and have your petticoats stitched to your body type and height.
Tie the saree properly: While you may love to try the low-waist look immortalized by Bollywood, your bosses might not appreciate this. Remember your sari and the petticoat will start inching downwards after some time so you need to tie the saree at the right height to avoid tripping on it. Be extra careful if you have narrow hips as the chances of the saree slipping are higher.
Make proper pleats: Make wider pleats to have less number of folds of cloth near your feet. The greater the number of folds, the more fussy and complicated it becomes to manage the saree
It’s time to embrace the saree as everyday wear. After all, the Indian saree can never go out of style and will complement your beautiful curves and body shapes perfectly, transforming your mundane daily chore of choosing the right outfit into a delightful experience.
In our next series, we will tell you how to keep your precious Banarasi sarees as good as new. Till then, share some tips with us for rocking a saree every day!
