HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR PERFECT SAREE?

In India, saree is a versatile piece of clothing that is widely draped in different ways. Typically, it is available in different lengths from 6 yards to 10 yards. In addition to traditional heritage classic drapes from different regions of India, sarees are now available in more modern forms as well. Regardless of whether it’s a saree yardage or a ready-to-wear saree, we require some guidelines to ensure a clear selection process.

So, let us just quickly go over some tips to make saree selection sorted!

  • KNOW THE OCCASION

Knowing the occasion saves a lot of time which we lose contemplating. Festive occasion calls for luxurious sarees, if you are someone who loves wearing trends and following fashion then fancy fabrics like velvet for winters with ornamentation and, if you are someone who loves exclusivity and has an artful taste with aesthetic sensibilities then traditional classics like handcrafted or handloom sarees are the go-to-choice. Formal occasion demands comfort – lightweight fabric, no zari or even minimal zari sarees which have soft hand feel and are easy to drape and maintain day-in and day-out certainly tops the list. For occasions, like parties, evening events opting for sheer fabric like pure organza or glossy ones with tissue woven along with zari adds glamour and magical charm to the wearer.

  • KNOW THE COLOR

Season or seasonal color?– Brighter and lighter colors are preferred for summers whereas darker and earthy colors are chosen for monsoon and winters since decades. We also see lot of new colors gaining momentum, be it clothes, bags, accessories as the season changes basis the forecasted color trends by the fashion industry, pairing these colors well – with colors from the same family or contrast pairing accentuates the look. You can also draw inspiration from popular celebrity looks, if you are someone who does not want to go through trial and error. Choose as you please, slay with a smile and you will look gorgeous irrespective.

Complimenting color for day time or evening time – Pastels for the day and darker shades for the evening is the no brainer tip as wearing lighter colors is more comfortable for the day whereas darker colors emphasizes the look of the saree and the wearer without impacting comfort during evening or night.

What is your skin undertone? – You can reconfirm the choice of the color by being aware of your skin undertone. If you have cool undertone (visible blue veins), warm undertone (visible green veins) or neutral undertone (does not show any of the vein colors through skin). Cooler colors like silver, blue and its family compliment cool undertones. Warmer colors like red, orange, yellow, golden compliment warm undertones. Neutral undertones have more expansive range of complimenting colors to choose from both cool and warm color palettes.

  • KNOW THE FABRIC

Having your wardrobe filled with saree in natural fabrics takes care of this factor majorly. Natural fabrics usually work round the year in India, thanks to the characteristics of the natural fabrics.

While choosing the saree basis the fabric type – relook at characteristics like fabric content/ composition, fabric drape and fall, fabric weight, fabric opacity, maintenance and care etc. So that you make a well-informed purchase not an impromptu buy.

  • KNOW THE PRINTS & PATTERNS

Surface ornamented sarees like printed, embroidered, painted, tie-dyed has design motifs from small to big sizes in borders, in saree body and even on pallu. Wearing small to mid-size borders, smaller vertical prints and less patterned sarees creates illusion of height and compliments voluptuous sizes. Likewise wearing sarees with big prints or elaborate patterns in saree body adds volume and width to the wearer.

  • KNOW THE PRICE & VALUE

Evaluate the worth of the saree basis the quality, make, care it demands and also the frequency of usage. Choose reasonable sarees, if you wish to get your hands on the trending sarees. Handmade sarees in natural fabrics are valuable considering the exclusivity, artisanal labor, time, age-old technique and the benefits of eco-conscious fabric. These are potential heirloom pieces and can be passed down to younger generations or can be upcycled too. But yes, these handmade sarees require some extra care to last for years!