A good sari is never a bad investment

Want to buy a gift for a lady in your life (mom/wife/sister/ daughter)? The first thought that comes to mind is a sari. This is the power of a sari. It defines the Indian woman.

Every woman loves a sari whether she drapes it or not. Wasn’t it a delight to see British Prime Minister Theresa May in a sari during her visit to India last year? Generations of little girls have grown up draping mom’s dupattas as a sari while strutting about in her oversized sandals! However, most girls wear their first real sari at the school farewell party.

Each one of us has a tale to tell how the first sari was held in place with over a dozen safety pins! Normally, mother decides the family occasion to which your first sari is to be worn for it is an Indian equivalent of the presentation of the debutant.

The sari is indeed a universal outfit. For starters, one size fits all. For the smart socialite, there is a sari for every occasion: crisp cottons for office wear, traditional silk with a variety of weaves for formals, while designers offer a range for cocktail and garden parties.

The fashion police will not object if you wear a French chiffon sari, teamed with a string of pearls to Derby. Haven’t you observed, the moment you drape a sari, you become an epitome of feminine grace. You automatically stand taller and walk with small dainty steps. Paradoxically, you can also portray a thorough professional look by donning a sari in an appropriate fabric and weave. This is the versatility of a sari and it has always been hailed for hiding flab and accentuating curves.

My mom says a good sari is never a bad investment. Consequently, over decades my sari box has become a repertoire of the rich heritage of Indian weaves. It has a Pochampally from Andhra, a Bomkai from Orissa, a Baluchari from Bengal, a Patola from Gujarat in addition to saris in a range of fabrics: dhakai, jute silk, Banarasi, Kora silk, chanderi, tanchoi and tussar etc. I must confess, I drape these rarely but sun and air them regularly.

In the current rushed lifestyle, the salwar kameez, churidar kurtas and now trousers are preferred by women. At this rate, a sari may soon become extinct just like the Kimono in Japan. Realising this threat, a few socialities initiated ‘the 100 sari pact’ last year, wherein you have to wear a sari for at least 100 days in a year and show it off on social media. Union minister for textiles Smriti Irani’s ‘wear handloom’ campaign has given further impetus to the sari and to traditional weaves and textiles.

Growing up in a nation where the length of a skirt is a direct measure of your character (sic!), I too believed a sari to be perfect outfit for decent girls as it covers you from top to toe.As a young girl, the hemline of my skirts never went above my knees. While I was studying in England, I offered a sari to a British friend for a college occasion. She shocked and amused me by refusing to wear it, saying she didn’t not have the guts to wear an outfit that revealed so much of your torso!

THE SARI IS INDEED A UNIVERSAL OUTFIT. FOR STARTERS, ONE SIZE FITS ALL. FOR THE SMART SOCIALITE, THERE IS A SARI FOR EVERY OCCASION: CRISP COTTONS FOR OFFICE WEAR & TRADITIONAL SILK WITH A VARIETY OF WEAVES FOR FORMALS