The drape is reborn – sari gets sexy avatar

Tied low on the waist, pinned high on the shoulder, paired with a mismatching blouse, woven in traditional fabric or crafted in sexy chiffon, the six-yard drape called the sari is being reborn on the Indian fashion scene.

Designers say experimentation with draping styles, endorsement by celebrities and an Indo-Western spin to this piece of clothing are popularising it among the younger lot of women.

Designer Varija Bajaj describes it as “the sexiest and most evergreen outfit that suits all body types”.

“Over the past few years, designers and Bollywood have played a lot with sari drapes, embroideries and colours. However, the sari today, in its most sexy avatar, is targeting young girls”.

And innovations are being made in draping styles and blouses.

“Bikini blouses, backless choli styles, stitched saris, lehnga saris, cocktail versions like the one Priyanka Chopra wore in the ‘Desi Girl’ song are all targeted at the youth and, of course, the look is irresistible,” Bajaj tells IANS.

Designer Debarun Mukherjee adds: “The sari has always been a favourite silhouette for women and with the attire emerging as big trend, it is surely one of the sexy avatars a girl can look out for.”

If Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Malaika Arora Khan and Anushka Sharma have given the sari a fillip by draping it with a modern twist, Vidya Balan is flaunting the traditional ones.

Niharica Rai, a 21-year-old PR consultant, tries different styles of draping a sari.

“Nothing can make one look more feminine than a sari and I feel there’s a maximum possibility for me to showcase that oomph factor in a sari,” she said.

“For me, the best way to wear one is to show the curves. The sari must be tied low on the hips, the pallu pleated tightly and pinned high on the shoulder to flaunt the waist.”

Thanks to designers, the sari has evolved and designer Nikhil Mehra confirms this saying it has seen a huge transformation from traditional to contemporary.

“Earlier saris were styled in a traditional way, but now it has taken a more Indo-Western look and this transformation attracts young girls.

“Last month Kajol wore a sari-inspired gown for Filmfare cover and now many youngsters are asking for the outfit. Such saris are ideal for girls who want to look glamorous with no compromise on responsibilities,” he says.

Options are plenty, styles are exotic and designs are created keeping body shapes in mind.

“Mermaid cuts and plain chiffon saris are best for the pearl-shaped body. If you have broad shoulders, it is best to opt for wide necklines and short-sleeved blouses with midriff-revealing saris,” says Bajaj.

If you are skinny, “choose fluffy or tissue saris with low cut blouses or corsets”, suggests Bajaj and adds, “Petite girls can go for georgettes and embrace long chunky necklaces and earrings.”

When it comes to those six yards, innovation has become a key word. For instance, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, known for her elegant and glamorous designs, has come up with a modern avatar for her pret line – Chiconomics.

“Today’s girl wants to do a lot of mix and match and keeping this mind, I recently launched saris, which are very fluid and light weight, giving today’s women the simplicity and drama of a well-cut ensemble,” says Ghosh.