9 Facts You Might Not Know About The Sari

9 Facts You Might Not Know About The Sari

Malika Verma Kashyap explores the lesser-known side of the iconic garment

1. A sari is more than just ‘an uncut piece of handwoven cloth’
Traditionally, the sari has been defined as a single piece of unstitched fabric, often with heavier sections to allow it to drape correctly. Its border (akin to a hem) would be woven with a heavier density, as would its ‘pallu’ (the often decorative end piece). 

But today, its definition extends to include textiles woven by mill or by hand, often with one consistent density. The term ‘sari’ has also evolved to become inclusive of contemporary materials, including cotton, silk, synthetic fiber and others. This latter point is contentious to sari ‘purists’; but the reality is that millions of women wear 100% polyester saris, most purchased for less than $10USD. 

2. A sari can be draped over 100 ways

If you were to Google ‘how to wear a sari’, hundreds of videos would offer tips on how to perfectly drape your sari. Often people think there’s only one way to wear a sari – i.e the ‘Nivi’ drape. 

But the truth is that there are hundreds of different ways to drape a sari. Most of the drape styles are regionally specific and – just like food and language in India – the drapes are a result of context, geography and function.

It’s also reasonable to assume that there are other drapes in existence that haven’t yet been officially documented. You could even go so far as to say that you can drape a sari however you like.