The Relevance of Sarees in Modern Times

Sari, the traditional dress of women is exotic, sensuous, seductive and feminine. These are just some of the glowing terms attributed to the sari; but why is it that we glorify only women's traditional dresses this way? Why can't women transgress the cultural norms and wear more comfortable dresses without inviting snide remarks? Probably women, because of their child-bearing and rearing role, embody the continuation of culture. They are more symbolic. Is sari, the traditional Indian women's dress, six yards of sensuousness or six yards of shackles to bind them into a cultural image?

A sari is a very long strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from five to nine meters in length, which can be draped in various styles. It is usually worn over a petticoat, with a blouse known as a choli forming the upper garment. The choli, generally worn short baring the midriff, has short sleeves and a low neck; it may be "backless" or have a halter neck style.

Each region of India has its own distinct style of draping a sari. In Maharashtra, women wear the nine-yard sari which is passed through the legs and tucked in at the back. In Gujarat, the pallu comes from the back, and drapes across the front over the right shoulder. In Tamil Nadu, Brahmin ladies wear a nine-yard madisaar-style sari with no petticoat, with a 'pinkosavam', or pleated rosette, at the back of the waist. Particularly beautiful is the sari worm by women in the Kodagu district of Karnataka. In this style, the pleats are created in the rear, instead of in the front. The loose end of the sari is draped back-to-front over the right shoulder, and is pinned to the rest of the sari. Mundu neriyathu is the traditional clothing of women in Kerala; the mundu is simply wrapped like a towel at the waist, whereas neriyath is wrapped around the shoulders.

Today, the sari is worn by women in the Indian sub-continent, from Nepal to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Always in style, it is a forgiving garment that conceals a woman's imperfections and enhances her assets. As an embodiment of feminine mystique, it entices by revealing just enough to keep you guessing; yet, probably by its association with virtuous womanhood, manages to stay away from giving a come-hither look. Even today for a young girl, draping a sari for the first time is the ultimate coming-of-age experience.

While the sari lives on in villages and cities and is worn by a majority of older women, young urban women have restricted it to formal occasions only. Young innovative designers in India, like Rohit Bal, J.J. Valaya, Rina Dhaka, Suneet Varma, Tarun Tahiliani, Sandip Khosla and Ritu Kumar have now given it a fresh life and a new twist for the new generation. These designers have revitalized the sari, adding heavily embroidered blouses to plain saris and re-styling the pallu to expose the bust enticingly. There are zip-on saris for girls who may have trouble handling all those pleats!

Styling a sari with tassled patchwork, applique, mirror work, Bengali kantha-work, Kalamkari paint-work and zardozi have provided employment to rural weavers and artisans. As Indians have spread around the world, they have taken the sari with them. Saris are a common sight in London, Johannesburg, Trinidad, Toronto, Hong Kong and Singapore. In fact, saris are big business in countries like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan which produce bolts of synthetics like chiffon, satin and nylon which are bought in six-yard lengths by Indians as saris.

For today's woman, the choice of wearing a sari would depend on the occasion. For an evening or a late night party or a wedding, saris - may be a luxurious chiffon or silk georgette in soft hues or flaming colors — would be great. But a woman hopping into a crowded moving bus to go to college or office — an everyday scenario in any typical Indian city - would definitely prefer a dress offering better mobility. A study on "South Asian Women in the Workplace" by the Harvard Business School says that most companies considered a traditionally dressed women as passive and submissive, unambitious and unassertive, despite being technically adept. A sari, worn with a matching blouse and a bindi, however alluring otherwise, could thus be an anachronism in a highly competitive global work environment.

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