You don’t have to be Katrina Kaif or a gorgeous young model to party in a sari. \ud83d\ude42 I opted to wear a sari for a gala this year. I wanted something simple that I could dance in without worrying about it falling apart or exposing my midriff. A style without the complicated draping, all the safety pins, perfect pleating, trailing loose end (pallu)and the “pleat paunch” you get when you tuck in so much of the sari in front. I got my inspiration from Bollywood actress Mumtaz – she wears it like a gown in a song sequence. But it looked too tight and complicated. I still wanted to retain the essence of the sari.<\/p>\n
So, I cut down the pleats by wrapping it around twice around me, still created a few pleats but moved it to the side instead of front to give it a skirt look for easy movement (rather than Mumtaz’s form-fitting mermaid style). The biggest a-ha for me – instead of traditional pleats across the shoulder, I just gathered everything in a knot. Instead of pinning it on the shoulder, I now had the option to change the look thrice in one evening – regular, gujarati and skirt by just moving it around in 2 seconds. I’ve worn the pallu like a sash, but you could tie the knot in a way that covers your torso fully too.<\/p>\n
In the video below, you can see how it works. I’m sharing this hoping that it inspires you to come up with your own styles. We have such a gorgeous, versatile outfit in a sari that’s been worn for centuries. By improvising, we can still keep it current and popular. And have some fun too. It’s time to celebrate our sari! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
(Apologies for the quality of the video. This was quickly taken on my cell phone to send to my sister for approval. :-))<\/p>\n