Where can I get a unique Sari for my daughter

Harleymcc

Hello, first real post

My daughter and I have been looking at all the pictures of beautiful saris on the web, and she has tasked me with getting her one.

She is an average sized eight year old, and really wants purple.

Being a 45 yr old man, I am at a total lose for where to even begin to look for them, or even how much one would cost.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Mike

camelgirl

Hmmm, children don't wear saris. But they make them for little girls who want to dress up. I doubt that they would be a real sari with yards of material, just a skirt made to look like a sari with a top & scarf. Here is a website that shows girls sari's to get an idea. You can certainly find something in India. http://www.desivastra.com/indianbout...fit/saree.html They should be MUCH LESS expensive than that website.

You don't say where you will be in India but once you get there, anyone in your hotel can help you find a place.

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de_cooky

Sari is a beautiful dress..The best part of buying a sari is that you dont need the measurements. Its a one size fit all affair. I have seen very very small girls wearing sari for their shool stage shows. These are the same saris that their mother's wear..
So buy a beautiful purple and dont worry about the size..
She can wear it now for fun and she can enjoy it for years to come

Harleymcc

Sorry, I will be in Bangalore.

That's the site we were looking at!!!!!

Nick-H

...There are practical limitations. The width of the fabric goes around the waist, and reaches the floor. if the fabric is substantially wider than the child is waist-to-ankle long, it will look ridiculous, even with lots of tucking in.

Then there is the waist: the excess, after wrapping the lower part and allowing the right length to go over the shoulder, is folded into the pleats at the front. Again, too much pleating is going to look silly, especially when it is tucked over the already-tucked skirt section.

"One size fits all" is a yes, but! I can't deny it, and I've often said it myself, but there are variations, and the taller, plumper woman will make sure that the width and the length is sufficient for her. My wife has a couple of saris that are a bit on the small side, and she has not cut off the blouse section to compensate.

Hopefully, in years to come, she can make her own trip to India and choose her very own sari --- but, in the meantime, I'd agree that there is nothing wrong in being presented with six yards of very beautiful material! Remember... she needs a sari underskirt and a blouse, which is made to measure. There is usually a "blouse piece" with any expensive sari and, anyway, an 8-yr-old will be able to improvise with t-shirts and blouses.

I'd suggest you forget about one sari --unless you are going with hand luggage only! Pretty cottons start at just a few hundred rupees. Buy her half a dozen! They will be much better for experiment too, and getting the hang of draping it. She won't have to worry about spoiling something expensive, or getting it dirty. Cotton tends to be stiff and crisp in the shop; it becomes softer after a wash.

For the expensive silk, go for something soft and flowing. I am no expert at the many kinds of silk available, but a heavy Kanchipuram is going to take a lot more skill to wear than a flowing Benares. Tussar silk, which is like crisp paper, would be the ultimately difficult.

Many of the bigger sari shops will have leaflets that explain how to wear the sari. Make sure you pick one up. There are dozens (or even hundreds) of different drapes; I expect the internet will know, anyway!

Hmmm... you've got me started on one of my favourite subjects, sari buying!

Harleymcc

Thanks Nick-H!

danield

Plenty of places. We buy our sarees at a place in Unity Building. This building is located in the city near the Corporation Building.

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Harleymcc

Thanks Danield!

I'll be working in the Millennium Tower. Is that near there?

camelgirl

I feel as though I've been to a parallel universe--I've never seen a child wearing a sari! I also can't imagine an 8 year old managing one, even with help.

The cute outfits that imitate a sari for a child still seems reasonable to me. Also, fine silk saris? Aren't those hundreds of dollars?

Do indeed by lots of them if you plan on converting them to curtains! That's what I do with them since I won't attempt actually wearing one but they are so gorgeous I also want them!

nayan

They donot wear it for everyday wear but often, little girls wear sarees on various puja days and functions like weddings etc. Not an ensemble which looks like a saree but a real saree(Mom's or aunt's). Requires a few more pins....

The girls who learn dancing have to learn wearing a saree elegantly from a pretty young age.

Harleymcc - Does she want to wear a saree or she wants to posess a nice saree. Its not possible for an eight yr old(even an indian eight year old)to drape a saree properly.

If its for wearing to an event or just having fun dressing up at home a purple goergette or chiffon embroideried with sequins etc may be a better idea than a silk.

For a little girl the saree can be worn over leggings(instead of an underskirt) and a tshirt/tubetop/strappy top instead of a saree blouse.

Many little Indian girls wear the saree over churidar bottoms(instead of the underskirt) during dance performances.

Nick-H

Depending on the personal definition of "fine", but no. Both my wife's wedding sari and the sari we bought for her son's wedding were around Rs5,000 (so one hundreds of dollars ) and they are pretty posh! You would be surprised at how low prices start: I think that the last silk sari I bought for Mrs N (she's not that keen; it is hotter and sweatier than cotton) was less than 2,000, with hand-painted peacocks!

What it's makers claim to be "the most expensive sari in the the world" is something like Rs5,000,000 (50 Lakh) but includes precious gems in the embroidery. (I can't get The Chennai Silks site to open just now).

Check out companies on the web like Nalli and RmKV. Here's RmKV Site.

This skirt and top ensemble, by the way, is what the traditional little girl still wears to look posh.

Whilst I am mentioning names of companies that have big shops in Chennai, they may well have Bangalore branches, and, if not, similar will be available from shops with different names!

Raghu.Kumar

Hi Harley,

I guess you are not in India. Anyways children's saree is available at Radha Silk Emporium ( Rasi Silks ) in chennai. Also attached is a link for Placing order online or seeking details about a particular product.

http://www.radhasilk.com/legend.htm

http://www.radhasilk.com/contact_us.htm

Rasi Silks is one of the oldest Silk Shops in Chennai and is quite popular with the Leading Ladies of this town. In my view the children's silk saree should cost about 50 USD. The quality and design would be the best in class.

Hope this helps, Raghu

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brishti

the saree has a complex wrap-around procedure harley... its tough enough for sari-noobie-adults.
for kids, if not pinned, tucked, wrapped properly - the usually result is a series of 'trips'

how about the ghagra/choli or the lehnga/choli... what nick refers to as the skirt blouse
they are as glitzy, glamourous colourful adult wear for kids.
it comes with a dupatta [scarf], which kids love draping any which they can.
here are some styles: [ignore the short dress!]
and some more!

in bangalore - these are readily available in all colours, glitter and sparkles.
daniel's suggestion + commercial street would have what you're looking for.

happy successful shopping




:brishti

null

The right place for getting any such clothing in Bangalore would be the "chik pet" area (chik as in chick :P). Anything & Everything would be available there. But cautioning you, it not an easy place for you to go.

A full size/length saree would be too much for an 8 year girl. However, there should be some easy-to-wear dresses like the ones you had in that www.desivastra.com site (link mentioned in one of the prev posts) would be practical.

The problem is with the cost, unless you are an expert with differentiating the quality, its very easy to get confused. Similar looking outfit would be costing 400Rs & 4000Rs & sellers try to take advantage. I would assume that these kind of silk dresses should be available from 750-1500Rs (or even 2500rs for pure rich silk) for a lil girl's size. You would have pure silk & fake silk(which looks brighter & colorful than the pure ones) there & you may have to be careful.

Suggestion:
- If you have any blorean/indian colleague (female) who knows the place - chikpet - I mentioned, ask them to take you & you would get a good deal & the right type (women can never go wrong with this :P ) [Dare to kinda option]
- If you dont dare, try to go to some normal brand store - and you should be able to get some options - stores like Kalamandir etc & would be on the expensive side.
- Other place: Commercial Street where you may get various options to buy such stuff. [Best option]

Hope this helps.

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Nick-H

Oh, yes... I suppose it is! It is nothing like the adult version that I was used to having that name back in London. That would have been more Northern, I suppose, anyway.