Buying Sari

Abi

Hello everyone,

I will need to wear a sari to a wedding in December. Actually, I might need a few seeing as the wedding goes on so long! It's going to be pretty lavish, so I'll need to look nice, but my budget is very tight. I'll have some time to shop in Delhi, and possibly also Bombay and Varanasi. Is it going to be really easy, just a case of walking in somewhere and finding what I want? Or does anyone have any recommendations, or experience of doing this themselves?

Thank you!

sirensongs

Take a local with you. But make sure she/he isn't getting a cut from the storekeeper first.

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Take a mate or a mates' mate. Someone who knows a particular design fad at the time.

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sirensongs

Seriously, do take a local with you - some auntie who looks nice in your opinion. You can look great for about $20 US or even less, especially if your local friend drapes the sari for you. A critical element is a well-fitted sari blouse (choli). Saris are sold "with blouse piece" or "without blouse piece." If it's without, you will have to find a matching blouse piece elsewhere (not so hard but takes a bit of know how). If the blouse looks see-through, it's okay - it will be entirely covered with the sari always.

Another key element is the Pallu, or end-drape. A really nice blouse-piece and pallu make the sari!

Make sure you are instructed on proper wearing, including (very important) keeping it pinned "properly" - ie, covering your bosom entirely, at all times. Having aunties tsk at you is not pleasant.

Cotton is not usually considered dressy enough for a wedding, but as a foreigner you will be applauded for wearing any sari successfully at all. You can get a nice cotton sari for $10 or so.

edwardseco

Better add a comment by my spouse, chi, chi, cotton. I take it to mean you don't want to iron cotton saris. My sis in law pushes me toward synthetic when we sari shop..

anandi

There are plenty of famous sari markets in Delhi like Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi or the shops in Khan Market, and Sarojni Nagar Market. I even found a beautiful sari at Shoppers Stop in Ansal Plaza. It is all up to your personal preference and you will see how it looks once it's draped over you. They will drape it over you at the shop, and even if you go alone to these places, which is fine mind you... the workers at the shops will guide you in helping to make a choice. There are always hundreds to choose from. Just tell them your price range, and then still bargain... especially if you are going to Chandni Chowk! If you have no strength for bargaining, and you want very easy hassle free Western style shopping then go to Khan Market and definitely Shoppers Stop at Ansal Plaza where it is fixed price.
Varanasi is famous for it's silk and gold thread saris... you will absolutely find them easily in the local market.
If you had a local friend, that would be the best as mentioned above... otherwise most guys leading you to sari shops will get a commission.
I am not an expert... but this is what I've learned about sari shopping. The pallu is what hangs over your shoulder and drapes behind you ... or in some styles of draping, in front of you. usually pallu is the decorative part, but of course you can choose. If you want a decorative all over embroidery for example, on the body itself, plus the pallu, then the all over is called "jal". Then of course there is the matching blouse and petticoat. Different sari fabrics will give different effects... my favourite is georgette with a nice jal pattern, which skims the body and makes you look slimmer... and other fabrics like hard silk puff out around and make you look puffy. You will also need the sari "finished" which they call "sari finishing"... I think that means they press it and add the heavy underlying border which gives it weight at the bottom. You must have that done too. Happy shopping!

Abi

Thanks everybody. Oh lord, I am so excited! :-)

mani

Dear abi ,

Below is a link for details of sari and indian dresses shopping areas for mumbai.
Shopping for Saris and Indian dresses?

Please let me have an approximate budget, no of outfits/saries or no of functions that you have to attend then we can work out from there.

I am not a dress designer or retailer just a friend who may be able to help out.

Best of luck and regards
Mani

Nick-H

I should hesitate to take issue with a woman who has spent years in India but...

I have never seen a see-through sari blouse. ---and I can assure you that my eyes work according to the usual male woman-seeing procedure. In my experience, if the sari is even approaching see-through, the blouse will be lined.

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Eve68

This will be a dumb question but I have to ask. I'm a bit paranoid about a sari unfolding at some point (which is the reason why I'll be looking more for salwar kameez) so do they have anything like a "semi-stitched" sari?

Abi

Yeah, good point. I've been informed there'll be vigorous dancing at the wedding I'm going to...

smallsquirrel

if you are in the north (which you are) and you're worried about he mechanics of a sari, a good option for you might be ghagra choli... which is essentially a sari in some stiched pieces (a longer blouse, a skirt, and a very intricately desgined dupatta-type thing that acts as your pallu).... this is much easier to wear for firangs and you won't have to worry about it coming undone, who will re-wrap it for you, etc.

ask someone who is going to the wedding if you can get away with wearing it. some groups wear them a lot (chances are the bride will be wearing one!) and others.... like south indians NEVER wear ghagra choli....

smallsquirrel

Oh... weeeeeell, I must admit that I have a saree blouse that is basically sheer... it's very light georgette... goes along with the saree that is also of the same material... it's not see through, mind you, but any lining would have ruined the effect of the very elegant material. since you would only wear this thing at night, it's a tricky one. every last bit has to be kept in perfect place.

anandi

I have also worried about the sari falling off... but there are a couple of precautions. Once you make all the folds in front, you safety pin the whole stack of them to the petticoat and it wont move anywhere. Just make sure you tighten the petticoat string around your waist and have the sari tucked into that quite well too. I have heard of some places stitching the sari so it is possible to put it on and off easily. I met one western woman who wore sari's regularly and she got that done. Otherwise, what they mentioned above is another top and long skirt combination, the Lengha.(skirt) Long skirt, longer blouse and along dupatta, which is like a shawl. This outfit requires no wrapping at all. By the way, I have also seen some semi-sheer blouses...usually made out of a very thin kind of poplin cotton.

smallsquirrel

yes, this is precisely what you do. HOWEVER, there are some precautions. If you are not a graceful woman, you can potentially then rip your saree to shreds if you step on the pleats. It all hangs (no pun intended) on how successfully you have wrapped the saree. It should be long enough to barely brush the ground, but not long enough to really step on.

if you are wearing saree for the first time, I suggest putting one on at home and practise walking and most importantly going up and down stairs. the best way to do that is to hold your saree at the waist where the pleats gather and hold the fabric up just a little bit.