How to Wear an Indian Saree

Indian women traditionally wear sarees. A saree (or sari) is a rectangular piece of fabric that wraps around the body and is worn as a skirt or part of a dress. Sarees can be made from different fabric, like cotton or silk, and come in a range of colors. Underneath their sarees Indian women wear a waist-to-floor petticoat with a drawstring waist, and a short-sleeved blouse that stops just below the bust, known as a choli. The most important thing to know about sarees is how to wear them properly to adequately cover your body.

Things You'll Need

• Safety pin

Instructions

1. Tuck one corner of the saree into the waist of the petticoat right at your navel.

2. Wrap the saree around your body one time from right to left, and make sure the bottom of the saree is touching the floor.

3. Hold out the extra fabric so that the saree fits tightly around your body. Make about seven to 10 pleats by folding the material back and forth.

4. Tuck the pleated material into the waist of the saree and petticoat so that the pleats fall straight to the floor.

5. Wrap the rest of the material once more around your body and bring it to the front up under your right arm, and then drape it over your left shoulder.

6. Pin to the back of your shirt the material that you've placed over your left shoulder so that the saree stays in place.

References

• Sari: All About Sari
• Kaneesha: How to Wear a Saree