Different Drapes of Saris
A sari is a woman's garment worn in south Asia. It is an ancient traditional form of dress, dating back more than 5000 years. A sari is constructed of a long rectangular swath of beautiful fabric such as printed cotton, silk, satin, netting or lace, typically adorned with many handworked embellishments such as beading, shells, crystals, tiny bells, mirrors, embroidery and tassels. A sari is worn wrapped, tucked, pleated and draped over the body in different ways (some of them indigenous to certain regions), usually over a short-sleeved top called a choli and an underskirt or pants.
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Nivi
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The Nivi drape is a very popular modern drape in India. A length of fabric is wrapped over an underskirt around the waist, tucked into the underskirt, pleated in front, then draped over the left shoulder. It is worn with a choli. This style of draping developed in north India and is identified by the front pleats and Pallau, or loose end, draped over the left shoulder.
Gujarati
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The Gujarati drape is similar to the Nivi drape, but the Pallau is draped over the right shoulder. This style developed in the state of Gujarat, India.
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Kodagu
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The Kodagu drape wraps the sari around the waist like a skirt and pleats it in the back, then drapes the Pallau from the back over the right shoulder. It is worn in the Kodagu part of the state of Karnataka in south India.
Gond
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The Gond drape is worn in central India. This style of draping starts by placing the Pallau over the left shoulder, then wrapping the sari around the waist. It is not worn over an underskirt and choli.
Tribal
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The Tribal style of draping saris wraps the sari around the chest to cover the breasts, instead of wearing a choli. It is worn with a separate piece of cloth worn like a shawl, but with the loose ends hanging in back. It is worn in the hilly and forested areas of India.
Haku Patasi
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The Haku Patasi drape is worn in Nepal. The sari is worn around the waist and a separate shawl is worn over the upper half of the body, instead of draping the Pallau over the shoulder.
Dravidian
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The Dravidian drape is worn in southern India. It developed in the southern state of India, Tamil Nadu. It is usually made with two pieces of cloth, one for around the waist and a separate drape over a shoulder. It is distinguished by a pinkosu or pleated decoration at the waist just over the hip.
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References
- Photo Credit femmes en saris image by harmonie57 from Fotolia.com
