Thread: Sari/Saree - where/where to wear?

So I absolutely LOVE the way that sari/sarees look - I think they're absolutely beautiful and sinfully cheap sometimes! I've picked up a couple in the past and been practicing draping them and all that - they aren't really bellydance-y, I guess, but I was wondering if anyone else wore theirs and when, where, what kinds of places, etc? Thanks!

Saris are gorgeous, and one of the few garments throught history that consistantly looks beautiful on everyone (well, maybe not the hairy guys, but i am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt). Wear them wherever you'd wear a nice dress. Don't forget the petticoat! :-)
There are lots of videos on Youtube on how to wrap them, Here's just one:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CxWYFGE5Gs&feature=related]YouTube - How to wear saree in Bengali Style?[/ame]

Enjoy, and look beautiful, it's Ok!

i'd only wear them to indian/pakistani functions...like parties, weddings etc. sarees are a pain in the butt to wear imo. i prefer salwar kameezes instead :)
maybe u could wear it to a party? think of it as something dressy for a special occasion

I wear them all the time - cotton ones on the weekends, silk ones to work and dressy ones out to everything from dinner to shows. ( recently counted, I own 28 saris.)

You can take them to a tailor and have them made into an automatic sari, which for most Westerns is a great alternative.

{{{HUGS}}}

Oooh! That's exactly what I wanted to hear, Tahira! I mean, the wearing them so often bit. ;) I was worried it might be disrespectful or something to do so! w00t!

I only feel comfortable wearing my salwars to my Indian dance class and other events like that.

I'm not sure if it's disrespectful to wear them other places, but I know when I've run errands after dance class, people have given me weird looks, because I'm not Indian.

I actually asked an Indian acquaintance of mine, if it would be disrespectful for a non Indian woman to wear a sari (ie me.) He just laughed----he said, no it's just clothes. Indian women wear jeans and Non Indians aren't offended, why would Indians be offended by us? I guess I never thought of it that way. I have a lovely pale butter yellow sari that I am dying to wear, and just might for Easter.

Nathara -

I live in Culver City, CA. We have the Hari Krshna Temple and two mainly Indian and Pakistani Muslim temples in my neighborhood. A lot of women wear sari's (and Salwar Kameezs, etc) who are not Indian. I agree with Zanya - it's just a piece of clothing.

If other peoples discomfort makes you uncomfortable, you might want to think about either changing the way you drape it (I sometimes tuck the trailing end into the left side and then wear a jacket when I am in a professional setting.) or if you find that what you really like is the fabric, wear what are some times called Magic Wrap Skirts which are made from saris and are really lovely.

Additional note: I wear Salwar Kameez on planes. They are very comfortable and easy to pack. And, this mode of dress sparks the BEST conversations!

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by Nathara

Oooh! That's exactly what I wanted to hear, Tahira! I mean, the wearing them so often bit. ;) I was worried it might be disrespectful or something to do so! w00t!

it wouldnt be disrespectful at all. indians/pakistanis would be happy to see a non desi (indo-pak person) wearing it. and you will get weird looks no matter what. i get weird looks when i wear indian clothing...and i'm indian ..l;,

Originally Posted by zaynahcantara

I actually asked an Indian acquaintance of mine, if it would be disrespectful for a non Indian woman to wear a sari (ie me.) He just laughed----he said, no it's just clothes. Indian women wear jeans and Non Indians aren't offended, why would Indians be offended by us? I guess I never thought of it that way. I have a lovely pale butter yellow sari that I am dying to wear, and just might for Easter.

yessss...

and ready made sarees might be your best bet, nathara. this is off topic, but i LOVE curtains/drapes made out of saree material. they are sooo pretty. i'm going to get some once my cat grows out of his destroy all the curtains in the house mode ..l;,

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

Nathara -

I live in Culver City, CA. We have the Hari Krshna Temple and two mainly Indian and Pakistani Muslim temples in my neighborhood. A lot of women wear sari's (and Salwar Kameezs, etc) who are not Indian. I agree with Zanya - it's just a piece of clothing.

If other peoples discomfort makes you uncomfortable, you might want to think about either changing the way you drape it (I sometimes tuck the trailing end into the left side and then wear a jacket when I am in a professional setting.) or if you find that what you really like is the fabric, wear what are some times called Magic Wrap Skirts which are made from saris and are really lovely.

Additional note: I wear Salwar Kameez on planes. They are very comfortable and easy to pack. And, this mode of dress sparks the BEST conversations!

{{{HUGS}}}

hi tahira...just curious...what made you start wearing indian clothes so often?

Well, long story short, I was told I needed to brighten up my aura. One way to do that was to add colour to my wardrobe. A bunch of people who had been living in the Hari Krshna Ashram were having a yard sale and they had all these bright, beautiful saris. So, why not?

I was also working for a large multi national corporation who allowed me to indulge. As long as I wore a jacket over them, they were fine with it.

And then, I discovered that I just liked them and love the textiles.

But, as stated above, I also wear Salwars and Lehngas.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by KHari3

Saris are gorgeous, and one of the few garments throughout history that consistently looks beautiful on everyone (well, maybe not the hairy guys, but i am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt).

I've always wanted to try one... ..l;,

Well Zorba, you would definitely cross the line of cross-dressing.
Saris are girls-only wear.

I wear saris in India. Though I have switched mostly to salwar-kameez simply because they are more practical when it's very hot.
And I have been seen wearing a salwar-kameez in Honolulu and got complimented on it

In Europe I wear my very nice saris instead of an evening gown.
Very elegant and classy.

You do get weird looks and questions thought...
Once I wore a sari and bindi for a dinner party and somebody actually asked me if I was allowed to eat meat....

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

Well Zorba, you would definitely cross the line of cross-dressing.
Saris are girls-only wear.

Yea, yea - like that ever stopped me...

There is "apparently" some evidence that Saris were worn by both genders in antiquity, but how accurate that is I have no idea.

This makes my 5,000th Bhuz post - I get my seventh star!

For anybody deeply interested in saris:
Saris: an Illustrated guide to the Indian Art of Draping
I own this book, it has loads of pictures and draping guides.

MEISSOUN

I have a beautiful salwar kameez that was custom-made for me just hanging in the closet because I felt it might be "wierd" for me to wear clothing from someone else's culture. Guess I should take it out! If nothing else, it seems I could wear it as street clothes to a bellydancer event, apparently bellydancers would appreciate it at least!

Thought I would take a risque and try a couple salwar kameez outfits, just cause I liked the look and why not? One is a turquiose and gold sari fabric that gets more oohss and ahhs than you can imagine. the other is a lovely cotton that is like wearing your favorite pjs, yet always gets tons of compliments. I'd love to try a sari, but my DDs won't fit in any cholis

Shelley - there's a place I've ordered from, Utsav, that will custom fit the matching choli to you if you supply the measurements and I think it's an extra $5-$10 bucks, if that helps!

Wherever you think it won't get stepped on and unravel? LOL
My mother & I are spectacularly inept at sari-tying. She insisted I wear her vintage sari for my wedding photos & we both wore fab couture ones to my brother's wedding dinner ( a poke in the eye, I think, to the in-laws who are Chinese and "won" on the issue of a Chinese wedding dinner. Sigh.) For the first occasion it took us an hour staring at the diagram to get me into it and for the second my aunt had to come all the way across town to help us! LOl
I have some beautiful saris but I am not planning on wearing them. Other than my fear of tying it wrong, I walk so fast that I am sure to step on it and undress myself!

I think saris are beautiful, but I've never bought one.

I have seen belly dance costumes made out of old sari fabric though. I've seen a lot of vests, I saw a tiered skirt once, and my zill bag is made out of sari fabric.

Shelly - a good tailor can make a choli for a couple of bucks. When you buy your sari, make sure you get hte matching blouse piece. Take it to a tailor and have them custom fit it. I also am a DD. Rarely had a problem!

Shimarella - safety pins are your friend! Or get an Automatic Sari (also known as a ready made sari.) It's all pleated on an invisible waist band. Very easy to wear! Once again, a good tailor or seamstress will be able to do this, especially if you can find one from India or Pakistan. Also, remember to put a pleat in the back! This has saved me from tripping many times!

{{{HUGS}}}

In the past, we made harem pants and a veil out of saris.....6 yards works good for this....also could make a skirt and veil combo...