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Draping sarees made easier
All elegance
NOTHING IDENTIFIES a woman as Indian as convincingly as a saree. It is known not only by different names in various parts of the country but also is conceived differently in form and structure, in usage and custom. It is a stretch of fabric that becomes long or short, depending on the one who wears it.
A study on the evolution of sarees reveals that one of the earliest depictions of a saree-like drape dates back to about 100 B.C. A north Indian terracotta of the Shunga period depicts a woman wearing a sari wound tightly around her body in the "kachcha" style.
In spite of the domination of western outfits in the modern era, ethnicity has also seen a revival. While on the one hand the drive for information technology popularised the corporate look, an ethno-cultural revival made people again return to traditional forms of dresses. Though sarees have been looked upon as the most ideal wear, especially for auspicious occasions, not many prefer it now because draping it is usually time consuming.
In a bid to make it easier for women to wear saree, N.Anand, a second-year student of Apparel and Fashion Technology at the Kumaraguru College of Arts and Science has come up with a novel concept of ready-to-wear sarees, which would take just 30 seconds to drape. His fascination for fashion designing (and having friends in the tinsel world) made him take up this course.
"I was a witness to the hustle-bustle everyday morning, when mom found draping a saree time consuming. Hence, I wanted to bring about a change in them and make draping sarees easier and simpler. My mind was set on making fashionable designer garments hence I came up with this novel concept. I have also been receiving quite a few orders from garment companies in Chennai," says the budding fashion designer.
Easy to wear
A survey revealed that many college-goers in the district as well as in the Nilgiris favoured these. Taking just 30 seconds to drape, these sarees can also be folded easily. The pallu and the pleats are readymade and special attachments like an elastic band are provided. Buttons provided in the pallu can be detached in case you need a single pleat.
These sarees are made for varying hip sizes. It has a provision for the addition or removal of two inches as it is in the form of a skirt. The pallu, however, is stitched and the length of it should to be specified at the time of order. During ironing, the buttons should remain intact for it helps in maintaining the folds.
A buckle attachment is provided at the waist of the garment in such a manner that it can be fixed to a hook. The buckle can be adjusted in accordance with the hip size. "These are very much sought after by foreigners who usually have an admiration for the traditional garment. Though they are fond of these garments they are unaware of the procedure," he quips.
In the North-meets-South saree, there is a Velcro attachment instead of elastic. The pleats are already done and there are two partitions in the pallu. One part of the pallu hangs from the shoulder as in the South Indian style while the other is brought in the front, displaying the rich work on it as in the Gujarathi style.
By Vidyashree Amaresh
Photos: K.Ananthan
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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