Sari blouses are no longer stitched from that extra metre at the end of a drape, they don’t match the border and they definitely don’t stick to a six-inch sleeve. The revolution came a while ago, leaving boxy cuts in place of perfect fits, Peter Pan collars nudging out deep scoop necks and sexy giving way to comfort. An entity in its own right, it often steals the show. Here’s what four experimental designers had to say about the newest iteration of the blouse.
Anavila Misra
The emphasis on the blouse today is because of the resurgence of interest in saris, believes Misra. “Young people are trying to find a way to make the sari their own, which is why we’re seeing so many variations. Women are increasingly opting for comfort in silhouette over all else, so we see a shift from formal and fitted to easy and casual across the board. The same thing is translating to blouses,” says the designer. Three-tier ruffles, raglan-style and full-length puff sleeves find place in her collections, adding volume to a silhouette that’s usually streamlined. Keeping sleeves fitted and short — to compensate for the lack of a defining shape in the lower half of the sari — is a norm the designer seems more than happy to break. And it’s nothing new for Misra who made saris worn above the ankles a legit trend.
Personal pick: I prefer longish blouses with slits on the sides and high necks. Comfortable sleeves and a loose fit on the body are essential. I don’t go for darts and fitted blouses.
Sanjay Garg
“The minute any style stops evolving, you have a problem,” says the Delhi-based designer. As cyclical as fashion’s nature inherently is, we are going back to styles that we’ve focussed on for decades; that’s why we’re seeing this emphasis, believes Garg.
For the man behind Raw Mango, the move towards relaxed silhouettes for blouses is an attempt to create a sari that caters to working women. “The sari shouldn’t be an occasion kind of garment, which is why we need different kinds of blouses. And, in its own right, the latter is a versatile garment that shouldn’t be restricted to a single sari,” he says.
In his new collection, Baag, Garg has created his own interpretation of a backless blouse, with a long slit in a fully-covered back, and a belt that can be wrapped around the midriff — or around the sari’s pallu. Perfect to hold the sari in place while you go about your day.
“There is no good or bad, or in style or out,” insists Garg, adding that his only motivation is to make the design as versatile as possible. Comfort is on top of his mind, too. His other styles for the season includes a blouse with an elastic waist, so that it can be boxy as well as fitted. “It’s like the elastic on trouser waists. So after a heavy meal, it will stretch about two-three inches, so you can breathe easy,” he laughs.
Personal pick: “I do favour my interpretation of the backless design with a slit, and the belt.”
Payal Khandwala
For the Mumbai-based designer, her earliest memory of sari blouses is watching her mother undoing and redoing their seams every time she lost weight. “I wondered why it has to be so fitted, if it is such a hassle. Later, when I had a baby and gained and lost all that weight, I realised I had the same issue,” she laughs. That’s when she started teaming shirts with saris, and showcased it in her 2013 collection. Today, her blouses are not too fitted, but are not anti-fit either. “Oversized blouses with a sari that’s already six metres, with voluminous pleats, can really drown you,” she explains.
Multifunctionality is another theme that recurs in Khandwala's eponymous label. “Our whole philosophy is that you should be able to take a shirt and wear it with pants, jeans, skirts — or a sari!” she says. This season she picks neoprene waistcoats, tank tops and crop tops. “I don’t like things to be too sexy or too feminine, which is why these shirts add a bit of unpredictability. You could even add a jacket and head to a board meeting.”
Personal pick: “Silk shirts. I have them in so many colours and it’s easy to team with anything, even benarasis. I have a short torso and I need to wear things lower, so I love a top that ends just at my waist.”
Karishma Shahani Khan
In her label Ka-Sha, the designer uses Indian inspiration in a contemporary way — think saris with ruffles at the border, dip-dyed pant sets and ikkat tunics. Multi-utility is a big factor in Khan’s work, which is why her airy overlays fit perfectly over her separates and her crop tops double up as sari blouses.
“In terms of sustainability, as well as to bring things into a contemporary context, people want to wear each garment differently, and multiple times,” says the designer, which is why her blouses, with their pleated backs and long, rolled-up sleeves are versatile enough to be worn over skirts and pants.
And, of course, Khan’s favourite space to experiment is the blouse’s back. Other than the unusual waist-length shirts, there’s also tie-up backs with multiple oversized bows and loose Bolero-styles with 3D flower detailing on wide sleeves. “Anti-fit is great because it allows different body sizes to be seen in the mainstream, and the same sari can be worn in different styles just by changing the blouse,” she says.
Personal pick: “I love the long, comfort-fit style, which I grew to love after becoming a mother 18 months ago. Being able to feed my baby with ease in these blouses made wearing a sari that much easier. Also, I’m partial to the three-fourth or full-sleeve styles, for their elegance.”
