Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Wardrobe Must-haves: Traditional Handloom Sarees

Saree though essentially an Indian outfit has now gone international. Almost every state in India has got something special to offer in terms of weave, designs and patterns. The classical drape has evolved over the ages and is still revolutionizing. The Indian handloom is much in vogue and is a topic of discussion in fashion circles. The different weaves and designs echo excellent artistry, fine craftsmanship the rich Indian culture.

Starting from daily wear to bridal dressing, sarees are considered an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe in many countries now. This blog post is a tribute to the different handloom pure silk sarees of India which uphold some of the most elegant designs with the warp and weft of their tradition, blending threads to create inspirational lengths of fabric.
Most of the handloom sarees across the nation can considered as ‘good to go’ in any occasion but some of them simply grab the eye balls and are best known as bridal or party wear.

Let’s just take a peek into some of the most desired occasional wear sarees which every woman would love to have in their wardrobe.


Kanjeevaraam:

Kanjeevaraam sarees have their origin in a place called Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. These are traditionally handloom woven sarees. The sarees usually have distinct wide contrast temple borders that matches the length of body adorned with different motifs, checks or stripes. These sarees are usually woven from pure mulberry silk with motifs like peacocks, flowers, leaves, swan, mangoes and more. The price is usually determined by the intricacy of design, pattern, colour, gold or zari thread work. Kanjeevaraam sarees are usually worn on special festivals or weddings. It’s surely an essential addition to an Indian bride’s trousseau and can also be chosen as an excellent formal party wear.

Chanderi:

Chanderi weaving culture has a long trailing history. According to mythological stories this weaving started somewhere between the second and the seventh century AD. The weave is particular to Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh and are generally made from three kinds of fabrics, cotton, silk and silk cotton which combine a fine blend of both the natural fibers. The motifs that adorn these traditional sarees include flowers, coins, peacocks and different geometrical patterns. This handloom gained popularity in the thirteenth century and became a much traded fabric during the Mughal era.

The best part about Chanderi sarees are that they come in different degree of ‘dressy look’. The lighter designs woven in cotton or silk can be worn for formal parties or occasions like festivities. The heavier designs on silk may be an ideal drape during weddings.


Banarasi:


Banarasi sarees are most probably the best known bridal sarees. These drapes were originally woven exclusively for the royal families. These were length of fabrics woven from pure silk and real gold and silver thread. The weaving of one saree took as long as an entire year to be completed. Marked by their exemplary artistry, Banarasi sarees can be chosen from a range of Jamdani, cutwork, butidar, vaskat, jangla, tanchoi and the tissue. These silk drapes are considered as one of the perfect wedding sarees even today.

Patola:

The Patola sarees originate from Patan in Gujarat. This weave was once considered to be distinctly for the autocracy but later on became a favourite with the Gujrati women. The motifs which usually adorn these sarees include flowers, dancing figures, parrots, elephants and geometrical designs.

In the modern parlance, Patola sarees are regarded as excellent party wear and a must have for a brides trousseau.

Paithani:

Paithani sarees are typical to a small town Paithan, in Maharashtra. These are essentially silk sarees with a traditional peacock motif and some golden work with either zari or silk thread. These dressy drapes are now available in a variety of colour combinations with multiple motifs like lotus, swans and geometric patterns. Great as wedding sarees, Paithani's are considered to be the richest saree weave of Maharashtra.

Whatever may be the weave, colour or style of the handloom silk sarees, they will always remain in fashion reflecting the grand cultural heritage of India.


Visit us at http://onlypaithani.com