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If you thought jeans and the little black dress were long term fashion staples then think again. The Sari has been a constant in fashion for some 5000 years! A sari or saree is simply a long length of fabric which can be draped and wrapped around the body in numerous ways. The fabric is not stitched and ranges in length from 4-9 meters. Sari's are typically a bright color and are frequently composed of silk or cotton. The sari is the traditional dress of Indian women. They can be embroidered, printed or tie-dyed.

THE ORIGIN OF THE SARI

Cotton has been grown and woven in India for the last 5000 years. Indian people used to believe that fabric punctured by needles was contaminated. This explains the popularity of an unsewn, draped garment. A statue discovered from around 100 B.C depicts a woman wearing a draped garment resembling the sari. Various other sculptures and paintings show religious members wearing the sari.

Until the 14th century both men and women wore a version of the sari. The color and design of a sari was defined by the wearer's wealth, caste and location. Sari's were a measure of wealth because they were woven by hand. Villagers wore simple cotton sari's that were decorated by tie dyeing or block printing. Wealthy people had sari's woven from fine silks and had them decorated with gold or silver embroidery. In addition pearls and precious stones were often added.

Sculptures from the 1st to the 6th centuries show dancers and goddess figures in Sari's that were long and flowing over the legs, but did not cover all of the upper body. The ideal female form was a small waist between a curvy bust and hips. The Sari emphasized these features. Sometimes it was worn with a tie around the waist to emphasize the tiny size of the waist compared to the bust and hips.

It is believed that until the British made an appearance in India a woman's breasts and waist were exposed in a sari. After this time women began to wear a band of fabric that wrapped around the breasts or a fitted top and a slim petticoat for modesty on the bottom half. There are however still some women in remote regions that do not wear a fitted blouse under their sari.

In the 1920's to the 1930's sari's were influenced by trends in the west. The wives of India's maharajahs had fashion designers in Paris create silk sari's for them.

TODAY

Today in metropolitan areas many Indian women are abandoning the traditional sari in favor of western clothing. Sari's take a long time to drape anywhere up to half an hour therefore western clothing is seen as easier to wear. However, it is unlikely that sari's will become obsolete. Women in rural areas still wear them and metropolitan women still see them as the garment of choice for special occasions. In addition pre-stitched sari's are now available that are easy to put on.

Learn more about this author, Kimberley Heit.
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