Scintillating saree styles
By Saloni Kaul

THIS is for saree freaks — those who want to wrap themselves in the six-yard piece of sheer splendour. What could make you look distinctive is the way you tie your saree. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to wear it in a routine work-a-day manner for the festive occasion. At the same time, you could’t possibly be all dolled up. This isn’t your marriage!

Tradition demands that you look vibrant and colourful. You also need to be stylish yet conventional and, most importantly, be prepared to shake a leg or two, on the dandiya floor. Here’s how you go about it — nine saree styles to enable you to look your festive best:

Style one: Select a crushed tissue saree in light pastel shades of yellow, pink or blue with no border, but with heavy tone-on-tone embroidery. Warp it around the waist and pleat at the centre the usual way, while leaving enough length to warp around your right shoulder as a stole. Combine with a matching pearl or bead embroidered string halter top — exposing your bare arms.

Style two: Try a fully embroidered kasab net saree combined with a crushed mehndi saree (for a nine yard embroidered border) in complimentary shades of dark green, blue or even red. First drape the crushed tissue saree and take the pleats at the left hip. Bring it over the right shoulder and tuck at the waist. Next, pleat the net saree at the right hip and take it up at the left shoulder. Team it with an ornate dull gold sequins-and-beads top with full sleeves.

Style three: Check out a plain lurex georgette saree with heavy border in shades of light grey, blue or ochre. Tuck the pleats off-centre and bring over the right shoulder before taking a long pallav and tucking its edge at the waist. Next, take a transparent drape — pleat it over the left shoulder and hold it over the arm. Combine with lycra bustier in a matching shade.

Style four: Pick a big-bordered saree in cotton or silk, but with minimum embroidery on its body. Tuck the pleats the normal way at the centre and take it over the right shoulder really long. Tuck the extremity at the centre of the waist, allowing the folds to fall in loops at the front. Combine with a matching pearl-embroidered sleeveless blouse in cotton or silk (depending upon the saree).

Style five: Get hold of a nine-yard georgette saree in steel grey, dark blue or black with a prominent contrasting border. The pallav has to be particularly striking as it would have to flare out like a sarong skirt. Ideally, pleat the saree in centre and take over the left shoulder before tucking the pallav at the waist. Wear with a silk blouse having matt silver sequin embellishments.

Style six: Try on a white chiffon or silk saree with pearl and bead embroidery on the borders.As usual, tie it about the hips with pleats falling at the centre. Then give one complete twist to the loose end and hold the pallav in the left hand. A short matching white kundan or sequin work blouse with three-quarter sleeves would go well with this style.

Style seven: This is again for a silk or georgette saree (preferably in shades of yellow) with a really huge, ornate border. Take pleats in the centre and bring matha patti to the right shoulder. Pin the edge of the pallav to the left armhole of your blouse so that the ornate border shows to best advantage. The blouse could be a pearl and silk-thread embroidered one-shoulder number.

Style eight: Check out a crushed tissue embroidered saree in shades of grey, blue, mauve or green with a very thin border. Pleat at the centre and take over the loose end over both shoulders like a stole so that the front is exposed as a neat ‘V’. A contrasting string halter blouse with bugle beads and pearls would make a good combination.

Style nine: Get hold of a lilac crushed cotton saree with delicate pearl and kasab butties. Pleat in the centre and make a cowl on the right side while pinning on the left. Combine with a metallic silver lycra top for a look of understated elegance.(MF)