France being famous for its wine and Darjeeling iconic for tea, the little town of Kanchipuram is best known for its traditional ‘Kanchi pattu’. The ‘dream weavers’ of this town have been establishing the art since decades. Kanchipuram silk sari happens to be an integral part of every South Indian girl’s wardrobe; although now it’s being treasured all over India. Kanjivaram silk sarees are believed to be the most valuable costume for a girl on the wedding day. The sari beholds a special and graceful position among various other conventional fabrics of India. Though silk saris are made in various Indian towns, the small town of Kanchi is renowned for this fabric.

Kanchipuram silk sarees are woven from pure mulberry silk and this fabric is available in countless and attractive hues. These sarees are woven with three ply, high denier threads using thick zari to complement the warp and weft designs forming unique and intricate motifs in the sari. Following the color combinations, and the complicated designs used a sari normally takes 20 to 30 days for completion. It is from pure silk and again this fabric enjoys an everlasting reputation for its texture, gleam, finishing, and resilience.

Traditionally, these saris were woven in lovely patterns with simple gold lines making peacocks, temples, and dots. The contemporary fashion has breathed a new life into this 500 year old traditional fabric. Now, you get these Kanjivaram silk sarees in new and alluring patterns. To match with the altering trends, this silk has experienced brisk conversion. Magnificent designer silk saris are available unifying the conventional art with embroidery and matching crystal work. Latest trend of Kanchipuram silk sarees comes with the images of gods and goddesses on the pallu. Now, these silk fabrics are available all over the world. The matching hues in bright, simple tones are used in the sari catering to the consumers’ tastes and preferences. Nowadays, the consumers are more alarmed about the cost, weight, and simple yet elaborate designs with pastel shades. Looking into the requirement of modern day women, churidhar sets are also woven with Kanchipuram silk.

More than 60,000 silk looms manufacture Kanchipuram silk sarees, filling the town with the musical ‘tak tak’. The town is having an annual turnover over Rs.200 crores with exports around Rs.3 crores. Export figures are however limited due to the restraint of weaving mostly saris, which has its own monopoly, but is moderately lesser over other outfits. 75% of the population residing in Kanchipuram earns their livelihood by weaving this fabric. The particular zari used in this type of sari is made in Tamil Nadu, but the silver wire required for the weaving part is brought from Surat as the procedure behind its making is detained secretly by some traditional weaving families there, thus making the process time consuming and expensive.

South India is fondly called the Manchester of India, thanks to the superior variety of cotton grown and spun here on handlooms as well as power looms. With time it has become a large hub of cotton apparels like chudidar, salwar, kurta, shirts and sarees. Though South Indian Sarees are mostly famous for their silk touch, cotton sarees are equally in vogue such as the venkatgiri sari from Andhra Pradesh and Kora Cotton sarees from Coimbatore. Though, the Kora Cotton traditional saris are not purely made of cotton. It has a good measure of silk woven into it and that is where lies the aesthetic beauty and the USP of the Kora cotton sarees. The cotton fabric used for this traditional sari is of a quality is superior to that of used to manufacture cotton saris in other parts of India.

Like all other South Indian Saris, its visual appeal lies in its lavish pallu and border designs which are done in bright colours with a hint of shining zari. Various motifs are also used to enhance the visual appeal and on closer look, you will witness the self styled jacquard patterns in the fabric of this saree. These patterns are created by the artistic interplay of silk and cotton thread which are woven together to form the basic fabric for this sari and its blouse. After the fabric woven on the handloom, further design processes are carried out as in designing the border and the pallu. The archetype of border used in the sari is also used in the blouse.

These sarees come in a variety of colours, though the effect of red cotton woven with gold zari remains with indigo touch on the border as well as pallu remains unparalleled. These sarees are on the affordable side with their cost ranging from INR 400 to INR 1200. This is a welcome news given the fact that other South Indian sarees made from silk and brocaded fabrics such as Kanchipuram, Kodali Karrupur etc are very expensive and not within the reach of an average homemaker.

There is a good demand for these traditional sarees in the international market as well thanks to the Indians living abroad. So no wonder the demand for these saris has been hit hard by the global economic meltdown. At the same time, the demand in the domestic market has been hit by the growing popularity of the Kora saris made on power looms which reduce the overall cost of these South Indian Sarees. But what the consumers fail to understand is that the fabric woven on power looms lacks the aesthetic design and appeal which is the main attribute of these saris.

If you are a true saree lover, then you ought to insist on buying true hand loomed kora cotton sarees and blouse. This will not only add to your rich collection of ethical and traditional saris but will also go a large extent in preventing this genre of saris being lost into the annals of history.

Earlier known as kasi, Varanasi is a place known as one of the most important Hindu pilgrimages. It is said that if a person dies on this land then he/she is freed from the cycle of rebirths. This is one of the most crowded places in India, with hundreds of small streets full of temples and dharamshalas.

The important thing for which it is famous world wide is the Brocades. The Brocades of Varanasi were first woven only in the small city known as Alaipura, but now it is woven all over Varanasi. The brocades of Varanasi, have made a remarkable position in the designer sarees as well. The fabrics that are woven with warps and wefts threads of varied colors, and also of varied materials are called the brocades. The brocades of Varanasiare woven in threads of silk. The other region known for the brocades is the Madanpura, which is popular as the most traditional style and designed, used on the fabric. The fabric is woven in a light and transparent fabric. The best examples that are also widely used in the designer sarees are the jamdani, organza and tissue sarees.

The motifs and the designs that are common and still have succeeded to maintain their position in terms of popularity are the kairi (mango), and the moon shape in the body of the saree. The fabric is woven in such a style in the transparent material that it gives an impression of a double sided pattern. The weavers of Alaipura have easily adopted the new techniques so the work is not so fine. Hence, the brocades of this place are used in the furnishings and sometimes for blouse.

The brocades of Varanasi were woven at homes earlier but now the work is done on large scale in karkhanas(factories). It is construction of several rooms in a row and the workers are provided peace for complete concentration. The same style is adopted by the designers who want particular motifs and pattern for designer or for the blouse. Generally, they buy the fabric from the place and get the desired work on, by the artists. The zari thread that is used in the weaving is known as kalabattun. One single zari thread is made with finely drawn gold, silver and base metal thread, that is wound together rounded like a silk thread.

One of the best brocades of Varanasi that is known all over the world is the Kimkhab. It is woven with mukta, a durable silk thread. It is coarse and thick and heavy, therefore it can hold the gold and the silk threads for weaving easily. It became popular because of the gold used in it and this also led to the higher price of the saree. The designer sarees are far too expensive. A lot of people just buy the fabric and use it for making stylish blouse only. The common motif used in this was the ashrafi. Other patterns were jal, buta and trellis. The designers have succeeded well in en-cashing the popular and expensive brocades of Varanasi.

The Mughal emperor Shahjahan, nominated Rao Madho Singh as the ruler formed Kota in 1631 A.D. The city is famous for opulent palaces, impressive forts, and splendid temples dating back over several centuries retain its past glory with a contrasting modern industries and edifices.

Kota Sarees were also known as Masuria Malmal. These saris were called Masuria as they originated from Mysore. Rao Kishore Singh, the then Mughal Army General brought these weavers to Kota from Mysore. The weavers were brought in the late 17th and early 18th centuries and from then the saris came to be known as ‘Kota-Masuria’. Kota saris are popularly known as Kota Doria outside the state and ‘Masuria’ in Kota. The word ‘Doria’ means thread.

Indian Saree enthusiast woman makes it a point to have at least one sari from each part of India. They desire to own a sari that is the specialty of a particular region of India. Each state of India has its own specialist saree. The wardrobe of the Indian woman also has synthetic, printed, plain sarees apart from the specialties. Women in India complement these specialty sarees with matching blouses and designer jewelry.

Kota Saree is the specialty from the desert state of Rajasthan. The fabric derives its name from the city of the same name. The sarees are made in and around the city of Kota.

Kota Sarees are also known as Kota Doria. They fabric is transparent and yet cotton-silk weave. The silk provides the required transparency while the cotton provides the necessary strength. The absence of uniformity in the weave forms the graph-like pattern. These fabrics are woven in a way that the graph-like pattern formed from the different thicknesses of fiber is prominently visible. These checked patterns itself within the weave are known as Khat. Other elaborate patterns are also used for weaving these sarees. These saris are mostly worn during the summer months to get relief from the extreme summer heat.

The designs are so made they give a weightless feel. The weaving, spinning and dyeing are done by skilled artisans. Basically white is the basic color and later dyed in different vibrant hues. The weaving of doria requires special skill and aesthetic knowledge of color combination.

Kota Sarees are sold with matching blouse pieces and are available in 3 different types- Plain, Printed and Zari.
In Plain Kota saris the checks are formed either by coarse cotton or golden threads. Printed Kota generally have white or off white background and have sanganeri patterns. Traditionally these sarees are either with single motifs or jalls. And the last one is Zari Kota where the borders are embellished with sequence and zari work.

Kota Doria was initially used as a ‘Pagri’ (traditional headgear) to sari and even now ladies suits and dress materials. This weaving activity supports almost 2500 families. Though the Kota Doria has come a long way from being used as the Pagri to saris and dress materials it is a dying art now and is the protection of such a fine art is the need of the hour.

Indian ladies, be of any age look most elegant and gorgeous when they are clad in a saris. There are many fabrics that are chosen by the ladies vary from region to region. The preferred fabric that gives a rich look to the one who has draped is silk. The silk sarees are worn all over India on various occasions. Especially the traditional sarees and the silk sarees are worn on the festivals and during the weddings. Whenever, one buys saris the next thing to look for is the blouse. Generally, the blouse is in extension to the saris only and if not that there are many shops that sell exclusively the fabrics for all sorts of blouse.

One of the most lovable silk sarees is the Dharamvaram silk sarees. These are traditional sarees in the region of Dharamvaram which is small town in Andhra Pradesh. It is a woven silk that is famous all over the world amongst all the woven silks. These are traditional sarees with dark color borders and they are broad, which is in contrast to the pallou that is woven with gold brocades. For the silk sarees that are worn in the daily routine by the ladies, are woven in two colors and the affect that is given is of muted double shades. These sarees are too much similar to the kanchipuram silk saris but these muted color shades give them a different look and makes it easy for all to differentiate.

These Dharamavaram silk saris are liked as they are simple yet elegant. These saris are simple, but as the fabric has a rich look and is adorable therefore many designers are trying to these fabrics for making designer sarees which are now being sold readily in the markets of many countries other than India. These saris are very comfortable to wear and there is not much of problem for those who have just started to begin sarees and do not know how to drape them.

Normally with traditional wearing there are certain specific styles of draping the saris and it is mostly known by the local ladies only, but with the designer sarees now getting place in the international markets, has led to these traditional styles get known all over the world. There are certain specific styles for which one can get CD’s from the stores to learn how to drape them. The interesting part is that for many styles the saris of silk fabric are preferred as they are easy to carry.the Dhramavaram silk sarees are capable of retaining the style they are draped in and give a smooth feel.

The Dharmavaram silk sarees are woven out to get a fabric that can be easily dyed. They can be worn in summers as well as in winters. In winters they give a warm feel and in summers a cool feel. The only thing to be kept in mind about care is that this fabric in not resistant to sunlight. But this is the strongest natural fiber known therefore it is also a must for an Indian lady to keep a Dharmavaram silk in her wardrobe.

Ever wondered what the latest fashion craze is in this festive season? Well, undoubtedly it has to be the Anarkali Salwar Kameez, back in fashion after a long time and how! Anarkali style is nowadays becoming very fashionable in India and among most of the NRI women as well. But do we know the history of how this stunning dress got its name as the “Anarkali shalwar kameez”?

Well, Anarkali (”pomegranate blossom”) was a renowned slave girl from Lahore (Pakistan) during the Mughal era. She was a performer and dancer at the palace of the Emperor Akbar. She was allegedly ordered to be buried alive by the Emperor for having an illegitimate love affair with Prince Salim, who later became the royal leader Jahangir. The dance called mujra was famed at that time. Legendary dancers at the fortress of the Mughal kings danced for the kings’ amusement. So, the dresses worn by the dancers were known as mujra dresses which slowly came to be known as Anarkali dresses or Anarkali shalwar kameez in the commemoration of the great dancer and ardent lover, Anarkali.

We have all seen how bollywood stars admired this designer salwar kameez over many lavishly designer sarees, making them so famous in the 1970’s to 1990’s. It was made popular by Madhubala in the song ‘Pyar kiya to darna kya’ from the film ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ and Madhuri in ‘Aaja Nachle’. Heroines like Rekha, Parveen Babi, Jayaprada, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, Divya Bharti brought this Anarkali salwar style into the fashion in Bollywood and it has been re-discovered time and again.

Base of this Designer Salwar Kameez known as the skirt is uncomplicated plain umbrella patterned and the top known as the blouse or choli is made up of shimmery chiffon or china silk materials with heavy embroidery work. This Indian shalwar kameez gets a chic appearance because of its blouse or choli. You can add an elite and designer look with heavy weight embroidery using zari, zardosi work, mirrors, aari, sequins and kundan. You can then embellish your cholis with a variety of designer sleeves. Your suit can look even more graceful with half sleeves as well. You can add petite ghungaroos to your half sleeves or mega sleeves hanging on your arms. Long sleeves with puffy or bolloon at shoulder, but sleeveless cholis can indeed make you the fashion diva of any social gathering, the dazzling eye-candy of the entire ceremony.

Your Churidar salwar can have attractive patches at the bottom. Salwars or churidars stitched in tight patterns with bangles or wrinkles at the bottom will make you look even more stylish. Dupatta can be of dual shades with beautiful laces on the edges. Good quality fabrics like crepes, georgettes, silks and brocades are used to make the suit more charming. Embroidery adds to the ethnicity on silk or georgette material.

So, the next time you plan a shopping trip, don’t forget to include the Anarkali Salwar Kameez to your ensemble apart from your batch of selected sarees, as it’s surely the rage and fashion trend of today.

Have you ever imagined a story narrated on a saree? India and its garments, especially sarees have been the bed of seamless creativity. Acknowledged all across the globe as a ‘poem’ hand woven onto silk and gold backgrounds, Paithani Sarees are the ultimate choice of majority women. The refined art of Paithani weaving prospered in Deccan area during Satvahana era, in 200B.C.

Since its inception, Paithani Sarees are in demand all across India as a precious heirloom that is inherited from generation to generation. Delicate silk from Paithani was exported to many countries and was traded in exchange for gold and precious stones. Passionate dedication and the faith of the weavers have still kept Paithani silk work alive for more than 2000 years. The actual Paithani Sarees are hand woven pure silk with gold/silver-embroidered designs.

You shall be amazed witnessing the intricate designs on Paithani pallu and border that is believed to be a specialty of such Indian Sarees. The perfectly made motifs on Paithani pallu will make you stand awestruck. The delicate designs of peacock, lotus, mango and others adorn the body of Paithani silks. Paithani Sarees often require from 2 months to several years to manufacture, depending on the design of border and pallu. The price of Paithani Silk sarees costs from Rs.6000/- to Rs.500,000.

The Paithani Silk sarees are woven primarily in traditional ways even after many centuries. Even in present day’s sophisticated world the methods of weaving Paithani have not changed. Paithani Sarees are woven with extremely delicate silk threaded sticks, thus bearing a testimony of Maharashtra’s fabric legacy of beautiful women. Some places in India do have the tradition of weaving silk but Paithani has carved its niche and retained a distinctive status since ancient times.

Alike its technique, the design and patterns used on the Paithani silks are equally special. Moreover, the silk used to weave Paithani sarees are also very delicate. Specifically the nature source such as different kinds of leaves, tree-skin, flowers; soils, lamps soot, etc. are used to make these radiant and pretty colors. The names of Paithani sarees depend on their colors. The perfect balance between the design of the Paithani borders and the overall color determine their specific genres. References to Paithani patterns are also found in folksongs and literature.

The embroidery on the borders of Paithani silks is another fascinating sight. Some of the primeval designs of embroidery on the saree borders and the inner design is made up of small orbs that is likewise essential from five hundred to nine hundred such orbs and can be found in one design.

The Paithani sarees are considered holy in Indian tradition owing to the use silk that has a special importance in Indian marriages. You can also buy Pathani sarees online these days at competitive rates. The innumerable variety of Pathani sarees online clearly gives you a glimpse of its demand even today.

Have you ever wondered why an Indian woman, no matter how badly bitten by Western fashion and style, cannot do without a collection of ethnic clothing in her wardrobe? May be this world is following a path of becoming a global village and we can hardly make out someone’s nationality barely by his or her attire, however, we have witnessed the soaring demand for Indian sarees around the world.

This is a fact that a woman can only look better if not her best in a sari – her ethnic clothing. That is the bull’s eye the Indian fashion maestros like Manish Malhotra, Satya Paul have hit. No wonder Indian designer sarees earning them fame as well as mullah from the international fashion market.

Indian saree market divides itself broadly into two; traditional and designer. Designer sarees, being a recent concept, obviously gets its inspiration from the incredible and infinite variety of color, designs, embroideries and fabrics of traditional sarees. One of those traditional sarees is Indian Banarasi saree; which is a typical Bridal wear in Eastern India. The weaver, as if weaves 6 yards of magic, tells a unique story in each interweave…creation never stops, always to surprise the onlooker! Who knows, may be this is why trousseau of a Hindu bride remains incomplete without a Benarasi saree – her unique bridal wear. It strikes every mind if the main purpose of Indian Benarasi Sarees is to give that unmatched beauty, grace and grandeur to the bride. A weaver may take any time between 15 to 180 days, owing to the complexity and uniqueness of designs.

Let us look back in the history to find out why Indian Benarasi saree distinctively attracts attention of the world of fashion. These stunning saris are weaved in Varanasi, the oldest living city in the world. When machine rules over human, Varanasi continues to preserve the elemental institution of hand weaving against all odds. In ancient times, weavers of Indian Benarasi sarees took inspiration for designs from Jasmine, thousand emeralds, marigold flower, betel nut leaf, diagonal stripes, corner-motif with a mango flower. As these sarees were meant for members of the royal families, in ancient times, threads made of original gold and silver were used for embroidery. With time, artisans started using golden and silver zari to look like the original gold and silver threads so that the general population could meet the expense of the royal and traditional Banarasi sarees of India.

Today, the popularity of this once-royal attire has become so implausible that the Benarasi sarees are exported worldwide. There are so many authentic shopping websites, which are successfully selling Benarasi sarees online. But the increasing number of fairer sex enthralled by Benarasi saree, can be imagined when they click on the websites to buy Benarasi sarees online, sitting at the other corner of this world. Benarasi saree will stay forever, ruling the hearts of women of all class, color, and race.
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The lehenga choli is indeed gorgeous attire for all seasons and occasions. An exclusive variety of designer, traditional and contemporary lehnga-cholis such as fishtail lehenga choli, georgette lehenga choli, silk lehenga choli, a line lehenga choli, bridal lehenga, embroidered bridal lehengas are crafted today which shows how versatile the lehenga choli is. You may buy lehenga cholis in accordance to the requisite of the occasion in which you want to wear the same. Besides the traditional and conventional Bridal lehnga cholis, a vast variety of lehnga cholis can be worn in weddings, parties and festivals now. You may shop in preference to the fabric as well like georgette, crepe, silk, net, satin, brocade and tissue lehnga cholis. Lehnga cholis match the needs of the season in which you wish to wear the same as well. You may also make specific colour choices in lehnga-cholis, making the attire more convenient and versatile.

You may obtain lehnga cholis in preference to the work it has on it. Lehnga cholis in a large variety of work like sequins work, zari work, aari work, beads work, booti work, cutdana work, dori embroidery work, dumka work, gota patti, kasab work, neemzari work, parsi work, patch work, resham embroidery, sitara work, kundan work, stones work, mirror work, zardosi work etc. are offered.

Lehnga cholis are also available in diverse styles like Fish-Tail Lehnga Cholis,,Short Lehnga Cholis, Mermaid Lehnga Cholis, and Circular Lehnga Cholis. An exclusive collection of conventional bridal lehnga cholis is traditionally available in heavy work and embroideries everywhere today. Lehnga cholis also called chania cholis and ghaghras can be customized into dance dress, lancha, pavada, sharara and a wedding gown as well.
Lehenga is indeed an outfit that never goes out of fashion. lehenga choli-dupatta in diamond and bead embroidery, silk lehenga choli – dupatta with coloured zardosi embroidery, silk lehenga with multi coloured zardosi and stone work are some renowned designs. The rich fabrics is mostly used in Indian wedding lehengas, bridal lehenga are elegant and beautiful. Though graceful, silky lengha cholis must be however handled with care.

Today, a lehenga choli is yet another word for stylishness, and the garment is prized for its versatility, wear ability and comfort. If made in silk or cotton fabrics, the Indian lehenga choli absorbs moisture, which makes it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Because of its high absorbency, it is easily dyed in many deep colors. These lehengas retains its shape, drapes well, caresses the figure, and shimmers with a luster all its own, making them gorgeous attire for all seasons.

Lehngas own a special place in medieval as well as modern times. This is a special dress for all events, especially party wear. Bridal lehengas cholis are a new trend in wedding ceremonies. Lehangas can be worn at Eid, diwali and any other Indian festival.

Six yards of clothes; that is all there is to the sarees. Yet, it showcases a certain poise and grace to the wearer unsurpassed by any other garment. More prominently, the saree exemplifies the continuity of an ancient custom that has withstood the ambush of many dissimilar cultures, to materialize today as an evident symbol of the resiliency, continuity and timelessness of the Indian way of living.

Then again, each state exhibits a singular style of draping the saree. This is typically determined by the lifestyle of the populace of that region. The urban Indian style is by far the one most familiar seen. Stiff tangails, elegant silks, graceful chiffons and heavy brocades – all of them can be easily maneuvered into this fashion. Tied about the waist, the saree forms a skirt with the pleats positioned in front thus allowing for unopposed movement. The Pallav or the piece draped over the left shoulder of the blouse is either pleated and pinned up for ease, or is left flowing free for glamour.

The Bengalis of eastern India are ritual bound. Bengali women are exceptionally active, yet sternly traditional. This is perhaps finely reflected in the fact that during celebrations, come what may, all Bengali women make it a point to drape their saree in the emblematic Bengali style.

The majority of the sarees of East India are hand loomed sarees. The more conventional Bengali hand loomed sarees are made in such a way that they look most attractive when worn in a Bengali drape. Light weight cotton sarees with lesser borders also look good in such fashion. There are fewer pleats in this style (mostly, it has only two very broad pleats). The stepwise instructions about draping the Indian sari in the emblematic Bengali style are:

1. First unwrap the saree and wrap it about yourself from right to left and slip it in the petticoat’s waistband.
2. Keep on wrapping around the body till the right hip and make a fold for the first pleat, turn around the saree and bring it back over to your left hip, then again overturn the cloth and draw it back to your right hip. This way you get two big pleats in the front.
3. Clutch the pleats up, level them with the first wrap of sari beneath and insert it tidily into the waistline.
4. Take the uppermost border of the sari and keep it on your left shoulder. Seize the top border halfway between the waist and shoulder and pull the sari out in front. Drag it until there is sufficient length to wrap it around till your mid back.
5. Slip it into the waist in the center of the back.
6. Take the pallu (which is draping at the back from over the left shoulder) from under the right hand and again drape it over the left shoulder in such a way that the bottom end remains under the waistline. This will leave only a very tiny bit of pallu at the back which should be held by something somewhat heavier, like keys, to make it stay at the back.