#sari drape

[jasmim-manga]

[vintageindianclothing]

Asha Parekh, probably early 1960s

[vintageindianclothing]

I had an anon question as well as an earlier question on wordpress that I will answer here together as they are kind of related.

1. I saw an early 19th century painting which showed women in a blouse and sari. I always thought blouse was introduced by Jnanadanandini Devi?

I think some sort of blouse (and possibly a kind of petticoat given ghaghra cholis and related outfits) was always around. Even Ajanta paintings have a few examples.  This early 19th century painting is an example of it too:

But I think the formal kind of blouse, often influenced by prevailing Victorian fashion, and the petticoat worn with a sari did come in with both styles in Western India as well as in Bengal in the 1870s. A few books of the time and later refer to shops selling “jackets” which term seems distinct from the choli.

The early 20th century Dhurandhar painting right on top shows differing blouse styles, from the indigenous choli to the modified choli with puff sleeves as well as more elaborate versions which are obviously Victorian in origin suggesting a variety of styles after the 1870s. In summary I think the sari blouse was around but not essential. Especially in the hotter areas of India where a sari sufficed. From the 1870s onwards, however, it became an essential part of attire for educated women and then all women.

2. Several months back I had a query regarding Jnandanandini Devi’s introduction of the Brahmika (Brahmo woman) drape from Sari Sisters. The query was on the  difference between the Brahmika drape and Classical Bengal drape and whether the only difference was in the pleats on the shoulders.

At the time I assumed that there wasn’t much difference between earlier sari drapes in Bengal and the Brahmika saree. But the question stayed in my mind and I had some time this weekend to poke around a bit.  Not much came up. Though everyone agrees that the Brahmika drape was novel and inspired by the Parsi/Gujarati drape that Jnanadanandini saw in then Bombay, the exact nature of the earlier drape is not clear. Instead there is more emphasis on the introduction of accessories like the blouse, petticoat, hair net etc, which assisted in making the saree a dress for a bhadra (respectable) woman. Nevertheless there was some change since there are many remarks both on the untidiness of draping as well as the immodesty of previous drapes.

The only clear reference I got was in Rochona Majumdar’s book (Marriage and Modernity) where she mentions that the traditional style is the pallu (end of the sari) wrapped around the waist or hanging in front rather than the pleats of the Brahmika saree.  As it happens there aren’t too many pre 1870 pics that I could find except these.

Rabindranatha Tagore’s mother on the left (presumably an older style, though it isn’t clear to me if the pallu is tucked around the waist and also on the shoulder).  On the right a milkmaid of the 1840s, this drape has some resemblance to the Brahmika style but has no pleats and is simply wound around. 

The Parsi/Gujarati style is seen above which is the seedha (straight) pallu style with the sari being secured on the right shoulder. 

The Brahmika/Bengal styles are above. The style arranges the saree border in a way that mimics the seedha pallu (more evident in the left pic of girls in 1904*) but the pallu is eventually thrown over and secured at the left shoulder. So it does appear that the sari sisters were right in that process of pleating and arranging the sari in the upper part was probably different for the Brahmika saree (though some of the modern Bengal saree drape tutorials have a bit of a pleat arrangement in the bottom part too. Further the loose end can be thrown over the right shoulder).

As always feel free to comment/inbox and do let me know if Bengal has more draping styles or if there are differences I missed.

*1904, courtesy Geraldine Forbes.

[vintageindianclothing]

Most educated women, and it is not an exaggeration to claim about 99 per cent, do not consider gowns as tasteful as saris. Jyotirmayee Gangopadhyaya, Gown O sari, Bharati 1922, From the Seams of History: Essays on Indian Women.

If the Western incorporation of the sari involves an element of the drape, the Indian incorporation of a gown or dress is often by way of providing for a “frame” for the sari drape. The petticoat is an example - though lehengas et al were used in India they did not function as innerwear.  However, in some 19th century examples - like Lakshmi Bayi in pic 1 - the skirts below are showcased to give an appearance of a gown.

Not all frames are strictly Western, the khada dupatta uses pyjamas or churidars much like modern dhoti saris, though some examples of the latter veer towards tights territory for a sleeker contemporary look as in pic 5 on the left.

The easiest incorporation of foreign elements is of course via the blouse, be it 19th century Victorian influenced blouses or the jacket for a Satya Paul sari (pic 3).  To my mind the looser blouse silhouettes of today owe something to the East as does the obi for a sari (pic 4). 

Coming to the drapes, Prajnasundari devi’s sari (pic 2) appears to be draped to look like a gown - though it veers more towards the draped gowns of classical antiquity that appear in Victorian paintings. Note also the mantilla.

Modern variations of the drape as in the Nikhil Thampi “knot” sari (pic 5 on the right) which used an on trend sheer skirt still maintain the three part element - antariya, uttariya and choli.

Structuring the drape brings it as close to a gown as possible for a sari and indeed this version is simply called the sari gown (Indo Western sari seems to be the term of choice for the others).

And while it is hard to dislodge the 6 yard saree, there seem to be plenty of sites around showcasing variations in drape and with more contemporary elements, be it leather belts or steampunk or just a ruffled underskirt (X, X, X, X, X). And there are plenty of blouse variations around too - though that is not uncommon and has a pretty long history.

[vintageindianclothing]

If you look at the 2010s, one of the trends that stands out is experiments with different sari drapes. There hasn’t been a coalescing around a single style as happened with the 6 yard sari worn in India today but there is an attempt to look beyond it even if by way of editorials or a celeb sighting in a different drape.  Older regional styles still remain of course, principally by way of weddings.

Drapes (and weaves) are quite often covered by books, how to tutorials and shop sites.

Border and Fall’s new project intends to document styles through a short film. As you can see their write up references previous work by Rta Kumar Chisti who has written extensively on saris and drapes as well as Chantal Boulanger.

They are raising funds for the film, the kickstarter campaign for the project ends 13 November. Please feel free to have a look at their page and if you are interested and want to contribute you can head over to their kickstarter page.

Illustrations by Manuja Singh Waldia (drawn probono for the campaign).

Note: I am not associated with this project in anyway. As long time readers may know I don’t normally post endorsements of brands or labels or solicit funds in order to ensure the site is purely academic. In the case of this film, it appears it will be a visual documentation available free of cost across multiple digital platforms on completion, hence the post.

[littleblacksari]

I can't believe it's not a dress!

My mom always insisted that she see the pallu (also known as a head piece) on a sari. I can understand why.

It is the most beautiful part of a sari.

Literally.

I mean, weavers spend hours crafting this piece, and most sales reps take pride in showcasing this. They lay it in front of you, as though they are unveiling your new born baby for the first time. 

This decadence costs money. The more fancier the pallu, the more you pay.

Isn't it sad that we usually hide this?

It baffles my mind.

In all fairness, we commonly wear a silk sari in two ways:

1) Pleat the sari: This style is very flattering, but it also hides the pallu into an accordion.

OR

2) Leave the head piece loose (un-pleated): This shows off the pallu, but it also makes you look like you are wearing a potato sack, unless you are willing to fidget and hold it pretty in your hand all night. Personally, I’d prefer to use my hands to hold plates of food :)

After much experimenting, I came up with a drape that solved this problem. It shows off the gorgeous pallu of silk saris, and keeps your hands free (just like a dress).  

The Dress Drape

We are currently calling it the "dress drape", but if you have a better name in mind, we'd love to hear it!

Hope you like it, find it useful, and more importantly, I hope it brings back your joy for silk saris.

Don’t forget to share you photos on Instagram and tag #daretodrape

We will feature our favorite one :)

*silk saris are usually stiffer in texture, and don’t usually flow freely as a chiffon or satin sari. Thus most women prefer to pleat a silk sari, where it sits more close to the body.

[vintageindianclothing]

Though in our times the fashion is to leave the pallu (the loose end of the sari) largely unsecured,  historically there were several ways of securing or draping the pallu of a nivi sari.

In the 1930s-1940s when the nivi style was fairly new amongst the many modes of doing so were the kinds shown in these paper dolls.

From the left: 1) the loosely draped over the shoulder style (more common in South India) - sometimes the pallu would be loosely secured at the waist much like for a nine yard sari 2) the pinned to the shoulder with a brooch and then draped over the head style, more common in Bengal and Western India 3) similar to style 1 but with possibly a brooch at the shoulder and something like a belt - though this style doesn't always require the drape over the shoulder and 4) the loose end of the sari tucked in at the waist (common in vintage Tamil photographs and also a bit of a 1950s thing)