How To Drape A Saree To Look Slim?

How To Drape A Saree To Look Slim?

Saree is undoubtedly a beautiful clothing for every woman regardless of her age and shape (but consider what suits you the best). However, not all sarees look good on everyone (imagine a short height woman wearing bold and big prints). Anyways, Did you ever imagine that you can wear one piece of cloth in about 100 different ways?? If not then you have underestimated Saree. With all those different types of saree and the different kind of drapes, one can try various options. Yes, you can wear it in n number of ways. The styles of draping a saree are endless.

Saree an Indian wear makes a woman look graceful, stylish, elegant and sensuous. Just be a little selective while buying sarees . You should always buy saree by keeping your weight, height, and skin complexion in consideration. The fabric and design should be such that it always compliments you and your body. It should reflect in your attitude and confidence.

Here are some basic tips on how to drape a saree:

Hold one side of the upper edge of the Saree with your left hand around your waist to feet on your back side leaving free the pallu side on other end.
Tuck the top border of inner of the Saree in to the petticoat in such a way so that the Saree may fall up to the floor level.
Drape the Saree around the front keeping it on same height.
Tuck the little top edge of the Saree into the petticoat keeping on same height.
Make the fold of few straight plates from the right side and tuck it into the petticoat so that the bottom edge of the Saree should touch the floor level.
Bring around the other end of the Saree in your both hand and keep pallu put on left side shoulder allowing the pallu fall on your back.


Saree for Overweight Women :
If you choose the right fabric and drape the saree in right manner, you can look far slimmer than your actual body size.
Light fabric is best for you. Go for Georgette, chiffon, crepe, Italian silk and such other lightweight materials. These fabrics stay close to body and fits perfectly on your body. The material gives nice fall and you a slimmer look. These fabrics have a good fall
Stiff materials like cotton and organza adds more volume to your body. Avoid such fabrics.
However, if you still love handloom cotton sarees, then go for light cotton or those which are mixed with other fabrics.
Some sarees of south India like ‘cotton silk sarees’ will suit you more than the traditional heavy cotton sarees.
Heavy or glossy material is not meant for you.
Dark colors are best for plus size women.
Tuck your saree well and proper, so that it doesn’t add volume at certain areas.
If you have a tummy and want to wear a saree made of heavy or thick fabric like a banarasi saree, then avoid tucking too many pleats at the waist near to your navel. Adjust the pleats in such a way that they do not all fall at one place only.
Saree for Slim Women :

You can wear any type of saree if you are not too slim.
But if you at too skinny then go for fabric that add volume to your body.
Heavy and fluffy fabrics like brocade sarees, heavy silk sarees, cotton sarees, Organza etc. will suit you the best
Heavily embellished sarees like rich embroidered sarees and more traditional kanjeevaram sarees and Tissue saree should look good on you.

If you are tall and you like wearing synthetic sarees, go for bold and big prints.
Short height women should go for small border and small print sarees instead of bold and big prints. Bigger borders will make you look shorter.
Light colored sarees, particularly pastel shades will suit your body type.
Heavily embellished Lehenga style saris also go well with slim body type.
If you have a square body type or a straight torso and lack curves then you must consider wearing pre-stitched sarees. Its even better if you can get it customized so that the saree could be stitched to accentuate your figure.

Tips:

1. If you have a dark complexion then buy dark color sarees that go well with your skin tone. Go for colors like green, maroon or dark pink etc.
2. If you are on a heavier side i.e. chubby woman, you should buy Georgette, Chiffon or Chignon sarees. These fabrics will stick to your body and will help you look slimmer. If you love silk then Mysore silk sarees should suit you. These sarees are not too heavy and fluffy.
3. Petite or slim women should go for stiff and fluffy fabrics like Cotton, Tissue, Tussar, Organza etc. This will add volume to your body.
4. If you are short (height) go for small borders instead of bigger ones. Same with the print also, smaller print will make you look slim and wear dark colors.
5. Slim and Tall woman can wear sarees that have big border and big and bold print.
6. Pinup your saree well if your wearing it for office. Its comfortable and easily manageable. It gives a smart and clean look.
7. For an attractive look, you can just leave your pallu loose. Apt for any occasional gathering and parties.
8. Cotton, tissue, Tussar, Silk and Organza sarees need to be ironed and starched properly. Or else they look very untidy.
9. Be careful while pinning your saree. Sometimes bigger pins on the shoulder gives a very clumsy look.
10. Last tip would be for petticoat – It should be till your ankles and make sure your legs aren’t visible at all. Your petticoat should not be too flared.

How to iron a saree

How to iron a saree

The best way to iron the sari is while it is still damp. If needed you can use a spray bottle to dampen the sari. Please note that some cotton sarees might have lurex or poly content threads in the border that could be damaged with too high of an iron setting. Test a small corner first before proceeding.

Before ironing the sari, fold it in half. Set your iron on medium to high for cotton. While ironing straighten the grain of the cloth and line up the borders on top of each other on either side. You can iron it single, but folding the sari in half makes it much faster to do! Most sarees are so thin that you can adequately iron both layers at once.
Advance the sari to the back of the ironing board until you have ironed the whole thing. If the back side is still wrinkled flip the whole go over it again lightly.
Double the sari once again lengthwise. The sari is folded in fourths now. Make sure the corners are all neatly lined up. And at this point line up the borders neatly on top of each other and press again.
Double the sari one last time lengthwise (see photo), fold this in half and again in half until you have a nice square.

Ironing Silks
    Silks need to be ironed with caution. Crepe silks can lose their butternuts and get glossy if your iron is too hot. Try a test area on medium first. China silks don't mind heat. I always report the fiber content and if I think there are synthetic fibers in the sari. If it's not pure, make sure you use a cooler iron or you will have some "meltdown".

Removing stains from silk saris
    Indian ladies I've talked to swear that a little lime juice squeezed in the water is great at removing greasy spots from their heavy Kanchi silks. Make sure that the lime water is not too concentrated, it might fade the cloth.
Indian men, at least the dudes in the sari shops like to smelly and flammable gas to remove stains. Place a clean absorbent cloth on top of the stain and apply the gas in small dabs from the back. The stain flees into the cloth above it. You can buy this type of nasty smelling gas stuff (Energine) in most supermarkets. Just please make sure you've got good ventilation!

Indian Tradition Saree washing - How to Wash and Dry a sari

Care and cleaning of your sarees

The sari is made to be worn and used, that's the joy of it, not keeping it in a box somewhere! Wear your sarees! So doing this, you will get dirt on them, and that's a good sign that the sari has made it's way into your life. I love washing my sarees, hanging them up on the line to get fresh in the breeze and seeing them all unfolded in their glory is great. They also transform when wet!
If you've bought a cotton sari it is most likely starched - you will need to wash out the starch (and probably a little of the inevitable Indian grime that got on it during it's creation and life in India.) You will be so amazed how soft the sari becomes after it's washed - you just will want to wear it to bed, it's so soft!

How to Wash and Dry a sari

All new cotton saris need to be washed before wearing.
Your brand new sari, fresh from its package might feel somewhat stiff. This is just the starch that applied to the sari during the weaving or coloring process. Often the starch is necessary to be able to work with very fine cotton threads or to make the cloth easier to handle for printing.
If the sari is highly starched it might take a few washings to get all the starch out.

During the gentle agitation some color might bleed from the sari. This is normal, so don't worry about it. However, it is better to wash one sari at a time to prevent any bleed over.
When you are finished agitating, take the sari out of the water and gently squeeze out the excess. Do not wring the sari. Discard the wash water and refill the bucket with clear cool water.
After a thorough rinsing, again gently squeeze out the excess water.
Now it is time to take your sari for a spin!
Although you have squeezed quite a bit of water out of the sari, it is still too wet and heavy to hang on the line. You can take it for a little spin in your washer on the spin cycle for about 5 minutes.
Now your sari is ready to be hung on a clothes line, preferably outside out of direct sunlight! To hang up first fold the sari in half. Give it a good shake as you are folding it to remove any wrinkles and kinks and hang it on the line.
While the sari is on the line, you can save yourself some ironing time by stretching it while it is still wet and straightening the grain of the cloth and borders.

Make the fold over the line neatly, lining up the borders. Start from the top and grab the sari at the borders, gently stretching horizontally. Do this along the sari's entire folded length.
Now stretch the sari vertically as shown in the picture. Do this on both sides.
There, that is all there is to it! Let your sari hang until it is almost dry or slightly damp.

Other ways of drying a sari!

The most entertaining and beautiful way to dry is sari is with the aid of a friend on a warm day as is shown in the photos below: In the mid morning sun on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, or warm sands of the Puri beach.

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Hand Washing silk sarees.

All sarees can be handwashed - what would they have done pre drycleaning? However you can easily damage the finish of some silks with washing or a too-hot iron. Crepe silks and heavy brocades should probably be dry cleaned to protect their finish.
Believe it or not, adding a little hair conditioner in to the rinse water helps soften the fibers back to the buttery fluff that silk is known for. Just a drop is all you need. Very heavy ornate sarees will not be worn so often, and hence will not need to be laundered so often - a very graceful thing.

How to maintain cotton sarees - Tips to always hve fresh looks

 I have heard lots about sarees and how to maintain is a special art once we purchase, here is some tips to taking care.

When it comes to cotton sarees, they need special care. The reason is cotton sarees get wrinkles easily. It also requires special care if you have pure cotton sarees as they are very soft and delicate in nature. However no matter what amount of special care requires, there is always a special love for cotton sarees in every woman’s heart. Isn’t it?

 Why Every Woman Loves to Have Cotton Saree?

Cotton Saree Is a symbol of classic choice. We all have seen Our Grandma wearing cotton saree to the celebrities love wearing cotton sarees these days. Wearing cotton saree doesn’t require any perfect age, body profile, skin color etc. It is something which never goes out of fashion. Few classic Cotton Sarees are always must have in wardrobe for any lady.
So, here are quick tips about how to take care of your cotton sarees?

• When you buy a new cotton saree, It will be little stiff. The reason is, at the time of weaving and coloring process, saree makers have to add starch to it, which makes cotton sarees look stiff. Now before you wear it, you need to remove that starch. So, as soon as you get new cotton saree, take some water in a bucket and add 2-3 big spoon of salt and deep your saree for half an hour in to that water. This will remove extra starch and extra color as well. Now your saree is smooth and ready to wear!
• Never wash 2 Cotton Sarees along with each other, because there are chances of color leak when it comes to cotton fabric and you will never want to have color of one saree spread on the other one, Right? So wash each cotton saree one by one.
• When you iron cotton saree, don’t heat your iron too much. Keep it medium and iron your saree gently.
• Never wash your cotton saree with heavy detergent and chemicals. Even hand wash with mild detergent is enough for any cotton saree.
• Never put your saree in heavy Sunlight for drying process. Use open space but let it dry at the place where you find shadow and not the sun light. Heavy sunlight can damage your saree color.
• If you get any stains on Saree, either give it for Dry clean or wash it with White Petrol. Don’t rub hard brush to remove stains from your saree. It will tear down the fabric quality.

These are all practical tips to keep your cotton saree Healthy and Young forever. Follow these tips to prevent your sarees from any damage.

How to wash Silk Saree's - Instruction

If you follow the following instructions, your silk saree will always be new.

1. Gently rinse your silk saree in plain cold water. For the first three washes don’t use soap.
2. You can use shampoo or your bathing soap for the subsequent washes.
3. It is very important to note that wash the pallu, border and body separately.
4. You can use a protein shampoo with warm/cold water. The shampoo protein will feed the protein in the silk.
5. Avoid using chemicals – these may damage and reduce the lifespan of the silk.
6. Do not brush or lash the silk saree; it might lead to tearing the zari.
7. Avoid twisting or wringing the silk.
8. Do not bundle and keep wet for long durations.