Oldest garment with an ageless appeal

Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma`s portraits show women in exquisitely-draped sarees. The women of the royal families draped it in this style

What today many perceive as a garment making a fashion statement or traditional attire draped for auspicious occasions, the saree is a lot more than that. With more than 5,000 years of existence to its credit and what’s considered to be among the oldest form of garment in the world still in existence, saree has continued to evolve, keeping its core characteristic intact, and stay relevant in the present time.

For Indian women, saree is a ‘symbol of femininity’ … a garment so integral to their existence that despite thousands of years of invasion, cultural disruption and destruction, persecution, waves of emigration and immigration, wars and revolutions, saree continues to be as Indian as it could be. 

Despite being an ancient garment, saree is still extremely popular and worn by women of all ages. It is deeply entrenched in India’s cultural fabric; making it a rare piece of ‘cultural heritage’ from India with universal acknowledgment and without theories of disputed origins. It is a versatile garment that is traditional and contemporary at the same time.

Marking the origin

The earliest record or mention of saree can be found in the Vedas – ancient Indian scriptures and among the oldest literature created by man. The woman attire was called ‘satika’ from which the word ‘saree’ came into existence. The mention goes back to the Indus Valley Civilisation that flourished in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent between 3300–1300 B.C.E., indicating the usage of the garment then.

Around that time, man had started cultivating cotton and, on the Indian subcontinent, cotton weaving had begun as well. This was the one of the first steps to creating a fabric that

Mumbai-based fashion designer and politician Shaina Nana Chudasama, popularly known as Shaina NC, is known in the Indian fashion industry as the ‘Queen of Drapes’. She is known to drape the saree in fifty-our different ways and holds a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest saree drape

later came to be known as the saree. To put things in perspective, silk weaving began around 2,450 to 2,000 BCE.

Saree is an ‘evolved’ version of an ensemble comprising three separate pieces of cloth. The lower garment called the ‘antariya’, the ‘stanapatta’ that covers the chest and the ‘uttariya’ that was the veil worn over the head or the shoulder.

In ancient Tamil Nadu, references to saree can be found in works such as Silappadikaram that mention a single piece of clothing covering the lower part of the body and the head. Sanskrit drama Mṛcchakatika’s author Sudraka, from fifth century BCE, wrote that women did not wear ‘avagaunthaha’, which is the Sanskrit term for a veil used by women, all the time. In fact, the married women were expected to wear it especially when in public.

Banabhatta’s literature Kadambari, in Sanskrit, mentions women covered in what is an exquisitely-draped cloth. Other works mention that women wore cloth where the midriff would be uncovered. Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma who was closely related to the royal Travancore family, in present-day Kerala, is known as one of the greatest painters of Indian art. His numerous paintings displaying women document similar clothing.

Constantly evolving garment

Despite enduring thousands of years of evolution and diversification, the saree continues to be draped in a typical ‘classical’ manner. Even with the basic draping style, there are more than a hundred variations of the saree in the Indian sub-continent itself originating from religious, geographical and cultural diversity of the country.

Today, there are not just variations in saree styles but also fabric, length, accompanying accessories, etc. Sarees are now found in different kinds of silk such as the Kanjeevaram silk saree, Banarasi silk saree, Tussar silk saree or cotton such as Chanderi cotton saree, Khadi saree, Sambalpuri saree, etc. Newer fabrics such as chiffon, georgette, crepe, etc. are also becoming popular.

Then there are handloom sarees with embroidery, ikkat, block-print, tie-n-dye, embellishments, etc. Some of the most popular sarees that saree-loving Indian women like to add to their collection are Banarasi, Paithani, Chanderi, Kanchipuram, Gadwal, Baluchuri, Mysore, Uppada, Marayan pet, Mekhela Chador, Leheriya, Bandhani, etc.

While the elaborate silk and heavy-work sarees are reserved for traditional occasions and religious ceremonies and demand utmost care and maintenance, there are those that offer comfort and convenience for the working women. The easy to drape and easy to wash daily-wear sarees can also be worn in all seasons. The most popular choice in this regard is Georgette saree that comes is a wide range of colours, prints and patterns and is economical too.

When Air India was nationalised in 1953 and came under the Government of India, the attire for the crew members was changed. The air hostesses were required to wear sarees, in a bid to showcase Indian culture and tradition. 

Moving beyond tradition

Today, saree is one of the most versatile garments for women. Fashion designers continue to experiment with saree to make it fashionable and contemporary. 

Mumbai-based fashion designer and politician Shaina Nana Chudasama, popularly known as Shaina NC, is known in the Indian fashion industry as the ‘Queen of Drapes’. She is

When Air India was nationalised in 1953 and came under the Government of India, the air hostesses were required to wear sarees, in a bid to showcase Indian culture and tradition

known to drape the saree in fifty-four different ways and holds a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest saree drape.

Shaina got involved in fashion designing at a young age. With an impressive clientele that includes film industry celebrities such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shaina’s main interest is in sarees, particularly silk sarees, cotton sarees, chiffon sarees, Paithani sarees, Chanderi sarees, etc. She believes the saree is an amazing garment as it can really change a woman’s looks and the younger generation needs to be introduced to it properly.

She believes there are no fixed rules regarding wearing a saree and has draped one over trousers, jeans, skirt, etc. She has also designed ready-to-wear sarees for the ‘modern’ woman who finds it difficult to drape the six-yard saree. 

Another designer who has internationalised traditional Indian saree is Sanjukta Dutta. Assam-based Sanjukta is known to design beautiful Mekhela Chador and revive the Silk of Assam. Her collection ‘Alphool’ was showcased at the New York Fashion Week 2022. 

Sanjukta is known for combining traditions and prints from different geographical regions to create a unique customised piece of garment with the traditional Assamese silk Mekhela Chador as a base. She is constantly striving to ‘modernise’ traditional garments and make them relevant to contemporary needs. Her creations, particularly the silk garments, are hand-made that may take up to a month to finish, depending on the intricacy of the works.

During the New York Fashion Week 2022, Consul General of India Randhir Jaiswal was highly impressed by the collection that showcased India’s traditional attire with a modern touch. He said, “When you are celebrating Sanjukta you are celebrating India. Her designs are very rich, it represents all that Assam is, all that India is.”

In India, today, several fashion designers are reinterpreting the saree. Their creations are infusing the traditional saree with contemporary elements. Renowned designer Tarun Tahiliani who has draped the saree on several Indian and international celebrities is also known to revive the saree in ‘modern’ ways. He feels that with the evolution of Indian woman, the saree has also metamorphosed.

Anavila Mishra has revived the most traditional Banarasi saree and created a niche for herself. She feels that the saree is an extension of a woman’s personality and she has been working towards creating unique drapes for the urban Indian woman.