The drape remix

Still wondering what to wear this Deepavali? Check out these handloom saris and get an update this festive season.

October 21, 2016 03:26 pm | Updated December 02, 2016 10:47 am IST - Chennai

Young women in their brightly coloured saris Photo: R. Ragu

Young women in their brightly coloured saris Photo: R. Ragu

It’s that time of the year when textile advertisements take over newspaper jackets. It’s also the time to update our wardrobes and accessories. This time around, handlooms are making a splash, across age categories. Thanks to various sari pacts, the image of handlooms has undergone a profound shift. And, design interventions have given traditional fabrics a new lease of life.

All over India, traditional weavers have reinvented their work to keep up with the changing times, and you can notice a dash of the contemporary in their work. It works well for the end-user too. And the customer has enough modern choices in addition to classic designs.

The consumer wardrobe has changed from ‘need-based clothing’ to ‘occasion-specific dressing’, and is gradually becoming more ‘detail-oriented’. “Before buying a sari, people question its wearability, price factor and innovation level. While classics are all-time favourites, people are adapting to fusion for the simple reason that it offers diversity,” says Ahalya S, founder, Kanakavalli. Agrees S. Ramesh, managing director, Pothys, “Pen Kalamkari handmade designs, especially on Kanjeevaram silks and tussars are a huge hit; the digital print designs on tussars and linens are also a big draw with youngsters.”

So, what’s trending in stores this Deepavali season?

Silks

A classic traditional Kanjeevaram tops the ‘collectibles’ list, but its stylish linen avatar is a rage in the market. Pure linen and linen mixed with cotton crumple a lot. A combination of silk and linen, therefore, makes a good alternative.

Linen Kanjeevarams

With a silk warp, and a soft 100-count linen in the weft, these are very light to wear, and also retain authenticity in terms of traditional weaving and motifs.

Organza Kanjeevarams

They were the rage on the ramp last year, and the trend has trickled down to the stores this year. The organza Kanjeevaram is made of kora silk, which makes it light, and ideal for casual wear.

You have an option of choosing an organza with one-gram zari (easier on your pocket), or a pure zari (if you can afford one).

The pure organzas are not too transparent, and come with rich Benares/Kanjeevaram borders (the tall skirt borders measuring 12 inches is very stylish). The simpler version is, of course, a smart checked organza body, with a plain Kanjeevaram silk border.

The checked Koorainadus

The beautiful checked traditional Koorainadu saris from Kumbakonam and Thanjavur are making a comeback. The weaving skill reflects in the colourful checks on the body of the sari — made of alternate warps and weaves of silk and cotton threads. For coarser counts, they use hand-twisted cotton; for finer counts, mercerised cotton, which costs double the hand-twisted version, but gives you a colourful riot of checks.

Tussar silks have never been out of vogue — basically because they drape well and adapt well to surface techniques such as block printing and hand painting. The various options of Ajrakh, Dabu and Kalamkari printing make them even more attractive.

Cottons

Colour blocks are the biggest hit this season (checks, bright-coloured body with contrasting borders). The Gamcha and Begumpuri saris from Kolkata have been clear winners, especially for their trendy checks, or block prints, and mainly for their surface embellishment tassels, called “pom-poms”.

Khadi

These saris have made quite a transition over the years. From just one option of the pure but heavy Gandhigram sari, today’s weaves are finer and stylish. The Ponduri Khadis, which have a special lustre, come with tissue silk borders. The light-as-air Khadi jamdanis and printed Khadis are uber cool too.

Ethnic Kanchi cottons are a great trend this season. The body is made of fine count of cotton, but with a twist of pure silk border, almost like a Gadwal. You have an option of choosing a traditional three-shuttle border, called Korvai, or a one-side silk border. Ikats are always an inspiration to dress well. The double-side ikats are painstakingly woven, and the intricate dyeing pattern is set even before the weaving. The best buys would be linen ikats (single ikats) which come in pastel hues.

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