An Indian woman’s love for the saree is well known. While celebrating tradition and fashion, let us look at the various ways we can give the traditional saree a modern and trendy look.

A. Different Saree looks:

1. Pair it with trousers pants

• Trouser pants: When paired with a saree is both smart and contemporary. You can choose from the below trouser styles to wear with your saree:
• Straight-cut Pants: A little flare in crepe or georgette material matched with a fancy saree looks drop-dead gorgeous.
• Cigarette Pants: They complement well with soft as well as stiff sarees. Cigarette pants in banarasi silk fabric or any other traditional material would be a top-notch choice.
• Palazzo Pants: Palazzo pants have relatively more flare than straight-cut pants. With belts or Kamar bandh, these pants can look astonishing with sarees in fluid fabrics and upper-waist blouses.

2. Set it together with western blouses: With distinct silhouettes and cuts, you can upraise any saree. For a bohemian touch, conclude the ensemble with black ankle-length leather boots and oxidized jewellery. Listed down are some exquisite blouse substitutes for you.

• Corset: Corset is a body-fitted support garment. Victorian cut full-cup corsets would suit best with traditional sarees.
• Basic Crop Tops: In solid shades, they are the safest substitute for Indian blouses. You can style them with cotton, linen, or khadi sarees in indigenous prints like Ikkat, bandhani, or batik.
• Shirts : You can wear solid colour shirts with your sarees for that crisp formal look.

3. Layer it with a statement blazer/jacket: Here are some of the offbeat blazer styles you can pair with your sarees;

• Floral Satin Blazers: Floral prints in satin material are your best bet if you want a vibrant ensemble. Balance the fusion with basic, solid-shaded sarees.
• Ankle-Length Jackets: Ankle-length jackets like angrakha, asymmetrical, empire-line cut, look stunning with silk sarees and ornamented belts.
• Basic Notch-Collared Blazers: For a formal winter look.

4. Try unconventional blouses : This can add a totally different dimension to your look. Style your saree differently with off shoulder, sheer, peplum, cape , halter neck or one shoulder blouses in vibrant contrast colours to turn heads.
5. Pair with Kurtis: If you want to keep the traditional look and yet do it differently, then pair your saree with complimenting kurtis…..you can add chunky silver jewellery, rajasthani  mojris and large bindis to complete the look! You can try this look with your cotton hand printed/painted handloom sarees, taant , ikat, narayanpet, south cottons. For a rich and opulent look, pair silk kurtis in bold colours with brocades, banarasis and heavy silks, with complementing gold, minakari or jadau jewellery.

B. New, fun drapes to try:

1. Neck Drape Style: Drape the pallu around your neck like a scarf or stole, keep the pallu slightly longer to achieve this look. Pair up with a blouse that has a heavy sleeve or front and some statement earrings for a sophisticated look.
2. Front Pallu Drape: It’s a stylish variation of the traditional pleated pallu style. Instead of pleating the saree on the shoulder, you have to just throw it from the back to the front, pleat it and/or spread it.
3. Infinity Drape: For this drape, wrap your saree in an anti-clock direction. Pleat the pallu and throw on your right shoulder from the back. Start making pleats but keep the last few a little loose in order to get that cowl near the waist. Then take the tip of your pallu and wrap it around the waist and tuck it from the back.
4. Belt Drape Style: Simply wrap a belt around the waist. You can take a classic tan/brown leather belt or a statement piece depending on the color and style of your saree. If you want to go a more unconventional look, swap out your heels with a classic pair of boots or sneakers.
5. One-Side Drape:In this, pleat the first few meters of the saree and tuck it in the center of your front side. After the first step is complete, take the rest of the fabric to whirl it around your waist, till the center, and lastly, put it on your shoulder. This drape looks best with trousers and pants.
6. Dhoti-Pant Drape : The procedure is the same as that of a one-side drape, except in the first step, pleats are supposed to tuck in the side of your waist instead of the center. As the name suggests, it’s paired with dhoti-pants. Peplum or waist-length blouses fit amazingly with this drape style.

With so many options and ideas, test and try to get the look that will suit you best and the occasion, be inspired to infuse your  unique flair into the  timeless saree to look gorgeous!

Girl, you rock!!