Saree

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Saree or sari is the quintessential flowy unstitched garment worn by women in the Indian subcontinent for centuries. Over the years, this piece of garment has evolved. From numerous weaving techniques, designs, dying techniques and fabrics, today's women have a large variety of sarees to choose from. With more and more women opting for tailored garments, the humble saree is slowly becoming an occasional wear preferred for traditional ceremonies, marriages & religious activities. Our effort is to make sarees stylish so women both young & old take to wearing them often. In an effort to do so, we bring light weight and comfortable daily wear sarees like kotas, organzas, chiffons, cottons & more. Keeping comfort in mind, these everyday range are accented with muted block prints, delicate embroidery and kalamkari details. For more festive occasions, we turn to our time tested heritage weaves like kancheepuram silks. If there is something that we stand for with pride, it is the quality of our fabrics and craft. We work with a select pool of karigars and weavers to ensure every Aavaranaa saree is a piece of heirloom. Origin The origin of sarees can be tracked back to the Indus Valley Civilization. According to historians, cotton was cultivated as early as 5000 BC. Natural dyes such as Indigo, madder and turmeric were used to add color to the fabrics woven. Silk came in to existance much later. Old sculptures bear testimony to the fact that ancient women sported a flowy garment that closely resembles present day sarees. Styles & Techniques Today, the most common draping style is the seedha palla style or the nivi style of wearing the saree. However, this has not always been the case. Every state and community have their own distinct style of wearing a saree. Over the years many draping styles have gone out of vogue or sidelined to ceremonies and festivities. - The Madisar style preferred by brahmins in the south - The Pin Kosavu style favored by the Tamils - The Kodagu style originating from Karnatake - The Navvari or Nauvari style from Maharasthra - The Seedha Palla or Gujarati style also preferred by women in Rajasthan - The Athapouri style popular among women in Bengal - The Kunbi style worn by women in Goa An offshoot of the saree is a two piece garment with a flowy drape and a skirt/wrap around like garment. Some examples of these offshoots are: - The lehenga - chunni or chaniya choli worn by women in Rajasthan & Gujarat - The Mundu worn by women in Kerala - The Mekhala Chador worn by women in Assam This list is certainly not extensive and serves to show how diverse saree wearing is across the length & breadth of India. Saree outside India One can not ignore other countries where sarees are worn and woven. Among those Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Srilanka are noteworthy. Possibly due to the shared heritage and history, women in these nations wear and patronize sarees to date. Some of these countries even have noteworthy weaves like the Dhakai Jamdani from Bangladesh which is a prized possession in every saree lover's wardrobe. Weaves From India Over the last few centuries, several weaving techniques, designs and fabrics emerged across the Indian subcontinent. Although many of these weave techniques are slowly dying, there has been considerable effort towards reviving some of these weaves. We have tried to list some of the weaving techniques that are popular to date. South India: - Kancheepuram Silk - Uppada Silk - Mangalagiri Silk - Dharmavaram Silk - Arani Silk - Rasipuram Silk - Pattedu Anchu - Ilkal - Pochampally - Madurai Cotton - Chirala - Venkatgiri - Gadwal - Narayanpet - Salem Silk North & Central India: - Benarasi - Tanchoi & Jamewar - Chanderi - Maheswari - Kosa & Geecha Silk Eastern India: - Tant - Baluchari - Tangail - Korial - Jamdani - Sambalpuri Ikat - Bomkai - Pasapalli - Berhampuri - Moirang Phee - Kotpad Western India: - Paithani - Patola & Ikat - Kota Doria These sarees are further enhanced by various crafts and mebroidery techniques from across the Indian Subcontinent