An un-stitched length of woven cotton and/or silk, draped around the body, traditionally as the dominant garment of Indian women. (plural: saris, sarees)
The unstitched draped sari is worn, with few exceptions, across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. Amazingly, each geographical and cultural area has, not only specific traditions of weaving the sari as well as motifs and designs, but also a particular manner in which the sari is draped. The fall of the sari and the manner in which the pallu or end-piece is draped varies dramatically from area to area. Perhaps it is the versatility of this unstitched textile that has allowed women to continue to wear it through centuries, adapting it to their requirements, needs, and traditions.
The origins of the sari are obscure; however, 'we know that Indians were wearing lengths of un-sewn cloth draped around their bodies long before tailored clothes arrived. One of the earliest depictions of a sari-like drape covering the entire body dates back to about 100 BC. A north Indian terracotta (Shunga period c. 200-50 BC) depicts a woman wearing a sari wound tightly around her body...' (Lynton & Singh, 1995: p. 10).
Saris frequently derive their name from the area/region where the tradition of weaving that particular kind of sari originated.
- Dimensions: A length of cloth measuring 4 to 8 metres X 120 cm OR 13 to 26 feet X 4 feet
- Struct...
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