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I am finding sari inspiration via well-dressed Bollywood celebrities who have started posting their looks again.
Despite the fact that I will come off as Captain Obvious, I want to take a minute and state that I love saris. I am only 30, and my wardrobe already boasts a sizeable number of saris that are completely my own, exclusive of the ones that I borrow (without ever returning) from my mother and my grandmother. I learned how to drape one when I was 12 years old, and have rarely missed an opportunity to wear one since.
Saris are the most unassuming, undiscriminating, and undemanding outfits (except when you’re trying to fix the pleats of your silk sari with sub-standard safety pins; then God help you). A sari looks flattering on every body type and does more in support of size inclusivity than any other outfit; the fact that it is charged with cultural significance only makes it better.
Now, I love my Kanjeevarams and Banarasi saris; I reserve them for grand occasions when I want to look my traditional best. Other times, I reach for my organzas that I have realised look better when worn with unconventional makeshift blouses such as crop tops, bralettes, and sports bras. But even I, an ardent admirer of the garment, find myself wanting more options when it comes to saris that are more suited to meet my modern requirements – like when I want to wear one to a party, or to a laid-back wedding where drunk dancing is high on the agenda.
Lucky for me, inspiration is not in short supply in the post-vax world. And, this time, I am finding mine in the squares of Instagram via well-dressed Bollywood celebrities who have started posting their looks again.
Deepika Padukone in Payal Khandwala
This pleated sari by designer Payal Khandwala is what I imagine wearing to a luncheon or a casual dinner. It is structured, but not in a couture-ish manner, and manages to remain feminine without coming off as saccharine. This minimal sari, which moonlights as wearable art, is a must-have in any modern wardrobe.
Price: Rs 19,800
Shilpa Shetty in Cuin
Image: Instagram/@theshilpashetty
This sari does a fine job of balancing between contemporary and classic so I don’t have to. Rightly called “The Cocktail Sari,” it comes with two functional pallus, one on each side, that can be draped in multiple ways. I love the belt that brings the whole look together by cinching at the waist. Makes me want to wear it to the next sangeet I attend.
Price: Rs 24,500
Chitrangada Singh in Ridhi Mehra
This Ridhi Mehra number sparks a pre-draped sari sub-trend by combining it with feminine ruffles, which lends it much movement but with the kind of practicality that lets you move (or dance) without tripping. The sari itself is very much like wearing a skirt with a pre-attached pallu that simply needs to be thrown over the shoulder of a gorgeous net blouse that’s embroidered with delicate pearls and beads. A total wedding must-have.
Price: Rs 72,500
Which one of these modern saris would you wear next? And where?
Also Read: Pre-Draped Saris That Belong in Your Modern Wardrobe
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