Indian Saree Fashion: Oxymoron or Inevitability?

Saree has a rich heritage and defines our Indian culture. Recently, when I saw celebs flaunting the nine-yard of sheer elegance on the global stage at the Met Gala 🔗 and Cannes, I couldn’t help but wonder if we’re ready to accept the saree wholeheartedly?!

Wearing a saree for a special occasion like a wedding 🔗 or festival is a norm, especially for married women. Young girls today are also sporting sarees – the Kanjeevarams, Banarasis, Kasavu, and all traditional weaves… but only for *coughs* Instagram. That’s the plight of traditional saree fashion 🔗 today! Even the elderly women from the GenX and a few from the baby boomer generations prefer salwar kameez over a saree for daily wear.

Are our sarees only limited to the virtual world?! Our editor-in-chief, Shilpa, has written a piece on how the traditional draping style itself is fading. In the coming generations, we doubt the significance of sarees, especially with Gen Z being comfortable with Western wear.

Read the article here: Is the Era of Saree Draping Silently Coming to an End? 🔗

Indian Saree Fashion: Comfortable or Not

There are many reasons why women choose other outfits over a saree like it takes time to drape, of course, we have pre-draped sarees that save time. But what about the comfort while you’re on the go always?! A salwar kameez or jeans or skirts make you feel comfortable. Every time I drape a saree, I have a constant fear that my saree may drop. This is despite securing it with an infinite number of safety pins. Also, the comfort level depends on the consistency. I may wear it once a month or so.

There are women in recent times who have run marathons, solo traveled the country on a bike, and even skied wearing a saree. Some elderly women practice yoga or traditional kalarippayattu in a saree.

So, why do the younger generations limit sarees only for special occasions?! One reason may be that we are not exposed to wearing a saree at a very young age. So, once we enter adulthood, it becomes a task to wear a saree. Once we’re in the comfort zone of Western wear or the traditional salwar kameez or kurtis, transitioning into sarees as daily wear seems impossible and time-consuming.

Designers are coming up with unique solutions for these problems. There are soft cotton mulmul sarees, which are easier to drape, and lightweight, unique drape styles so that you don’t have to spend time fixing the pallu pleats. Of course, there are pre-pleated sarees. I feel pre-pleated sarees aren’t sustainable in the long run as they are customized to a particular size. With a traditional saree, you can utilize it to stitch another outfit in the future. Nevertheless, it’s a great option, if you want your saree draping to be hassle-free

Saree Fashion on the International Platforms

With so many stories weaved in the nine-yard fabric, we tend to overlook our tradition and succumb to Western fashion. But the saree has charmed the entire world with its sheer elegance. Recently, at the Cannes film festival and the Met Gala 2023, Indian celebs like Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Mrunal Thakur, and Isha Ambani chose to wear a saree on the global platform. But what caught our eyes is the Western celebs draping the nine-yard of sheer elegance.

Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid, and Zendaya wore sarees and stole the show at Met Gala and NMACC events. Naomi wore a pink satin saree with a silver sequined blouse 🔗 keeping it simple. While Gigi wore a traditional chikankari saree with a temple jewelry-inspired golden blouse.

Zendaya won hearts not only in the West but from Indians, too. People lauded her choice of saree and many Insta influencers went crazy recreating her saree look and makeup. The sheer blue saree with a golden beaded blouse looked ethereal. The modern interpretation of the saree fashion was on point.

Saree Fashion on the Runways

But this is not the first time non-Indians have sported the saree. International designers have time and again created their renditions of the saree in runway collections. Let’s look at a few looks where couturiers recreated the saree.

Hermes Spring 2008

An Indianised fashion show on the runways! Well, Jean-Paul Gaultier’s love for India showed in Hermes Spring 2008 collection was pretty evident. From turbans to Jodhpur pants to Nehru jackets, the collection was about renditions of Indian wear with a Western touch. But it was the portrayal of sarees that stood out. From belted sarees to short sarees to saree gowns, the flowy drapes stole the show… literally!

The colors, too, were earthy like rusty browns, olives, and whites that spoke about the rich heritage of India. But it was the olive green short saree and the pink saree that stood out the most! Sarees were worn without blouses before the invasion of the British and the pink saree is an ode to our ancestors!

Alexander McQueen Fall 2008

Who can forget the gothic phase of the 2000s?! Well, at least not me. I was a teenager and I was heavily influenced by black magic… uhm I mean goth magic. McQueen, too, had a grand goth affair with a hint of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and a pinch of Indianess in their 2008 Fall show. There were outfits inspired by traditional Indian sarees paired with voluminous skirts. There were maang tikas and matha patis that complemented the designs. The red handloom saree 🔗 draped like a dhoti was eye-catching.

Chanel Pre-Fall 2012

Karl Lagerfeld’s Pre-Fall 2012 collection was named the Paris-Bombay collection that combined the best of both cities. The silhouettes of the coats, short draped sarees, and silk skirts defined the elements of regal India while the color palette of black, white, and greys spoke about the sophistication of Paris. The raw silk fabric complemented the western designs and so did the maang tikas!

Marchesa Spring 2013

Marchesa thoroughly researched the traditional Indian fabrics for the Spring 2013 show. The fabrics were resembling our traditional Benarasis and were converted into floor-sweeping gowns in true Marchesa style, sheer tulles with gold bodices, and much more.

Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2017 Couture

By far this is my favorite retention of saree fashion. There were drapes everywhere. EVERYWHERE! From short sarees to sheer tulle gowns to Bollywood-inspired ruffled sarees, the couturier rolled out amazing creations. But the best ones were the tuxedo sarees that were in various lengths, colors, and textures. One of the best iconic creations of sarees.

Saree Fashion in Hollywood

These were a few looks from the international runways that the global fashion mavericks have given our Indian saree a distinct look. But there are iconic looks of saree fashion in the 1950s-60s. Yesss! Our sarees have been a head-turner always!

Audrey Hepburn’s famous drape in Breakfast at Tiffany’s has a separate fan base. Although it’s not the traditional saree, the drape of the loose fabric is almost like a saree. Audrey’s fashion is a genre itself and her sporting a saree is an epic moment for sure.

Another instance where the world’s most beautiful woman, Marilyn Monroe wore a bold orange scarf dress that resembled the saree in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953). The mermaid-esque gown emphasizes her body and the ruched chiffon fabric gives an illusion of pleats. She pairs it with a matching orange scarf that completes the look.

Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, and Love sported a traditional Gujarati-style saree and we can’t stop admiring the authenticity she bought to the character.

Apart from movies, Hollywood celebs like Pamela Anderson, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Kim Kardashian, Selena Gomez, Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton, Elizabeth Hurley, Victoria Beckham, Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, and the list goes on…have sported the saree. They’ve worn for an occasion or a photo shoot.

Are Sarees Relevant Today?

Sarees have been widely embraced all over the world and yet we Indians are far away from accepting the fact that sarees are our style. Just like our editor-in-chief, Shilpa discusses in her article how the era of saree draping is disappearing, it’s a sad reality that we’re ignoring our culture in the name of comfort. Of course, comfort clothing 🔗 is important but sarees are also super comfy and are designed to be sustainable and multi-purpose. We need to be proud of our heritage.

It is our thinking that needs to evolve along with style and fashion. There are a certain set of people who still believe wearing a saree makes them behenji or are afraid that they may be mocked. Sarees have reached international platforms and have been and are a favorite to many Westerners. So, it’s time for us to look back and succumb to our culture.

However, saree is evolving and it’s the perfect time for us to return to our roots and be proud of who we are. Wearing a saree for special occasions is cool. But how about including them as your daily wear? Go for lightweight cotton or linen sarees. Mulmul is soft, breezy, and easy to drape. Choose pre-draped sarees if it takes extra effort to pleat them, especially on those busy mornings. Share your sarees with your friends and family and experiment with what works for you the best. This way you can pick the style, fabric, and drapes that suit you.

How Saree Fashion Can Be the Cool Quotient?

It’s essential for Indian designers to vouch for Indian sarees as they are the true symbol of our Indian culture. It’s time to make sarees the ‘it’ factor and make them a cool youth symbol. Imagine how McD or Coca-Cola and jeans became the voice of youth in the 90s. This was in a matter of a few years. The 70s and 80s were an era where we Indians were experimenting with western fashion here and there but we stayed true to our roots.

But in the 90s, there was a sudden rise in Western culture because it was considered cool. The Western influence was so high that not only India but the entire world followed Western trends and fashion. Guess what?! This has continued till now. Korea is a country that was unheard of in the past but in the 2010s, it became a sensation. With the advent of glass skin, the Korean skincare routine 🔗 became a huge thing in India. We can’t forget K-pop and K dramas, too! But why are these fads so popular and why are people so obsessed with them? This is because the Americans and Koreans uphold their culture and they sell it to the world proudly that they aren’t a fad anymore but a rigorous thing that we follow.

Rooting for Our Lineage

We Indians, too, should be proud of our being, and Indian designers and Bollywood directors can take India to the next level. Saree fashion can be the next big thing to boost our economy or at least wearing Indian 🔗 sarees can be normalized.

What are your thoughts on the evolving saree fashion? Do you wear sarees regularly or do you keep them aside only for special occasions? Or are you happy with your salwar kameez or jeans and tops? Let us know in the comments below!

Also, share your best saree pics with us on Instagram 🔗 @shilpaahujadotcom and we will feature you on our stories!

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