No new saree to wear !! Then let's restyle our olds

"I don't have ANY new saree to wear to this party" that's most of us saying before any event or party.  There is undoubtedly nothing as versatile and comfortable as saree for a summer wedding or festivity. But in this Instagram age we want to flaunt something new at every event. But with galore of parties and invites, our wardrobes offers limited inventories😞 and we feel the need to buy something new each time. Alas!!! our budgets and dearest husbands/partners/parents/or whoever concerned or unconcerned doesn't find this exciting. Each time I look for a saree to buy THEY"LL feel overly worried about how they will fit in MY wardrobe. And also if you are like me, living outside India, its all the more expensive and hassle to find the choicest sarees the moment we want them. But as its said "necessity is the mother of all  ...err ...jugaars" (in our house, the scientist better half does enough of those inventions😜) So I have become diligent enough to style my sarees differently each time I wear them at different occasions. Trust me you can style your favorite saree in innumerable ways with just few simple hacks. Here's a pic of me styling my favorite soft Kanjeevaram saree at three separate occasions in three different ways. In this post I'll go over each of them and give you some tips how can you do the same.

So lets get going...but first,

What are the different aspects of Styling a Saree

Saree: 

Pic Courtesy: A dear friend, Abhishek Mallik

Pick a saree depending on the occassion, comfort, and mood. If you need more help regarding how to choose a saree, please do check my previous blog here. Neatly draping the saree is key to look and feel good. Please don't shy away from experimenting with different draping styles as they make a huge difference in the whole look. Try the more conventional drapes like, pleated pallu Nivi drape, loose pallu Nivi drape, Bengali drape, seedha palla drape, if you are too intimidated by more expermental drapes.

Blouse: 

Now the second most important component, the blouse. Pair your sarees with INTERESTING blouses (now, that doesn't always mean expensive or "designer" ones). Mix and match different prints, contrast colors, designs and even crop tops, jackets and kurtis (for those rolling eyes👀, they really work!!). Even if you are wearing the saree with the matching blouse, spice it up with some intricate designs like dori, tassles/latkans, zari borders. Blouses are real game changers for sarees. Combinations with different blouses changes the whole look all together.

        

Jewelry and bag: 

Combining jewelry and bag with the saree is the most fun part. There are no rules on how you want to mix and match them with your saree. Sport different accessories each time you drape the saree. Pair your accessories according to your comfort and choice. If your saree is too heavy, tone it down with lighter accessories and vice versa. Only wear one statement piece be it bag, ring, earring or necklace. Too many of them together might spoil the whole look and distract focus.

Hair:

Simple alterations in hairstyles can make the whole look different. Adding fresh flowers or jeweled combs can make the hairstyle all the more glamorous.

Makeup:

Makeup can make a significant difference in looks for sure. Try opting for bold eyes-nude lips or subtle eyes-bold lip combinations according to your saree and overall outfit.


Thus all of these aspects playing major roles,tweaking any or all of these. You can get innumerable looks out of just one saree ,

So now let's go over my three ways of styling the same saree.

1. Bengali Drape Look : In the first look I have paired the saree with a full sleeve blouse. Kept the look very traditional and minimal, by adding a matching Jadau pendant on a DIY choker. The statement piece being the kundan ring which is again a DIY😊. Comment below if you want to know more on how I made these. Nude lips and bold eyes goes perfect with any Bengali look even if you have Mongolian eyes like mine 😉

Pic Courtesy : Abhishek Mallik

Outfit Details: 

Saree: Adi Shakeshwari Bastrayala, Kolkata

Blouse: Piece came the saree, designed by yours truely

Necklace: Pendant from Nonni , paired with a DIY blue choker

Earrings: Nonni

Ring: DIY

Purse: Dakshinapan, Kolkata

2. Belted Saree Look: This is a contemporary look with the same kanjeevaram saree. Draped it on a tee and have added a belt to spice up the look and break the traditional vibe a bit. Also, opted out the bindi for this look. The accessories were chosen to keep contemporary flavor, details of them are given below. Also added faux gajra to keep it fresh looking. 

Outfit Details:

Tee blouse: Walmart

Statement earrings: Gift, source unknown

Bag: Gift, bought from Priyo Gopal Bishoyi, Kolkata

Cuff: Sam and Moons, Houston, USA

3. Loose Pallu drape: The last look from the saree is the one I draped over same blouse I wore in look 1. But see how different it looks with different drape, accessories, hair and makeup. It was a more conventional look with gold jewelry.

Outfit Details:
Jewelry: My wedding trousseau, from various Gold stores in Kolkata
Bag: Gift, Tommy Hilfiger 

Hopefully the post was helpful for you. Please do let us know if you did. Keep rocking your six yards sareeistas. Follow us and stay tuned for more saree looks and hacks on this blog.