A must-have for Bengali brides, Banarasi Sarees are among the finest sarees in India. They are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. Most of us have been familiar with these rich weaves tucked with care in Ma or granny's armoire for ages. I

The #Banarasi sarees are made of finely woven silk and are decorated with intricate design, and, because of these engravings, are relatively heavy.are being churned out by thousands of weavers with Mughal inspired patterns like intricate intertwining floral and foliate motifs, kalga and bel, jhallar at the outer, edge of border, hunting scenes etc. They are known for their intricate gold and silver works, compact weaving, intricate figures, metallic visual effects, pallus, jal (a net like pattern), and mina work.. These sarees embellished with expensive art work can sell upto Rs. 2 lakh or up. Of course you get several varieties of them in different price ranges depending on the work and material.

Apart from the high cost, Banarasi Sarees have irreplacable sentimental values  attached to them. They have been inherent part of family's wedding trousseau for generations.   Some lucky ones of us may have inherited  heirloom Banarasi sarees from their grand moms. But we rarely take out our Banarasis assuming they would be too boring/ not so cool to wear or even over the top for occasions. 

But trust me nothing  can replace the glamour and grace of a Banarasi saree for your next family wedding or party. You just have to style it to your comfort and choice, drape it properly and voila!! By draping a handloom Banarasi saree and embracing these heritage weaves you're actually doing you're bit to encourage and support the livelihood of thousands Banarasi weavers. Thus here's our few styling options for your next Banarasi outing.

As traditional as it can be!

This is for the ones who loves the conventional vibes of the saree and want to keep the feel intact. Drape and style your Banarasi in the most conventional simplest way you can. As the saree is heavy enough you don't need work to hard to accessorize the look. Your most traditional gold or kundan jewelry, simple makeup and a gajra paired may look just perfect. 

Recently was just bowled over by some of our Bollywood celebrities donning the most traditional of Benarasis in the most conventional way. Here are some of the pictures I saved in my heart as soon as I spotted them.

Twist to the traditional Banarasi

Here's the part which some of you may hate or love. Pairing your conventional Banarasis with the most unconventional blouses/tops. Here's I have draped my Banarasi in the most commonly found color combination of maroon and green with a black ruffled bodysuit 😎😎. Its outrageously experimental for the kind of saree it is but, instantly changed the bridal vibe of the saree. Its a cool way to wear your wedding sarees again without repeating a similar look. Experiment with various blouse options with one saree to give it a different vibe each time. 

So if you're up for the game and need some more inspirations...here you go!! Bring up your games with these unusual styling of the orthodox Banarasi weaves.

If you want some more Banarasi treats...stay tuned for the next part of the series on our blog!
In the mean time let us know through your comments which look did you like most and would opt for. 
If you're interested please look into our other traditional saree posts.
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Saraswati Puja might be minuscule in regards to its glamorous counterparts such as Durga Puja and Deepavali, but it is a big event in its own way, especially for students. Falling on the eve of Vasant Panchami, according to the Hindu calendar, the auspicious occasion is marked by the worship of Goddess Saraswati – the deity of knowledge and enlightenment. Though largely known as a religious festival, there is much more to the day then just Puja. Bengali students wait for Saraswati Puja so eagerly that they might not have waited for their birthday. Its a day when you get a respite from your books, flaunt your desi best and participate in the puja....for us it was a "Bong Bhalentine Day" 😊😊😊 long before the Valentines Day became trendy in India.  Our fondest memory from childhood was the excitement of choosing the best from Ma's wardrobe to wear on Saraswati puja and altering her blouse with our never so perfect run stitch. It was all fun we had and thus the memories are so very special.Now at this stage of life when we are residing at the other part of the world, away from madness of the puja, still we loath in turmeric pack, dress in our yellow or white attires and attend the local Saraswati Puja celebration. Though the excitement now is vaguer than our teen years but the essence remains intact.

Saraswati Puja, also commences with the onset of ‘Basanta" or Spring Season. Spring symbolizes blooms, flowers, happiness and divine bliss. Yellow is the dominant color of this festival as it signifies the ripening of fruits and crops. . So people prefer to wear yellow on this day to usher in brightness into their lives. As a tribute to the season and the festival, here's how I have styled Sanchita for the upcoming Saraswati Puja. 

She is wearing a vibrant yellow silk saree with dense all over #Kantha work. Apart from the color of the saree, the floral motifs of the embroidery perfectly marries the mood of the season. This saree is one of our favorites bought from Shantiniketan, Bolpur, and as you know we have a huge weakness for kantha sarees, thus it was top pick for this look. These sarees are fully hand embroidered on Bangalore silk yards. These intricate pinwheel (টগর ) flower motifs are very traditional apart from bird, lotus and alpana kantha designs. These টগর কাঁথা (pinwheel kantha) work involve months of hard labour and skill of kantha artisans. If you have missed our previous post on Nakshi Kantha sarees please do click here to read. It will give you a more detailed insight into intricate Kantha work on sarees.

We wanted to keep the styling of the saree simple as the main puja is an early morning event. Thus dressed it down with the matching blouse but a contrast long green faux pearl necklace and earrings. The makeup was kept classic too with kohl smudged eyes and bright red lips. But you can easily carry this look in the evening by opting for a contrast green or red blouse.

And last but not the least never underestimate the power of roses! Sanchita just dressed up I just knew instantly that this look is incomplete without those bright yellow roses, so just tucked few of them in her hair to finish the look.

Few more tips to end with!

• Wear lighter sarees as you might have to run around giving pushpanjali(prayers and offerings to the Goddess) and be comfortable for long addas. Avoid heavier weaves like kanjeevarams.
• Its not mandatory to wear yellow or white for the puja, but it only adds in to the festive spirit. So don't kill yourself if you don't have one to drape, wear whichever saree you feel comfortable in. You can alternatively add yellow accessories like bag or jewelries as it matches with the outfit.
• You can opt for longer sleeve blouse if weather permits as its probably the last festival in the year before the thermometer chases up.
• You can incorporate a jacket or shawl with the saree if its chilly outside. It will enhance the saree look even more.
• Flowers add in fragrance and freshness to the look in the morning, incorporate them in your look if you can. 
• Apply lot of sunscreen and go easy on base makeup as its a morning event. Choose shades of lipstick and blush which brightens up your face to match the onset of Spring season.

Outfit Details:

Saree: Amar Kuthi in Bolpur, West Bengal, India

Necklace set: Bought from a seller in Amazon

December rings in a whole new party vibe which continues till the next year. The chill in the air and roads and houses lit up for the season adds on to this festive spirit. There are a lot of invitations that we have to attend this winter ...Christmas parties, weddings,reception parties, new year gatherings, year end office parties, dinner parties with friends and family etc. etc. These days most of us tend to reach out for our cocktail dresses or our heavy salwar suits for most of these events. But let me tell you that you can easily ditch the "Oh-so-Obvious" winter party wardrobe and drape your pure silks with elan. I remember my Ma and aunts flaunting their traditional coarse silk and tussars in winters with lots of confidence and comfort. Be it their office parties, winter weddings or year end gatherings, their utmost glamour and grace in finest 6 yards would amaze us.  So if you are with us in this, lets talk about how to #bringbackthesaree this season ladies!!

Recently had to attend an evening party at a friend's and while planning for what to wear, I thought of reaching out to my heavy silk saree. It has been a part of my trousseau and lying in my wardrobe to be worn at a suited occasion. It added the perfect bling to the event that night, was most comfortable as the warm silk hugged me all around and stood out in the crowd, garnering a lot of appreciations. So after I came back from the party, I thought of clicking few pics to post for you all.

Tips to wear traditional saree to evening parties this winter

Your heavy traditional sarees too may be waiting to get out of your closet, so bring them back this party season. Style them unconventionally, increase the oomph in them by strategic styling and feel their warmth this winter. 

Here are few tips for the season:

• Choose the right saree for comfort and glamour. Wearing the right fabrics will keep you looking great and feeling warm during the short days of the cold season. A good winter fabric should be strong, warm and natural, but should look amazing as well like pure silks, brocade, cashmere, etc.

• Pair them with unconventional blouses like, sweaters, jumpers, warm t-shirts, velvet cholis/blouses, jackets, crop tops, winter coats,. This is the season you can experiment without melting in them. Wear according to the weather so that you feel comfortable while looking stylish.

• Ditch the petticoats  and wear wool leggings and skirts instead for comfort through long hours in cold. Depending on the temperatures and your comfort choose the right material for the leggings or skirt. Merino wool is my choice of base on the lower part of my body. This will help to dance away the night in comfort.

• Layer your saree with a jacket or overcoat if you're having a late night outdoor party or you need a extra warmth. Intricately embroidered shawls can adda lot of style to the whole saree look. But drape them nicely rather than just clumsily putting them on. Don't shy away from comfort. Concentrate on the base and outer layer of the saree as much as you do for the saree itself.

• Accessorize to balance out the look. Choose heavier accessories to accentuate subtle sarees and concentrate on statement pieces for rich embroidered sarees. If you are wearing an outer layer on the saree like a coat or a jacket, consider visibility of your statement accessories like necklace, either skip them and wear big earrings or pin them over your jacket. There's no point wearing any jewelry if its hidden below your shawl.

What Was I Wearing

Let me breakdown the look for you. This royal blue silk saree has exquisite zari work on its border, pallu and pleats. Although it came with its own matching blouse, but to keep the season's color in mind, I paired it with a heavy embroidered velvet net choli. The choli came with a lehenga set, and was perfectly warm and rich. Paired my favorite over-sized "katori"(as my Ma would call them 😏) jhumkis and a studded bangle. I opted out deliberately of any other statement jewelry in the look to avoid crowding the look thus keeping it easy and smart. Kept my makeup bright to be in sync with the ambiance.

Saree: Priyo Gopal Bishoyi, Kolkata, India
Choli: Came with a set of lehenga choli bought from Utsav Fahsion
Bangle: Gift from a friend, bought from Chique, Kolkata
Earrings: Gariahat Hawkers Market, Kolkata, India