5 ‘Must’ Rules for Saree Blouses
You cannot drape a saree without a blouse! Can you? Well, unless you are trying to experiment with some sassy style, or are from the medieval period, it is unlikely that you would not.
It won’t be wrong to say that a Saree is incomplete without a blouse. Blouse or Choli is generally a cropped at waist, fitted blouson to cover the upper body, when wearing a saree or lehenga. Sarees and blouses are complementary. One without the other, for practical reasons, often has little value.
Blouses can make or break your sari look/style. You may pick the best saree in the world, but if you choose a wrong blouse with it — poof, you look’s gone!
With increasing fashion frontiers, a blouson is no longer a traditional, ordinary garment. There are Designer Saree Blouses, interesting Lehenga Cholis, readymade blouses, heavily embellished blouses, sequined blouses, bridal cholis, in-vogue bustier or jacket-style blouses and many more. In fact, now there are so many designs available in blouses that you would be confused.
However, whether you go with the plain, simple blouse cut or pick a more contemporary and fashionable one, there are 5 ‘must’ rules that you should always keep in mind –
1. The Fit and Cut
The blouse is essentially a form-fitting garment separate. Apart from a handful of faddish trends, most blousons are supposed to fit the upper torso of the wearer. This means, it is extremely important that the ‘fit’ and ‘cut’ of the blouse be impeccable. A blouse that is too loose will look dowdy, while a too tight one, besides making you uncomfortable, will look bad. This aspect should also include the neck length, sleeves’ fitting, bodice length and waist fitting.
Tailored Blouses
Most people get their blouses tailored for the same reason. If you are investing in custom tailoring, ensure giving accurate measurements, or the fitting of your blouse will not be good, which will spoil your sari’s appeal.
Readymade Blouses
If you buy a readymade blouse, try it beforehand. While buying readymade blouse online, follow sizing guides. Once your readymade blouse is delivered, wear it before-hand to see for any final fitting requirements. Get these little adjustments done at home or from your personal tailor.
2. Your Body Type and Comfort level
While teeny weeny Cholis look extremely sexy, they are not for everyone. Same goes for many trendy blouse styles like halter-necks, sheer backs, high-necks, bandeau and bustier.
Be sure to check that a blouse style that you have chosen would look good on your body type. Simply put, wear a sleeve-less blouse, preferably, if you have toned arms. Same applies to other body aspects. However, it is likely that you may be comfortable in a certain style, despite it not being conventionally ‘suitable’ for your specific shape. Well, if that is the case, go ahead.
Try beforehand — Nonetheless, if you are a careful, somewhat jittery saree wearer, be wary of too tight, too loose, too faddish, too slingy, too showy, too short or too long — basically, everything that’s somewhat on the ‘excessive’. If you happen to choose any such style, just ensure trying it out once.
3. Match your Saree well…
Matching your saree with your blouse doesn’t just mean matching the colour.
Match your sarees with blouses, keeping in mind the following aspects —
- Saree’s styling and colour/s
- Cut and style of the blouse
- Fabric/ texture/ pattern
- Embellishments
- Work/ weaving
- Occasion
- Season
- Utility
A simple, regular wear saree looks strange with an ornate blouse. Day wear and office wear blouses should be elegant, instead of over the top or too revealing.
Sarees with blouse fabrics — Most silk sarees come with a blouse fabric. Well, there’s a reason! Silk looks good with silk. Wearing a lustrous fabric sari with a dull fabric blouse will, most likely, be disappointing. These blouse pieces also tend to have similar work/ weaving, hence pairing them with your saree will enhance the look.
Patterned/ Printed Blouses — Textured/ patterned or printed blouses in floral prints, Gamthi prints or textile art forms like Ajrakh from Kutch or Ikhat from Andhra look beautiful. However, pairing a busy blouse with a busy saree is a no no! Heavy blouse with an equally heavy sari looks jarring. Pair a plain pure silk saree with Banarasi border with a Banarasi brocade blouse, while pair your light, plain chiffons and georgettes with printed blouses. Heavily embroidered readymade blouses must be paired with lighter, plainer sarees. Match well in terms of embroidery and fabric textures.
4. Choose Trends Wisely…
The basic principle of “Not following trends blindly” applies here.
These days a lot of latest and new blouse styles are in vogue. However, while choosing a novel blouse style, stick to the same principles, as you would, while picking an overly fashionable Salwar Kameez or any Western outfit. In your bid of being trendy, ensure that you don’t end up being clumsy, cluttered, vulgar or confused. Bare backs are great, but wearing such a blouse to a conventional setting or to a not-so-safe date will only compound your anxieties.
Always give more points to comfort. Comfort rules! The more relaxed you will be, the more confident you shall be. And that shows! This is especially true, if you plan to wear your saree (and blouse) for long periods — say, for whole day at work, or during a long stage event. If your blouse is beautiful, but is equally uncomfortable, the resulting lack of grace will spoil your look. You will certainly not look great, while continuously pulling at your blouse.
The ‘matching-right’ principle also applies in this context. For example, Velvet Blouses are quite in vogue, but pairing them with a cotton or silk-cotton sari will look weird. Trendy net sarees with understated work look best with velvet or heavily embellished blouses. However, reserve them for cold or, at least, pleasant seasons. Wearing a high-necked, bejeweled blouse in thick fabrics like jacquard or velvet is NOT doable for scorching summers.
5. Invest in Classics
Well, this is a rule that applies in almost all clothing. If spending extra — time, money and effort — why not invest in something that will tand by you for a longer time, through fashion seasons and changing fads!
There are many blouse styles in fashion these days, which are quite unlikely to stay in vogue for long. Or, you may have to ditch them for reasons like occasions, age, body shape etc. Halter-necks, back-less blouses, low cut cholis, sling shoulders, off-shoulders etc. fall in this category, While, there is no harm in going for these styles, limit yourself, and don’t end up getting all your blouses in such cuts, especially when planning your Wedding Trousseau.
Many women get their Bridal Lehenga Choli blouses in very faddish cuts and styles, which they cannot wear later. Either get done two blouses with such expensive ensembles — one trendy, another classic shape — or, stick to a classier cut and fit.
Golden, Silver, Black and White/ Ivory — These must-have, classic colours should always be there in your saree wardrobe, as they will help you wear many kinds of saris with only a few blousons. Stick to classic and elegant shapes in these blouses, or get two kinds of blouses in each of these colours to maximize your sari style. Getting a very modern black blouse is as great as getting another in a short-sleeved, boat necked, classy buttoned back style! Isn’t it?
Practicality matters — Most faddish shapes are not practical in hot weathers or for many occasions. Hence, classic works the best. In case of expensive saris, stick to this rule, unless you are sure to carry any blouse style with élan.
Happy draping!
