How A Stunning Sari Was Transformed Into Something Even Better
The sari is a garment that Indian women of all ages are familiar with and have an innate fondness for. It adds elegance and charm to your appearance and is symbolic of our vibrant and rich culture.
Not confined to India alone, saris are worn by women in other parts of Southeast Asia as well.
Just like many other women, I too am fond of this six-yard piece woven out of fine materials like cotton, silk, or chiffon. Incredibly, there are so many exotic varieties to choose from, which just blows your mind! (I’ll write another article on the wide array and materials of saris.)
But sadly, I am not able to wear my favorite outfit that often. Imagine having a huge trunk full of these mesmerizing beauties, which are kept safely, without being worn.
That’s because wearing a sari is not an easy task. The process is time-consuming, unless you are in a habit of wearing it regularly. Sari draping is an art, and those who have mastered it bask in the glory of looking sophisticated. It accentuates your charms!
I wonder how my mother and most women of her generation could wear it nearly every day. So quickly, neatly, and without any fuss.
Although, later, she too switched to wearing the convenient salwar kameez (long top with pants).
Here, I have to admit that while the sari is appropriate for special occasions, it is not the most comfortable outfit, in my opinion.
The question raging in my mind for quite some time was how to utilize my precious saris, some of which were gifted by relatives or friends during my marriage, as is the custom in India. I didn’t have the heart to merely give them away!
The Magical Make-Over
One day, an idea struck me, and I thought, why not repurpose them into something that I can wear often? After reflecting and brainstorming, I chose to make a long gown dress out of it. At least that way, the expensive and gorgeous saris would be worn, albeit in a different form.
I was quite excited to implement this idea. The first step was choosing a sari that wasn’t on my list of top favorites, as I didn’t want to use a nice sari from my collection for the purpose of experimenting.
This was the first time I was trying this `makeover’, so even if the sari got spoiled, or didn’t turn out as expected, I would not regret it.
This being done, the next task was finding a competent dress designer who could use his artistic skills to transform the sari into a lovely dress. Luckily, I didn’t have to search much or go far — there’s a designer who has a set-up in the basement of my building, and he agreed.
However, I was unsure of his competencies in doing this `out of the ordinary’ work. On discussing it with him, he told me that he had done this type of tailoring work before.
So, I trusted him and gave detailed instructions about the cut, style, etc. He suggested that I should check Pinterest for trendy patterns, but I already had a picture of what I wanted in mind.
The results would be seen in about a week’s time, when the dress would be ready.
I was keeping my fingers crossed, hoping it would come out well.
The wait was finally over, and the outcome was fantastic! Nobody could imagine that it was a sari that was stitched into a stunning dress.
Thank you for spending the time to read my article!
