Look around you and observe how women dress to work. How we dress up in social situations tells us a lot about the kind of person we are. You might be pleasantly surprised to see how much effort goes into a person’s dressing has no relationship to their social standing or financial position. Haven’t we all stopped to admire a random street seller dressed spectacularly in vivid colors, hair neatly parted and plaited and deck in glass bangles and big bindi? Like any art, the art of dressing calls for patience and perseverance. As convenient as it is to opt for a denim and t-shirt, making an effort to dress up everyday is a mood up-lifter in itself – like a good cup of coffee or workout.
Sisters Soorya & Vijayalakshmi take everyday dressing up a notch
As young professionals working in new-age work environment where comfort and casual dressing is the norm, are we regressing and choosing to dress sloppily? Ever observed how working women in the 80s dressed to work? While their sense of fashion may have deeper traditional and cultural roots, their style was definitely practical and yet timeless. Their sarees were well pressed and neatly pinned. Hair was worn in a traditional style yet well groomed. Makeup was minimal and yet befitting. Makes one wonder when did we choose to fall off the wagon.
Fortunately for you, we have decided to decode how wearing sarees can be fuss-free and yet stylish.
Soorya pairing her kalamkari kanjivaram blouse with a soft silk saree. This blouse can work with so many sarees.
Tip #1
Choose breathable fabrics
We can not emphasize how important this is. Often women start off by choosing the wrongest possible fabric option. Our recommendation for summers would be kota dorias, pure cottons, chiffons and light weight original silks like tussar and chanderi. For winters, we recommend crepes, pure silks, cozy-well worn kanjivarams, matka silks. While this list is not exhaustive, what we do recommend not buying are faux-silks and mix-cottons. No doubt these are easier on the pocket but they can irritate the skin and be considerably heavy. For instance pure chiffon and georgettes are usually light and breathable. Their artificial cousins are heavy, can cause itches and are generally uncomfortable to wear. While the difference may not be spotted immediately, the latter is definitely not comfortable to wear.
Tip #2
Accessories Maketh A Look
When it comes to accessories, we always recommend you collect tasteful pieces that can be paired with multiple outfits. Earthy terracotas, pure silk, brass and beads are some of our favorites to play around with. These accessories do not cause damage to the skin unlike some junk jewelry options.
Accessorize Right! We love pairing our everyday outfits with terracota jewelry.
Mix and match your blouses! Vijayalakshmi in a halter kanjivaram blouse that is ideal for summers.
Tip #3
It’s All About The Blouse!
With the growing trend for unique blouse options, a simple saree or vintage silk can be made to look fashion forward with interesting blouses. Our rule of thumb for blouses has always been mix and match. The reason for this is because, blouse trends change every few years and so do our bodies. At Aavaranaa we always recommend our clients to choose from a range of blouse options. Although initially clients were averse to trying ready-made blouses, today almost all of them have made the shift.
Give your old sarees a new lease of life with our tips!
If you enjoyed reading this, tell us what you would like us to write about in the comments and enjoy more pictures of Soorya & Vijayalakshmi.
L-R: Soorya in a soft silk saree paired with a kalamkari kanjivaram blouse. Vijayalakshmi in a red chiffon saree with kanjivaram threadwork borders and a halter neck kanjivaram brocade blouse.