Pattern and content are often dictated by the traditions of the region where the sari is produced. The great sari capitals are Varanasi (Banaras), by the sacred river Ganga, Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh and Kanjivaram in South India.

Banaras is renowned for its silk and gold brocades. The weavers who are usually Muslims, are famed for producing brocades so stiff with gold that they cannot be used as garments and are reserved wholly for ritual use. The Banaras sari itself is ubiquitous in India. No bridal trousseau would be complete without a 'Banarasi' brocade which is available within a broad price range. Along with their very intricate patterns, the most interesting aspect of Banaras brocades is the tremendous variety of silk yarns with which they are woven. Ranging from heavy silks such as 'Jamawars' and 'Tanchois' to gossamer fine organzas and tissues, the choice is mind-boggling.

Chanderi is primarily a weavers town. It produces fine shimmering cottons with pale delicate zari borders and motifs of the utmost delicacy. The characteristic feature of the Chanderi sari is the quality of the gold thread that is used. Early craftsmen have even gone to the extent of describing it as the gold thread that shone like a mirror.

Kanjivaram is synonymous with hand woven silk saris and known for its dark, heavy silks, usually with flat stripes of gold decorating the borders. These conservative designs are considered to be more restrained and dignified than the occasionally flamboyant Banarasi sari. Kanjivaram silk also has a reputation for durability. A very distinctive feature of these saris, as opposed to those from other parts of India, is the contrasting color of the border and the pallav, as compared to the body of the sari.

Such a restricted mention of sari capitals is invidious for it overshadows other regions with equally sophisticated textile traditions. Almost every district and sometimes even different villages have their own sari tradition which employ a complex language of symbols. But though characterized by geographical considerations, all Indian symbolism, abstract or figurative, is rooted in the natural or physical world. The purist often bemoans the fact that the traditional borders, the field and the end piece motifs have been interchanged between the regions, creating an unwelcome hybrid and often destroying the fine balance and subtle harmony between the three. Yet innovation, not stagnation is the hallmark of the weavers and artists engaged in the creation of these magnificent textiles. Even in the 19th century, the Baluchari sari of Bengal introduced images of British sahibs and memsahibs in railway carriages, thus expanding a traditional vocabulary, which was almost exclusively drawn from religious epics, and making the sari a vehicle for social satire and a mirror of the times. Ingenuity too is a frequently employed device. The Orissa calligraphy sari has coded love messages in the shape of puzzle poems. Thus with the sari, pattern and content also do frequently inform one another.

The material always light enough not to interfere with the fluidity of the drape is another source of varied tactile delight - cottons, silks, cottons mixed with silk, chiffons and tissues are some of the preferred mediums. But in recent times, to the dismay of the weavers, synthetic polyester has made inroads into the fashion world of the sari. There are several reasons for this. The number of women who now have careers of their own has increased dramatically in the last twenty-five years. Handloom cotton normally used for everyday wear, requires a tremendous amount of maintenance. After each wear the sari has to be laundered and starched since unstarched cottons have an unattractive limpness. Ironing such a sari is a laborious process and not everyone can afford a laundry service. The drip dry polyester, which requires no ironing has presented itself as an attractive alternative.

The sari takes final shape in visual terms only when it is draped on a person. The slightly off-center fan of pleats in the front, the floating pallav with the intricate border thrown over the shoulder and the relatively smooth drape of the material at the back; the wound, pleated, tucked and coiled material give the proportions an aesthetic and intelligent rationality. To an unaccustomed onlooker, a draped sari seems an insecure affair, in danger of coming undone at the slightest movement. Actually, this apparently flimsy concoction is buttressed by a stout, distinctly unromantic, cotton petticoat. The top edges of the pleats are tucked into the waistband of this nether garment, thereby almost eliminating the risk of the sari coming adrift.

The art of draping the sari is in itself an expression of a woman's creativity. In urban India, saris tend to be draped in four or five styles requiring approximately six yards of material. It is, however, immensely versatile, and there are a surprising number of regional variations of draping. Women working in the fields of Maharashtra, drape the sari in the kasota fashion, not unlike a pair of trousers, enabling complete freedom for the limbs. Rita Kapur and Amba Sanyal in their book on the saris of Madhya Pradesh document at least ten distinct styles of draping the sari in that state alone.

For an unstitched length of material, the wearing of a sari entails a lot of preparation. Most saris have a fall made of cotton attached to the inside lower border, and the choli or bodice that teams up with the sari should match the ground color of the sari, or at least echo one of the tints in the borders or motifs. The sari follows the shape of the body, yet conceals, it is often said, a hundred imperfections. It is true that not only is it one of the most graceful of garments, but also one of the kindest. This perhaps explains its perennial charm. Not only beautiful, it is compassionate.

The success of the sari through the ages is attributable to its total simplicity and practical comfort, combined with the sense of luxury a woman experiences. Though men are intrigued by the demure, floor-length attire and tantalizing display of a bare midriff at the back, it is said that sari rarely fails to flatter a woman, making her feel fragile and feminine. It is an instant fashion, created by the hands of the wearer and subject to none of the vagaries and changes which plague the modern fashion scene. But ironically this flowing luxuriousness of the sari does lead to a corresponding restriction on physical activity and has prompted critics to describe the sari as "a 5½ meter cloth entangling the woman with serpentine viciousness", a modern poetess has put it thus:

BURN THIS SARI

Burn this sari.
When I see this end
Of the sari on my shoulder..
I think of chastity a log
Hung from my neck.

It does not let me stand up straight
It presses my chest with its hands
bows me down,
teaches me shame
and whirls around me
a certain bird like confusion

It hypnotizes me telling You
You are a woman
Makes me forget I am human
It covers both my shoulders
with its own hands and flutters
announcing "See, see, this woman, she is chaste"

I feel like screaming "No, No I am not"
But my throat does not open
I am defeated by this sari
It throws me down like a whirl wind.

It is blame generations have laid on me.
The unseen patriarchal hand
This sari is the white shroud on the corpse
That is me in this culture of loot and plunder

If I've to stop being the walking dead
I've to burn this sari first
Just burn this sari.

- Jayaprabha

But the defenders of the sari are quick to add their rejoinder:

SAVE THIS SARI

Oh my beautiful sari
I love you much to tell you free
You enlighten the feminism in me
For which I should thank you much
For I am a woman first
The birth I consider the best.

When I see this end of the sari
I think of chastity enhanced by its
Long free flow.

It helps me cover my head from sun
It solaces me by wiping my tears
It straightens me to stand among the mass

And because of that it stands for generations.

If I've to stop being the walking dead
First accept womanhood is superior
Why to burn a sari?
Burn your slavery thoughts!
I need not change into a man
To become superior
And thus declaring him superior.

- S. Santha Devi.

Noted psychologist Carl Jung has waxed lyrical about the elegance of the sari thus:

"It would be a loss to the whole world if the Indian woman should cease to wear her native costume. India is practically the only civilized country where one can see on living models how woman can and should dress".

Hi there i would like some sari blouse patterns if you could please send me some it will be highly appreicated.

thank you
- Avisha Dullabh

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hey,i would like to see what the sari and other cloths are made from thank you! x
- Erin

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Could you send some patterns to me i would like to make some for a friend.
Also could you tell me the techniques of wrapping a sari?

- Sydney

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i would like to see patterns of sari blouses.
- angira

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i woild 2 see indian sari blouse pattern
- Angel

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Iam loking for some blouse patterns for sarees,Indian style,can u plizzz send some pictures for suggests.
- swarna

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Could you please send a sari pattern? I would like to make some for myself and my mother.

I am also interested in wrapping techniques of the sari.

Your article is wonderful and very informative.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Ms. Curry
- T Curry

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talk to me
- Tom Henderson

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can I see the sari blouse pattern for me bcozz now I go to tailor class
- anjali

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can you please show me indian blouse design patterns.(latest)
- lee

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i, iam a very skiny gal from malaysia. can i have new patterns for saree ASAP, coz my brother wedding is very near ready...
plz advise me which patterns is suitable for me?
thanks
- sharon

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i want to see th epattern
- vanitha

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very useful...... and i very happy with fashion
- Parveetha

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need some saree blouse patterns
- mrs.vijayganga

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please can you send some blouse partten
- savita

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I am looking for a saree blouse pattern as it is hard to get my size .can u please direct me to where i can find one. Thanks - soni
- soni

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dasdadadas
- kesa

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PLIZ SEND ME SOME SARI BLOUSE PATTERN
- VEENA

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DEAR MADAM,

I'M LOOKING OUT FOR GOOD INDIAN TRADITIONAL BLOUSE PATTERNS

PLEASE HLEP ME OUT AS TO WHERE WILL I FIND GOOD BLOUSE PATTERNS FRONT AND BACK
- SUNITA

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I too am looking for saree blouse patterns. Help please. Where to find.
- JM Babb

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thank you for such an interesting article! i would very much appreciate it if you could send me your sari blouse patterns. thank you!
- Hillary

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My daughter is enamored by the Indian culture, especially sari's. I was very excited to find an article that explains the history of this garment. It is truly fascinating. Thank You!
- Johanna

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Please forward the latest blouse patterns for a full figured woman. Thank you.
- DEVINA (devina.sew@gmail.com)

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pls forward to me saree blouse pattern and also punjabi suit. thank you.

- gunavathi

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Could you send me sari blouse patterns?

- Je

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I would appreciate if you would kindly send me some sari blouse patterns
- Moreen Raj

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some sari blouse pattern
- mary

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send me some blouse disigned
- sagayamary (gayaisacc@yahoo.com.sg)

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I would appreciate if you could kindly send me some blouse patterns.
Regards
sunila
- Sunila Dass

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patterns for saris please
- rhondafugett

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send me some saree blouse pattern
- Logeswari

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please can i have some sari blouse patterns and also do you sell punjabis or other indian outfits
- SHEREEN PILLAY

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pls provide me with some latest sari
- riya

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Hi pls send me saree blouse patterns. i have an engagement dinner coming up n i want to look my best. could u also add design which r bareback like from rajasthan. thank you
- deshi

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And another.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCBpjCGCDcQ
- Mithun

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Check out this video. It charmingly shows different sari drapes as part of an airline ad. www.tubetamil.com/view_video.php?viewkey=06d7ffda75cd0b95eb70&page=7&viewtype=&category=tf
- Mithun

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please send me saree blouse patterns
- veni

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please sent me saree blouse paterns

- prema

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please i am looking for some blouse patterns for sarees, indian style, can pliz suggest some for me
- sashi deo

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looking for blouse patterns
- avashni (avales@mweb.co.za)

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please if u can sent some of your new product with there prices
- rajini oodhub

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please provide me with some latest kurtas design
- sherin

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pliz i am looking for blouse patterns.can you help me .
- nanda naidu

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method of wrapping would be of my interest.
- emad

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Interesting article! As an African-American, I have several saris and have received many compliments on them. A Ghujarati (sp) Indian lady taught me how to wrap. She was very complimented and complimentary of my interest and abiltiy to wear. My suggestion: wear with confidence!!
- bri

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Finding for some saree bluses design
- Jayanthi A/P Nadarajan

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I am an Indian living in Bavaria,Germany . I design Tunics, Kurtas & Table Linen using Sari Material. I also sell exquisite Saris.
If interested contact me at :
m.sinha@hotmail.de
- mini sinha

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i am from fiji islands i want to buy some saris and jellewers form you people can u tell me how i gonna do tha
- rosylin

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This article has been a great help to me. I will be attending my first Divali in one week and I would like to wear a saree. However, like Kim, i feared that as an African-American woman it would be inappropriate for to wear a sari or that I would offend someone. But after reading this article I am very excited to wear a sari to my first Divali. Thanks!
- Joselyn

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I really appreciated this article. My interest in Indian and Indian American (Indians born in America) culture has grown over the past 2 to 3 years. I came across this website recently and got my first real opportunity to absorb the beauty, creativity and femininity of the sari. I am now ready to incorporate this gorgeous piece into my wardrobe. I appreciate reading the reviews of the article because as a black American woman, I felt as if it would not be appropriate for me to wear a garment that is so heavily rooted in another culture. But i am happy to see that there are those of other nationalities who enjoy saris as part of their everyday dress. It gives me confidence and I cannot wait to buy my first one.
I desire to wear it with respect and carry myself with the same grace as the beautiful Indian woman.
- Kim

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