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A tall tale retold for decades is that the sari is supremely comfortable. Examples are cited of the number of Indian women who play tennis, badminton and hockey in saris. And it is pointed out that in our villages women even go swimming in a sari. For most of us, however, the sari can start unravelling pretty fast when you exercise strenuously. And even without exercise, a woman tends to look like a dhobi bundle in a cotton sari if there is no starch in the fabric.
Another myth about the sari is that it is a modest garment since it covers you from head to foot. American actor Bob Hope once joked that the "sari was one garment which hides both the good and the bad points of the figure." This is not true. Anyone who has seen an Indian movie with the heroine drenched in the rain in a diaphanous sari will tell you differently.
Despite the constant endorsements of the sari, have you noticed that in the last two decades the sari is disappearing? Leading fashion designer Ritu Kumar, who began her career in the sixties designing saris, now focuses mostly on stitched garments like kurtas and lehengas. By the mid-seventies there were very few saris displayed on fashion show ramps.
With the coming of age of the urban worker and a more active lifestyle, women have started looking for more comfortable, practical and smarter alternatives. The first modernisation of the sari was switching from traditional handlooms and ethnic cottons to the more easy to maintain synthetic materials, with shower curtain-style floral and geometrical prints. Dayaram Printwallah of Ahmedabad became known nationally after Indira Gandhi patronised his aesthetic block printed cottons. When I visited a Dayaram store in Gujarat recently, I found that there were hardly half a dozen cotton saris in the shop. They have been replaced by wash and wear saris and cut pieces for making a kurta pajama set.
Long years ago, the norm in Bollywood was that heroines wore saris, and vamps dresses. But then Bollywood went mod and heroines started wearing outfits just as trendy and sexy as the gangsters' molls. And since Bollywood sets the trend in sartorial styles, the rest of the country followed suit. Even girls from South India now want Punjabi lehengas for their weddings. It is not just the movie stars who have altered public taste, other visible women who set the trend have also deserted the sari. Kiran Bedi, for instance, feels that pants suit her style. TV stars like Barkha Dutt, Navika Kumar and Suhasini Haidar believe in power dressing. Most domestic airlines have done away with the sari as the uniform for their airhostesses.
A random headcount on one of the capital's busy roads indicated that only two out of ten women were wearing saris and practically none in the younger age bracket. Abroad, even the elderly NRIs have adopted pants or kurta pajamas. On a recent visit to London, I did not see a single sari in the Oxford Circus area, though there were several hijabs and even a burkha or two.
Of course, the sari still remains the dress code for women in government service and politics. The former have little choice since the official code of conduct advises IAS officers to wear saris in office unless they are from the North East, when they can opt for their traditional dress. Among politicians, Sonia Gandhi favours the ethnic chic look; handloom saris in muted mud colours, a style statement she picked up from her mother-in-law. Sushma Swaraj belongs to the other school, which opts for bright colours and wash and wear convenience. Those from royal backgrounds, like Vasundhara Raje stick to pastel chintzes and georgettes. Mayawati is something of a trendsetter among major women politicians, as she opts for kurtas not saris.
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what are u trying to communicate? i read the whole article anticipating something meaningful...some insights..it turned out to be a big vacuum.
i am amused by the reaction of ashutosh and ashish.As i said they like a typical indian stuck in a 5000 year old culture that has not changed. Yes ashutosh i am ashamed of some aspects of indian culture like caste system, dowry system, degradation of women. Ashish your mother has every right to wear what she wants. wear a heavy overcoat in summer and swim in it. It just does not make sense. There are other "modest" clothing available rather than a sari as swimwear or all wear. Coomi did not condemn the sari. She only said that it should not be made mandatory for official functions. Why cant the blinkered ashutoshs and ashishs learn subtle differences in the name of a wretched and disgusting indian culture where no tourist feels safe in the Delhi Jaipur belt. Women raped on daily basis and some fools claim Indians are the best. Move out of ur clam shells and you will know that there is a bigger better world outside. I regret being born Indian thank god i no longer am.
How can our secular media keep silence when Sarkozy is questioning Burqa? Our media has to respond
Sir, What the hell this writer is trying to make out? Is she telling that Sari is not in vogue
Well Sari is a myth but sans mutatis mutandis.Its not mere dress to cover body but a dress that gives and puts the woman in the state of grace.Its timelessly most attractive8in today's language one may say Sexy)dress.Unlike salwar-kurta or jeans like trousers it shows the vital curves mischievously with combination of choli.To watch slight slip of Aanchal make men curious and throbs the heart.Yes its curiosity and suspense that make men desireous and emanding but if its Biknis its all over in short time.Moreover Sari is best dress for pergnant women,as per Hindu religion being mother itself is graceful and achieves highest respect.Sari has many different styles in different parts of India,though named differently but it connects to the godly virtues.Though the eye accomodates itself to a new fashion/dress and adopt instinctively and same time admire or blame according without any genuine sense of beauty or the reverse,the way Miss Kapoor does.Sari is piously lascivious.
Coomi Auntie, the saree is not the only traditional Indian dress. In India women wore different types of dresses, saree coming into somewhat universal wear only a few decades ago. Cool, chic, gorgeous or simple, chaste and sexy at the same time, the saree was to each woman what she wanted to do with it. And women wore it in different ways, from the Marathi navvaari to the Tambrahm chela. The Coorgis had their pleats pushed back by the Kaveri, the Gujarati pallu travelled up the other way. Fabric and patterns reflected the locale. And why not let the women decide what they want to wear, without getting into the whole jhamela of tradition and suitability and what not?
Coomi, your observation about Indian women wearing saris is true in India, generally speaking. I have been living in the U.S. for 20 years. I rarely have seen Indian women in saris except when there are family gatherings or Indian cultural festivities. On my recent visits to India, I observed that younger generation in India is transitioning out of saris fast even in villages (where I grew up). Whether someone wears a sari or not is a matter of convenience and not-inviting-unwanted-attention. In a hot weather and at home, wearing saris, lungis, or dhotis makes good sense. But, when you are exercising or running to catch a bus/train, they are pretty bothersome.
Firstly ,I never understood the Logic,objective of author and reasoning.Is she telling us the follwoing?1>Sari is not cool and Woman wearing sari is not cool2>It is not practical and uncomfortable3>Salwar kameez is superior and intelligent choice.4>Burkha Dutt,Kiron bedi are idols,so follow them5>South Indian women finding enlightenment in salwar kammez6>Bollywood style is corner stone of indian fashin divas7>Japanese No more their kimonos8>What Americans comment on fashon is last word in planet9>What Ritu Kumar
Let us not confuse style with utility. Saree is a STYLE statement - look at weddings/ Festivals like Durga Pooja/ Ganeshutsav/ Deepawali.Other dresses are utility wear. Work in a factory? Absolutely NO Saree . Jeans at a wedding- "Begaani shaadi mein Abdullah Deewanaa". So day to day routines - working women prefer Non-Saree wear . Same for men. Men do dress in Designer Kurtas on traditional Functions rather than a 3 piece Suit.So each Man and Woman prefer Traditional Clothes (for marriages / functions)to make STYLE STATEMENTS.In short, For daily traffic Maruti 800. But if you have to FLAUNT...Think BMW/ Merc/ RR. The difference between saree and other wear is difference between an udipi fixed and a Royal 15 course Meal!!I hope I could drive the point home (unlike Coomiji- surprisingly- who was surprisingly not clear enough this time). Personally, a woman/ girl looks more graceful with a saree than the one in a low waist and tank top. MCP huh?
Why regret a change in female dressing? Men have already shed dhoties long back and have opted for trousers. The Sari however, saves money on tailor's bill.
I never said women cannot wear what they want. And there is certainly no shame in wearing Dhoti and yes I am an Indian and very proud of it. Are you ashamed to wear dhoti? Are you ashamed to be an Indian? People like you and Coomi vomit out all kinds of garbage on the site and then expect others to agree to it silently.Indian tradition is far more complicated and vast for your narrow mind to grasp.It was the very sarcastic and partisan tone of the article that I was protesting against. But I don't think you are intelligent enough to understand it.And Lastly, Indians are not and were never stuck in time warp Indians all over the country and abroad are accepting changes in a manner that upholds their rich tradition which I am sure you lack. Do you Joel?Yes, I dare to challenge people like you and Coomi every time you people try to demean our culture on one pretext and another.
Majority Indians have no phisique to show of, women included. Sari takes care of that problem. Apparently Atal Bajpai (former PM) also felt so. Let us be candid.
No.. Really what was the point. Other than ridiculing ppl who wear saris. Did we become wiser and learn something we didnt know?? NO.. So Ms Coomi, why the waste of time..
saris are probably no more uncomfortable than high heels or other ten thousand things women do to look good, I do think that saree does look good on indian women ( more so than the rangy caucasians or orientals). And that's probably the simple reason for its existence. I don't think it was intended for outdoor work etc, I see most women working in fields etc wear ghaghra choli, which is probably more comfortable. I think saree is another painful think women have decided to go through in order to look good :) ( corsets, high heels, piercings, ...)
Saris are probably no more uncomfortable than high heels or other ten thousand things women do to look good. I do think that saree does look particularly good on indian women ( more so than on the rangy caucasians or orientals etc). And that's probably the simple reason for its existence. It wasn't intended to be the outdoors-work wear though, most village women I have seen wear ghaghra choli while working in fields etc. I am not sure how or when Saree became the defacto wear for everything but I suspect that the pressure to look good has something to do with it :)
Kapoor probably wants all women to wear what she and other Panjabis wear all the time - Salwar kameez! Indian women look their best in Saris and there are no two ways about it. The day it disappears a part of India would disappear. So, Coomi, stop this nonsense and write something intelligent and useful for a change!
Whats wrong if women enter swimming pool in saree ? U would rather have them in bra and panty like western women ? Do you want to say that unless they strip they dont have right to enjoy with their kids in swimming pool ? We shud appreciate they are not going semi nude..Why stop them from enjoying the pool/water parks if they dont harm u..?Why are we so insecure about our attire ? If a western woman should not feel ashamed of roaming semi naked on streets why shud our mothers be ashamed of going in pool clothed ? Dikhave pey mat jao,apni akal lagao..
How can what people wear in Bollywood or Delhi be any benchmark for the popularity or the lack of it, of a Sari? There are millions and millions in the country who wear sari by choice, not compulsion. My mother wears a sari even though she has no issues with my wife wearing pants or salwar-kameez! And yes, she is very progressive..so how does a Sari come int he way of progressive mindset? This is nothing but a self-indulging and judgemental article...trash!
It was 30 years ago that I left India for USA. Since then during my visits I confirm Coomi's observation. I always looked at the crowds in Pune as my data sample. Pune used to be the most conservative city in Maharashtra. Over last few years I have made 2 observations:1. Most women/ young ladies wear punjabi suites with less than 25% wear saris. Even domestic help, maids depending on age do not wear saris.2. A lot of women have short hair. Gone are the braids, or the buns. less than 10% women have long hair, long considered the sign of Indian beauty. Don't look too far, you will see same thing in your own homes too.
The takeaway is that sari is not for every woman. There are many choices, Indian and western, let the woman have the freedom of choice while sari is still treated as a national dress (ask women in Punjab or NE, they may be offended by this). Not every woman, with an exposed midriff, is a pretty sight in a sari. Some are ghastly....:-)
Nice of Coomi to put in writing what others dare not challenge. That Indian tradition means the Sari is the only garment that makes us Indian. Indians are stuck in a time warp and anything that suggest change is offensive. Unfortunately men rule and people like Ashutosh Jain do live in the country. I would really like to know if Ashutosh wears a dhoti. What is inconvenient for a man is suitable for a woman. Typically Indian. Nowhere did Coomi say the sari should be banned but it makes sense to make it optional in government. Let the woman choose. Its people like Jain who will not let his wife and daughters out of the house wearing anything but saris that are the reason India is backward. How many have seen women in swimming pools wearing saris? Its one awful sight believe me!!!!
Dresses and fashions are cyclical in their appeal. Thirty years ago or so, the kurta-pyjama suddenly caught the fancy of girls and became a widespread fancy. Many thought, especially like the author of this article, that the sari is on the way out. But wait. For the last two years, sales in the better known sari shops in Chennai have reported renewed demand for saris with a consequent drop in the kurta sales. One reason I think is snobbery. As the kurtas have become very cheap, every one including house maids have started using them. That is not going to be liked by their mistresses. Hence the spurt in demand for saris. And Bollywood is not going to lead the feminine fashion. Its women have already started reducing their dresses as much as possible, if the newspaper photos are to be believed. Sita or Draupathi certainly look dignified in the six-yard miracle, enhanced by modern well-tailored blouses. Long live the Sari. And no one will be sorry at that.
what was the takeaway from the article?
If other nations give up their tradition for the western lifestyle doesn't mean that India should also follow the suit. Modernization does not come from the type of cloth you wear but the type of thought you harbor.All I can make out after reading this article is that I have wasted my time on it. It seemed very partisan and vengeful, god knows why. Perhaps it brought to forth some underlying frustration of the author to sound very modern. She can move around in bikinis if she wants but she has no business being rude and disgraceful to millions of women who wear it and many I am sure much more sophisticated than the author.
Coomi Memsaab is on an anti-Bhaarath binge. First, we had to assimilate with white Australia. Now, our women should discard sarees. God forbid, that we get identified as hindoos (or is it gentoos?). Care for some dot-busters? If not, please discard your bindis. Soni Razdan, make fashion notes on Left, Right and Centre (NDTV). Soon the village women of Tamil Nadu will be snake dancing in Jeans, with their men in Scottish Kilts. And look, Ma, double-meaning title as well! Lets see that movie 'No Entry' once again.