Varanasi Silk Saris
Benares
Brocades or Varanasi Silks are some of the richest sarees produced in
India and is the most in demand sari for weddings and functions. The
famous Varanasi sari has elaborate brocaded ornament, often infused
with gleaming zari and woven on very heavy gauge silks. The ornament
style associated with it is primarily Persian. Delicate floral and
architectural ornaments, figures and animals rendered in detailed multi
color threadwork lend the sari it's elegance.
Kanchipuram Silk Sarees
Kanchipuram
is a mid sized city in the northwest of Tamil Nadu. The surrounding
area is rich with ancient weaving tradition - most famous is the richly
brocaded Kanchi silk sari. Wide borders of colored threads and or
zari, and striped style pallus woven in a simple tribal style are
hallmarks of this style. Fashion demands have varied the style pallette
of the region and the Kanchipuram weavers are now producing modern as
well as ancient designs and sometimes an interesting mix of the two.
Kanchi
silk is generally handspun, giving the cloth a slightly variegated
sheen, best described at going in the direction of dupioni silk, but
much less textured. The gauge varies a bit, but the classic Kanchi silk
is a heavier gauge and fabled to last a lifetime.
Tussar Silk Sarees
With
a distinctive golden haze and light weight loft, Tussar silk is back
in fashion on the Indian market. The latest jewel is the Pashmina sari,
which is a blend of wool and tussar silk. Madhya Pradesh is producing
these sarees with combinations of threadwork and bagh printing. Crisp
Tussar handlooms from Varanasi are often featured in the sarishop as
well.
Vafta Sarees
Vafta,
produced in Madhya Pradesh is an angelic blend of silk and cotton. The
light grounds have a lovely golden haze from the silk warp. The drape
is as comfy and lofty as cotton but has the dazzle of silk. These are
very finely printed in subdued colors using traditional block printing.
Orissa Ikat silk sarees
Metallic
finish and heavy gauge silk with delightful yarn dyed patterning. The
shiny and burnished metal finish of the silk sari is it's most obvious
appeal and is only possible through using the locally produced silk
fiber. Heavy threadwork borders and pallus add to the overall effect of
geometric ikat patterning.
Orissa Tribal sarees
Talk
about handmade! It takes an average of 5 weeks just to dye the fibers
for these sarees! direct from the weavers of Kotpad, a small village in
the south of Orissa near Koraput.Habaspuri tribal sarees, Siminoi
style bomkai sarees and Gunderi tribal shawls.
Silk Printed Sarees
Murshidabad Sarees
These
are sarees are machine loomed Bengali silk, which has a china silk
like finish but is more textured. The cloth is fine gauge and lustrous,
often printed with delicate Bengali tribal style prints or classic
Kashmiri inspired designs.
Fashion Printed Silk Saris
These
sarees are printed on silks machine and hand loomed as well as
imported China silk! You'll find a big variety of silk sarees in this
section, from lightweight and airy chiffons, to georgettes and buttery,
drapey crepes.
Bandhni sarees
Hand
tie dyed light cloth, both cotton and silk with the classical look of
Rajasthan and Gujarat. The sari cloth is folded in on itself, and tiny
knots are sewn into the folded layers The Rajasthani color pallette
favors light and bright colors, which one can understand given the
monochrome landscapes of the region!
Batik
Real
batik resist dying is done in textile centers all over India. The
ornament has a distinctive craquelure finish that confirms it's
authenticity. Wax is applied to the sari as a resist, and the patterns
emerge through numerous wax application and dyeing steps.
Cotton Handlooms
Bengal Handloom sarees - Tant
Bengali
handlooms are known for their transparent and crisp muslin like finish
that is a joy to wear on a hot day. The lightness of the body cloth,
combined with wide and silky threadwork borders and elaborate pallus
with supplementary threadwork ornament give the sari it's unique
evenness of drape. The "tant" or hand loomed sarees of the region boast
a tremendous range of styles and colors.
Bengal Hand loomed sarees - Jamdanies
A
highly transparent cloth with supplementary threadwork ornament, which
is "Jammed" into the weft. Designs are simple and geometric tribal
style, unique to Jamdani handlooms. Peacocks are a favorite motif in
the style, as are bold vines and flowers.
Bengal Handloom sarees - Baluchari
Detailed
figures, animals and architectural scenes are depicted on these
sarees. The classic Baluchari has scenes from the religious epics of
India. Wide borders feature repeat motifs from the pallu, often densely
woven vignettes arranged in sections across the cloth. The classic
Baluchari sari of Bengal was woven on the same cloth as the Tant
sarees, but now with many regions weaving these style sarees, you can
have Baluchari style sarees from anywhere. If I'm aware of a sari's
origin, I will always mention it in the listing.
Orissa Ikat sarees
The
state of Orissa adopted the ikat weaving tradition, it is said, from
the Patola area weavers of Gujarat. So confusingly enough, it's
sometimes referred to as Orissa Patola ikat. I've found this to mean two
distinctly different things, some use the Patola adjective to denote
double ikat weaves, and others just to mean Ikat weave. Ikat patterning
is done by first dying the threads according to the pattern layout. As
the sari is woven the pattern emerges. It's never quite millimeter in
sync giving it the delightful jaggy look that bestows ikat work some of
it's charm, as does it's bold geometric ornament, wide temple style
borders all rendered in a uniquely Orissan tribal style.
The
cloth is super fine and densely woven, with a slight flannelly touch.
It's density and border weight give it a heavier drape that's a delight
to wear. The quality ikats we procure in Orissa are exceptionally well
executed examples of the craft.
Orissa Bomkai sarees
Bomkai
sarees feature threadwork ornament borders and pallu, some combine
small touches of ikat work. The sarees in this collection were all
picked for their traditional tribal look, as well as their understated
and elegant color pallette.
Kota Doria sarees
The
turgid heat of the Rajasthan desert inspired this mesh like cloth that
is so airy - it's like wearing a fan. Hand loomed Kota Doria sarees in
pure cotton are a rare find - polyester is gaining more and more
ground. There are many varieties of machine loomed Kota fabric, which
is also soft cloth with an airy feel that picks up the slightest
breeze.
Chanderi sarees
Madhya
Pradesh produces a super light sari with a soft translucence unique to
the cloth. They are generally a very plain sari in muted pastel
colors, narrow bordered piece with simple striped anchal. Others have
small bhutties through the field. The term Chanderi is often misused by
sariwallahs to describe any kind of light and see through cloth.
Chanderi style cotton is highly prized for it's airy feel in the
hottest days of summer. It's almost impossible now to find Chanderi in
pure cotton.
Maheshwari sarees
Maheshwari
sarees are light and airy, a bit heavier than Chanderi, and with
lustrous tightly woven zari borders in geometrical designs
Traditionally they had narrow borders and simple pallu, but today
anything goes. The weaving center is busy, the sarees are in high
demand.
Karnataka Sarees - Banhatti Sarees
Banhatti
produces the low cost daily wear sarees of the state. These have
simple plain or checked grounds with large golden threadwork borders
and pallu stripes.
Karnataka Sarees - Ilkal Sarees
I
tried to find it after first seeing the sari's distinctive flag like
pallu on the streets of Mumbai over 10 years ago. It is not seen often
outside of this region. These are 6 7 and 8 yard sarees with a shiny
mercerized finish on a very light weight cloth. Traditionally the
pallus were woven with silk but in modern day the most sarees are made
with rayon blends.
Andhra Pradesh - Venkatgiri Sarees
Venkatgiri
sarees from Andhra Pradesh are a crisp and lightweight cloth, woven
with a shiny finish yarn in very fine gauge. When worn it is like a
soft gossamer cloud about the body. The cloth stands apart not only in
its distinct finish, but also in the subtlety and style of it's
ornament, often with wide bold zari and threadwork borders. Venkatgiri
pallus are generally bold and simple to match the borders, but the high
end range has elaborate and heavy zari brocade and bhutties.
andhra Pradesh - Guntur Sarees
Sarees
woven in this area near the coast are some of the softest and most
comfortable you'll experience. Their simple and tribal style ornament
is seen on village women since centuries and the same classic aesthetic
continues in a wider range of colors. They feature fine threadwork
borders, usually narrow, with pallus ranging from simple stripes and
sparse bhutties to elaborate weft ikats. The fields are plain or check
with or without bhutties. These are the perfect dance sarees as they
are stable and less transparent than many South Cotton Sarees. Their
timeless allure is comfortable for everyday wearing. Bandarlanka and
Upadda also produce similar type sarees. They are often in the
collection as well!
Andhra Pradesh - Pochampalli Sarees
Pochampalli
ikats can be differentiated from their cousins in Orissa by their
feel. Pochampalli cloth is smoother than the flannelly Orissa cloth and
not quite as heavy. Bold ornament often will all over field work lend
these sarees their unique vibrancy - great for everyday wear or for
adorning a room. This sari collection features ikat ornament made with
both warp and weft patterned borders and weft patterned fields.
Andhra Pradesh - Mangalagiri saris
These
sarees from Andhra Pradesh have very dense zari borders, usually
framing plain or micro checked fields. Thick lines of lustrous zari
adorn the pallus in typical tribal style. The border zari work is very
dense giving the sari a beautiful drape. This cloth is now big in
fashion for stitching salwaars and suits, so the sarees have made a bit
of a reimmergence into the shops, but as usual the longevity of tribal
styles hang on a thin line of contention with fashion!
Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore saris
Coimbatore
cotton sarees often feature elaborate cotton brocade worked borders
and pallus. This fine and airy cotton sari on the low range have plain
fields and very understated pallu ornament, often just fine stripes.
The high end sarees feature thread and zari work framed by intricate
colorful threadwork borders. These sarees come in a great range of
color combinations, including mouth watering shots. These are some of
the most well executed sarees I've seen, and could rival any silk with
their elegance.
Tamil Nadu - Kanchipuram cotton saris
This
region produces beautiful varieties of cotton handlooms. The handspun
saris have a pebbly finish and a delightfully soft hand. The ornament
is usually classically tribal, with wide borders, often in temple style
and the multi striped pallu with line ornaments. They share the same
ornament as the tribal Kanchi silk sarees. Another type of sari is also
woven in the region. It has a crisp, linen like finish and finer tribal
ornament. The borders often have zari and colored threadwork ornament,
the striped pallus are dotted with bhutties that extend into the
field.
Kerala Sarees - Balarampuram Mundu-Veshti
The
traditional two piece sari of Kerala is woven from a super fine muslin
type cloth and features very simple border and pallu ornament, one or
two colors combined or zari on a natural cotton colored field. The
pieces in the sarishop were made in the small village of Balarampuram
on the S. Kerala coast. The temperate seaside climate allows the
spinning of the super fine thread that lend the cloth it's signature
texture and charm. Balarampuram also weaves one piece sarees in the
same cloth.
Cotton Print saris
The
sheer variety of styles of printed cotton sarees is mind boggling.
Most commercially printed cotton sarees are screen printed in large
cities like Bomb ay and Calcutta, and the mills of Surat in Gujarat.
These are the everyday staple sarees of the working class of India.
They are worn from North to South, East to West and are the best
bargains in the Sarishop.
Traditional Block Printed Saris
The
sarishop stocks all kinds of traditional block prints. Ajrakh and
bagru prints from Gujarat and Rajasthan and resist died Bagh prints
from Madhya Pradesh and Dabu prints from Rajasthan. Natural vegetal died
Kalamkari prints too from Andhra Pradesh. These block prints have a
time honored aesthetic and are printed on soft and fine voile cotton.
Nine Yard Sarees
If
6 yards is just not enough then indulge in 9! Sarisafari goes to
great lengths to procure a good variety of nine yard sarees in cotton
and silk. Varieties produced in 9 yards that are usually available are:
sungudi prints, Mangalagiri, Madurai, Kanchipuram, Ichalkaranji and
Belgaum are available as well and Kanchi silk 9 yards. A whole world of
draping options opens up when you have 9 yards to drape with.
You
can read more in particular about regional saris by clicking a desired
dot on the map, or see examples of regional weaves in the sarishop.
Sorce : sarisafari
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