The History of Saree Gown

You have probably seen or worn a Saree gown yourself before. It is the traditional Indian dress for women and one of the oldest in existence. The Saree is 5000+ years old. The evidence of this is through its mention in Vedas as the oldest surviving literature written. The patterns of dressing have changed over the years around the world but the Saree gown continued to exist because it’s the key dress code for the women in rural India. Today, Sarees are worn the same as shorts, flowing gowns trousers or even a convenient skirt without any stitch.

The size of Saree

The Saree comes in lengths varying between 5 to 9.5 yards usually tied loosely, plated and folded. The Saree could even be turned to a work dress or worn for special events using manual skill alone. Today many women wear Sarees varying between 5-6 yards when doing household chores.

Elegant and embroidered designs

The level of elegance of the Saree was determined by the kind of embellishments, embroidery, design and length (up to 9 yards). Women used gold silver or cloth belts to keep the pallu, or the upper cover, pleats and folds intact. The queens of Jhansi, Laxmibai, Belawadi Millamma and Kittur Chennamma all fought enemies on horseback wearing Sarees while tucking the front pleats in the back. This was referred to as the soldiers tick or Veeragacche.

Saree and dhoti

The Saree was a dress for women while the dhoti was adorned by men though the two were quite similar. This is because the men also wore the colorful fabrics with brocaded borders. Sometimes, the outfit could be interchanged only that the men never wore the upper part that covers the chest and shoulders.

Different styles

The Sarees is worn in as many as 15 different styles in various parts of India although they all have common characteristics. Wearing the nine yard Saree without the long underskirt was common in the Maharashtra and north Karnataka region of India. Women would even swim the Kali river while wearing their Sarees.

Greek or roman toga

There has been a lot of confusion about the influence of the Greek or Roman Toga on the Saree as seen on ancient statues. However, this is not true because the Indian Saree was design to suit the local climate and conditions. Cotton was cultivated in India long before and the Saree was a wonder to the Greeks.

Old Sarees

Old and worn out Sarees were not disposed of. Grandmothers made quilts from the worn out Sarees to keep the children warm. They were used as bed covers or cradle blankets. The folds in the Sarees were also used by women as bags to carry groceries or even their babies. Sometimes the Saree was used to make a stand-by cradle while the women were working in the fields by tying the ends to a nearby tree.

Today, although the Saree has become quite westernized and you can even buy a Saree gown online, it is still the reigning dress of choice of rural India as well as for traditional rituals and ceremonies.

from http://monalisaofblogging.com/the-history-of-saree-gown