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A Little Bit of History:
The Indian Sari, believe it or not, is more than 5000 years old! It was first mentioned in Rig Veda, the oldest surviving literature of the world, written somewhere around 3000 BC. The Sari, originally intended both for men and women, is probably the longest incessantly worn dress in the history of mankind. Famous Indian historical heroines like Queen Jhansi Laxmibai, Belawadi Mallamma and Kittur Chennamma wore Saree during their battles. Neat and tightly away, Saree enabled them to battle enemy troops on horseback.
The Sari: Sari (originally Chira in Sanskrit, meaning Cloth), is a rectangular piece of cloth, usually 5-9 yards in length. The approximate size of a sari, to make it more understandable is 47 inches by 216 inches. For an untailored length of cloth, the fabric of the sari is very well thought-out, and the design vocabulary very sophisticated.
Every Sari has a design theme, and often has a story to tell. The main field of the sari is framed on its three sides by decorative borders. Two of these borders run along the longitudinal sides of the sari, and the third comprises the end piece of the sari, and is known as its Pallav.
The Pallav is a broader, and more intensified version of the two longitudinal borders. This end piece is the part of the sari that is draped over the shoulder and left to hang over the back or front. For example, if the two longitudinal borders have vines with leaves embroidered on them, the end piece or the pallav will have a lush tree with lots of leaves, and maybe even some flowers on it.
| Unusual drapes | | | 
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| | | | Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins experiments with this. This drape is worn by pleating the front and the pallu is taken behind the body from the left side of the waist and brought in the front from the right shoulder to be draped around the neck and left loose from the side of the neck. This drape shows off the blouse beautifully. | | Amber models this unusual drape. The sari drape starts from the right side of the waist by tucking it in and goes around the hips in an entire circle. Then hold the sari 5 inches higher and drape around the hips in a circle. Continue the circles around the hips, each time taking it a couple of inches higher. The pallu is then taken behind the body from the left side of the waist and brought into the front from the right shoulder and draped in a V shape right to the left shoulder. | | Jennifer goes for the classic style. You start by tucking in the sari at the right side of the waist and taking it around the body once. Then the sari is pleated 4-5 times and tucked into the waist at the centre. The pallu is taken behind the body from the left to the right waist in the front and then draped across the chest to the left shoulder and left loose and flowing. | | |
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