Sarees|Block Prints

Many types of saris are worn in India. From the plain, simple coloured and lightly adorned cotton and silk blends worn by many women in their daily routine, to the jazzy stylish heavily decorated silks with all sorts of finery and additive features known as fashion and special wear or ready to wear sarees, meant for exclusive occasions such as weddings, grand parties or social invites to be ordered from India online.

Saree fabric material could be cotton, silk, jute, nylon, rayon, Georgette, chiffon, satin etc. or blends. There is no dearth of traditional handloom varieties and modern art silks and current tastes have encouraged brilliant fusion experiments of the two to evolve a new range of splendid never-before-seen fabrics having trending designs and patterns incorporated in the conventional handloom weaves.

Silks have always been a favourite with women because of the rich look, airy comfort and the exclusiveness in price compared to other fabrics. Especially costly pure silk sarees that range from 15000 rupees onwards to touch a lakh and above, are jealously guarded, worn with caution and care exercised at every step, to be worn for grand exclusive occasions only.

Cottons are preferred for summer or hot weather conditions and for long continuous spells of wearing. Light in weight, very airy, comfortable, cottons come in light shades and medium coloured hues and very preferred for casual outings, office, daily wear since they are not as costly as silks.

You have pure silk centres of Mysore, Dharmavaram, Kanjeevaram along with other notable places like Narayanpet, Pochampally, Uppada, Venkatagiri, Rasipuram, Arani, Coimbatore and some others with their own brands of silk fabrics in the Southern part of India. The Northern part has Banaras, Chanderi, Kota, Chattisgarh, Bhagalpur and others. Rajasthan and Gujarat in the West, with Eastern Orissa, West Bengal and the North Eastern belt. All these have traditionally evolved their individual styles and existed harmoniously for a long time.

Inspiring breath-taking weaves of good texture, fine thread counts, beautiful patterns and motifs displayed in a myriad of colours have seamlessly included the modern saree-wearer’s likes and preferences in new colour shades, embellishments on the saree, abstract and fancy prints, without sacrificing the essence of the ethnic quality.

There is a healthy mix even of different regions wherein the saree could have the attractive and appealing features of different traditional styles. Such as the modern designer prints being block printed on the body, the attach border having exquisite embroidery and the pallu portraying scenes from nature in eco-colours, hand painted in tribal art.

India has many handloom weaving, dyeing and printing locations of ethnic excellence in the four corners of the country. Side by side and also overwhelming it is the modern mass production device called the power loom which though quick serving and time saving cannot have the craftsmanship and finish of the traditional handloom.

IT has also helped in the design of extraordinary patterns sensational colour combinations. Transfer of prints directly from the printer onto fabric has also become a reality for one or two fabric types.

Rich in variety excellence in weaving, A.P. Handlooms have a niche presence in handlooms sector. Uppada handloom cottons, with their Jamdani pattern, Uppada pure silks covered in zari finery, Gadwal sarees with rich border, different pallu and gold or silver zari brocades. Mangalagiri handlooms are pure durable cotton yarns with nizam borders and rich zari work. The Venkatagiri weaves in cotton with Jamdani weave & pure silk brocade woven with gold or silver zari threads, the Narayanpet block printed cotton sarees known for their contrast borders, shimmering effect and pallu work, the Dharmavaram silk sarees famous for their inevitable presence in most south Indian marriages are distinctive silk weaves of simple patterns in two colors, are elegant for regular use. Pochampally handloom cluster is known for its unique tie & dye ikat weaves.

Assam Sarees, in cotton and silk, light on the body, needing little to maintain, beautiful patterns, elegant borders and multi-coloured hues, make them a feast for the eyes. The Assam Muga Silk variety with floral designs, zari borders and embroidered patches are a connoisseur’s delight. The soft tussar silks of Bhagalpur with silk available from the forests of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh Sarees, famous for the special use of the painting techniques of block batik and dabu where organic dyes are used with tribal painting artwork, which also has Ari embroidery, jaali or net embroidery in geometric or floral design as a prevalent feature. You have the traditional Patan Patola and the simpler single ikat Patola weaves of Rajkot in sico and cotton with enchanting block prints and the exquisite kutch or kutchhi embroidery. You also have the Gharchola Panetar tie & dye sarees from the state of Gujarat.

Karnataka provides the world class Mysore silks, the unique Bangalore silks, the Dharwad cottons and the exquisite kasuti embroidery. Jammu & Kashmir contributes the soft pashmina silk and cotton sarees with Kashida embroidery, Kerala its fine Kasavu cottons in dazzling white or cream with golden borders, you have the silk and cotton sensations from Chanderi and Maheshwari in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra with its dazzling Paithanis, the exotic Warli Painted sarees and the colourful Ganga Jamuna sarees and Manipur with its colourful and designer handlooms.

Then you have Meghalaya with its finely woven designer sarees having captivating designs and motifs in silk and organza, the simple but tastefully woven elegant cottons of Nagaland with attractive patterns, the special Sambalpuri ikats, the shiny Bomkai silks, and the soft handlooms of Odisha. Punjab gives its quality cotton handlooms and the Phulkari weave, Rajasthan its Bagru and Dabu block prints, the soft and smooth Kota Dorias and the playful Bandhani patterns.

Tamil Nadu is a major hub of handlooms and where you find soft and smooth fine cottons of Coimbatore, Madurai, Chettinad, exceptionally fine silks of Kanchipuram, Arani, Samudrika, Rasipuram, Uttar Pradesh has the pure silks of Banaras, the designer supernets of Banaras, the handloom cottons of Banaras, and of course the exquisite embroidery of the Lucknowi sarees. West Bengal has on display its Baluchari silks, the exquisite Jamdhani weave technique, the amazing thread work of Kantha, the fine muslins of Dhaka cotton, and the exceptional Tant handlooms.

You could come across a carried assemblage of different varieties of saree like plain cotton silk half saree, soft silk and linen saree collection of sarees, party wear lehenga cotton saree

Whether sari has a meaning or not is not known to us but the history of sari-like drapery is traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, which flourished during 2800–1800 BCE around the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. From this initial drape, over time with changes and more changes it arrived to be in the present form, which has been prevalent over a long time now. Only the one who wears saris knowns what freedom of movement is that I am talk about.

Naturally the traditional pure silk pattu sarees are best for a wedding because of the royal look, the shine and shimmer, the designs, embroidery, brocade attachments, latest silk saree blouse designs and other finery that go with it which would make the bride look a princess, the ladies all around part of the royal attendance. For the South Indian bridal saree for bride, the red kanchipuram silk wedding pattu saree with blouse designs for silk wedding saree would be a smashing hit. Pure silk yellow saree draper with lovely saree blouse designs matching wedding silk sarees for girls could be another lovely choice.

The blouse for the saree is generally cut out from a rectangular piece of cloth 80 cm. x 1 metre on an average. The range varies from 0.6 meters to 1 meter, depending upon the body shape, size of the sleeve desired, blouse length etc.

Sarees could cost anywhere from a few hundred rupees for plain unadorned ones to beyond a lakh rupees for the ones that are traditionally acknowledged for their weaving finesse, exquisite adornments, costly additions, ethnic designs and the like.

While there are examples of Indian saree ladies designers like Shaina N.C. creating a record of sorts with knowing 70 plus styles of draping the saree, more and more ideas are being added every now and then by various individuals that keep increasing the number of styles that could be used to drape a saree.

There are several reasons why the saree fall becomes necessary.

Many fabrics if left by themselves lack the tensile strength to keep them in place and would be prone to stretching and tearing.

The saree hem if left with loose threads would entangle with the footwear or come under the feet, additionally leading to scraping with the ground or hard surfaces and coming to ruin.

In flowy, fluid and light-weight fabrics, spreading or flying off when tied was a common problem. Pleating also used to be difficult, especially keeping them in place for long.

The extra fabric lends stiffness and weight which prevents all the above deficiencies that would have prevailed otherwise.

Attractive blouse designs for the plain saree, the plain saree with new design adornment or a lightly adorned saree with hot designer saree blouses, are all part of a plan for enhancing the saree look. Colors, designs, patterns, motifs are part of the weaving design that create the differences between product and product.

They provide the basic attraction that ensures the interest in the product. But with a whole range of colored sarees and lots of patterns and designs to choose from, there crept in an air of expectedness and anticipation after a time. Something different that could ensure that each product could have similar display yet differentiated by the unknown factor.

This was when adornments or additions, traditional yet novel to the market were brilliantly introduced to evolve outcomes that ranged from pleasant surprise to wonder and amazement at the effect that they caused for women in a handloom saree.

Saree wearing images, of models in new designer sarees, are available to view online. There are different sections on the website that deal with sarees according to fabric, sarees according to variety, sarees according to cost, color and further fine distinctions that the site might wish to have. E.g. When doing online saree shopping on websites one can choose designer party wear lehenga from images. Suppose you were doing online shopping for designer Banarasi silk sarees. You would be able to check for latest Banarasi net silk designer sarees, ready made saree designs for wedding sarees in India, designer blouses and new designer blouse designs for wedding pattu saree etc., and a host of other features and information about the Banarasi range of sarees.

Traditional art and craftsmanship is all about beauty and enhancement where the average is raised to extraordinary.

You have Appliqué work that refers to the technique by which patterns are created by attaching a smaller coloured patch onto a larger base fabric mostly of contrasting colour or texture. The attaching could be by stitching, or gluing the patch on the larger fabric.

There are the Bootis or Buttis, that are repeated motifs or patterns hand woven, embroidered or printed onto handloom sarees. They enhance the beauty of any fabric on which they are added. Hand woven Bootis were earlier woven by needles of different sizes based on the size and number of bootis to be woven. The Chanderi Saree especially makes the use of Bootis as a compulsory adorning feature.

You have the Tie & Dye process that involves creating resists by tying threads tightly at selected points which could number from a few to several hundreds or even thousands based upon the complexity of the design intended, before dyeing the fabric. The tied part does not get dyed and when the threads are removed and the fabric spreads out the design becomes evident by a light coloured design on a dark coloured background.

Using ‘resists’ for making designs on a fabric, the conventional Batik process has a resist or a physical block in some form or the other to prevent desired areas on the fabric from being penetrated by the initial dye. Generally wax is used as a resist in Batik. The rarer type of Batik is Pen Batik. Fine designs are made on the fabric using ‘Tjanting’ tools. Pen Batik is a little more painstaking comparatively on account of fine detailing to be taken done by hand

Dabu printing is a unique art form that has mud-resist hand-block printing that has amazed even the fashion pundits.

Chikankari is intricate embroidery on sarees and salwar kameez. An art form where, the design or pattern print is transferred to the cloth, Chikankari was practiced on fabrics like muslin, silk etc. initially only with white thread. Today even colored thread is used.

Zardozi is metal embroidery done on various fabrics like sarees using gold or silver colour coated copper wire along with a silk thread.

Kantha Work, is embroidery work done on sarees, with a running stitch on them in the form of motifs.

Kasuti is a traditional form of embroidery in Karnataka, India. Kasuti work is very intricate and involves putting a large number of stitches by hand on traditional cotton and silk sarees.

Kashida is embroidery done in the Kashmir valley and draws its subjects from nature and its offerings like leaves, floral arrangements, fruits, nuts etc. to be displayed as motifs.

The Kutch embroidery and the Parsi Gara embroidery that are akin to the Kasuti but practiced in Gujarat. The execution of the miniature designs in thread work, truly baffle, while the vibrancy of the colored patterns are extremely eye-catching.

The Bagru Hand block printing of Rajasthan is itself very popular on account of its simplicity and ease of execution but which results in prints on the Saris that are sharp, accurate and finely detailed.

There are many more such wonders that traditional practitioners have given modern India. They are spread across the country, sometimes in very remote corners too. It is their innovative skills and dedication to the art that has given India something to boast of with pride.

There is nothing like a handloom saree when it comes to variety and look. Finely woven fabric, there is interplay of design and pattern, motif and border, embroidery and painting or other interchangeable permutations and combinations, that each product is unique, each item as distinctive as the next.

People dress for occasions and for the Indian woman the saree offers her a mind-boggling range to choose from.

Wedding wear - Weddings are a way of life in India. Wedding wear sarees are fabrics of finery and trappings that include traditional bridal wear sarees. Bridal sarees, bridesmaid sarees, saris worn by women of the family, relatives and guests attending the ceremonies are all resplendent silk wedding sarees of different varieties and styles. Customs vary across India; the wedding sari remains a common feature. You could buy a fancy designer saree with designer blouse such as silk pattu sarees of south India and the pure silks with traditional decorative finery and decorative zari work in pure gold and silver for wedding, online. Hand-woven Silk sarees, attractive, trending Designer sarees are included in wedding purchases when people shop sarees online.

Party wear - Parties in India are occasions for fun, enjoyment and social exchange. Women also take it as an opportunity to display their latest purchases in Indian saris. Grand Parties demand long presence, easy movement, maintenance of look, all the time. When comfort with appearance is prime, pattus or pure silk sarees, light, airy and with a lot of zari work would be a good choice. For informal parties, designer art silks and attractive block printed cottons with additional adornment would suit. In crowded environs, fancy cotton sari avatars would always be a good choice with their brilliant floral designs or batik prints.

Office wear - The Indian office wear saree gives comfort, maintains shape and appearance all day. Fancy, exclusive fabrics with latest designer patterns and abstract modern prints with exquisite embellishments are trending office sarees. Office sarees serve for daily use at schools, colleges, small offices and large corporate offices too.

Casual wear – The concept of casual wear is for daily and regular use, as wear for outings, informal social calls etc. The casual saree no longer remains plain and unadorned irrespective of how simple its use could be. The body of the saris could have printed designs, woven patterns or just a plain setting.

Over and above this with change of hairstyles on different types of sarees, experimenting with hairstyle color matching with saree, adding accessories like belt (check for how to wear a designer saree with a belt online), clutch, earrings, necklaces and what not, the Indian woman would simply dazzle everybody within range.

For all such questions, the answer is simple. Unnati Silks is a saga of 'HANDLOOMS FOR WOMEN' that began in 1980. Four decades since it has transformed from a single shop entity to become a family enterprise with extended arms and global operations.

Being Customer - Centric, Unnati Silks anticipates, innovates and provides with a strong belief that each and every customer is special. An experience of four decades in silk and cotton textiles Unnati has carved out a niche presence for itself in being the manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer and exporter of genuine silk cotton handlooms like sarees, salwar suits, kurtas, kurtis and other Indian ethnic fabrics. This has thereby created for it, a sizable domestic market from across the country and overseas.

Having a product range that is varied and vast, handwoven and handcrafted, the devotion and dedication of talented ethnic artisans from across 21 states of India comes through in the products on display.

Art Silk, Chiffon, Cotton, Cotton Silk, Crape, Dupion, Georgette, Gicha, Handloom, Jacquard, Jute, Katan Silk, Kora Silk, Kota, Net, Organza, Pure Silk, Satin Silk, Sico, Silk Blend, Supernet, Tusser Silk, Chanderi, Patola, Kerala, Mysore silk etc. are just some of the different fabrics and varieties that Unnati Silks has to offer.

Soft feel, rich thread work, attractive motifs and patterns, contrast borders in a wide range of vibrant colors, designs, conventional and trendy, prints symmetrical and abstract, and many other options are exercised to evolve fresh-feel novel lines of fine handloom weaves that are unique and inspirational.

Old or no longer used saris can be re-fashioned to make good clothes and clothing. Some of the best curtains, skirts, are made from used or second hand saris. I like the idea of decorating a portion of the walls with mum's designer saris that she no longer uses. There are certain websites that offer saris for sale gallery online with images of saris and customer service for correct fit to re-style them to salwar suits. You could try to re-fashion a simple design saree to make a stylish lehenga or a churidar from the saree.