Best Saree Draping Styles for a Party

If you want to dress up for a party or any traditional gathering, then a saree will be the best choice. Just like our culture, saree has also evolved as a perfect garment for all sorts of parties and events. Gone are the days when saree was seen only as a traditional garment. The different styles and variants of sareehave made it the most versatile garment in the recent times. Every actress in Bollywood loves to don saree for movie promotions or other events. Take for example, Sonam Kapoor, who has made appearance in saree most of the times for Bollywood parties as well as red carpet looks. Not to mention, VidyaBalan or Rekha, who love to wear kanjivaram sarees for the award functions. In fact, our Bollywood divas have made many appearances in saree for red carpet looks abroad.

But the question is, how to drape a saree differently for a special occasion or a party? How to stand out in a saree in any party or be the highlight of that party? Well, keeping that in mind, we have curated a list of saree draping styles that are fit for any party look. We promise that people won’t be able to take their eyes off you. You can explore them here –

• Mumtaz style saree or retro drape

   Do you remember the hit song “Aajkaltere mere pyarke” from film Brahamchari? Everyone loved Mumtazin the song. More than that, her saree draping style became such a rage. 2016 is the new retro. Every retro trend is making a comeback so Mumtaz style drape will be the best to wear to a party and look like a diva.

The saree is draped in a wraparound style, here is how to achieve the perfect drape –

• Start with the basic saree draping step where you start making the pleats of the lower drape. But don’t tuck it in the center of petticoat yet.
• Take two pleats and tuck them while facing the left side
• Pick up the leftover saree from the center pleat and encircle it. Bring it forward to the right side of the waist
• Now tuck it over 6 inches above the length of the saree. Wrap the saree around till it comes forward to the right side once again
• Again, tuck the saree 5-6 inches above the former length and continue to wrap it up like in step 2 & 3
• Make pleats of 5-6 inches of the rest of the saree and then bring it across the front from the left shoulder by taking it under the right armhole and secure with pins.

• Deepika style saree or Inverted border drape

Inverted drape style became a major hit after Deepika flaunted it in YehJawani Hai Deewaniwith a blue saree. Hence the name Deepika style saree. This saree also takes cues from retro drape style but gives you an edgy look for the party. You won’t need many accessories to style it up and it will highlight your curves perfectly.

The drape is easy to make and highlights your curvy figure. Here are the steps –

• Start the basic steps and tuck the pleats in the petticoat
• Hold the edge of saree that comes after the tucked in pleats and twist it in a way that the border of the saree falls down on lower length
• Hold the rest of the saree, gather it and tuck it across the back
• Bring it to the front from right under arm and throw it back on the left shoulder
• Now pull the portion of the saree around the hip to make it little tight and at the same time keep it pressed tightly under the right under arm
• Adjust the border on the front side so that it looks like two lines meeting until the left shoulder point. Pin it there and keep it in place.

• Pant style drape

Pant style or dhoti style drape has been highlighted by Sonam Kapoor and that has become a mainstream fashion trend in saree. This is a perfect draping style to stand out in any party. Especially if you love to try fusion dressing, then this is the best drape to experiment with and is super quick to make.

Here are the steps-

• Ditch petticoat for leggings for this drape style
• Make the pleats with the pallu end and pull them over your left shoulder
• Take the rest of the saree and bring it back to your left waist side from the right side and tuck it in properly
• Now pleat the entire loose hanging saree and tuck it in at the center into your leggings
• Adjust the pallu pleats so that the front bodice is well covered up

• Front pallu drape

This Gujrati-fusion style drape is the new ‘it’ thing in saree. This style has been increasingly appearing in most of the runway fashion walks. But you can add a little twist to it and make it more appealing and party-appropriate.

This drape style needs some experimentation. So if you want to look sassy yet stay traditional, then this drape is a perfect choice to go with. You can pick a graphic saree with a contrasting blouse for this style. Here are the steps –

• Start with the basic steps and tuck the pleats in the petticoat
• Take the wider section of drape and make pleats of about 5-6 inches and gather them properly or even better secure it with pins
• Hold the pleats and bring them from your left side across your waist to the front end of top right shoulder
• Put the pleats in a way that they fall on the front in a length less than a meter approximately
• Secure the pleats with a pin on the shoulder point
• Now pick the first border edge of the saree under the left armhole and pull it across your left side. Tuck it to the left side of your waist.

Image Credits:

• http://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/7-different-ways-to-wear-a-saree-with-tutorials-for-trendy-newlywed-brides-3346
• https://strandofsilk.com/indian-fashion-blog/stylish-thoughts/draped-saree-trend-takes-over-bollywood
• https://in.pinterest.com/explore/dhoti-saree/
• http://g3fashion.com/blog/9-different-saree-drape-styles-for-occasions/