Sari Style Dares for the Winter

I have a confession to make. As much as I love the sari, I haven’t broken out one for this season. In our part of the country, the winters are severe and central heating is that thing we read about in magazines and books. So, to shuffle around the house, to pop into a party, to drive out to a restaurant, a pair of fleece-lined leggings, sweaters, a coat and a pair of boots seems more practical. And when you’re already swathed in 5 layers of woolens, you feel a tad lazy to slip into 6 yards of summer. You get it, right?

And having said this, I can well imagine what you might be feeling, if the sari is already an occasional wear for you. Something you lug out of the closet for weddings or prayer ceremonies or the occasional party. Something that you kind-of grudgingly wear, muttering about the amount of time it takes to wear this garment and the pleats that seem to have a life of their own.

So, to shake things up a bit in this gray season and to give those leggings a rest, I thought we could pretty-up in silks, combine them with winter accessories and marry two so very different schools of style. What say?

So, here’s a clutch of #saridares. Use them as ideas to rev up your #saristyle or as dares to take that garment an extra mile in this season of coats and boots, or just as a way to add variety to your personal look.

Here we go.

Dare 1: Pair up your sari with those gorgeous coats. Whether you have a luscious red Nehru coat or a charcoal gray long overcoat, wear your sari like Sonia Gandhi and pair-up your coats with your silks. I used to do this years ago, teaming my saris with my woolens. But haven’t tried this with my new bevy of coats. So this one’s a must-do for me. What about you?

Dare 2: Once you’re done draping your sari, slip into a pair of boots. Oh yeah, boots are all in vogue this year and what better than pairing up your sari with a pair of high-heeled boots!

Dare 3: Create your sari look with a leather jacket. I remember seeing someone do that years ago, but couldn’t try it out myself as I didn’t own a leather jacket. But this year, I have to give this edgy combo a go.

Dare 4: Wear your shawl with style. Our moms always wore shawls with their saris during the winter months. But with so many options in the coat closet these days, shawls are just about becoming as redundant as our saris, aren’t they? 

Dare 5: Team up a polo neck sweater or top with your sari. When you live in a cold place and want to don a sari, you have no choice but to wear a fitting polo neck sweater like a blouse. It’s the only way you can walk out of your house in a sari with temperatures plummeting to minus (unless you want to brave the cold, flaunt your sari + blouse combo and take the risk of falling ill the next day). But whether you live in a cold place or not, try this dare on a whim.

So, let me know how it goes. And I’ll try to post some pictures of me in my winter sari style.

#saristyle #winterstyle