Thursday, October 4, 2012

How to Wear a Sari

This is from an old brochure I've had in my files since the 1960's. It came from a business in Kowloon, Hong Kong.


The instructions say:

1.  Standing with a blouse and a slip, hold the unborder end of the saree in your left hand and take it round the waist as shown.

2.  Tuck it around into the slip.

3.  Next, gather together between 1 1/2 yd and two:

4.  Tuck the gathers in  your front like this.

5.  Next, carry the balance around your waist, pass below the left arm like this.

6.  Then pass below the right arm.

7.  Next, after just a little pull for smartness, hold the balance in the left hand as shown.

8.  And finally throw over the left shoulder.

AND THERE YOU ARE.

Charming.

What it doesn't tell you is how to make the neat pleats in the front before tucking it into the front layer.
You do this by making a pincher movement between your first and second fingers and a second pincher between your thumb and the 3rd and little finger. You layer back and forth making a pleat about 3 inches wide.

Then you turn it so the pleats show in front, fan-like and tuck it into the waist.