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Gallery of sari drapes.

The classic Nivi drape

By far the most popular drape in India - Women everywhere see this drape as the fashion norm, although in many regions you still see other kinds of traditional wraps.

The first step is putting the first wrap of fabric around your body, right to left, This first wrap is then tucked into the petticoat, making sure to keep the bottom edge even at the desired length. Hold the sari up as in photo1 to get the desired length, then fold at the waist and tuck the fabric in all around. Give yourself enough room at the bottom to move your legs. Now you can begin pleating the front pleats.
The first pleat should fold down the center of your body. Make sure that the pleats are falling straight down with the grain of the fabric. Make about 5 to 7 four inch pleats. Line them all up on top of one another and make sure that they are all even at the front. Now hold the whole stack of pleats in place, lining up the bottom edge with the previous wrapping. Take the remaining length of sari and wrap it to the left around back and up over your left shoulder. Adjust the length of the pallu if needed and take up the slack by folding the last pleat farther to the right of the others.

Carefully tuck the pleats inside the petticoat, making sure to keep them together at the point where they tuck in at the waistband. You can use a pin to secure the pleats to the petticoat, either by pinning through them on the inside, or by putting a pin under the pleats on the outside. Make sure the pin goes all the way through the petticoat and the pleats.

To arrange the sari on the front pull it up with your right hand and fit it tightly into the armpit, then drape it diagonally over your left shoulder. You can pleat the shoulder four or five times, leaving the last pleat to hang mid upper arm - we don't want to be too indiscreet. For slippery fabrics pinning these in place is a really good idea. Pin through all layers of the pleats on the shoulder from the inside of the choli, just behind the shoulder seam.

Another option is to wrap the remaining fabric towards the back, don't go all the way around, instead throw the pallu over the right shoulder - this makes a pretty effect having the pallu on the front of your body.

There are limitless possibilities for wrapping a sari. Check out the practical Kaccha pants style. A flattering and wearable style to integrate the sari into your everyday wardrobe. Check out the beautiful two piece Kerala Mundu or the elegant Bengali drape. But how do I walk in this garb? - Read some general Wearing Tips!

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