 The sari has a long history in India. The first depictions of sari like costumes can be seen in sculptures dating back to 100 b.c. The variety of colors, patterns, weaves and draping styles make the sari one of the world's most fascinating costumes.
The sari is an unstitched length of cloth measuring 42 - 49" wide and 5.5 to 9 yards in length. Ornamental borders and a matching end piece, called the pallu or anchal surround the field of the sari, which can also be either richly ornamented or plain.
Below a photo by Kate Maxfield perfectly demonstrates the allure of the sari, just in terms of its sheer expressive magnitude. Here these very young girls are wearing their Kanchipuram silk style pieces.
Many sarees come with a matching piece of cloth for the choli, or tight fitting cropped blouse, either woven on the end or the beggining of the sari, or on a separate piece altogether. Some ultra transparent sarees come with a piece of denser cloth dyed or embellished to match. This piece is usually about 3/4 of a yard for stitching the choli. The borders are used for the sleeves and back hem of the choli. Not all sarees in the sarishop come with blouse pieces. If a sari has a blouse piece - it is always indicated in the individual item description. Blouses however can be sewn from any matching or contrasting fabric, it only takes a trip to the fabric store.
 The sari is also worn with a petticoat - it serves as a waistband to tuck the upper edge and pleats into and as a slip to prevent see through.
The sari doesn't have to be worn with a choli or a petticoat. A tight fitting top of any kind can be worn under the sari, and it's possible to drape the sari using a knot for the waistband or to drape it into a type of pants, called "kaccha" which doesn't require a petticoat. Petticoats are a modern convention, most of the classic wraps didn't use them. The sari can also be draped in hundreds of different ways - as many as your imagination can manifest.
Check out the how to wear section to learn about draping sarees. There is a great book on the subject of drape that I highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more. Years of research and personal experience went into it's making. Chantal Boulanger went all over India, discovering and learning to wrap different regional drapes. You can purchase the book from the sarishop.
All sarees in the sarishop are organized by regional weave or dye/print style. You can browse an overview of sari styles available.
Read more about sarees: Why handlooms are special.
General reading: Sari Magic
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