Sari Days

Several years ago, I had the privilege of spending a summer in India on a Fullbright-Hays Scholarship. I studied under professors at the University of Madras and traveled and toured India. It was a wonderful experience, and I found the culture fascinating. I also found it interesting that most of the Indian men wore Western clothes, but most of the women wore saris (sarees).

A sari is six or more feet of cloth wrapped around a drawstring petticoat, pleated or gathered in the front to allow movement, and worn over a short blouse. There are hundreds of ways of wrapping the sari, and different regions and locales have their own style. I bought the three that I have in Madras (renamed Chennai) in southern India, and I wrap mine in the style they do there. I wore them especially when I taught about India.

Saris are comfortable once one gets used to them. They can still be worn if the woman's weight changes, she becomes pregnant, or if other styles change. They normally come in either cotton or silk and in an enormous array of colors. In addition, they are very feminine looking. These are likely some of the reasons they have remained so popular.

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