How to drape a saree
Five steps, in the order you actually do them. Allow twenty minutes the first time and ten after that.
Step 1 of 5
Blouse and petticoat first
Put on the fitted blouse and the petticoat. Tie the petticoat at the height you want the saree hem to sit — just clear of the floor, in the shoes you are actually going to wear. Everything else hangs off this, so it is worth getting right.
Step 2 of 5
Tuck the plain end and go round once
Take the plain end (the opposite end to the pallu) and tuck about 10cm into the petticoat waistband at your right hip. Wrap the saree once around yourself, right to left, and come back to the front.
Step 3 of 5
Make five to seven pleats
Gather the fabric into even pleats about 12cm wide, all facing left, holding them together at the top. Do not aim for perfection — aim for even. Tuck the whole bundle into the waistband slightly left of your navel.
Step 4 of 5
Wrap again, then pallu over the shoulder
Take the remaining fabric around yourself once more, bring it up across your front from right hip to left shoulder, and let the pallu fall down your back.
Step 5 of 5
Pin it in two places
One pin at the left shoulder through the blouse seam — through the blouse, not the saree alone, or it will tear. One pin at the waist holding the pleats. That is it.
The three mistakes everybody makes
- Tying the petticoat too low. The hem then drags and you spend the evening standing on it. Tie it at your natural waist, not your hips.
- Pinning through the saree alone. A pin carrying the weight of a pallu will tear a hole in silk. Always catch the blouse seam.
- Too many pleats. Five wide pleats hang better than nine narrow ones, and they are far easier to tuck as one bundle.
Practise before the day, not on the day.
Ten minutes in front of a mirror the week before is the difference between enjoying an event and worrying about your hem. If that sounds like too much, a ready-to-wear saree takes two minutes and nobody can tell.
Difficulty, by fabric
We rate every saree out of five for how hard it is to pleat and pin. This is our own judgement, not an industry standard, and it is on every product page.
| Rating | Means | Typically |
|---|---|---|
| Very easy | Very easy | Grips itself. Good for a first attempt with no help. |
| Easy | Easy | Forgiving. A few pins and you are set. |
| Moderate | Moderate | Needs pins and a little practice, or fifteen minutes with our guide. |
| Takes practice | Takes practice | Slippery or heavy. Most people want a hand the first time. |
| Advanced | Advanced | Heavy and long. Best draped with help, or order it ready to wear. |