Regarded as one of the most elegant garments in an Indian woman’s wardrobe, the origins of the sari can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation in 1800 BC. Standing the test of time, in part due to its versatility, the sari can be worn to nearly any occasion, whether a wedding, festival, dinner or boardroom meeting. Though it’s one of the most conventional outfits, of late, contemporary styles like sari gowns, low-cut blouses, sheer pallus and embellished belts have been revving up the sari, giving it a modern twist. Take for instance, Deepika Padukone, who wore a black and gold embellished sari by Sabyasachi with a barely-there blouse, a black and gold studded belt rounding off her look:
Shilpa Shetty loves her six yards, clearly. The actress has shown us often enough how to add a modern touch to your sari, and the clue is through accessorising: in this case, with a belt over your sari.
Styled by Sanjana Batra, Shilpa wears a Shantanu and Nikhil sari gown with pants and a black corset.
Shilpa stuns in a pastel pink Monisha Jaising sari gown with crystal embroidery highlighting her toned waist…
Here, Shilpa wears a resort-inspired Shivan and Narresh sari with a one-shoulder black blouse.
Sonam Kapoor wears her Masaba Gupta sari dangerously low, paired with a high-cut choli. Need some motivation to get toned abs like the stylish star? Read this.
Red is, hands down, the sexiest colour, and your sari collection is incomplete if you don’t own one in this flamboyant hue. Not sure if you’ll be able to pull it off? Take a cue from Jacqueline Fernandez, whose Faraz Manan pick is radiating some serious heat.
Malaika Arora Khan’s metallic sari gown from Amit Aggarwal ensures all eyes are on her.
Proving that you don’t always need to show skin to be sexy, Kareena Kapoor Khan shuts it down in this Bloni Atelier sari paired with a sharply tailored tuxedo jacket.
Esha Gupta’s deceptively simple sari is bringing sexy back…
Who knew black and white could look so simple yet seductive? Don’t miss that Sabyasachi belt.
All that glitters is…usually an ensemble by Manish Malhotra. Alia Bhatt’s stylist Ami Patel picks a dull gold sequinned sari by the designer that she styles with a mismatched cold-shoulder blouse.
“If it’s not black, put it back,” reads a post on Karisma Kapoor’s Instagram account. No wonder the star found her calling in Abraham and Thakore’s latest monochrome collection. The blouse is replaced by a knee-length jacket which lends a refreshing touch.
Katrina Kaif’s dramatic red and gold sari gown by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla is what every bride-to-be’s dreams are made of.