How to Drape a Saree: The Easiest Beginner-friendly Guide

how to drape a saree

1. Tuck & set length: Start from the right side, tuck the saree into the petticoat all around, keeping the hem at ankle length.

2. Fix the pallu: Wrap once, bring pallu to the left shoulder, pleat if you want, and pin it neatly.

3. Make front pleats: Use remaining fabric to make 5–8 pleats, align them, and tuck at the center front.

4. Final adjust: Spread pleats, check hem isn’t dragging, and do a quick comfort + movement check.

Saree, to most India women, is introduced as "Pehenni padti hai", "Kya aafat hai", "Jab tak na zaroorat pade mat hi pehno", "Ek time ke baad to pehenni hi padegi" and what not? Well, if I could rentroduce saree to you, I might go like "Damn, the confidence it gives", "Nothing beats the way you look in a saree", "Western could never compare to a saree", "Owning a saree is no less than owning treasure", & "The comfort of a saree is unmatched".

Now, you might wonder why is my view on saree so different than other women? Well, I love draping sarees more than anyone else and I do it because I love the way it adds so much grace and elegance to my appearance. No I don't trip in sarees, I don't struggle while draping it and it definitely doesn't take longer than 2 minutes for me a drape a saree. In fact, if anything, a saree brings me a lot of respectful gazes from women across the places I visit. So I know- I'm an inspiration to all of these young women. Well, just inspiration isn't enough, one should know the procedure too, hence, today's blog on how to drape a saree(the comfortable way)!

Before we start...

Alright, before we start learning how to drape a saree perfectly, do we know which blouse we are gonna pick? If not, you can check out my blog where I tell you how to match a blouse with your saree. Now gather few safety pins, although I personally don't like to put any safety pins in my saree because they end up causing pin holes and eventually ruining the beautiful fabric. But yes, initially one to two safety pins will be required. Ready? Get, set, go...

Choosing the right fabric

To drape a saree that's comfortable to walk in, is breathable and feels like you're wearing nothing, you have to actually start by picking the right fabric. Now, in the market, there are different types of sarees and some of these will look super glam but everything that shines on the surface is not necessarily what you need, so you have to be extra cautious while you're picking the fabric for your sarees, be it for everyday wear or for parties. I personally like to wear handloom sarees. Even if it's a cotton saree I'm okay as long as it's pure cotton and similarly for parties or events I would prefer a more premium pure silk, chiffon or georgette fabric.

You can check out (https://www.instagram.com/dharoharthevintagedrapes/) for authentic handloom silk sarees that I swear by.

Saree Skirt/Petticoat

Now that you have a breezy, lightweight handloom saree in your hand, make sure your saree skirt is well fitted. It should be tight enough to hold the saree well, yet comfortable enough to let you breathe.

Step one: Measure the length

The first step to any drape is measuring the length. Now, if you are draping a saree for everyday wear, I would recommend you drape it without wearing your heels and make sure the saree reaches your ankles. I know, a lot of women believe that a saree should cover your ankles, your feet, or your heels, but that is not true. A comfortable saree just reaches your ankles. So as you drape, make sure you tuck in all the extra fabric after the saree reaches your ankles.

Step two: Adjust the pallu

After one round of tuck-in, measure the pallu length. I generally prefer a shorter pallu, at least when it comes to a loose or open pallu, because otherwise it's always too long and it's always sweeping the floor, which can be a little uncomfortable. But also when it comes to a pleated pallu, I generally prefer to keep it just a little longer than my loose pallu. It makes my drape look more defined and gives me confidence, compared to a longer pallu. So yes, let's start by pleating the pallu. In that case, wrap it around your waist, place it on your left shoulder, if we are going ahead with a nivi drape, and nicely secure it with a safety pin.

Step three: Making the front pleats

Now use all the remaining fabric to make bottom pleats. You can pleat the fabric as you like. I generally make smaller pleats so that I can have a lot of them, but you can choose the width of your pleats, whether you want a lot of pleats or just 5-6 are enough for you. Once the pleats are done, nicely tuck them in. Make sure they're not sweeping the floor.

Your Sakhi's note:

I see a lot of saree draping tutorials on YouTube or Instagram where women are showing how to perfectly drape a saree, how to get that perfect shape, how to look slim in a saree, saree draping for petite women, saree draping for short women, saree draping for tall women, but I only have one submission. While, you can always try different ways to drape a saree and figure out what works for your body type, there's nothing like a perfect saree draping. Sareee draping is art, and art is never perfect. It's free-flowing, it's unconscious, and it's simply supposed to mesmerise the viewer and the artistl. Anything that is perfect will not look beautiful, and that's what I believe, which is why whenever I'm draping a saree, I just make sure I feel comfortable, I'm able to walk in it, and overall, it enhances my beauty. So I never go after perfection, too tight drapes, too small pallus, too many pleats, I just go with the flow, and that's what gives me the confidence, that's what makes it easier for me to drape a saree almost every day without worrying about being too perfect in the art.