Two of the most loved ways to wear a saree, step by step. Read the steps once, then drape along with them in front of a mirror.
General guidance Ways of wearing vary by family, region and fabric. Take what helps and wear it your way.
How long is a saree?
A saree is usually about 5.5 metres long, often with a blouse piece of about 0.8 metres woven on at one end (about 6.3 metres in all). Cut the blouse piece off before you drape, and check each saree's own length on its page.
Having the blouse stitched? Note your blouse measurements with the size guide.
Choose a style
Nivi drape
The most widely worn drape in India, from Andhra Pradesh originally. The pleats fall in the front and the pallu goes over the left shoulder to fall behind.
- 01
Petticoat and blouse first
Tie the petticoat firmly at your waist: the whole drape holds on it. Put on the blouse and the footwear you will wear, since heels change the length.
- 02
Tuck the plain end
Hold the saree with its inner side towards you. Tuck the plain end into the petticoat a little to the right of your navel, so the hem just touches the floor.
- 03
Wrap once around
Take the saree around your back and to the front again, from right to left, tucking the top edge in as you go. Keep the hem level all the way round.
- 04
Make the pleats
Gather five to seven pleats of about 12 to 13 cm (5 inches) each, holding the top together. Let the bottom edges line up.
- 05
Tuck the pleats
Tuck the pleats in at the centre, just below the navel, with their folds facing left. A safety pin through the top of the pleats (on the inside) keeps them neat.
- 06
Take the rest round
Take the remaining length around your back once more, from left to right, and bring it out under your right arm.
- 07
Drape the pallu
Bring the pallu across your body and over your left shoulder, so it falls behind to about the back of your knees. Pleat it neatly, or leave it open.
- 08
Pin and finish
Pin the pallu to the blouse at the left shoulder. Check the hem all round, smooth the pleats, and tuck in any loose edge.
Gujarati (seedha pallu) drape
Worn across Gujarat and Rajasthan, and loved at weddings because the pallu's design is shown off across the front. The pleats are made as for the Nivi drape; the pallu then comes from the back over the right shoulder.
- 01
Petticoat and blouse first
Tie the petticoat firmly at your waist and put on the blouse and your footwear. A blouse with a neat back looks best here, since the back stays open.
- 02
Tuck the plain end
Tuck the plain end into the petticoat a little to the right of your navel, the inner side towards you, the hem just touching the floor.
- 03
Wrap once around
Wrap the saree once around your waist, from right to left, tucking the top edge in as you go.
- 04
Pleat and tuck at the centre
Make five to seven even pleats, about 12 to 13 cm wide, and tuck them in at the centre. Pin them on the inside.
- 05
Take the rest round the back
Take the remaining length around your back from left to right, keeping it loose enough to lift.
- 06
Over the right shoulder
Bring the pallu up from the back and over your right shoulder, so it falls down the front.
- 07
Spread it across the front
Spread the pallu wide across your front so its design shows, and bring its left corner to your left hip.
- 08
Tuck the corner and pin
Tuck that corner in at your left waist, towards the back. Pin the pallu at the right shoulder so it stays put.
Tips for a neat drape
- Petticoat
- Match it to the saree's colour, tie it firmly at the waist (the drape holds on it) and let it end just above the floor. A shapewear-style petticoat suits light, clingy sarees.
- Pins
- Keep four to six safety pins ready: inside the pleats, at the shoulder, and to hold the pallu's pleats. Pin through the blouse, never through skin-tight fabric that could tear.
- Pleat width
- About 12 to 13 cm (5 inches) is a good start; narrower pleats suit a slim frame and soft fabric, wider ones a stiff silk. Even pleats matter more than their number.
- Fabric
- Chiffon and georgette pleat easily but slip, so pin more. Silk holds its shape. Starched cotton is crisp but needs firm tucks.
- Practice
- Drape it once a day before the occasion. Use a mirror, and have someone check the back and the hem.