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 The earliest fashion revolution in India began during the British days. Men switched to suits and the women unable to sport western dress, styled their cholis to match the latest fashion in the West. Most of the fashion changes revolved around the choli. It is believed that the modern way of draping the sari has been first introduced in Andhra Pradesh. With the passing of years in India, the clothes of men and the salwar
kurthas have changed radically but the majority of women remained more or less loyal to yards of fabric draped over the body.
The sari has retained its beauty over centuries. This attire has retained its innocence through its original form but it has evolved in tremendous variety. A more feminine dress has never been seen anywhere. This attire can cover the body from head to toe, making a woman look modest and coy. But just shift the pallu, wear it with a stylish blouse, it could give any Western dress a complex. Sari is attire worn throughout the country, irrespective of the caste, creed and religion. Though each city has its own way of draping this simple length of cloth which is usually 5 ½ meters or 6 yards and at times 9 yards, the sari is to be treated as a fashion garment and not a piece of cloth.
 The Maharastrian woman wears the sari gracefully tucked between the legs to form a lose pant-like dress. This style does not hinder the movement of the woman who is always working either in the field or home. The queens who elegantly rode over a horse to the battlefield used this style of draping the sari. The Bengali women have a style of their own with the pallu falling over their shoulders to the front. The Southern style of wearing the sari is, however with pleats in the front and the pallu falling over the left shoulder.
 Sari makes bid to break away from its traditional style, the Coorgi style - daringly worn without a choli and with the pleats in front. Then there is the butterfly style- the ultra sexy type in which the sari is knotted below bare shoulders. A third style, the lungi style has 6 yards of fabric draped twice around under bare shoulders and pleated in the front. These styles mostly remain on the ramp. Strangely enough, it is the faithful comfortable Gujarati style of wearing the ulta-pallu that finally finds wide acceptance among women all over India. The style of draping a sari keeps changing with the pallu over the left shoulder for the conventional version or over the right one for the Gujarati look. Designers always try to project the sari in a new light. For formal wear it is still the first choice among the majority of women with its traditional 6yds version.
 The varieties of saris are plenty. There is the Banarasi, Kanjivaram silk, Patola, Lucknowi Chikan sari, the Tangail and Shantiniketan sari with its floral and animal motifs; the cool and crisp Kota saris of Rajasthan heighten the beauty of the wearer. The slightly expensive Chanderi saris of Madhya Pradesh, the Venkatagiri and Poona sari, Pochampali and Maheswari are essential for every woman's wardrobe. The colourful Bandhini sari, which is a fine example of the traditional, tie and dye craft of Rajasthan and Kutch is a piece worth keeping.
Today, despite stiff competition, from other formal dresses, the elegant sari has managed to retain its grace though with some changes. At all fashion shows organized by the designers of India, we see the resurgence of the sari. The sari may not be the same what Grandma wore but with some changes here and there, it has survived.
The choli may have shrunk or got replaced by a tank top but those 6 yards of fabric continue to be bought by young girls for their trousseau. This is evident that the sari has grown in its stature over the decades. As long as women vie to look beautiful, the sari will continue to appeal to their aesthetic senses, as no dress could be more feminine and modest. It has become the most seductive garment with limitless possibilities for the future.
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