{ The Indian Sari } – Decoded by Kalpana Shah

This ones for all you sari lovers! For those who don’t know what a sari is: Here goes.
I recently had the wonderful opportunity of receiving the book “The Whole 9 Yards” by Kalpana Shah. It is certainly a must have for all sari enthusiasts as well as beginners like me. YES! I did not know how to tie a sari by myself, which is why this coffee table book was just what I needed to get started.

A huge range of different styles of draping a sari have been extensively covered in this book. Starting right from the basic style for newbies like me to more complicated and traditional ones for those who are willing to experiment further. This book will probably keep you engrossed your whole life because the wedding season comes every year. TWICE! And now its really simple to shop Sarees Online. I recon it will also be a fun way to teach someone to tie a sari.


I especially love how detailed and well explained all the instructions are in this book. Communicated through both text and descriptive photographs. Its easy for absolutely everyone to understand and follow.

While you may get a bit put-off if you lean more towards the ‘saris-are-for-aunties’ outlook its actually very useful to know how to tie one yourself and wear them from time to time. And no it doesn’t have to be those heavy, embellished shiny saris that you may have in mind. There are some gorgeous subtle versions out there which can be worn with some uber-chic even androgynous blouses or ofcourse the skimpy backless versions too. Saris are even mandatory in quite a few corporate offices which is why this book even has a separate chapter on the ‘Corporate Style’.

This book can be purchased internationally on Amazon and locally on Flipkart & Ebay.
They even have “Learn Sari” which is a free app and is available in Google Play store for the Android.
Definitely a collectible! The information that this book provides, the amount of research that seems to have gone into it and the time spent on the descriptive photography is extensive and very detailed. I do however feel that the design execution could have been better. Especially if it aims to develop eagerness amongst the ‘younger’ generation of India.

Do you enjoy wearing saris? Whats your favourite style of draping one? I would love to hear your thoughts!
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