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Sari comfort sans woes
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Aureen Noronha's ready-to-wear saris are all of four metres
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Photo:H. VIBHU
Smart wrap The four metre sari is convenient for NRIs who have lost touch with wearing a sari routinely
To many of us the sari symbolises
the ultimate in elegance
and exudes a sense of timelessness
and classic chic. It
can never go out of style. It merely
reinvents itself. The number
six (metres) creates magic when
it makes up the length of the
piece of art that is a sari. But can
four metres recreate the magic of
six?
It would appear so! Shorter
does not mean less beautiful, elegant
or less sweeping! One has
only to look at the `Mermaid Saris'
designed by Aureen L. F. Noronha
to realise this.
The mermaid range comprises
what she irreverently calls `hassle-
free' saris. But it is much
more than that! The intricate embroidery
(hand-stitched as well
as machine stitched), the swirls
and the graceful cut all combine
to put it in the realm of a designer
sari.
Unique design
The unique design calls for a
shorter length (four meters, sometimes
even three-and-a-half!)
saris, sans pleats. It is essentially
something like a wraparound
with a gloriously embroidered
pallu. And just as easy to wear. It
is also cleverly cut and nipped in
to gently embrace the fluid lines
of the body till below mid-thigh
and then to flare, courtesy cleverly
joined piece(s) with heavy embroidery,
that appears to create
the illusion of pleats.
Says Aureen, a homemaker,
"This design can be employed on
any material that falls well. I
work on georgette, silk, chiffon
and crepe." Each sari is a product
of nearly six months of solitary
work. While it is possible with a
full stitching unit to accomplish
the same in two weeks, it takes
her this long because her creative
life is relegated to her free time.
"Most persons who ask me to
create a Mermaid sari are those
who grant me the freedom of
time. They bring the material but
leave the sari design and embroidery
pattern to me." The designs
for the embroidery are mostly
her own and she has a file full for
them to choose from, should they
wish to do so.
The entire sari with the blouse
requires six meters of material,
even though the final product
length comes to only 4 meters.
The excess is given over for making
the `pieces' that are joined to
give the `swirl' effect or pleats,
thereby enabling ease of walking.
It could cost anywhere between
Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 10,000.
Aureen started fashioning her
saris two years ago. The impetus
came in the guise of her niece's
photo from the US, wearing a sari
on her graduation day. She noticed
that the poor girl had
botched up the pleats, thereby
killing the effect. She had also
mentioned how difficult it was to
move around in a sari. This sowed
the seedfor the Mermaid
collection.
She points out that western
clothes have become a part of our
wardrobe. But for those who have
spent most of their lives abroad,
or young girls starting out on saris,
the question remains moot.
Unless taught to wear this, they
require help.
"There are so many like my
niece who would love to wear one
but is forced to pass up on the
temptation simply because they
haven't mastered the technique
of wearing it well. Hence my design!
Any one can wear it with
ease."
She is of the opinion that her
range is best suited for teenagers
and young women and suggests
that the sari be teemed with backless
blouses.
Undoubtedly, it is the perfect
sari for a young girl. No stumbling
and happily no need to learn the
intricate art of correctly draping
a sari. For all those who are perfectly
at ease in the six-yard wonder,
it's still a good option
because it's easy to wear, different
and.simply beautiful.
VIDHU JOHN
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