Halfsarees

Recently my most favorite Indian outfit is the halfsaree. A halfsaree is south Indian outfit for young women. A halfsaree is worn in almost all South Indian states and it is most popular in Tamilnadu. I have seen it worn by women in their mid to late teens in the state I grew up in but in states like Andhra Pradesh even girls may wear. A half saree is a long skirt worn with a saree blouse and a shawl draped like a saree.

So overall when you look it gives the impression that you are wearing a saree but it is a skirt and a shawl draped like a saree.

This is the picture of a south Indian actress Sara Arjun in a half saree. Now halfsarees are not draped to look like a saree. Lots of new ways of draping are there. Instead of pulling across tightly now they let it hang loose.

The first person I saw wearing a halfsaree was my first cousin who stayed in my parents home when I was seven to help my mother take care of my baby brother. She was very thin. So she looked very pretty in a halfsaree.

Then I grew up and joined college. In my college there was only one girl who wore a halfsaree. Everyone else wore midi skirts, long skirts, jeans etc. This girl who wore halfsaree had curly and puffy hair. She was very thin and was very tall. And she wore halfsarees with platforms. She was very active in extra curricular activities and was office bearer in various capacities so she was always found looking very busy and preoccupied and walking up and down.

Earlier half sarees were not very common. You could graduate to saree and skip the halfsaree stage. Now halfsarees are very common and popular. They are available in lots of beautiful fabrics and colors. I am planning to make my own halfsaree next year.

We can make a halfsaree by making a skirt with fabric. We can buy coordinating and or matching fabric and make a blouse and shawl.

This time around when I went to Kerala I found halfsaree sets available in stores in kancheepuram silk. The skirt would be like a long skirt made of silk or other fabric. The blouse would be matching. And the shawl would coordinate with the border or the main color.