This book lends a new dimension to the way the traditional Indian sari is looked at, and upholds it as an epitome of holistic design with a unique creative expression. In the backdrop of Indian socio-cultural and economic ethos, the pages inside unfold the mesmerising woven yards of the sari, the quintessential piece of garment that has draped the Indian women since time immemorial. The sari has been subjected to innumerable cross-cultural influences brought in by the rise and fall of empires that marked the history of India. Perhaps no other textile product reflects the resilience of the Indian handloom sector as the sari, a true example of fine Indian sensibilities. The volume, with over 915 visuals, aims to delight and enrich the aesthetic experience of the reader with information on a wide range of saris from both the past and the present and ultimately introduces the contemporary design initiatives taking place in the sector. It enumerates the fascinating accounts of the sari's traditional significance, the diverse styles of weaving, design vocabulary, and even the myriad styles of draping found across the subcontinent. It is indeed a glowing tribute to the magic flowing out of the deft hands of the Indian weaver and to the undeterred artistic spirit of the sari. The book will be of interest to designers, students, policy makers, technocrats, marketers and businesspersons besides all those who are interested in Indian art, culture, design and fashion.

Covering the entire Indian subcontinent and including remote and restricted tribal areas such as the north-east, it provides analysis of thousands of sari types from different cultures around India. The simplicity of the sari--an untailored length of cloth measuring between four and nine meters long by approximately one meter wide--is set against a wide variety of fabrics, colors, patterns and draping styles. There are diverse regional traditions of color, pattern and weave, analyzed here through a six-fold division of the Indian sub-continent: the West, the East, the North-East and the Himalayas, the Eastern Deccan, the South and the Western Deccan. Each section is accompanied by a display of photographed sari types. There is a detailed analysis of sari design, giving a guide to the symbols, patterns and motifs used, together with their origins and information about how they have evolved. Many rare and unusual saris are featured. There are translations given of Indian words and concepts.

By examining both gender and aging in this ethnography of an Indian village, Sarah Lamb forces a re-examination of major debates in feminist anthropology and contributes to the small but growing literature on aging in contemporary culture.

When a young girl eyes her mother's suitcase full of gorgeous silk, cotton and embroidered saris, she decides that she, too, should wear one, even though she is too young for such clothing. When the mother finally realizes how important it is for her little girl to feel like a big girl on her seventh birthday, she dresses up her daughter in the folds of a blue sari. Feeling grown-up and very pretty, the daughter is thrilled to look just like her mother, even if only for a day. Mama's Saris captures an elegant snapshot of every girl's wish to play dress up.

The sari has been, in one form or another, the central feature of the weaving/printing tradition of India for more than 1,000 years. "Saris of India" is a vivid and exhaustive overview of the structures, design, colors, and technology that make up the sari.

Drawing on experiences from villagers in Bengal to scientists in Bangalore, this book explores the beauty, adaptability and personality of India's most iconic garment. Banerjee and Miller show why the sari has survived and indeed flourished as everyday dress when most of the world has adopted western clothing. Their book presents both an intimate portrait of the lives of women in India today and an alternative way for us all to think about our relationship to the clothes we wear. A new bride is unable to move from her husband's motorbike as her sari comes undone. A young man wonders how he will cope with the saris complicated folds in a romantic clinch. A villager's soft, worn sari is her main comfort during a fever. Throughout the book, these and other remarkable stories place the sari at the heart of relationships between mothers and infants, mistresses and maids, designers and soap opera stars. Illustrated and rich in personal testimony, The Sari expertly shows how one of the world's most simply constructed garments can reveal the intricate design of life in modern India.