“My grandmother’s generation wore white blouses even with iridescent Kanjivarams. My mother’s contemporaries were matching-fiends who were obsessed about the blouse and sari being colour-matched to precision. Today’s saris have names, geographical identities, hallmarks and holograms. A ‘designer’ blouse-length is often thoughtfully attached. However, it is near-impossible to find a good blouse-tailor in most cities. With fewer women wearing saris, there are fewer tailors stitching blouses — a perfect vicious circle.”

 

Saree Dreams readers have written in pleading for choli patterns, and I have wondered if there are few or no commercial patterns in South Asia like we have in North America (including Simplicity, Butterick and Folkwear designs), to address the issue for DIY types. Are there less tailors these days, or do more women want to experiment with their own creativity, and maybe fitting issues?  I will do research and reviews on patterns here if you are interested!