Silk Saree is pure bliss. We love to own one. Grandmothers and mothers treasured silk fabric and may also want one to add to your collection of sarees in your wardrobe.
It is a great combination of grace and traditional culture with modernity. It has the pure essence for Indian Culture dating back to hundreds of years
Silk comes in many variety having varied textures, styles and designs. That is why at times we get confused to distinguish between various silk.
In this article, beside a buying guide and tips for storing, details of various types popular silk sarees is given as a quick reference. You can checkout sarees available at Amazon.in and check for price too.
| Silk | Origin | Characteristics |
| Banarasi | Varanasi | 1. Finest quality 2. Expensive 3 Known for their gold and silver brocade or zari 4. Opulent embroidery 5. Made of finely woven silk 6. Decorated with intricate design 7. Mughal inspired designs 8. Relatively heavy 9. Floral and foliate motifs, kalga and bel, jhallar |
| Kanjeevaram | Kanchipuram | 1. Premium and fine silk 2. Exceptional quality of silk 3. Intricate weaving patterns 4. Use golden-silver thread 5. Sheer elegance 6. Most cherished possessions of woman 7. Embroidery and motifs |
| Tussar | Indian Tribal | 1. Neutral tones like honey and beige 2. Matched with bright colored blouses 3. Woven in Bhagalpur 4. Century old tradition |
| Art | Joined recently | 1. Artificial silk 2. Look like silk 3. Experienced eye can tell 4. Loved by women 5. Need not spend loads of money 6. Graceful fabric |
| Bhagalpuri | Bhagalpur | 1. Gained popularity 2. Affordability and friendly designs 3. Perfect daily wear option 4. exported globally 5. Unique dyeing technique 6. Renowned Indian designers use it |
| Baluchari | West Bengal | 1. Known for their royal look 2. Borders have patterns that depict stories from epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. |
| Konrad | Tamil Nadu | 1. Well-known 2. Great reputation 3. Traditional affluence 4. Excellent fabrics 5. Borders embellished with varied designs 6. most intricately designed hand woven 7. Known as Temple sarees 8. Mubbhagam sarees 9. Expensive 10. completely worth the money invested |
| Mysore | Mysore, Karnataka Started by Maharaja of Mysore in 1912 | 1. Finest forms of saree 2. Popular across the globe 3. Vibrant colors 4. Give a rich feel and a classic look 5. Like Kanchipuram Silk Sarees 6. Innate form of culture and tradition 7. One of the purest forms of silk |
| Chanderi | MadhyaPradesh | 1. Light-weight 2. Very comfortable 3. Patterns imprinted on sarees 4. Usually from the Chanderi temples |
| Thanchoi | Karnataka | 1. Characterized by floral motifs 2. Fabric imparts a brocade look 3. Quite popular |
| Paithani | Western India | 1. Famous for their natural patterns 2. Trees, and birds like parrots and peacocks 3. Magenta, blue, purple, and green |
| Bandhani | Gujarat | 1. Woven using a special type of dyeing technique 2. Jaipur largest producer |
| Crepe | 1. Characterized by pebbly surface 2. Twisted yarn and the threads 3. Threads are usually of raw silk, twisted and tied together 4. Unique crape texture 5. Light-weight 6. Best form is crape de chine 7. Most expensive and fine type of crape 8. Affordable range | |
| Raw | 1. Texture is uneven 2. Lacks smoothness and luster like normal silk 3. Pure silk is produced from raw silk after ‘gum’ is removed from it 4. Very inexpensive and stiff. | |
| Cotton | 1. Hybrid fabric 2. Combining cotton and silk yarns 3. Texture of the fabric depends on the yarn used in production 4. Light-weight 5. Soft 6. Absorbent fabric 7. Perfect for summer wear 8. Certainly softer than cotton |
Tips for Maintaining Pure Silk Saree
- Do not pile up saris
- Do not place it alongwith ordinary regular wear dresses / saris
- Store separately in separate shelf
- Wrap the saris in a muslin cloth
- For longer shelf life, hang instead of storing in multiple folds
- To remove odor from the saree during winter and rainy season place scented sachets
- Naphthalene balls can be used to avoid spread of worms
- In winters and monsoons, take saris out in sun for half-an-hour for ventilation
- Don’t expose saris to bright and direct sunlight
Tips to Wash Silk Saree
- Washing not recommended for pure silk
- If necessary, always wash in cold water
- Do not use harsh detergents
- Soak crushed rita (soapnut) and use it as detergent
- Never soak silk in water
- Avoid squeezing
- After rinsing, roll sari over a thin cotton cloth to absorb excess water
- Leave it hanging ti drain water
- Hang in a shady place
- Avoid direct sun to prevent fading
- Place a thin cotton cloth on top before ironing
- Steam ironing is the best option