Tales of threads: 'There are now more silk saris than at any time in history'

Six yards of silk unfurls, the fabric gently rustles around your body as you wear it, the pleats are stiffly tucked in, the pallu shines with intricate designs. Draping a silk sari is a solution for all your fashion needs — whether it is your everyday look with corporate silk saris for your boardrooms or your gold-infused zari sari for your wedding — offering a look that is timeless, elegant, and effortlessly graceful. More than just an attire, a silk sari is a statement that blends tradition with a modern charm.

Today, youngsters are redefining silk — a silk sari with zari sneakers, a Kanjeevaram on a crop top, a denim jacket on a sari, worn over pants. This proves that traditional weaves can be just as experimental as the latest styles. With its breathable fabric and handcrafted artistry, silk has emerged as a go-to choice for the next generation who want to mix elegance with trendy fashion.

“There are more silk saris than at any time ever in history. A lot of people still want to wear nice saris, so the demand is always there,” says Shankar S Kumaraswamy, director of RmKV.

Era of silk saris

The market is also keeping up with the demands of young customers with its innovative techniques and unique ideas. One such company is Palam Silks. Their goal is to encourage more youngsters to wear silk saris on more occasions. To date, they have created 82 conceptual saris. One of them is a corporate silk sari for women to wear and flaunt their culture even in boardrooms.

“With abstract designs and geometric patterns, we had it (corporate sari) completely thread woven, which can be worn in a dupatta style. We had one version of the same sari, where the pallu alone had zari, you pleat it up or leave it floating. It’s a two-in-one; you can go to your corporate and even for a wedding wearing the same sari,” explains Jeyasree Ravi, founder of Palam Silks.

In the last few years, Jeyasree observes, there has been a shift in buying behaviour. “A wedding sari purchased at Rs 40,000 has come down to Rs 30,000. The budget of the sari may have come down, but the quantity remains the same. The reasons could be young people who are just beginning to earn and bring down their spend on silk saris. But the number of saris sold remains the same,” she mentions.

The quality of the sari is maintained by modifying the design. “In the Rs 40,000 budget, the whole sari has buttas, but in the Rs 20,000 or so, only the upper body portion has buttas,” explains Jeyasree. Another way in which the quality is maintained is by manufacturing lightweight saris for people to move around freely and feel comfortable.

Shankar adds, “We use the same silk. Through innovative weaving techniques, we have achieved this weight reduction. With this, young people will be more comfortable as the weight reduces from a thousand to 700-600 grams.” Several techniques that could be possibly used could be using Jacquard looms (run on electricity) for lighter and evenly distributed patterns, seamlessly weaving designs into the saris’s body — previously borders were attached separately, adding weight — threads that are finer but stronger — reducing density while maintaining durability — and using tested zari rather pure ones.

In February 2024, the 'Tirunelveli’ RS Murugan wedding broke social media charts where the bride and groom wore matching attire. The couple’s outfit was customised by Pachaiyappas Silk. The brides’ tissue silk sari included 10 grams of gold zari. “The sari was entirely made of gold with floral concepts. The border was the family picture of the bride and groom with their in-laws in their engagement attire. The pallu had their engagement photo incorporated. All these images were hand-woven,” shares Vasanth Raj Sundar Ganesh, director of Pachaiyappas Silk. The groom’s dhoti had the same border as the sari. “The dhoti’s body design was a hexagon floral concept. We made it weightless for them to wear,” he adds.

Around 30 years ago, saris often weighed around 900 g to 1.5 kg. “Nowadays, people want to move around. Hence, the saris are lightweight for the women to carry themselves easily. We have brought it down to 700 grams, but reducing it further to 400 will be a disaster,” points out Vasanth.

In the age of social media, customers enter the shop with pre-planned colour, design, and concepts. Vasanth notes, “Customers customise everything and catering to the needs of the new age technological customer is the way to go ahead today.”

By technology, Vasanth means the looms have changed. Previously, the looms were manufactured manually in pit looms with a stick. “Now, we have electronic machines mechanised for the design process. If we model a design on a system and put in a pen drive, it gets printed in the loom. So weaving gets easier. The sari weaving technique is still handloom, only the designs are preloaded,” he elucidates.

Silk saris make waves

These designs include traditional temples, mango, or peacock. Jawahar R, director of PSR Silk Sarees India Private Limited, shares that his latest design was a hit. “The sari is half and half. The upper body is of a different colour and the lower in another. Even on the lower body, below the knee, we had designer buttas of mango, earrings, and more. This model was a hit,” he says.

According to him, the youngsters go for pure silk saris for weddings, festivals, and house-warming ceremonies and organza, cotton, and other mixed tissues for get-togethers, office meetings, and other events. Even for their wedding functions, they go for “traditional designs with flowers for wedding ceremony, tissue silk to add shimmer for reception, checks and stripes for Mehendi and contrast borders for Sangeet ceremonies. The in-trend colours are dark green, gold, and brownish blue. The colours worn 30 years back have come again now,” he notes.

These saris go into production by the end of April every year and are manufactured by May-end. “At PSR, we design 10 saris and send the loom to the weavers. They weave sample saris that are showcased to regular customers for opinion. Not every design is a success or a hit. Only the ones that get green signal from the clients go for mass productions,” explains Jawahar.

The final products hit the market in August, and the demand goes up to Deepavali season. The profits made here sustain the weaver’s life throughout the year, till the next demand season. Many weavers are supported by these brands. Since Palam Silks is among those businesses that set trends and standards, the weavers quickly adapt, and that is how they have sustained themselves in the industry.

The Kancheepuram weaving cluster and the silk industry collaboratively worked with the state and central government to maintain the legacy by incorporating a silk park in Kancheepuram. “It is a public limited firm. The state government has given land for this initiative. Weavers are moving out of the industry because of the lack of, not to say knowledge, but recognition. They don’t get enough recognition in society. So we want to improve the quality,” shares Vasanth.

The previous generations of weavers and customers are no longer the only ones driving the demand for silk saris. Leading brands and weavers attest that young people are actively looking for classic weaves, experimenting with drapes, and bringing back looms in their unique ways.

What used to be hidden away in moms’ and grandmothers’ closets is now making a comeback. Once only worn on special occasions, silk saris are now worn on a daily basis by the younger generation, embracing both tradition and trend.

Know how to store your silk saris

Jeyasree Ravi shares a few tips, tricks, and products to keep your silk saris shiny, bright, and as new as possible.

1 Never put your silk sari in a cardboard box for more than a couple of days.

2 Never put it in a plastic cover.

3 Regularly spread it on your bed or your sofa.

4 Wrap your sari in a cotton cloth (preferably old cotton dhotis)

5 Use vasambu, a herbal product. It looks like a little piece of wood and is sold in small provision stores. “Break it up and put it in your cupboard or shelves, and you will not get any insects.”

6 The best way to store your sari is by wearing them regularly because the sari also breathes.

7 Boondhi Kottai or soapnuts, once commonly available in provision shops, was traditionally used to remove sweat from saris. To use it, add the powder to a bucket of water, dip your sari in the well-lathered water, and then dry it. These days, baby shampoos are also used as an alternative.