 South Asia's signature female attire, the sari is also a modern fashion statement. Besides being staple everyday wear for women in the South Asian region, the sari is an eloquent fashion statement as well. More than an estimated 600 million women in five of eight SAARC countries drape themselves in the sari and the accompanying blouse or choli (the enticing and tiny upper garment).
Many women in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan wear the sari apparently to present themselves with grace and dignity! Over the years, western influences have also come to bear upon the way many women dress in this part of the world but they still wear the flowing sari, to look elegant, stunning and every bit stylish! Though the airy and light garment traces its origin to the Indus civilization, through the centuries, it has shown remarkable resilience.
Indeed men are intrigued by the demure, floor-length attire and tantalizing display of a bare midriff. Connoisseurs even term the fragile and feminine sari as instant fashion, subject to no vagaries and changes that plague the modern fashion scene.
Costume historians believe the men's dhoti, the 5000-year-old garment, is the forerunner of the sari. Like the male garment, the sari too is a long strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine meters in length. The sari is worn by wrapping around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff. It is usually worn over a petticoat with a blouse or choli.
The choli is cut to fit tightly and has short or no sleeves with a low neck. It is usually cropped to expose the navel, which is well-suited to the sultry South Asian summers.
 Women in the countryside still wear a choli with a gypsy skirt: lehanga or sharara. Western belly dancers also adopt something similar to the choli as a part of their dance attire. They wear backless cholis (held together with strings) to expose their bare back.
Married women commonly wear the sari in the traditional wear. Female newscasters and stewardesses in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka and female staff at Pakistani military hospitals wear airy and light saris with blouses suited to their respective ethnic styles.
In the past, saris were made from woven silk or cotton. The rich could afford finely woven diaphanous silk saris that, according to folklore, could be passed through a ring. The poor wore coarse cotton saris. All saris were hand-woven and represented a considerable investment in time and money.
Today, saris are increasingly woven on mechanical looms and made of artificial fibres such as polyester, nylon or rayon, which do not require starching or ironing. They are printed on machines or woven in simple patterns made with floats across the back of the sari. This can create an elaborate appearance on the front.
If you like light saris, choose chiffon. On occasions like weddings, etc., where there is an opportunity to really dress up, women like wearing silk saris or the ones popularly called Banarsi saris with heavy golden borders. The Banarsi owes its name to the city of Banaras in the state of UP, which has a long and rich tradition of producing the fabric on silk hanlooms.
Mughal patronage gave the cottage industry in Banaras a real boost and made Banarsi embroidery an intrinsic art in the 17th century. Noor Jahan, the spouse of Mughal emperor Jehangir (1605-27), was the first to get the skirt and veil sewn into one garment, blending the two cultures for the first time. Weavers then used imported Chinese silk to produce costumes and silk saris.
During the Mughal period, Persian craftsmen were encouraged to settle in the subcontinent and they laid the foundations of the exquisite Banarsi handloom fabric industry that earned appreciation worldwide. The combination of Persian motifs and sub-continental designs on silk textures studded with gold and silver remained the hallmark of the period. As an art critic said, the gold embroidered Banarsi sari emits a golden glow and gives the impression of a queen's ransom!
Banarsi saris are made from brocades stiff with gold. They are not used as regular garments but are reserved for weddings and other ceremonies. No bridal trousseau is complete without one or more Banarsi brocade saris that are available in a broad price range.
Muslims are traditional weavers of Banarsi saris. They can create eye-catching and inspiring designs to make saris omnipresent! Today geometrical designs have also been introduced but they cannot match the appeal for traditional Banarsi apparel, say critics.
Embroidering a Banarsi sari can take anything from 15 days to one month. If the design is really intricate and rich, the time can even stretch up to six months, according to a weaver from Orangi town in Karachi. Weavers in Multan in the Punjab and Orangi town in Karachi have adopted the rich tradition of Banarsi embroidery with considerable success.
Many fashion designers are today busy in creating alluring innovations to drape the female form and suggest to wearers how they should wear a sari to achieve the desired elegance and dignity.
Says reputed designer Falguni Peacock: "Saris will never go out of fashion, whatever the season or occasion. When it comes to the rainy season, women who are above 40 should opt for colours like lemon, peach, sky blue and other pastel shades. For younger women though, pastel and fresh colours like green, lemon and mint blue remain the best options in monsoon; any shade that suits the complexion is fine."
 The fabric also needs to be kept in mind, says another fashion designer Jyoti Sachdev and adds, "It is best to avoid heavy silks during monsoons, and go for soft silk. Georgettes and crepes are also great options as these fabrics are easy to wear and maintain."
"Though a sari is elegant in itself, the way you wear it can enhance your whole personality and make an individual style statement and ...to look different in a crowd, wear the sari innovatively," suggests Falguni. The designer continues, "You can wear your sari over a fitted skirt that is printed or has works in brocade. Drape your sari over the skirt as your pallu."
"When you are going for these innovative styles, it is important to select the right colour combinations. A red brocade skirt draped with a dull orange sari as a dupatta looks fabulous. You can also go for bold, bizarre colour combinations, like a black sari worn with a shocking pink or emerald green skirt. A large number of easy-to-wear saris are available in the market. Go for the stitched saris which you need not pleat and which can be worn with a hook," adds Falguni.
Jyoti also recommends the wrap-around saris with no pleats made of georgettes and nets. Sequins and stones also look lovely in saris. Wear your saris with the trendiest blouses. The more stylized, modern blouses are the in trend. A corset or a short choli blouse also looks lovely.
"However keep your figure in mind. If you are on the bulky side, go for the more traditional blouses," suggests Jyoti. 
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