Mandira Bedi Shows Us 5 Unexpected Ways to Style a Sari

"This yellow-green number is apt for cocktail parties. It’s got some strong, glitzy embroidery on the palla, which is why I have draped it in a way so that the palla is visible. You need to hold the palla with your hand in front to get the right impact. The look works because of the contemporary embroidery. You can even wear it to an evening party or a red carpet event," says Mandira.

All photographs by Jitu Savlani.

"This sari brings all the classic colours like red, white and gold together. The sari is apt for festive occasions. I have draped it in traditional Bengali style, where the pallu comes around from one shoulder and is causally placed over the other. This is how I like to drape this sari during the pujas," says Mandira.



"This particular look is all about contrast and there is a lot of colour blocking. A sari like this looks nice when the pallu goes all the way down to the waist. This makes the blouse visible and enhances the colour blocking. I like draping saris with geometric prints in a geometrical fashion as shown here," says Mandira.

"Sometimes when the blouse is the hero, as in this case, where the blouse has ruching in it, you want it to be visible. Also, the blouse has an interesting cross kind of a design and the pallu has a little bit of bling on it. So, I wore the pallu quite low to put emphasis on the blouse. Likewise when your blouse is the USP of the look, make it visible and put the sari over one shoulder. But don't try this style if the blouse has a low-neck," says Mandira.

"I’m fond of wearing a jacket with a sari, it’s interesting and gives a different look to the regular six-yard ensemble. Over here, I have paired a long sheer jacket with the sari. In this case, you can keep the pallu long. neatly fold the pallu and put it on one shoulder, so that the jacket is visible. I kind of call this the air-hostess drape because everything is neatly folded and put over the shoulder," says Mandira.