Saree Shopping in India

Ever since we found out we were going to India this past December for a wedding I imagined I would wear an orange saree. Orange and gold to be specific. That's what I saw in my mind's eye.

Our first outing the morning after we arrived (at 3 a.m. after 30-plus hours of travel!) was in search of a saree and other outfits for the five-day wedding celebration. We consulted with locals to ensure we wore the appropriate outfits to each of the different events.

Like everything in India, saree shopping was an adventure. The host at our hotel in New Delhi arranged for a driver for the morning and directed us to several shops including Roop Sarees Extension where I purchased my saree. Roop Sarees is on the second floor of a low-rise building in one of the many shopping districts. We ascended the stairs and were greeted by lots of colorful fabric and lots of men sitting behind large tables. One of the men invited me to sit down and the process began.

I started pointing to different colors and patterns I liked. More men emerged and started presenting them to me. I started to get overwhelmed by all of the colors and choices, which surprised me since I love color and I was very excited to wear a saree. Blame it on jet lag and culture shock! I quickly narrowed down my choices to chartreuse, hot pink, orange and royal blue. 

The men wrapped me up in each of the colors and I knew immediately which one was the winner - but it surprised me!

 

 

After I made my decision, one of the men (no women anywhere, kind of weird!), took my measurements so they could make a blouse and petticoat out of the fabric to go with the six yards of fabric that makes the saree. The three pieces were delivered to our hotel a few days later just in time for the wedding. To my relief they fit like a glove!

 

Can you guess which color I chose?

Drumroll please....

I loved the royal blue and gold. I wore orange bangles which I thought was a good way to bring in a pop of my signature color.

I'm excited to share more details of the wedding in a future post. Suffice it to say, it was AMAZING and the most extravagant celebration I've ever experienced. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.