A sari / saree is the traditional female garment in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. A sari is a very long strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine metres in length, which can be draped in various styles. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff. The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (pavada/pavadai in the south india, and shaya in eastern India), with a blouse known as a choli or ravika forming the upper garment. The choli has short sleeves and a low neck and is usually cropped, and as such is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers. Cholis may be "backless" or of a halter neck style. These are usually more dressy with a lot of embellishments such as mirrors or embroidery and may be worn on special occasions.
The most common style of draping a sari is wrapped around the waist and the bust then one end is draped over the shoulder. However, the sari can be draped in several different styles, though some styles do require a sari of a particular length or form. Click here for more details
Note: Images and text on this page is duplicated with permission from the owners