You know those sarees that take your breath away but in a manner that you didn't see coming? Not embellished or heavily embroidered but subtle and elegant, such is the allure of the sarees from Sitaara, an online label hailing from the Nilgiris. Their pieces and designs are ageless while celebrating Indian handlooms and craftsmanship. They had us at this, but we were also pleased to know that in recent times the brand has shifted to being completely sustainable.
They work with weavers and artisans across India sourcing fabrics like organic Kala Cotton from Gujarat, Raw Silk from Karnataka, Mangalagiri from Andhra Pradesh and Khadi from West Bengal. Aside from looking supremely graceful, all of Sitaara's sarees are breezy, lightweight, easy to drape and carry off the entire day (no huffing and puffing either!). We love everything on their line but we were stumped by the Gadwal Sarees. These woven sarees come from Gadwal of Jogulamba Gadwal district in Telangana. It has a cotton body and silk pallu, but wait! Once draped it looks exactly like a silk saree would but without the heavy price tag. Prices for these start at INR 1,300.
The Pure Tissue Raw Silk sarees with handloom daa silk ikat blouses (yes, they do blouses too) is another collection we love. The colours this brand plays with are mellow, very subdued and almost earthy. Sitaara also makes only 5 pieces in a collection, the rest are made to order which assures the quality of every saree remains intact. You can DM them to place an order on Instagram. They ship worldwide, so woohoo!