15 Saree-Draping Styles To Try This Festive Season

Usually a nine-yard saree, the Maharashtrian saree is often called the Nauvari. This style of draping requires one to tuck the saree in the waistband at the back, giving it a look similar to a lungi, and then the pallu draped over the left shoulder. If you're looking to go fully traditional, this is a great style to adapt. But make sure you have a nine-yard saree, this type of draping can be very difficult to do with the regular six yards. You can go for a full-on Marathi look, like pairing it with pearl jewellery and a simple half-moon bindi. 

A great choice for weddings and festive occasions, the Gujarati saree is draped over the left shoulder with the difference being that the pallu falls to the front. It is then pinned in such a way that it covers the chest and the motifs and prints on the pallu are clearly visible. To give this saree drape a modern edge, pair it with a plain, basic blouse with contemporary cuts like a scoop neckline or go wild and get yourself a crisscross-back blouse. 

Pro-Tip: Explore the trendiest blouse styles

The Bengali drape is one of the most elegant draping styles there is. Famous in West Bengal and Bangladesh, the key difference with the aatpoure saree is that it is wrapped around the waist and then tucked at the back, the pallu is then draped over the shoulder and brought back to fall to the front. You can pair this saree with a blouse an embellished blouse and put the look together with some subtle earrings. 

Pro-Tip: Check out our list of the best Bengali sarees to complete your look. 

The Coorgi draping style or the Coorgi Kailpe is one of my personal favourites. With two variations, this one can be super traditional or have a fun modern twist. Basically, you wrap the saree normally and then when it comes to the pallu, you wrap it in a straight cut across your chest (as shown in the picture above). Bring it to the front over the right shoulder and pin it up to give your saree almost a dress-like look. In the traditional variation, the pallu covers your head. Since saree plays a huge part in this style, let the blouse stay subtle and choose heavy earrings for accessorisation.

The Parsi draping style is probably the closest to the nivi, which is the draping style we usually see, and is great for a sophisticated look. The distinctive feature of this draping style is the way the pallu is draped over the left shoulder with big loose pleats falling on the chest, completely covering it. This style is super comfortable and great for evening parties when paired with a super-elegant blouse and jewellery.

This is the most common type of draping style and is seen on women all across the country and even beyond borders. This style consists of the pallu falling over the left shoulder and the fall can be customised according to what you feel is comfortable. It can be left fully or partially open or have pleats. I'm in love with this georgette saree from Akhilam the most lately. It's simply pretty, the colour is in vogue, and can be paired with different kinds of blouses!

Coming to the more modern saree draping styles, the belted one has become popular in the recent years. This one usually requires you to first drape your saree in the nivi style, with thin pleats across your chest and over the left shoulder, and then a belt is added around the waist to add a modern and cinched twist. Since this is an indo-western way of draping, you can pair your saree with a basic crop top (yes!) and oxidised earrings. 

Pro-Tip: A fan of the Sabya belt? Check out affordable but just as gorgeous alternatives here. 

This draping style has definitely become popular at weddings in recent years. It has pleats at the waist that are done in such a way that it gives the illusion of being a skirt. The pallu is then taken over the right shoulder to the front, much like the Gujarati draping style. This one can be a bit tedious to handle, so we suggest using a lot of pins to keep the folds in place. Since this drape would mean the saree will look like a skirt, we suggest you not go overboard with the blouse and jewellery to balance the overall look. 

With a lot of stitched sarees now coming in, the dhoti style is a fun and modern draping style you can try this festive season. In this, the saree is tucked in the waistband to give the look of a dhoti and then taken over the shoulder in nivi style with thin pleats across the chest. You can wear a belt or just let it be, your call. Pair it with a modern-cut blouse and pick out a pretty potli and choker to complete the look!

For those whose hearts reside in the fashion from the 60s and 70s, retro saree style is best for you. And when talking about retro, there is no way we won't talk about Mumtaz saree, named after the ICON Mumtaz. What distinguishes this drape from other styles is its sleek, tight silhouette that exposes the midriff and gives a tiered effect. Any lightweight saree would work with this one. Go for pearl jewellery to go 10/10 retro!

If you want to look like pure royalty, a double-drape saree is all you need to make your wish come true. It looks undeniably ethereal and there are endless possibilities to style it. Sonam often justifies the beauty of this drape and, well, she is a fashion icon, so taking notes is a must! Like this one where she is wearing a net saree paired with a heavy chikankari dupatta, who would have thought it would come out like a look worth beholding for all the upcoming occasions? 

The cape drape is not really a drape but a kind of saree to invest in this year. Looking at Sobhita in this super-sexy way of cape-style saree, we couldn't help but get shifted slightly from the topic. Long gone are the days of wearing embellished cropped capes, now we have floor-touch elegantly flowing capes coming in. A monotone look is just the right way to look like a diva this season! The best part is, you can really play around with jewellery to make the fit more festive.