Hand painted saree, the kind that can put artistry on canvas to shame; the kind that simply makes each saree a work of art and bestows so much value to a simple piece of cloth and turns it into so much more.
Painting on fabrics for the sake of art has been an ancient tradition but sarees were either woven or embroidered, which makes saree painting a rather modern innovation. However while this is a new kind of fashion, there is a huge shift in focus to tradition. In fact most of the fabric art that you see on sarees is heavy on traditional art with forms like Pattachitra , Madhubani , Kalamkari , Mural art, and even tribal art like Warli.
Pattachitra of Odisha too has found its way on to the sarees with gorgeous detailing and painted with such intricacy on the raw silk, Tusser and cotton sarees.
Tussar is primarily wild silk produced in the Eastern states of India. The Tussar silk sarees are also known by their Sanskrit name, Kosa. The Tussar silk sarees, owing to the different silkworms that produce the silk, have more texture than the ones made in mulberry silk.
Their porous fabric also makes them more breathable and comfortable, and thus tussar sarees are thus all-weather drapes. They have a natural golden sheen and are ideal for various occasions. Though its natural colors are in various shades of cream or beige, the drapes are also available in vibrant colors.
The traditional Tussar silk saris are known for their golden undertones, where the body is in its original coloring, while there are colorful pallus and borders, hand painted Pattachitra or Madhubani paintings or floral motifs across the body. Since tussar is wild silk, produced from a variety of silk moths, it is lower in cost than mulberry silks. The elegance of these sarees combined with their affordability makes them even more popular.
Wear it – Porous and breathable tussar fabric make for comfortable wear, especially in the warm weather. The lighter ones are great choices for office-wear and corporate-wear, ones with eclectic prints or patterns are perfect for a ladies day out, kitty parties, or day-functions. Heavier forms of tussar are ideal for weddings, pre-wedding functions, and festivals.