INTRODUCTION

'A world of meaning in a single piece of cloth'.

Drawing on experiences from villagers in Bengal to scientists in Bangalore, this book explores the beauty, adaptability and personality of India's most iconic garment. It presents intimate portraits of women in India today as well as an alternative way for us all to think about our relationship to the clothes we wear. Banerjee and Miller show why the sari has survived and indeed flourished as everyday dress when most of the world has adopted western clothing. Their book represents an intimate portrait of the lives of women in India today and an alternative way for is all to think about our relationship to the clothes we wear.

A new bride is unable to move from her husband's motorbike as her sari comes undone. A young man wonders how he will cope with the sari's complicated folds in a romantic clinch. A villager's soft, worn sari is her main comfort during a fever. Throughout the book, these and other remarkable stories place the sari centre-stage in relationships between mothers and infants, mistresses and maids, designers and soap opera stars.

Lavishly illustrated and rich in personal testimony, The Sari expertly shows how one of the world's most simply constructed garments can reveal the profound complexities of modern India.

'A fascinating look at this great Indian traditional wear told through the voices of women who love and live with it on a daily basis.' - Gurinder Chadha, director of Bend It Like Beckham.

'An absolutely fascinating read.' - Valerie Steele, author of The Corset: A Cultural History.

'Offers rare and intimate insights into the social life of the sari.' - Emma Tarlo, author of Clothing Matters: Dress and Identity in India.

'Provides a visual feast and an easy introduction to the subject.' - Review (forthcoming) Fashion Theory.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mukulika Banerjee is a Lecturer in Anthropology at University College London. She is the author of 'The Pathan Unarmed'. Daniel Miller is Professor of Anthropology at University College London. Recent books include 'A Theory of Shopping' and 'The Internet - An Ethnographic Approach' (with Don Slater).

REDHOTCURRY.COM REVIEW

It's not often that a largely academic book captures the imagination, but 'The Sari' breaks this rule. Richly illustrated and thoroughly researched, this book explores the relationship women have with this ubiquitous garment. The multifunctional sari is used to "filter out smog, carry keys, wipe a table, lift a hot vessel, wipe sweat and protect one's modesty" whilst at the same time being used as a garment for seduction, passion and flirtation!

The authors show how one can wear a sari. Indeed it was only recently that someone asked me if there was a Gujarati way of wearing a sari. It seems that there is a Tamil style, a Maharastran style, a Bengali style, a Keralan style and yes, even a Gujarati style where the pallu comes over the right shoulder and tucked into the left-hand waistband.

The sari can be worn with a blouse and without blouse. Bollywood fans will recall the famous Zeenat Aman wearing a choli-less sari in the 1973 film 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'. The book features the sari's greatest moment (from a male point of view), which according to the authors belongs to the actress Shridevi in the film 'Mr India'. Recently there has a been an upsurge in interest in the 'Devdas' saris (I should know, I actually own one purporting to be an exact replica). The lavishly produced 2002 film stars Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit who are dressed in some of the most expensive saris seen on screen.

Broken down into chapters devoted to 'The Youthful Sari', 'The Marriage Sari', 'The Working Sari' and even 'The Power Sari', this book is the definitive work on the topic. The book is enlivened by personal stories, displayed as pages from a diary, recounting Mina's story. She is a South Indian girl married to a Bengali. The first chapter is devoted entirely to her life and how she started wearing the sari.

Arbiters of Sari fashion include screen star Vijayanthimala, the incomparable Rekha and the most powerful woman in the Sari world - Nim Sood, who selects the saris for the Star TV soaps 'Kyunki Sass Bhi Kabhi Thi' and 'Kahin Kissoo Roz.

Mukulika Banerjee and Daniel Miller may not be able to stop the rise of the salwar kameez or churidar kameez, but their passionate devotion to The Sari will linger for years to come. This book is a joy to peruse and anyone with an interest in South Asian Fashion should buy it immediately.

Redhotcurry.com Rating: (4 flames)

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