Nothing makes an Indian woman (or any woman) look more beautiful than a sari.  But as an American corporate worker bee, there’s no way I can wear a sari to work or to a formal event.  Unless . . . I convert the sari into a dress.

Amazingly enough, taking a sari and turning it into a sari dress is a concept that has been around for decades.  Check out these older (1920s – 1950s) vintage sari dresses (cocktail dresses and evening dresses):

I was blown away by this dress.  I’m not sure how old it is, but what surprised me was how traditional the sari colors are.  I could easily see my mother . . . or even my grandmother . . . wearing this sari to the temple or to a religious ceremony at someone’s house.  The colors are strong, but conservative – there is no flamboyancy here.  And as an evening dress, I think the same sense of conservatism carries through.  The design is conservative but with all the right touches of tailoring on the sides.  I could see a lady in their 40s or 50s (who happens to be in great shape) wearing this sari dress to an evening gala.  Probably not a lady in her 20s, though.

Now let’s take a look at another style:

All I can say about this dress is . . . wow!  Once again, this is made from a very traditional sari.  The colors are subdued, but still with the hint of vibrancy that most Indian women expect.  I can still see my mother or my grandmother wearing this sari; and like the last sample, I think a lady in her 40s or 50s could easily wear this beautiful sari dress to an evening reception.

And now on to the next look:

I would gladly wear this dress to any formal occasion!  According to http://www.whyoffashion.com/indian-fusion-fashion-indian-traditional-clothing-twist/, this is a modified lehenga choli set.  The modifications are stunning – the perfect fusion between Indian wear and Western dresses.

And now, here is a look – and a color – that I love!

This appears to also be a vintage sari dress – I’m not sure what era it is from, but I was blown away by its beauty.  The sari fabric used to make this dress is clearly for younger women – my mother might wear this sari, but my grandmother (a widow for decades) would not.  I also like the hint of multi-color tones in the fabric; you can see that the lavender silk has a light gold sheen to it, and a radiancy that suggests slightly different lavender colors that are woven throughout.  This is very popular for many Indian saris.

Although this dress appears to be for the cocktail hour, I personally think I could get away with it at work.  It’s a little over the top . . . but even at a law firm or government agency, if I threw a black blazer over the top, I think it would work.

And now for another look:

Here is another extraordinary sari-dress.  I believe it is a vintage cocktail dress, but I’m not sure what era it belongs to.  I am blown away by the vibrancy of the color.  It radiates beauty and vigor.  I believe the sari itself would be worn by 20-somethings, 30-somethings, and middle-aged women.  As a dress, however . . . I can see this on a variety of age groups.  I think if it were shorter, and perhaps less poufy, I would definitely be able to wear it to work.  Once again, however, I would toss a black blazer over the top.  And in the summer – I would probably just use a white sweater or white blazer.  The combo of blazers and sweaters with this magnificent dress is not haute-couture . . . but work clothes usually aren’t.

And now, how about a summer sari dress look:

Okay, since this dress is probably made of heavy silk, it may be a bit much for the summer.  But I would definitely sneak this one into work.  My standby camouflage methods for combining Indian fashion with American office practicalities is, as always, topping the beautiful Indian couture with a standard issue white/black blazer over the top.  But with this dress . . . I may not.  I think it depends how conservative your workforce is.  I think I could get away with this in some New York law firms (I noticed when I worked in New York that office fashion was a little more cutting edge, even at conservative investment banks and law firms).  Maybe in California too?  But I have a feeling it might be too much for the Midwest.

And now for a very different look:

I loved this vintage sari dress as soon as I saw the photo.  I have to admit, my mother and grandmother may have turned up their nose at this sari . . . or they may have only given it to a very young girl/woman to wear (ie, a 15 year old or 18 year old).  The reason is because my family members prefer very bright colors.  They don’t like pastels.  I think the use of bright colors is what makes most Indian saris remarkable and memorable, but I still love this sari dress.  In our case, as American working (female) stiffs, I truly think a dress like this could be worn to work.  It might have to be shortened to knee length, or right above knee length, and perhaps tailored on the sides for a more form fitting silhouette . . . but I could see it showing up to work.  I also think the pastel blue works in favor of it being more work appropriate.

And now for a haute couture sari dress look, by Swati Argade (one of my favorite Indo-American designers!):

I almost fell over when I saw this image on the website of Swati Argade.  I love this dress!  I definitely think it could be worn to the workplace; I see it happening at many offices!!  The sense of couture surrounding this dress is extraordinary, as is the fine tailoring and elegant silhouette.  My only gripe: I am not sure I could fit my Indian curves into such a strict sheath.  But for those of you who have the right build . . . check this one out!!

And now for another excellent look from Swati Argade:

Dear Readers: I have decided to make a command decision: Swati Argave is THE designer for sari dresses.  I am willing to reconsider if alternate proof is submitted, but not by much!  Both sari dresses above are nothing but phenomenal!  I am blown away by her skillful use of Indian textiles, color, and tailoring to create a blouse-skirt/sari dress combo that is perfect for the Western world!  The only downside . . . I am not sure I would be able to wear it to work; and since 90% of my wardrobe is geared toward work, this is a bummer.  But I just might.  After all, office dress codes for women are based on what we decide.  In other words, they are what we make them.  And the images above are worth fighting for!!

And now, before we wrap up this style catalogue, let’s take a look at where sari dresses originally came from – the original sari, in all its varied forms and Indian beauty: