custom saris from india

for our sagai, i arranged to get a sari made. i had found a style i liked on seasons, so i sent the picture to our family friend in india who owns a sari shop. it was an almost nail-biting process because you don't know how it's going to turn out.  so here are my unsolicited do's and don'ts about ordering a custom made sari from india:

colour choice
is there a colour chart your india contact has that's locally available? i was lucky enough that d'uncle's sisters live here and have a swatch chart available. if a colour chart is available, then send a picture of the swatches you picked when you email the corresponding colour numbers. this way you both are on the same page and can avoid a horrible mistake.

if no colour chart is available, cut sample pieces from a fabric store and email pictures of them. since colours vary from one computer monitor to the next, post the samples so that they have a physical reference.

before finalizing a colour, make sure you take a picture of it to see what it looks like on camera. for example, some reds look more orange in photos.

style
if the tailor hasn't made a sari in the style you're looking for, then make sure they make a prototype using scrap fabric. this helps ensure they make the final sari properly. you don't want them to go in making it blindly and end up with a mess of a sari because they gave up half way through. my sari was partially done this way because there were weight concerns with the pleats. (the pleats don't tuck in, they just hung.) due to timing issues, my sari was rushed in the end. i wanted the palov to be butterfly, but they made it a weird shape that didn't fall straight at the bottom.

embroidery
if there's a specific embroidery you want, then send zoomed in pictures as well as overall pictures of what you want. this will guarantee they can see it properly and pay more attention to what you want. as much as i liked the embroidery in the picture, i didn't have the luxury of zooming in so they could match it exactly.

fabric
in regards to fabric, there are some fabrics that pins don't go through easily. it's a specific kind of georgette which i can't remember the name of.  just make sure you try to avoid that.

timing
to avoid the timing issue, you should ask for the sari 4-6 weeks before the event to avoid delays at customs.

given all this hoopla, i really did like my sari.