Sarees are an integral part of Indian culture and tradition. For generations, families have passed down the six yards of elegance as prized possessions, and rightfully so. However, what stumps most people when collecting these elegant drapes is storage.
Often, decades-old sarees incur damage because they are stored incorrectly, leading to irreversible damage such as fading colours, fabric brittleness, permanent creases, mould, mildew, stains, and insect infestations. One of the most common problems people face is creasing. Here’s how you can solve the issue.
Why you should never fold sarees?
On November 16, Pernia Qureshi, an Indian-American fashion entrepreneur, took to Instagram to share a clip from her conversation with celebrity saree draper Dolly Jain, who has worked with several stars, such as Deepika Padukone, Kareena Kapoor, and Nita Ambani. In the video, Dolly shared the right way to store sarees so that they are preserved for a long time.
Talking about Kanjeevaram sarees and real zari sarees, Dolly warned that one should never fold them while storing them, as it can permanently damage your sarees, stopping you from passing them down generations. Here’s what Dolly said:
“For all these Kanjeevaram and real zari sarees, never fold them and keep them. For all those expensive Banarasi sarees, the weaves are such that if you fold them, you’ll have that mark forever. To remove that mark, you’ll have to use a lot of heat,” the celebrity draped explained.
The right way to store sarees
Instead, Dolly Jain suggested always keep your sarees in rolls. She advised, “Take a muslin cloth, wrap the saree, and keep it.” According to her, if you are investing in a one lakh rupee saree or a two lakh rupee saree, folding it can create a permanent crease, and to remove that, you will end up applying so much heat that it may damage the fabric, thus preventing you from using it yourself.
“Passing it down to generations? Forget it. So that’s the reason why: no extra heat, please,” she advised.
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