Disabled-friendly dhoti/pant sarees – Traditional wear with a modern twist
There’s nothing to beat a saree when you want to look stylish and elegant.
Be it a formal meeting, wedding or even party wear, the saree has so many variations in fabrics, weaves and patterns that make it unbeatable.Unfortunately the traditional drape is hard to manage for people in wheelchairs as Sunita Sancheti points out.
A widely traveled disability rights activist, Sunita is always well turned out and loves dressing up for every occasion. When it comes to festive wear, the saree wins hands down.
“When it comes to festivals, I love dressing up traditionally and saree takes you to a different level. I have grown up seeing my mom beautifully draped in sarees, be it cottons, silks, or chiffons and my love for sarees has grown seeing her. As a kid, whenever she used to go out, I used to try wearing her saree! After my spine injury, I found it difficult to wear them. Half-stitched sarees are more comfortable to manage and wearing them with pants makes it easy to transfer when you are in a wheelchair”.
Here’s Sunita looking elegant in a bottle green saree with floral patterns on the border and pallu.
Leading brands in India have been slow when it comes to adaptive fashion so we cast a look around at saree types that are available in the market that may work for women in wheelchairs. Palazzos are something many women in wheelchairs say they find comfortable and the dhoti pant sarees as they are called, might just work for you.
Here’s a selection of dhoti sarees, all under ₹2,000.
Inddus Black Cotton Rayon Ready to Wear
If you love black you might want to take a close look at this cotton-georgette dhoti saree by Inddus. There’s no blouse with this but given the versatility of the colour, you can team it with any other saree blouse or even a short top in your wardrobe of contrasting colour.
NH-Spotlight
This solid black saree is of a cotton blended fabric which makes it easy to drape and manage. Perfect for party wear or an evening out.
Available at amazon
Embroidered Blouse with Dhoti Style Yellow Sanna Silk
The saree is of a material called Sanna silk, which has a feel similar to pure silk. The colour is a vibrant egg yolk yellow and the blouse is a contrasting shade of blue. The blouse fabric is unstitched so you can design it how you like.
NH-Spotlight
The saree is a solid shade of yellow and looks luxurious and soft. The blouse is a bright sky blue with tiny designs in black and white making it a striking contrast. The blouse is also of a silk fabric.
₹1,399*
Available at Craze & Demand
Grey & Beige Printed Dhoti Saree
This is a really striking and elegant combination of grey and beige that looks so stylish. The saree comes with an attached pallu and an attached blouse that is stitched. The saree is viscose rayon and would work well for office wear.
NH-Spotlight
The overall colour is a light black with beige patterns all through in ethnic floral motifs. The blouse is beige in colour with three quarter length sleeves that have ruffles at the end. The blouse has a round neck and a concealed zip enclosure.
₹1,727*
Available at myntra
Shama Noorani Choudhary, a disability travel expert, loves wearing sarees but as a wheelchair user, she finds it hard to manage the traditional drape as well as palazzos. She prefers to get them tailormade.
“It is such a pain to keep standing up, sitting down because you have to pull it around and tuck it in. As a result, I haven’t worn in ages now. Now I have identified a tailor who makes a fitted saree, so I just have to stand up once. Just pull it on like you pull on a skirt or pants and pull the pallu. At home, I would go for cotton, chanderi or linen, while outside I would wear a patola or a bandhini silk”
Here’s Shama rocking the contrast colour look in a traditional saree in green-gold with a red blouse.
Women Pant Sari Set
You will be sure to get second looks in this trendy women sari pant set in deep yellow with dull gold patterns all over.
NH-Spotlight
The overall colour is a solid deep yellow with circle patterns in dull gold all over.
Available at amazon
There you go! If you want to check out easy to wear and edgy outfit to rock this festive season, that’s quite a selection for you.
* Prices may vary.
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