The royals of India and in other parts of the world have a unique spark in them that put them at the top of the crowd. More in their gestures and body language, it is their clothes and accessories that speak highly about them. Each country has its staple wear that it’s proud of. In India, it is the sarees that show the pride of our people.Â
Sarees is an age-old tradition that has been in practice for the last 2000 years. Though there have been many changes happening to the way they are represented, their unspoken heavenliness has only been enhancing day by day.Â
One such lovely creation that was formulated many years ago and is still in existence is the Patola sarees. These sarees have a great historical background as to how they have been given such a vital spot in the saree industry. For those of you who have never heard of the Patola silk sarees, we are sure that this blog will help you to discover about these sarees on a vast scale.
History of the Patola silk sarees
Originally these six drapes wonder was generated in Gujarat in a city called Patan. The story goes something like this: In the 12th century, when sarees were just being discovered, there were a group of people called the Salvis. They moved into various parts of Gujarat and they began their trade of weaving the exquisite sarees of Patola. Later, the trade commenced and word spread to the entire town about the authentic pieces of art that were been sculpted by the immensely talented artisans.Â
To date, there are about eleven families who are still practicing the original craft of the Patola sarees. The magnificence of the Patola sarees has been widespread throughout the world for the past few years.Â
Different kinds of Patola sarees
The raw materials with which an extraordinary Patola silk saree is weaved in enough to impress the crowd. But when some of the Patola sarees are made out of a beautiful combination of other fabrics, then the result would just be mind-blowing. Let us have a quick look at some these collaborations:
Patan Patola
Known for its more complex making, this type of saree is dyed in a horizontal manner. It involves double ikat weaving which means that the artisans the dyeing of the wrap on both sides of the sarees is done simultaneously. As said, it is a tough job to get it done with insufficient labourer and materials.Â
Rajkot Patola
These sarees are known to be dyed in a vertical, single ikat method which is a tad bit easier than the former method.
Banarasi Patola
These special kind f sarees are produced with the magical blend of the pure and nicest type of saree facric which is the ancient Banarasi fabric. It is well-known fact that whenever the Banarasi fabric is worn as a whole or combined with another, it looks splendid. Here there is no exception.
Patterns, Motifs and Forms of Patola Sarees
Animal patterns or motifs are often found in the simplest to grandest Patola silk sarees. They are manufactured in the brightest of hues. Patola sarees have a great similarity to that of the Bandhani sarees that are produced in Rajasthan.Â
It is believed that the authentic color of the Patola sarees never fade away even when the cloth tears after excess wear and tear. The crucial reason being that the most organic dyes that is purely extracted out of vegetables are used here. An enormous amount of natural dye is incorporated into the making of a Patola silk saree. It takes about a year to weave a good looking Patola saree and that is why it is still treasured as a gem in many parts of our nation. It indeed undergoes a tedious process to be made.Â
One of the unknown fact about these sarees are that, usually when any type of saree is dyed completely with designs on the sides and in certain parts, they tend to get dissolved when in wash.
That is why most of the Patola sarees are made on versatile silk fabric which makes it more sustainable.
Tips to flaunt the best Patola silk sarees
The popular manner to maintain the antique shine of silk sarees is to have them dry-cleaned. The least you could do for these precious babies is not to use harsh detergents or soaps on them. While you are at hand-washing, be very careful not to use hot water but dip the sarees in cold water for a while before drying them out.
Storing them carefully in woolen muslin or cotton bags is a clever idea to protect the Patola silk sarees.Â
The solid ways to maintain a Patola saree
For a saree that has a varied collection of colors that no one would ever be able to figure out, wearing contrasting and minimal jewellery sets would be an intelligent choice.Â
Antique silver jewellery seems to have a high vote count when it comes to accessorizing the high end Patola silk sarees. Certainly all Patola sarees that has been ever made has a naturally occurring luxe vibe that makes it apt for women of all ages.
Conclusion
So that is about the Patola sarees that are available everywhere in many online shops. Mirra Clothing also has an incredible collection of Patola sarees that are ready to be shipped to different parts of India and around the globe.Â