The key difference between saree and half saree is that a saree is around 4.5 to 9 meters long, whereas a half saree is 2 to 2.5 meters long.
Both sarees and half sarees are available in numerous designs, fabrics, styles, and colours. Saree is a timeless garment and is a popular choice among women as daily wear. It is also worn for formal events. Half-saree is, however, worn by young girls and women, and it is more playful and made using lighter fabrics.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Saree
3. What is a Half Saree
4. Saree vs Half Saree in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Saree vs Half Saree
What is a Saree?
A saree is a 9 meters long rectangular fabric worn by women of the Indian subcontinent. Sarees are usually embroidered and brightly coloured. They are available in various materials like cotton, silk, or synthetic. Indian sarees are popular in the local as well as in the international market. They suit all seasons and can be worn by any woman.
A woman needs three basic garments to wear a saree: a blouse, petticoat, and saree. Women who wear sarees first wrap them around the waist with one end, tucking them into the petticoat. The middle section is pleated, and it too is tucked into the petticoat. The rest is also pleated from the other end of the saree and then it is draped across the left shoulder.
There are various methods to drape a saree. Some of them are Nivi, Himalayan, Gujarati drapes, and Bengali style, in which there are no pleats in the saree.
What is a Half Saree?
A half-saree is a traditional dress worn by young girls in Pakistan and South India. It is also known as langa vovi in Andra Pradesh, langa davani in Karnataka, and pavada davani in Tamil Nadu.
Half saree is normally worn by adolescent girls or unmarried women and is associated with a coming-of-age ritual. A girl’s entry into womanhood is symbolized by her maternal grandparents gifting her a half saree.
A half saree has three parts: a skirt, a blouse, and a cloth to be draped over the upper body. The skirt is also known as langa or paavadai. This is ankle length, and it is tied to the waist by a string. The blouse is the upper garment. This is also known as the choli, and it is a tight blouse. The third piece is voni or davani, which is the cloth draped around the shoulder. It is about 2 to 2.5m long, and it is tucked into the waist at one end, wrapped around the body, and then draped diagonally across the front of the body. The remaining fabric is hung over the right shoulder.
Generally, half sarees are available in cotton or silk fabrics, and the langa and the voni are brightly coloured and contrast with each other. Half sarees have also inspired the modern lengha style saree. However, at present, the demand for half sarees as daily wear has declined due to western clothes and shalwar kameez, but they are still popular as evening wear. Even though most half sarees in the past were simple, now they are more elaborate with lavish embroidery, zari work, and mirror work. They are even available in bold colours such as black and grey, which were once considered inauspicious. Although traditional half sarees were made of cotton and silk, they are now in nylon, crepe, chiffon, and georgette materials as well.
What is the Difference Between Saree and Half Saree?
The key difference between saree and half saree is that a saree is around 4.5 to 9 meters long, whereas a half saree is 2 to 2.5 meters long. Half sarees are generally easier to drape than sarees, as they do not require pleating.
Below is a summary of the difference between saree and half saree in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Saree vs Half Saree
A saree is a 9 meters long rectangular fabric worn by women of the Indian subcontinent. It is formal and daily wear and is about 9 meters long. Therefore, a saree is somewhat difficult to wear and is also restrictive. A half-saree is a traditional dress worn by young girls in Pakistan and South India. Half-sarees are casual wear and are only about 2 or 2.5 meters long. Therefore they are easy to wear and less restrictive. So, this is the summary of the difference between saree and half saree.
Reference:
1. “Langa Voni” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
2. “Sari.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Saree-Indian-ethnic-clothing” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Langaoni” By Randhirreddy at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia