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How To Wear A Sari - The traditional six yard Sari, however, is a classic and allows for generous pleating and draping around the body and over the shoulder - almost grecian in its elegance.The basic draping of a Sari, the folding, tucking and pleating is shown in our diagrams here. Beyond that, the Sari is an Indian woman's statement to the world. It could be of shimmering silk or the finest gauzy cotton. Perhaps a pastel-hued solid color or a riot of woven flowers. It may even be embroidered with golden thread or finished with a richly tasseled border. It speaks of ronabce or riches, of sobriety or gaiety, of sophistication or innocence. No exotic fancy dress, but a garment that is worn daily by women through the length and breadth of India. Five and a half meters of continuous fabric. Unstiched. Yet a perfect fit for every figure. And not as complicated to wear as you might suppose.
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The foundation garments for the Sari is the waist to
floor length petticoat tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring
(no elastic) and a tight fitting blouse that ends at the midriff.
The blouse can have a variety of necklines and sleeve lengths.
1. Starting at the navel, tuck in the plain end of the sari
into the petticoat for one complete turn from right to left.
Make sure that the lower end of the sari touches the floor.
2. Beginning from the tucked in end, start making pleats in
the Sari, about 5 inches deep. Make about 7-10 pleats
and hold them up together so that they fall straight and even.
3. Tuck the pleats into the waist, slightly to the left of the
navel, and make sure that they are turned towards the left.
4. Drape the remaining fabric around yourself once more, left
to right, and bring it up under the right arm and over the left
shoulder so that it falls to about the level of the knees. 
5. The end portion thus draped is the pallav, and can be prevented
from slipping off by fixing it at the shoulder to the blouse
with a small safety pin.