Handloom saree, the garment that defines the modern office-going woman

Professional jet setting women are finding their wardrobes incomplete without handloom sarees even as this ubiquitous attire make inroads into corporate boardrooms

From Indira Gandhi to Smriti Irani to Priyanka Gandhi and Nirmala Sitharaman, India’s public figures are seen draping the country’s heritage in nine yards, in the form of handloom sarees. The ubiquitous attire has been the traditional garment for the Indian woman of yore, but her modern counterpart has lapped it up to reinforce her personal style statement and work persona like never before. Often, the management boards of leading companies have women wearing only handloom sarees. Those at the top of corporate ladder, such as banker Naina Lal Kidwai, are almost always seen wearing either handloom cottons or silk.