I’ve been apprehensive of shopping clothes from portals like Amazon and Flipkart for the longest time ever. The notion I always had was they are great for everything (mostly) apart from clothing. However, this time around I said why not get onto an adventure and explore Amazon a bit more. Not to mention sale/discount is always a good incentive to have some fun shopping. 

I usually western wear to work, until recently when I decided to get more Ethnic clothing in my wardrobe work-capsule. You get check out my recent purchases and additions I’ve made with some amazing cotton wear from Myntra. But my intention was not just to stick to kurta’s and well made Ethnic garments. I also wanted to get back to our good old basics – SAREE. 

I’m not embarrassed to say that I’m one of those modern day girls who don’t get the chance/time to wear a saree to work. Simply because its either too tedious to wear or hard to maintain/move around in the course of the day. We generally tend to reserve the sarees for special occasions. 

However, the fashion world is moving back in time I feel. Sarees are becoming more and more “in” with each passing day. Fabrics like Chiffon, Khadi, Cotton and Linen are being explored in such fun colours, patterns, textures and feel. I’m not a trend follower particularly, but this is something I’m looking forward to be a part of… The interesting thing with fashion is, everything old becomes more relevant in the future with little tweaks here and there. It’s like a good old wine repackaged in a more attractive packaging, as per the current demand. Just flip through old magazines and retro looks, you’ll notice all of them being copied/inspiring current looks. But sarees, never go out of trend. Just never – classic, evergreen and fabulous. 

Keeping work-wear in mind, I wanted to shop for sarees that I can wear to wear and still look extremely presentable while being comfortable in my skin. My profession needs me to have client meets, go to court, constant movement from one place to the other etc. 

I’m always on the move. Hence, I wanted to get sarees which are –

1) Inexpensive
2) Good (Great) quality 
3) Cotton/Khadi/Silk
4) Muted colours. Primarily on the lines of monochromatic tones
5) Fun/modern/smart print (Nothing bold)

That’s it. That’s all I was looking for…

I put in key words in search based on the above criteria and I was overwhelmed the amount of products Amazon had to provide. I definitely had a difficult time narrowing it down. They have so much to give from all across India. It’s quite impressive to say the least. 

Miraculously, I narrowed down to few sarees after consulting with Nani and bae. These are the sarees I order and their price –

Sohag Pure Cotton Khesh Ethnic Wear Saree

Brand: Sohag – Khesh Woven Saree For Women

Fabric: 100% Pure Cotton

Colour: Creamy white with multicolour thread work

Category: 100% Handloom 

Care Instructions: Wash in cold water, Do not use bleach, Dry in shade, Medium to hot iron

• Product Location: Dankuni, West Bengal
• Amount: Rs.998/- only
• Shipping: Free
• Delivery: Product received in 5 days from date of order

Review: Sohag Pure Cotton Khesh Ethnic Wear Saree

First off I want to tell you all about the fabric. The saree is definitely a pure cotton saree, feels super soft and comfortable. It is slightly on the heavier side given it’s cotton/khadi texture. But a definite win for me on the quality of the saree. It’s a basic saree with multicolour thread work, which you can see from the picture above. This is a very simple saree to pair with a bright/print blouse. The pallu also isn’t heavy; hence it gives you that very moder-chic vibes. An easy-to-wear saree for sure. I just love the minute detailing and the quality of the saree in general. It’s absolutely identical to what you see in the image. Not a miniscule of change. 

As it is a cotton saree, you can wear it tight without looking like a balloon. A figure flattering fabric, easy to manage and suitable to wear in any weather. Especially to the likes of Mumbai and Delhi. 

Rating: 4/5 

TJ SAREES Bengal Handloom Cotton Silk Saree (Black)

Brand: TJ SAREES 

• Fabric: Bengal Handloom Cotton Silk Saree 
• Colour: BlackCategory: 100% Handloom; comes with Handloom Mark
• Care Instructions: Hand Wash. Recommended to be kept away from extreme heat, fire and corrosive liquids to avoid any form of damage.
• Product Location: Ranaghat, West Bengal
• Amount: Rs.1,000/- only
• Shipping: Free
• Delivery: Product received in 7 days from date of order

Review: TJ SAREES Bengal Handloom Cotton Silk Saree (Black)

This is a light weight beautiful cotton-silk saree. You can feel the quality once you touch it. The embroidery is done meticulously and you can see the richness of the work. The finishing is great too. It is more on the lines of a paper saree, thus the slight transparency. The saree does not feel super soft, but one can tell the high quality from the grip of the cloth. Given that it is a mix of cotton and silk, it does have a stiff nature to it. Thus giving that very fitted and modern draping. 

One thing I will say is that this saree gives a very polished look. I pair it with a sleeveless or a quarter sleeve black blouse. Looks extremely faltering and stands out no matter where you go. It’s upto you how you want to drape it. I go the regular way, sometimes pinning the entire pallu with plates and a belt or few plates and leave rest of the pallu open. This too is a simple saree but the elegance is on a whole new level. I love it. And that too for the cost? A steal. 

Rating: 5/5

SIRIL Women’s Georgette Printed saree

Brand: SIRIL 

• Fabric: Georgette 
• Colour: Grey
• Category: Graphic print saree
• Care Instructions: Dry Clean Only
• Product Location: Surat, Gujarat
• Amount: Rs.449/- only
• Shipping: Free
• Delivery: Product received in 3 days from date of order

Review: SIRIL Women’s Georgette Printed saree

This was the first saree I received from the lot. I was actually disappointed by the colour of the saree and how dull the grey seemed. The saree over all falls flat on the colour. The colour does not exactly translate as it is in the picture. It is infact quite dull. But the saree feels super soft and of good quality. It is a smart looking saree as far as the print and mono tone is concerned. One does have to get rid of this small border at the end of the pallu to make it look smart. If paired with a maroon/dark blue blouse causing a contrast would make the saree work or just throwing on some cool jacket. That would be nice.

It is an easy to wear, breathable saree. Soft for certain but slightly opaque too. Bareing that in mind, I think it’s a decent saree for the price. Not complete value for my money, could have done better. But on the face of it, one can work with it. I’m not a huge fan of the polka-dot blouse material given with it. However, if it is your style, by all means go ahead with it. 

Rating: 2/5

Final Thoughts –

This is my experience from Amazon thus far on ethnic sarees. Overall, I’d say a decent experience. I’m content and happy with the result. 

If you are also on a look out for linen sarees, these Amazon sellers have few of my watchlist sarees (waiting for the price drop!) : –
Vastravay
Saatrang
The Weave Traveller

*Images used for representative purpose, contact for credits.*