All About Bengal Tant Sarees: From History to Styling

Bengal Handloom Tant Saree

“A sheer wonder of nine yards,

Woven from the threads of passion;

The grace and glamour of this humble drape,

Has busted many myths and notions.

From Rani of Jhansi to Goddess Durga,

Saree has adorned many women.

The enormity of colors, prints and texture,

Oozes out strength, oomph, and endurance.

Its grace empowers a woman silently,

By providing her a touch of freedom;

Saree brings out your inner beauty,

And enhances your confidence.

From silk, georgette, chiffon, cotton,

Yellow, red, green and golden;

Different textures, different patterns:

Printed, embroidered, weaved or sequined.

A woman draped in a rainbow of colors,

Reminisces her childhood days fashion

When she first donned her Mom's old saree,

To emulate her poise and feminism.

It complements a bride's demure,

And lifts up your fashion quotient!

This elegant, unstitched, fluttery drape,

Is the pride of our diverse Nation.

Unique and beautiful in its own way,

A personification of grace and sophistication,

Nine yards of sheer elegance,

Is every woman’s obsession.”

(Shubhra J.)

 

The famous Fulia Tant Saree

Saree is the most loved Indian attire that looks flattering on every woman.  Every state in India has its signature cotton saree. Tant saree is a traditional Bengali sari made of cotton and is considered as one of the iconic drapes. 

 

Background of Tant saree

Every tant saree is a symbolic representation of the finest and most ancient weaving technique that originated in the small village of Shantipur, Bengal in the 15th century. It received royal patronage from the Mughals and flourished along with muslin and jamdani weaving. While the fine muslins adorned the royal class, cotton sarees or tant sarees were draped by the common people. This weaving tradition continued during the rule of the East India Company as well. After the partition of Bengal in 1947, many Hindu weavers from Bangladesh migrated to India and were rehabilitated in a small town of West Bengal known as Fulia (or Phulia). It became a new home for these weavers from Bangladesh, who brought with them the weaving techniques and traditions of their ancestral land.

Weaving

 

The weaving of Tant is commonly known as hand-loom weaving. These sarees are intricately woven by skilled craftsmen with the finest cotton threads. The soft and airy tant cotton provides you all day comfort. The hand-loomed tant sarees are distinguished by their breezy and transparent nature. They are the perfect clothing for the hot and humid summer. These sarees are characterized by traditional motifs, beautiful thick border and a decorative pallav/palla. A tant saree is 6 meters long and not 5.5 meters like the usual saree length. The simplest of tant sarees takes about 10-12 hours to weave whereas more intricate designs could even take 5-6 days to complete.

Taking care of Tant Saree

  • Tant saree is transparent and light in weight. It needs the right kind of care. Before washing soak the saree in warm water with rack salt. This will prevent the color from bleeding during subsequent washes
  • Use mild detergents to wash the saree
  • Use of starch helps in maintaining the crispness and stiffness of your cotton saree
  • Hang the saree in a shaded area and let it air dry

Styling Tips for Tant Saree:

Saree Blouse

Classy blouse designs always work well on hand-loom sarees. Crop top, boat neck blouse, halter neck or a tube blouse can turn up your glamour quotient instantly. 

A well crafted and fitted blouse will add a lot of grace to your cotton saree and give you oodles of confidence.      

Accessories

Accessorizing a tant saree can take your entire look to a whole new level.

  • Oxidized jewelry always look best on cotton sarees
  • A simple statement piece of jewelry enhances the beauty of the saree and gives you an edgy look
  • Go for simple jewelry if the saree has lots of patterns on it
  • Clutches go well with saree as compared to huge bags
  • Peep toes and stilettoes help enhance the attire and make you look taller and slimmer

Make Up

You don’t always need to wear layers of makeup to look good in a Saree. Always try to keep your make up minimal. Nude peach makeup enhances your beautiful features and makes you look radiant.

Eye Makeup

Saree speaks volume with soulful eyes. A decent eye makeup brings liveliness to your saree look.

A single stroke of winged eyeliner can add tons of grace to your face.

Smoky eyes go well with deep colored sarees and are always the show stealer. Sometimes heavy eye make up can elevate the look of a simple saree miraculously.

Lipstick

Choosing the right lip color for your cotton saree can be a tricky task. The guide below will help you to select the right shade of lip color as per your complexion.

Light skin - Coral, peach, nudes or beige

Medium skin - Rose, mauve or berry shades

Brown Skin - Red, brown and darker shades

Hairstyle

The right hairstyle can always make you look stylish and elegant in a Saree.

 When you are donning a cotton saree, you can try out various hairstyles like open hair with soft curls, side fishtail braid or a messy bun. 

Benefits of wearing a tant saree.

Tant sarees are known for their durability and simplicity. They are skin friendly and comfortable. The Fulia Tant sarees have thermoregulation properties. They make you feel cooler in the summers and warm in the winters. These feather light and airy sarees give you all day comfort. Tant sarees are reasonably priced. They are affordable, comfortable and don’t come with a hefty price tag.

Embrace sustainable fashion by grabbing your favorite color Tant saree and take your ethnic game to a new height. 

Shubhra Joshi

(Consulting Stylist)

 

 

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