Everything You Need To Know About Organza Sarees

Indian women have always favoured exquisite fabrics that seamlessly enhance their elegance and grace. Silk sarees are the best, not to mention favourite, fit for this and have always been a staple in the wardrobe of an Indian woman. However, two problems would frequently crop up - affordability and availability of the fabric. 

With these in mind, coupled with a thirst to expand the horizons of their wardrobe, it is no surprise that the modern woman has turned to Organza as a way to be stylish without sacrificing quality.

What is Organza?

Organza is a lightweight and sheer fabric that is exceptionally soft on the skin. It is a plain weave saree and is quite fragile as it is made to maintain an extremely low density, which also results in it being quite transparent. The fabric is intended to be quite breathable which makes it ideal for summer wear. 

The name of the fabric is derived from the word “Orgazine”. This fabric became popular during the Victorian era as it was quite visually stunning and gave a strong feminine appeal. Organza is traditionally made with silk weaves. However, thanks to the unbelievable strides made in the production of fabric, it can now be made with polyester substitutes like nylon and polyester. This is because using traditional silk makes the fabric a lot weaker. But substituting it with nylon or polyester would make the fabric a lot more durable.

The fabric was originally used only by royalty as it was made with silk which was only available to the then-higher sections of society. However, the advent of technology has since allowed other weaves to be used in the making of the fabric, which has made this a lot more affordable and available to nearly all factions of women today!

How is it made?

There is a lot of effort that goes into the making of this fabric. However, this entire process can be broken down for us to understand in a few simple steps:

1. Production of the materials:

This is the initial step, and let's just say it varies according to the base materials used for the fabric. For example, if the saree was made using polyester, it would be made in a lab using non-organic products. But if it was to be made with silk, it would be made in an entirely organic way. 

Essentially, this is the only point of difference in the method of making Organza. Everything after this point is part of a uniform process, regardless of the base materials.  

2. Twisting:

The next step is the making of the yarn. This involves taking two fibres and twisting them around in opposite directions. The point of this is to make sure that they don’t unravel, the careful twisting of the fibres will keep them together.

3. Combing: 

Now, the yarn made from these fibres is treated with acid. This is done with the intent of ensuring the fabric retains its stiffness and endures the test of time. The stiffness that we get from treating the yarn with acid is what makes Organza so unique. However, this is not needed if the fabric is made with polyester or nylon. 

4. Spinning:

For the fabric to be truly considered an authentic Organza, there is a specific type of spinning that needs to be done. Numerous factors have to be taken into consideration when making this, so most Organza fabric is still primarily made by hand. While it is possible to make this fabric with a machine, it will in no way match the quality of fabric made by hand.

5. Weaving:

The yarns are woven using the Plain Weave method. In this method, the warps and wefts are woven into a criss-cross pattern with an equal ratio of sheer and gossamer finish. 

What are the types of Organza sarees? 

One of the best parts about Organza sarees is the sheer variety of designs and patterns they are available in. Let’s take a look at some of them:

 

• Organza Silk: 

This is the most traditional type of Organza saree available. It has the best styling possibilities, as it can be dressed up for a more traditional look or it can even be styled for a modern look. This is the best base for the Organza saree.

• Printed Organza:

There are two types of printed Organza sarees - hand-printed and machine printed.  The hand-printing method is done by painting the side of wooden blocks and then carefully placing them on the saree to create a pattern that repeats itself across the fabric. This helps create a unique saree with its own distinctive charm. 

The machine printing method is quite self-explanatory. The machine does the printing in an even and uniform way. It also makes sure that the designs printed look a lot cleaner and the lines are sharper as a machine will make sure that the details look beautiful and uniform. This is typically used when these sarees are being mass-produced. 

• Organza sarees with embroidery:

These Organza sarees are the most elegant and exquisite versions of all the Organza types. They are made with a lot of effort and time and are done so with the intent of being worn to grand occasions and formal events.

How do you take care of it and store it?

 

While Organza sarees are excellent to keep, they can also be quite difficult to maintain. The fragile nature of Organza coupled with the silk used for it can make it an ordeal to take care of. So, we’ll give you some tips and tricks to help you keep the beauty of your Organza saree for as long as you can, and then some!

• Don’t ever use your washing machine when you need to clean the saree. Hand wash it and even then, do it gently. Make sure to use cold water instead of hot water to help preserve the saree. 
• Do not wring the saree dry. This is admittedly one of the worst things you can do to your Organza saree as it will wrinkle and damage the fabric. We definitely wouldn’t want that! Just press and gently squeeze the water out of your beloved saree. 
• Make sure that all the soap is out of the saree when you are done washing it. If even a little remains, it will harm the saree and make the fabric look increasingly duller with every wash. 
• Always air-dry your Organza saree! Do not put it in the dryer just because it is more convenient. Just hang it up outside and let it dry.
• Flat irons are quite harmful to the fabric so if you are able to steam iron it then please do so. 
• When it comes to storing the saree, please wrap it in a muslin cloth and put it in a cupboard away from sunlight. This will help your Organza last longer, and it will thank you for it! 
• If you have kept it in storage for a significant amount of time, please ensure to open it up and refold it at regular intervals. This will make sure that the saree will not have permanent creases, along with allowing you to marvel at the intricacies that make your Organza!

Conclusion:

Now that we have come to the end of this blog, we hope that you were able to gain a bit more knowledge about Organza, how it came to be, and how you can take care of it. 

All this knowledge can seem a bit daunting but it is worth it when you are able to not only collect Organza sarees but will also be able to appreciate them fully and maintain them well. 

Take a look at some of our own Organza sarees so you can add them to your collection today!