Preloved Sarees

It varies, and you should always confirm before buying. Some sarees are sold with a stitched blouse, some with an unstitched blouse piece of matching fabric, and some with neither. An unstitched piece is often the better outcome, because it lets you have a blouse made to your own measurements rather than hoping a stranger's fits. If a listing does not say, ask, and if a stitched blouse is included ask for its bust, waist and sleeve measurements.

Georgette, chiffon and everyday sarees typically sell between £25 and £70. Heavier party and reception sarees usually land between £60 and £150. Genuine silk — Banarasi, Kanjeevaram or similar — generally sits between £100 and £400 depending on the weave and the amount of real zari, and holds its value better than any other fabric on the site.

A saree itself is essentially one size, because it is an unstitched length of fabric draped to fit. What matters is length — around 5.5 metres standard, or 6.3 metres where a blouse piece is attached — and your own height, which affects how the pleats and pallu fall. The blouse is the only sized component, which is why the blouse question matters more than any other.

The saree itself is not really altered, since it is draped rather than fitted. What is adjustable is the blouse, which any tailor can take in or let out within reason, and the finishing: fall and pico (the reinforcing strip and edge stitching) can be added for a few pounds if it has not been done. Shortening a saree is possible but rarely wise, because it usually means cutting into the border.

Georgette and chiffon are the safer buy. They are light, they do not hold permanent fold lines, and they arrive looking much as they did in the photographs. Silk is the better long-term piece and holds its value, but it is more demanding — check for storage creases along the fold lines and for any brittleness, since old silk stored badly can split at the fold.

Listing is free. Photograph the pallu clearly, since that is what buyers judge a saree on, and include one shot of the full length draped or laid out so the fall is visible. State the fabric, the length, and above all whether a blouse is included and in what form. Sarees with clear blouse information sell noticeably faster than those without.