How to wear a sari
1. Start with the proper undergarments. You need a floor length petticoat, tightly cinched at the waist by a drawstring (not elastic!) and a tight-fitting blouse that ends just below the bustline.
2. Hold the sari at waist level, right in front of the navel. Starting at the plain end, tuck it into your petticoat, right to left, all the way around your body. Make sure that the lower end of the sari touches the floor.
3. Beginning from the tucked-in end, fold 5-inch deep pleats into the sari. Make 7 to 10 pleats and hold them together so that they fall straight and even. If you wish, use a small pin to secure them.
4. Tuck the pleats into the waist slightly to the left of the navel. Be sure that the pleats are turned to the left.
5. Drape the remaining fabric around your body, left to right. Bring the fabric up under the right arm and toss the remaining fabric over the left shoulder. It should fall to knee-level. This part of the sari is called the pallu and is usually heavily decorated. If you wish, you can secure it at the shoulder with a small pin.