How many metres is a standard saree?

A standard saree is 5.5 metres long and about 1.1 metres wide, and most ship with an additional 0.8 metre blouse piece attached, making 6.3 metres in total. Nine-yard sarees for a Madisar or Nauvari drape are 8.2 metres. Every NY Label product page states the exact length of that specific piece.

What blouse size should I order?

Measure around the fullest part of the bust with the tape level and not pulled tight, then take the size whose bust measurement matches — 34 inches is S, 36 is M, 38 is L. Our ready-to-wear blouses carry an inch of seam allowance at each side seam, so a tailor can let one out by up to two inches. Between two sizes, take the larger.

Do you stitch the blouse to measure?

No. The blouse piece ships unstitched so your own tailor can cut it to your measurements, which is both cheaper and a better fit than a mail-order guess. Our separately listed ready-to-wear blouses are stitched to the standard chart.

Is the fall and pico included?

Yes, on every silk saree, at no charge. The fall is stitched along the lower border and the raw edges are picoed before dispatch. Tell us in the order notes if you would rather receive the saree untouched.

Help

Drape & blouse guide

A saree has no size — it has a length. This is how much cloth each drape needs, and how to pick a blouse size that a tailor can still work with.

How long is a saree?

Standard length: 5.5 m
With blouse piece: 6.3 m, of which 0.8 m is the blouse piece
Width: 1.1 m — this is what sets how tall the pleats fall
Nine-yard: 8.2 m, for a Madisar or Nauvari drape

If you are over 5′8″, or you want a pallu that reaches past the knee, take a 6.3 m piece rather than 5.5 m. The exact length of each saree is printed on its product page under “The piece”.

Blouse sizes

Size	Bust (in)	Waist (in)	Shoulder (in)
XS	32	26	13
S	34	28	13.5
M	36	30	14
L	38	32	14.5
XL	40	34	15
XXL	42	36	15.5

All measurements are body measurements in inches, not garment measurements. Measure around the fullest part of the bust with the tape level and not pulled tight. Between sizes, take the larger — letting a seam out is easy, taking in a fitted armhole is not.

Choosing a drape

Nivi

Andhra Pradesh, and now everywhere · 5.5 – 6.3 m

The drape most people mean by "a saree": pleats at the front, pallu over the left shoulder. A 5.5 m piece is enough; take 6.3 m if you are tall or want a longer pallu.

Bengali / Atpoure

West Bengal · 5.5 m

No pleats at the waist, box pleats at the front and the pallu brought back over the right shoulder. Works best in a crisp cotton or a Jamdani.

Seedha pallu

Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh · 5.5 – 6.3 m

The pallu comes over the right shoulder and falls in front, so the pallu design faces forward. Choose this drape when the pallu is the reason you bought the saree.

Madisar / Nauvari

Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra · 8.2 m (nine yards)

Draped like a dhoti, with the fabric passed between the legs. Needs a true nine-yard piece — a six-yard saree cannot be draped this way.

Fall, pico and petticoats

Every silk saree ships with the fall stitched and the edges picoed, free. A cotton petticoat in a matching or darker tone sits flattest under a drape; avoid satin, which makes silk slip. We keep six-panel cotton petticoats in stock as an accessory.

Still not sure?

Email hello@nylabel.in with your bust measurement and your height, and tell us which saree you are considering. We will tell you honestly which blouse size to take and whether that length will drape well on you — including when the answer is that it will not.

Common questions

How many metres is a standard saree?: A standard saree is 5.5 metres long and about 1.1 metres wide, and most ship with an additional 0.8 metre blouse piece attached, making 6.3 metres in total. Nine-yard sarees for a Madisar or Nauvari drape are 8.2 metres. Every NY Label product page states the exact length of that specific piece.
What blouse size should I order?: Measure around the fullest part of the bust with the tape level and not pulled tight, then take the size whose bust measurement matches — 34 inches is S, 36 is M, 38 is L. Our ready-to-wear blouses carry an inch of seam allowance at each side seam, so a tailor can let one out by up to two inches. Between two sizes, take the larger.
Do you stitch the blouse to measure?: No. The blouse piece ships unstitched so your own tailor can cut it to your measurements, which is both cheaper and a better fit than a mail-order guess. Our separately listed ready-to-wear blouses are stitched to the standard chart.
Is the fall and pico included?: Yes, on every silk saree, at no charge. The fall is stitched along the lower border and the raw edges are picoed before dispatch. Tell us in the order notes if you would rather receive the saree untouched.