Saree Pallu Styles: 10 Ways to Wear the Pallu
A saree pallu style is simply how you wear the loose, decorated end of the saree: pleated and pinned on the shoulder, left open to show its design, folded into narrow butterfly pleats, brought to the front over the right shoulder, or wrapped, belted or tucked in. Changing only the pallu can take the same saree from the office to an evening out. This guide covers the parts of a pallu, its length and pleats, ten styles with short how-tos, fabrics, prints and borders, occasions, your shape, pinning and mistakes to avoid.
What the Pallu Is
The pallu is the free end of the saree, the part that goes over the shoulder once the wraps and pleats are in place. It is also called the aanchal or pallav, among other names in different languages. On many sarees the last stretch of the pallu carries the richest design: a woven panel, a deeper border, denser stripes or a bigger print. A saree described as having a “rich pallu” simply has a pallu that is more heavily worked than the body. On a plain saree, either end can be the pallu.
In the everyday nivi drape the pallu goes over the left shoulder, leaving the right arm free; the seedha pallu comes over the right. The full drapes are in our guide to saree draping styles; this guide stays with the pallu.
How Long Should the Pallu Be?
There is no single correct length; sources put it anywhere from the hip to the ankle, so treat these ranges as starting points. Most styles fall between the hip and the knee, and evening pallus often go to the knee or mid-calf. Never let it trail on the floor.
To shorten a pallu, fold the extra under at the shoulder before you pin, or make the waist pleats a little wider, which uses more length. To lengthen it, make five pleats at the waist rather than seven and keep them a little narrower, which leaves more fabric for the pallu. The same trick helps with a fuller waist, which uses more of the 5.5 m in the wraps; see footwear for a saree for height and shoes.
Pallu Pleats: How Many and How Wide
Waist pleats have a usual count, five to seven; pallu pleats do not. What you choose is the width of each pleat, and the count follows from the width of the saree, about 45 inches on a MAYIN saree. Here a pleat means one fold out and one fold back, so each pleat uses roughly twice its own width. These are rough counts, not rules; most people pleat by eye.
A border makes a handy guide: fold each pleat to the width of the border, and the border lines up on every fold. Give crisp linen and tissue fewer, broader folds, since narrow ones splay. For a wedding or an early start, pre-pleat the pallu the night before: fold the pleats at the length you like and pin through the folds only, not into the blouse, then hang the saree on a broad hanger. Our pre-draped and ready-to-wear saree guide shows the whole method.
Pleated Pallu Styles
A pleated pallu is tidy, stays put and keeps the shoulder line clean. It hides much of the pallu design, so it suits plain sarees, small prints and days when you need your hands free.
1. Pleated and pinned
The classic nivi pallu, and the one to learn first. Decide where the pallu should end, then fold medium pleats across the whole width, edges lined up and the border facing out. Lay the bundle on your left shoulder, check the drop in a mirror, and pin from underneath through the folds into the blouse shoulder seam; add a second pin a few centimetres lower through the folded edges. Fabrics: mul cotton, mul modal, linen. Occasions: everything from the office to a puja. Pins: two on the pallu.
2. Butterfly
The narrowest pleated pallu: many slim folds gathered tight at the shoulder, so the pallu reads as one ribbon and the blouse and waist show. Fold pleats of about 1 to 1.5 inches across the full width, hold the bundle at the shoulder and pin it with two fine pins a couple of inches apart, then add a third at the back of the waist so it does not swing. A drop from around the knee to mid-calf suits it. It needs a fluid fabric: pure chiffon such as Eden or Azura, or mul modal such as Mauve Melody. Skip it in linen and tissue, which splay in narrow folds. Pins: three.
3. Tucked in, for work
The most practical pallu of all. Pleat and pin the pallu at the shoulder as usual, leaving it at about knee length so the end will reach. Then bring the end round your back to the right hip and tuck it into the petticoat, or pin it there from the inside, so nothing hangs. It suits a commute, a desk day, cooking and a ride on a scooter. Mul cotton such as After Dark in black or Tokyo in multicolour stripes is light and holds a neat pleat, so it suits this style best. Pins: shoulder, pallu pleats and the tuck.
4. Belted
A pleated or open pallu brought down across the front and held at the natural waist by a belt worn over the pallu and pleats. Set and pin the pallu first, add a pin where the pallu crosses your waist, and fasten the belt last; once it is on, the pallu is hard to adjust. Crisp linen and tissue, such as Corner Office in multicolour checks or Silver, hold a belt cleanly; soft mul cotton, mul modal and chiffon take a slim, soft belt. A belt is styling, not structure, so still pin. Our saree belt guide covers belt types and metals.
Open Pallu Styles
An open pallu is spread rather than folded, so the print, border or weave shows in full. It moves more, so it always needs a back pin.
5. Open
Leave the pallu unpleated and let its full width fall over the left arm. At the shoulder, gather only the top two or three inches into one soft fold so the pin has something to hold, and pin through that fold into the blouse shoulder seam. Then catch the inner edge to the blouse hem at the back so the pallu does not fly, and keep the drop around the knee so it clears chairs and doorways. It is made for printed pure chiffon such as Noxana and Elysia, and for jamdani such as Naples. Pins: shoulder and back.
6. Seedha or front pallu
Worn in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the seedha pallu is the one style here that puts the whole pallu on show at the front. Before you bring it over the right shoulder, decide what should show: pleat it loosely so a zari stripe or border runs neatly across the chest, or leave it open for a woven panel. Pin at the right shoulder seam rather than the collarbone so it does not pull at the neck, and secure the lower left corner at the left waist. A 5.5 m saree works for it, though the pallu sits a little shorter than on a longer saree, and some people prefer a longer length for this style; five waist pleats rather than seven free up a little more. It suits woven and bordered pallus: Manjari with red zari stripes, Kamakshi with its red border and Miss Earth in yellow tissue.
7. Cape
Place the pallu over the left shoulder as usual and pin it there. Behind you, open it out and take the edge nearest your neck across your back to the right shoulder, so the pallu hangs behind you from both shoulders like a cape. Bring that edge just over the right shoulder and pin it from underneath into the blouse shoulder seam. The end stays behind you and the front stays clear; in the both shoulders style below, the end comes round to the front instead. Mul modal such as True Garnet in maroon red, pure chiffon and jamdani all suit it, for receptions and evening functions. Pins: both shoulders and one at the back.
8. Both shoulders
Start with an open pallu on the left shoulder, then take the rest across your back at shoulder blade height and bring the end forward over the right shoulder or the right forearm, so the pallu frames both shoulders like a dupatta. It is related to the Bengali end, which our Bengali saree look covers in full. This needs a longer pallu than the nivi, so make five waist pleats rather than seven; if the end will not reach the shoulder, rest it on the forearm. Fluid mul modal, chiffon and jamdani sit softly this way. Pins: left shoulder and a fine pin at the right.
9. Round the neck
A pallu worn like a stole, round the back of the neck and ending over the right shoulder; the full steps are in saree draping styles. For the pallu itself, leave it open and long (five waist pleats rather than seven help), and fold the neck section once along its length so it sits as a soft band, not the full width of the fabric. Keep it loose enough to turn your head, and pin at the left shoulder and at the back of the neck. Soft mul modal and chiffon sit easily at the neck; crisp handloom linen such as The Go to holds a neater fold for a smart office look.
10. Shawl wrap, for winter
With the pallu over the left shoulder and pinned there, open the rest to its full width behind you, bring it round the right shoulder and upper arm to the front, across the chest, and throw the end back over the left shoulder; pin the end there through its folds to the layer beneath. This uses more length than any other style here, so make five waist pleats rather than seven, and if the end will not reach the left shoulder, pin it at the left waist instead. In much of North India, winter calls for layers: mul modal in deeper colours, such as True Garnet and Cocoa in brown, wraps softly, with a real shawl on top on colder days. Our guide to winter saree looks has full outfits, and the saree accessories guide shows how to pin a shawl without piercing the saree.
Pallu Styles by Fabric
Fabric decides which pallu styles will behave. Fluid fabrics fold small and fall close; crisp ones hold broad pleats and a belt but splay in narrow folds.
Mul cotton holds a soft, neat pleat and does not slip, so it is the easiest pallu to wear all day; how to drape a mul cotton saree covers the basics. Mul modal is breathable with a softer, more fluid fall, so it takes almost every style. Pure chiffon is light and slippery, so pin it through folds with fine pins; see how to drape a chiffon saree. Handloom linen and tissue want broad pleats or an open pallu, and tissue is semi-sheer, so keep pins to hidden folds. Jamdani motifs are the point, so most people leave it open and unbelted.
Prints, Borders and Zari: Show It or Fold It
Pleating hides most of a pallu; spreading it shows all of it. So look at where the design sits first.
Pallu by Occasion and Everyday Activity
If you are dressing for a specific event, pair this with our wedding guest saree looks, the party wear saree styling guide or our red saree look. Sweep open hair to the right when the pallu sits on the left; see hairstyles for a saree.
The Pallu and Your Shape
Every pallu style can be worn by every body; what changes is where it draws the eye.
For height, proportion and saree width, see our guide to choosing a saree for your body type, and how to look slim in a saree if a longer line is what you want.
Keeping the Pallu in Place, and Mistakes to Avoid
Two pallu pins do most of the work. The shoulder pin goes from underneath, through the folds, into the blouse shoulder seam, angled slightly towards the neck. The pallu pleat pin goes a few centimetres lower, through the folded edges, never through a single layer. An open pallu adds a small pin catching its inner edge to the blouse hem at the back. Our guide on how to pin a saree covers every point, pin type and fabric. On a sleeveless blouse, pin through the folds into the blouse strap or bra strap from underneath.
Pallu Sarees in This Guide
EdenYellow printed pure chiffonPair with Yellow, gold, white
ElysiaPink floral print pure chiffonPair with Pink, gold, mint
NoxanaBlack floral print pure chiffonPair with Black, silver, pearl
ManjariRed striped mul cotton with zariPair with Red, gold, white
KamakshiWhite mul cotton, red border, gold zariPair with Red, gold, white
Citrus ShiftBlue mul cotton with borderPair with White, coral, gold
TokyoMulticolour striped mul cottonPair with White, black, tan
Mauve MelodyPlain pink mul modalPair with Maroon, gold, white
True GarnetPlain maroon red mul modalPair with Gold, cream, tan
The Go toIvory handloom linen, zari borderPair with Red, black, gold
NaplesYellow floral Dhakai jamdaniPair with Red, white, gold
FlorisePink floral print, hand embroidered chiffonPair with Pink, gold, ivory
Browse border sarees and zari sarees for pallus that pleat neatly, chiffon sarees for open and butterfly styles, mulmul cotton sarees for everyday pleated pallus, and linen sarees for belted and seedha looks. For the drape around the pallu, read saree draping styles; to hold it all in place, how to pin a saree and the saree belt guide. Every MAYIN saree is 5.5 m long, with free shipping across India on orders of ₹1,999 and above.
Questions People Ask
How long should a saree pallu be?
Usually between the hip and the knee for everyday wear, and from the knee to mid-calf for open or butterfly pallus in the evening. Sources differ, so set it by your day and never let it trail.
Which shoulder does the pallu go on?
The left, in the nivi drape most people wear. The Gujarati or seedha pallu comes over the right shoulder, and the Bengali drape brings the end round to the right.
How many pleats should a pallu have?
There is no fixed number; it depends on how wide you fold them. Counting one fold out and one fold back as a pleat, medium pleats of about 3 inches give roughly seven across a 45 inch saree, broad 4 to 5 inch pleats about five, and narrow butterfly pleats of 1 to 1.5 inches fifteen or more.
Pleated or open pallu: which is better?
Pleated for work, commutes and long days, since it stays put. Open for parties and weddings, when you want a print or woven pallu to show.
How do I keep my pallu from slipping off my shoulder?
Pin from underneath, through the folds, into the blouse shoulder seam, then pin the pallu pleats a little lower. Never pin through a single layer.
What is a seedha pallu?
A front pallu, traditionally worn in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, that comes over the right shoulder and is spread across the chest. It shows off a woven or bordered pallu.
Can I wear a seedha pallu with a 5.5 m saree?
Yes. The pallu sits a little shorter than on a longer saree, and making five waist pleats rather than seven leaves more length.
How do I style a pallu for the office?
Pleat it, pin it at the shoulder and keep it short, or tuck the end in at the right hip. A belt over the pallu also keeps it neat at a desk.
How do I wear a pallu in winter?
Wrap it round both shoulders like a shawl or round the neck like a stole, ideally in mul modal in a deeper colour, and layer a shawl on top on colder days.
