Ah! The Bengali woman and her saree! For us, it is not just a garment but an emotion. A story replete with love, memories, style and grace. It is a fact universally acknowledged that the right blouse is your best friend in elevating your look to the next level.

Blouses these days are chic, stylish and versatile. When done correctly, it is your best friend that will make you look like a million bucks in your saree.

To be honest, blouses nowadays are so exciting — it's all the more reason to wear a saree. Starting with the humble sleeveless blouse which is an all-time favourite even more so during summer. This piece can be worn in so many ways; just by tweaking it a little bit sleeveless blouses can be given a total facelift.

Let's begin with the sleeveless blouse with a thin strap that is seductive, stylish, and perfect for sweltering summer. When worn with a lightweight chiffon or georgette it looks really pretty.

Pair this style with a soft baby pink or light aqua chiffon and some pearls and you will be elegance personified. This style is also great for cotton sarees. A Dhakai tant with a thin border or a hand-painted soft muslin saree will be the perfect foil for this chic, sophisticated style.

For evenings, one can turn up the glam quotient a bit by opting for this thin, strap blouse with an attractive, low-cut plunging neckline. This style really complements cocktail sarees. How about a soft gold sequined blouse with a plunging neckline paired with a sexy georgette saree? Don't blame us if your look gets the mercury levels rising through the roof!

A bandeau-style blouse is hardly a Western invention contrary to popular belief. Women of the Indian subcontinent wore this type of blouse for centuries until the British brought their ideas of "modesty" to our shores, changing the way blouses were worn.

Tube-style blouses are anything but boring or archaic. In fact, they will look fabulous with sarees! Go for a deshi weave such as tant or just a plain simple cotton saree and pair it with a bandeau blouse. Or, you could elevate this humble style by giving it a glamorous makeover by adding details such as ruffles, embroidery swatches, and pearl strings. Wear it with a chic saree with intricate work and voila!

Choose a simple Muslin with block print and jazz it up by choosing a contrast blouse. Fuchsia looks great with teal, and canary yellow looks fantastic with lime green.

You could go for a ruched blouse or put a huge bow on the back to really take things to the next level. The bandeau style lets you dress up with chokers and necklaces, experimenting with different lengths.

Another hot trend for this summer is going for handloom fabrics but giving it a sophisticated twist. Pair a Jamdani with a halter neck blouse. Wear your Katan with a stylish sleeveless blouse with a low-cut back.

Style your tissue Benaroshi with an embroidered sleeveless blouse with an interesting cut-out at the back. Let your inner designer take over and let your inner beauty shine with a beautiful blouse!

Photo: Shahrear Kabir Heemel

Model: Mariyam

Styling: Sonia Yeasmin Isha

Wardrobe: The MUSLIN

Jewellery: The MUSLIN

Makeup: Piash

Location: Le Meridian Dhaka