First: the drape styles
The same six yards can be worn many ways, and buyers in different regions look for their own drape. These are the styles most catalogue buyers will recognise:
| Drape | Where | What makes it distinct |
|---|---|---|
| Nivi | Originally the Deccan region; widely worn today | Pleats at the front, pallu over the left shoulder |
| Bengali / Odia | Bengal, Odisha | Single box-pleat; the loose end goes over the left shoulder and can cover the head |
| Gujarati / Rajasthani (seedha pallu) | Gujarat, Rajasthan | The pallu is brought to the front, with the loose end secured at the back |
| Nauvari / Kasta | Maharashtra, Goa | A nine-yard drape with the pleats tucked at the back |
| Kodava | Kodagu (Coorg) | Pleats at the back; the loose end draped back to front over the right shoulder |
| Madisar | Tamil Nadu | A nine-yard drape traditionally worn by Iyengar and Iyer women |
| Mundum Neriyathum | Kerala | A two-piece set — a lower cloth and a separate upper cloth — usually off-white with a border |
The draping tools compared
| Tool | What it does | Drape choice | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vastralook | Your saree on a model; cut, pallu and repeat control; blouse made from your fabric | 6 traced poses (front, side, back, seated); no named regional drapes | About ₹20–₹25 per 1K image; team-made drape 8 credits |
| AI Vastra | Catalogue images from a saree photo | Nivi, Bengali, Gujarati, Maharashtrian and other regional styles | ₹10–₹12.50 per photo in packs from ₹1,000 |
| SareeViz | Saree and blouse on a model, with a draping preview | Draping preview sets where designs land; no regional drape choice listed | ₹10 per 1K image + 18% GST |
| StitchMagic | Turns a fabric photo into a saree visualisation | 12+ styles incl. Nivi, Bengali, Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Coorgi | From ₹499 / month; free trial of 10 |
Vastralook — the most control over your saree
Our own tool, so weigh this entry accordingly. Drape Studio finds your saree's edges and lets you set the pallu end, straighten the grain and mark how much of the body repeats, then drapes it on a model and turns your blouse fabric into a finished blouse. You pick from 6 traced drape poses — front, side, back and seated — but not from named regional drapes. A generated 1K image costs about ₹20–₹25; Create order has our team make it for 8 credits a shot (about ₹8).
AI Vastra — when you need a regional drape
AI Vastra's saree draping page says you can choose Nivi, Bengali, Gujarati, Maharashtrian or other regional styles before it renders the catalogue image. Its packs run from ₹1,000 for 80 photos (₹12.50 each) to ₹10,000 for 1,000 (₹10 each), with videos included. Its pages do not state the output resolution or whether GST is included.
SareeViz — the lowest published 1K price
SareeViz puts a saree and its separate blouse on a model, with an Accurate Draping Preview that decides which design lands on the pallu, pleats and border. Its guide describes the preview but not a choice of regional drapes. ₹10 per 1K image plus GST, up to 8K, credits valid 90 days.
StitchMagic — visualise the fabric as a saree
StitchMagic turns a fabric photo into a saree visualisation in seconds and lists 12+ drape styles. It shows how the fabric will look as a saree rather than putting it on a model — useful for previewing designs before weaving or stitching, less so for marketplace listings.
How to choose
- Decide if you need a regional drape
Selling a Nauvari or a Mundum Neriyathum? Pick a tool that lists that drape. Most listings use Nivi.
- Check the pallu lands right
The decorated end should go over the shoulder. Tools that let you mark the pallu get this right more often.
- Check the blouse
Most sarees ship with a blouse in another fabric. Make sure it has its own slot.
- Compare at your volume
Per-image packs suit bursts; check whether unused credits expire.
Which AI tool lets me choose a saree draping style?
Of the tools we checked, AI Vastra lists Nivi, Bengali, Gujarati, Maharashtrian and other regional styles for catalogue images. StitchMagic lists 12+ styles, but for fabric visualisation rather than model photos.
Which saree drape works best for catalogue photos?
Nivi — pleats at the front and the pallu over the left shoulder — is a practical default, because it shows the pleats, pallu and border in one front view.
What virtual draping software should I use in India?
It depends on the job. To see how a saree you sell looks on a model for your catalogue, use an AI saree draping tool: you upload one flat photo and get a model wearing it. Pattern-making and fit simulation for garments you are designing is a different job, done in 3D garment design software. Most Indian saree sellers need the first.
Is AI saree draping the same as cloth simulation?
No. An AI draping tool renders a photograph of your saree on a model, using the fabric from your photo. A physical cloth simulation models how fabric of a given weight would fall, and is used in garment design. For marketplace listings, a photograph of your actual fabric on a model is what buyers need.
Does Vastralook support Bengali or Gujarati drapes?
Not as named styles. Vastralook offers 6 traced drape poses (front, side, back, seated) and controls where the pallu, pleats and border land on your saree.
Disclosure: Vastralook is one of the tools compared. Other tools' features and prices come from their own pages on the date above and may have changed.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Sari (draping styles) — for the regional draping styles; read 1 October 2026
- AI Vastra — AI saree draping online — AI Vastra's own page (dated 15 July 2026), for its drape-style choices; read 1 October 2026
- AI Vastra — Pricing — AI Vastra's own page; read 1 October 2026
- SareeViz — Guide (garments and saree draping preview) — SareeViz's own page; read 1 October 2026
- SareeViz — Pricing — SareeViz's own page; read 1 October 2026
- StitchMagic — Saree visualization tool — StitchMagic's own page; read 1 October 2026
