The main clothing of the women folk in rural West Bengal are sarees. After farming the second biggest occupation in West Bengal is weaving. Almost every district has its particular weaves…Dhaniakhali in Hooghly district, once famous for superfine dhotis has switched over to making sarees in pastel shades. This change is due to failing demand of dhotis. Begampur also in Hooghly district specialises in loosely woven, light-weight and translucent bright coloured Bengali style sarees.There is a rich tradition of weaving handloom cotton textiles among the tribal and semi-tribal people of West Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Maldah, and Cooch Behar in North Bengal.

Rajbanshi weave sarees are very attractive designs of checks and stripes on simple pit-looms. The sarongs of the Pulia are made by joining together two very dense strips woven on simple primitive looms made of short pieces of bamboo stick and a narrow strip of wood about 3 cm wide and 60 cm long.

The most well known Bengali style sarees are commonly called Tant sarees. These sarees are majorly worn by the mass. These sarees are woven from cotton. They are famous for their lightness and transparency. These sarees are both in pastel and bright shades. They have broad zari or silken thread embroidered borders. Their ‘pallu’ is embellished with delicate embroidery. The designs woven both on pallu and the boarder of the saree are very intricate.

Tant sarees come in a wide range of styles and colors. West Bengal being a costal belt, the climate is very humid and sultry. Tant sarees are ideal as a casual wear and as eveningwear during summers. Their beauty makes them eligible to be worn in a party also.Bengali style sarees or best called tant sarees were hand woven till recent times. With weavers opting out for other professions, these sarees are now being produced by machines.