I tried explaining one of my friend what a saree means and how to wear it:
Saree is a 6m long and 1m wide drape with beautiful weaving, stones
and embroidery, which Indian women wear. First you wear a blouse and a petticoat.
Then wrap 3 meters of this cloth around a waist like a long skirt,
fold the rest of the saree along the width in 8-10 pleats and tuck it in from the front side,
Finally turn around again, bring it round your hips to the front and finally diagonally across your side over your breast to your left shoulder allowing the excess cloth hang behind your back.
Pathetic descriptions, isn’t it… Finally gave it up. A picture is worth a thousand words, so send her links to these 2 websites.
picture
drawing
Well if you still could not get it, then here is a nice youtube video to help you out (courtesy DDeden)
Inspired I even browsed for Dhoti. I always wanted to wear one, but never had a chance to try my hands on it. The instruction manual read something like this:
How it is done:
1. The dhoti is one long piece of cloth. Start by folding it in half so that it is half its original length.
2. Drape the dhoti behind you. The stripe should be vertical and held at the top by the left hand. The top of the folded side should be in your right hand and the dhoti should drape almost to the ground behind your heels.
3. Bring together in front of you the folded side in your right hand to meet the stripe side in your left hand.
4. Hold both the folded and stripe side in your left hand and bring them at even tension directly to your left side, keeping the bottom of the dhoti level and near the ground.
5. Hold the stripe side in your left hand as you accordion fold the fold side with your right hand until it is even horizontally with your left leg.
6. There should now be a folded bunch in your right hand. Slightly lift this bunch in your right hand as you bring the stripe side over it to your right side. The dhoti is now wrapped around you. What is left is adjusting the tightness and rolling it down to hold the tension in place.
7. Take the bunch in your right hand twist it slightly together and to the left and slip the top side of the dhoti just over the bunch to hold it in place.
8. Even up the stripe side so that the stripe is vertical and the dhoti drapes level just above the floor.
9. Roll the top of the dhoti down to a comfortable waist level, somewhere below the belly button.
Scary 
I read all the 9 steps, yet it made no sense. Let me try once more, maybe there is somewhere a step by step pictorial procedure that might be more informative.
PS: thanks to Sathiyan for providing me with the link on Dhoti wearing.
Ankur Aggarwal
sree
Sandip Chaudhuri
vbr
skabeesh
[quote]The best way to learn how to drape one is to remove many till you become an expert – in saree wearing that is
) nice one.. but i still wonder why a guy would like to learn how to wear a saree
[/quote]
[quote = Ankur]
[/quote]
Errr u become an expert at removing it as well?
Comment by Sandip Chaudhuri — September 5, 2008 @ 9:19 am
so what level of expertise have u achieved?
Comment by Ankur Aggarwal — September 5, 2008 @ 2:35 pm
a woman should show navel, it is the god gift. wear the saree below two inches from navel, cover slightly with pallu and it should be visible even there is a slight wind……
Comment by prakash — September 16, 2008 @ 10:36 pm
I am a Hispanic woman ( really light skinned ) and I want to take a trip to India. I bought a blue saree but am wondering if I should wear it when I go? I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to dispresct anyone.
Comment by Sav — October 17, 2008 @ 8:24 pm