There’s only one rule when you’re dressing to attend any wedding: don’t outshine the bride and groom. But that doesn’t mean you have to go with a staid sari or a tired out anarkali. Guests are experimenting with traditional and contemporary styles to stand out in the crowd with chic and elegant ensembles.
As much as wedding celebrations have evolved and adopted different cultures over the years, when it comes to clothing, everyone prefers to go ethnic. Even now, folks don’t want to stray too far off that path. Sandeep Ravi of Chennai-based Studio 9696 says, “Lehengas and saris have been all-time favourites at Indian weddings. What people want now are twists and tweaks on similar designs.”
This season, he says, there has been a move towards traditional lehengas. “The difference is that people are losing the dupatta and going for off-shoulder or cold-shoulder styles for the blouse. You either pair a heavy lehenga with a simple blouse or the other way round; this minimalism creates a balanced look. Though the silhouettes remain classic, there is a drastic change in the embroidery, with the acceptance of unconventional materials like feathers, fabric textures and 3D elements.”
Diya Arora of the DiyaRajvvir label from Mumbai, suggests that dhoti pants are “the next best thing to conventional wedding attire. Complement them with an embellished choli or a quirky printed crop top and a cape. For a formal evening look, you can pair dark-shaded dhoti pants with a zardosi peplum top.”
Jumpsuits and cape-style gowns are also making their presence felt, and when styled ethnically or embellished with traditional work, don’t look out of place in a sangeet or mehendi. Flared jumpsuits that are easy to slip on are making an entry into the bridesmaid category too.
“The pre-draped sari, commonly known as the sari gown, has been around for a few seasons, but it has evolved. Transparency has been quite an evident feature, and gives a modest look, unlike the bare back that was predominant a while ago. Using sheer material in different parts of the garment adds an edgy feel to the outfit,” says Sandeep.
Summer is all about light flowy fabrics that let your skin breath in the heat, says Diya. She recommends crepe, satin or georgette. “For tops, try an embellished and festive brocade or even the very modern neoprene top. If you’re adding a cape to the look, make sure it’s lace or net.”
When it comes to colours, Rajvvir Arora, says, “Opt for pastel shades like blush, beige and sea green, with Swarovski crystal and bead work. The Pantone shades of rose quartz and serenity, summer shades of beige, turquoise, aqua blue, tangerines, and sunshine yellow are very ideal for day wear. For evening, the same colour palette in deeper shades works well, like deep purple, royal blue and fuchsia.”
Other popular colours this season, as showcased in Delhi-based Dimple Raghani’s collections, are English rose, powder blues, lavender, golden peach and champagne gold. She recommends palazzos, capes, drapes, fluid and Indian styles with rose and vine motifs embellished with kasab, zardosi, sequins, kardana, rhinestones or resham.
Men aren’t getting left behind in this trend, says Rajvvir. “For a day wedding, they could sport powder blue or baby pink jackets with slight adornments on the lapel or a crest on the pocket.” For example, their collection of jackets have golden embellished bee motifs and hand-painted colourful florals; Studio 9696 takes the not-so-subtle route, splashing an embroidered dragonfly across men’s waistcoats and kurtas. It’s certainly considered cool to be quirky, as ice-creams, candies and animal prints are making their presence felt on ethnic wear.
If you’re making all the effort to dress up, hopefully you manage to catch the eye of the candid photographers lurking around at the reception. Anything for a professionally shot display picture for Facebook and Instagram, right?
