A dhoti for the wedding, a formal suit/sherwani for the reception, a few more formal pants and trousers and the groom’s wedding shopping is done. You’d be pleasantly surprised to know how the new-age groom chooses his ensemble. He wants to make heads turn and not be overshadowed by the bride. A few days ago, we told how brides and invitees gear up for weddings in summer-friendly fabrics. Here’s a look at silhouettes and fabrics that dress up men.
Shravan Kumar Ramaswamy
Shravan recommends lightweight fabrics such as textured linens, cottons and muls for kurtas and sherwanis. “If you look at the history of our weddings, our ancestors got married wearing cottons, at times dipped in turmeric water. It’s sensible to wear breathable, skin-friendly fabrics for summer,” he says. The designer suggests handmade sherwanis with light cotton shoulder padding. “When the inter-lining is also done in cotton, one doesn’t feel claustrophobic,” he explains.
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Bottom line: “It isn’t unthinkable to wear lighter fabrics for weddings. The bride and the groom also want to enjoy the proceedings. I’ve even designed cotton lehengas for brides,” says Shravan.
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Play with colours, says Ganesh Nallari. “Men are looking beyond the off-whites and gold and trying out yellows, greens and wine reds,” he says. For instance, he designed a mint-green sherwani with a fuchsia lining for a groom. “A neon or fluorescent green would have made it loud. But mint green with lightweight brocade ensured a simple, clean outfit. The fuchsia on collars and cuffs went well with the bride’s orange and pink sari,” he explains.
Designer speak: Opt for season-friendly fabrics such as Chanderis, muga silks, raw silks and lightweight tussars. “Chanderis come in a range of colours and I’ve used them for kurtas. Some men need convincing. Once they know the outfit will not be loud and the bling will be minimal and aesthetic, they are confident,” says Ganesh. A gold sherwani matched with a green dhoti; wine coloured kurta with detailing in gold or silver; a black self-designed bandhgala with a hint of silver detailing on collars are some options.
Bottom line : Ensure a balance of colours between the bride’s and groom’s attire. A touch of bling should do the trick.
Sagar Tenali
Sagar mentions designing for a groom who tied the knot on a warm summer afternoon in Rayalseema. Not an easy task. “Obviously the fabric had to be lightweight and breathable. I designed a sherwani in linen,” he says.
Designer speak: Sagar’s choice of fabrics for this season — cotton, linen, cotton-silk and bamboo fibre. “Wedding ensemble should look grand, so add a crushed silk dupatta. With Telugu weddings having lavish dos for pellikoduku, sangeet and satyanarayan puja, men can choose a variety of outfits,” he says. Apart from classic whites and creams for wedding dhotis, Sagar suggests experimenting with violets, maroons, wine red and sea blue shades. “The sherwanis can have a slight flare and kurtas can be of angarkha style with a variation of yoke on shoulders.
Bottom line: Bling doesn’t go with this weather; so instead of zardosi, opt for thread embroideries with pearls, beads and opaque stones.