Haute Indian summer
This summer calls for easy, breezy and unconventional takes on traditional occasion wear for the wedding season.
It takes a lot of effort to stay cool as a summer bride in India, and given the extreme weather one has to think something completely out-of-the-box to shine on without breaking a sweat. Summer weddings demand easy-breezy yet stylish outfits and considering the current summer wedding trends, it is safe to say that the traditional wedding colours like red, green and pinks are now being replaced by florals and pastels. The amalgamation of modern silhouettes with the traditional handloom fabric has made current-day occasion wear essentially rooted in Indian heritage, which appeals to all kinds of brides.
Start with saree: When we think of weddings, vibrant or jewel-toned saree are the first thing we think off but for summer weddings one can go for light colour Benarasi saree that can make you stand out and look elegant. In the last few years, there is a rise in the number of young girls buying saree instead of lehengas for summer weddings, highlights designer Vidhi Singhania. She adds, “Sarees are versatile and can be draped in many ways from traditional to fun, sporty or business. With a myriad of sarees available in lighter fabrics, vibrant and pastel colours it make for the perfect summertime wedding ensembles. One can choose to sport a traditional drape for the wedding ceremony, or pick a fun and slightly more experimental drape and pairing it with a unique blouse design. A saree teamed with capes is also a modern take on the typical Indian wear for special occasions, or simply go for a heavy embroidered blouse and drape a light colour saree to break the monotony.”
Make it fun: For mehendi and cocktail ceremonies, we can see a fusion of western and Indian wear, mix ‘n’ match style sensibilities. Designer Abhinav Mishra, opines, “Brides and bridesmaids can be seen wearing a beautiful solid bralette or crop tops instead of a traditional basic blouse with their lehengas and sarees. One can add embellished statement neck piece, traditional bangles, and a mangtika to enhance the look. I think this is the beauty of fusion style that we can experiment with the outfits and accordingly accessorise the whole attire to add an unconventional twist.”
Out of box styling: If you want to think beyond lehenga and sarees, think unconventional ideas like sharara, sarees with pants or salwar kameez with a twist. Designer Gautam Gupta, says, “Today’s salwar kameez for the wedding has either given ways to shararas or full-length Anarkali. Even the kurta is becoming more playful by making it more shapes and styles, keeping yokes conventional and adding them below the high waistline. Making sharara frill style or using stitching texture such as pleating or slits for Mehendi and other such events can add a fun element. Drape sari is already a classic, but what’s evolved is pairing it with trouser, dhotis, belts to give it a more personal touch.”
The key is to keep the balance between heavily beaded, or very intricate/handwork ethnic pieces with simple solids that are complimentary from Western wardrobe to give a fresh, sophisticated, modern refined look. Designer Tina Tandon suggests matching Western tops with traditional lehengha skirts to give a fresh look. “A simple crisp white button down shirt, with a Brocade lehengha skirt could look very modern, elegant and chic. Pair it with a nice ethnic choker or necklace to give it an ultra glam ethnic look. You can also pair a solid color ruffle shirt with a lengha skirt and accessorize with big ethnic earrings. “
Play with accessories: Summer season is in itself calls for happy trends, versatile attires, and vibrant colours. When it comes to summer weddings, possibilities to experiment with your sartorial choices are endless, but the trick is to pick the right accessory to enhance the glam factor for your Mehendi or cocktail day, says designer Nikasha. She suggests, “Fusion of Indo-Western outfits has brought in an era of beautiful boho skirts paired with solid blouse and replacing the dupatta with beautiful capes, counting from flower jewellery on a Mehendi function to bold earrings or a chunky necklace stealing the show on a cocktail night, we can see Indian girls bringing the best to their big-day festivities. One should keep in mind the charm that a perfect hairstyle can bring to your outfit, fishtail braids, vintage curls, or a messy bun can quickly accentuate the look of your whole outfit.”