bridal wear

It’s the wedding season, ladies! With so many options out there, I’ve handpicked my favourite pieces for this wedding season by theme- colours, styling, silhouettes etc. Take a look and let these gorgeous outfits inspire you for the sangeets, mehendis, weddings or receptions you attend this festive season!

Which theme is your fave and which outfit makes it to your must-have list?

Minimal embellishment and simple silhouette with a heavy dupatta (Shyamal & Bhumika)

Print and embellishment worn two ways: on separate garments (Monisha Jaising) and on the same (Krishna Mehta)

Kurtas with pants: 3 ways! Worn with dhoti pants (Sva), with straight-cut pants (Anita Dongre), and with loose pants (Vikram Phadnis)

And now for the colours…

Unusual colour combos: Red, beige and blue (Ritu Kumar), yellow and dark blue (Vikram Phadnis)

Reds and pinks (Anju Modi, Anita Dongre, Anushree Reddy)

Turquoise (Shehlaa Khan and Sva)

White and off-white, looks great with gold! (Ritu Kumar and Vikram Phadnis)

Black… yes, it’s now a legit festive colour! (Arpita Mehta)

Happy wedding shopping and dressing! 🙂

In 2013, Bride & Style, Fashion

IBFW: Hot colours, new looks, WTFashion moments & more…

Speaking ChicAugust 7, 2013August 7, 2013Leave a comment

Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week Delhi 2013 drew to an end last week, so here’s a quick look at some “trends” I observed from the various shows.

Brides want to try new styles…
A whole new set of designers are experimenting with bridal wear and creating radically new looks for the modern Indian bride. While Falguni & Shane Peacock did a goth bride, Shantanu-Nikhil used sharp silhouettes and unusual neckline shapes for their bridal outfits. (Below: Neha Dhupia for Falguni & Shane Peacock, Shantanu-Nikhil)

… While some designers look at the past
Mughal, Renaissance and Kotwara influences- the days of yore fascinate designers, brides and fashion-loving Indians in equal measure. (Below: Meera Muzaffar Ali, Ashima-Leena)

Hot colours for brides are oranges and nudes
Jewel tones like rich purple, bright blue and peacock green have almost disappeared from most designers’ colour palette, in favour of orange, coral and peach shades, with nude, ivory and beige. Must say that some shades of orange I saw on the ramp were delicious. 😉 (Below: Ashima-Leena; Tarun Tahiliani)

Gold is still the black of Indian bridal wear
Embellishments are golden… ’nuff said. Us Indians will always be obsessed with the yellow metal. (Below: Sonam Kapoor for Rohit Bal; Suneet Varma)

Fashion weeks will never be short of WTFashion moments
From Rina Dhaka’s overtly kitsch collection to some sort of headbands at Adarsh Gill, ramp shows will always have some seriously WTFashion styles. (Below: Adarsh Gill, Rina Dhaka)

What did you think of the collections at Aamby Valley India Bridal Fashion Week?

In 2013, Fashion

India Bridal Fashion Week: 5 outfits I want to wear to my wedding

Speaking ChicAugust 5, 2013August 5, 2013Leave a comment

My big day is barely four months away, and India Bridal Fashion Week Delhi 2013 came along at the right time. Looking at all the pictures from the week gave me a good idea of outfits I could try, some embellishment options I could explore, or hot colours for brides over the next few months.

Here’s my pick of the outfits I’d choose to wear for my wedding (and the related ceremonies). My top choices range from lehengas for the wedding ceremony to gowns for the sangeet. Which outfit is your favourite from these?

In Bride & Style

Bride & Style: All the pre-wedding style madness!

Speaking ChicJuly 10, 2013July 10, 20131 Comment

Gentle reader, I am getting married! And needless to say, I will be blogging about it. OK, maybe not the wedding per se, but the fashion.

Since I’m a fashion buff, fashion will play a HUGE role at my wedding and the related occasions. Clothes, accessories, jewellery, makeup, hair… it’s going to be a tremendous effort to sort these out, and the next few months will test my management and styling skills to the maximum. And I’m up for the challenge! 🙂

Of course I am hoping for a perfect wedding like every other bride, but mine isn’t going to be a grand Rajasthan wedding or a glamourous Bollywood affair. Nor will it be a super quiet affair with five people in attendance. You get the idea…

So what should I wear? How do I get the perfect outfit within X budget? How many outfits do I need in my trousseau? How do I match the accessories and makeup? Questions, questions and more questions a bride needs to answer, and I will be blogging about all of them (and more) over the next few months. So expect my experiences, rants, and the WOW moments, maybe a few handy tips along the way.

Hope you enjoy the bridal “special” and learn from my mistakes. Do leave your advice and tips for me. Thanks!

(PS – Picture from Bhairavi Jaikishen at LFW Summer Resort 2013)

In 2012, Fashion

Chic Watch: Anita Dongre’s Jaipur Bride is a fascinating fashion video

Speaking ChicAugust 28, 2012August 28, 2012Leave a comment

Fashion videos are not new. Internationally, luxury brands like Dior and Prada have created fascinating videos that are beyond product showcases, and standalone works of art.

In India, I think Anita Dongre is among the first Indian designers to present a fashion video (for her Timeless label). And what a video it is!

The Jaipur Bride is a two-minute video featuring Jyothsna Chakravarthy twirling in Anita Dongre’s signature lehengas with gota patti work. In the flared skirts and sexy cholis, the sublime bride wanders around the hauntingly beautiful Vidyadhar Ji Bagh in Jaipur.

The new age rendition of the Gayatri Mantra, Jyotsna’s mesmerizing eyes and the empty centuries-old fortress gave me goosebumps. I felt I was looking at a Rajasthani princess at her maternal home, waiting for her long-lost beloved prince. Take a look:

With ace cinematographer Colstan Julian’s skilled eye capturing the arid royal residence, and soundtrack by DJ Sayem World of Flowers, this video is not to be missed.

I can’t wait for more designers to give video creation a shot. I would love to hear stories narrated through the videos- they would make epic short films. What better way to portray the twirl of fabric, the beauty of a garment than the audio visual medium?

In Fashion

Synergy1 Delhi Couture Week highlights: Manish Malhotra re-creates early 20th century Indian royalty

Speaking ChicJuly 28, 2011Leave a comment

Ace designer Manish Malhotra’s collection at Syngergy1 Delhi Couture Week 2011 sought inspiration from Indian royalty’s fashion choices from the 1920s to 1940s. Indian princes, princesses and maharanis largely stuck to traditional Indian wear, but their style was marked by a distinct British influence for at least a couple of decades.

Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor kicked off the show:

The colour palette for women included cherry reds and burgundys with tones of mint green, aqua, and off-whites. The heavily-embroidered lehengas and kurtas were easy and voluminous, while the highly structured hair provided a contrasting look.

The color story for menswear comprised blacks, burgundys, royal blue, beiges and gold—all very royal colours!

The final walk down the ramp with Manish Malhotra was a dazzling visual!

In 2011, Accessories, Advice, Beauty, Fashion, jewellery, makeup, Shopping, trends

Chic guide: Fashionable (and affordable) things to do this week

Speaking ChicJune 13, 2011Leave a comment

Category: Fashion

Budget: Up to Rs 10,000

What to do: Shop designers for less

Designer steals aren’t restricted to online sales sites that deliver dresses by the time they’re out of season. Ensemble’s Styles for Less promotion is a great way to grab top Indian fashion designers like Rajesh Pratap, Wendell Rodricks, Tarun Tahiliani, Cue By Rahul and Rohit Gandhi, Savio Jon, Pankaj & Nidhi, Gaurav Gupta and Prashant Verma for Rs 10,000 or less! The range of designs will be a fashion lover’s delight: from casual tops to dressy numbers. Our cards are ready to be swiped.

Styles for Less is on till June 17, 2011 at Ensemble—Kemps Corner, Mumbai.

Category: Accessories

Budget: Up to Rs 5000

What to do: Go for blue

Oxidised silver jewellery will always be a great option to go with traditional wear, so bring a dash of turquoise to your jewellery box (we like this little set from Amrapali—below left). And while you’re at it, don’t ignore blues for casual wear (necklace from Toniq)!

Category: Beauty/ Makeup

Budget: Up to Rs 1000

What to do: Update your eye makeup for monsoon

The drops of joy every monsoon can be a nightmare for us girls who love our makeup. So stock up on Lakmé’s newest eye makeup products from its popular Nine to Five range. The Forever Silk Eyeliner and Kohl Ultimate are long-lasting, smudge-proof and water-resistant. The Forever Silk Eyeliner comes in seven metallic shades while the Kohl Ultimate is a kohl, smudger and sharpener all in one stick.

Forever Silk Eyeliner is priced at Rs 395; Kohl Ultimate is for Rs 650.

What chic things are you planning to do this week?

In Fashion, trends, Wedding

Wedding fashion: Chic embroidered jackets for sangeet

Speaking ChicDecember 7, 2010Leave a comment

A richly-embroidered jacket for weddings has been on my wish list for a very long time now. And after thinking about it over and over again, I think it’s the right time to buy one. 🙂

Embroidered jackets look elegant and sophisticated, and are ideal for traditional gatherings such as the sangeet. I’ve seen some women wearing such jackets at weddings too.

Left: Rohit Bal jacket; Right: mapxencaRS by Riddhi & Siddhi

How to wear embroidered jackets:

Make the exquisite jacket the focal point of your look. Wear your jacket with a simple kurta and churidar in the same or contrasting colour.
Or go casual with a comfortable camisole and tight pants/ knit leggings/ churidar.
Experiment with your silhouette by pairing your jacket with loose pants, lehenga or skirt.
If you’re petite, add on a pair of high heels (no wedges, please). Stilettos, pointy toes, and peep toes would bring a touch of class and grace to your look.
Keep the jewellery subtle and minimal (you want people to look at your jacket, right?)
Walk tall!

Would you like to add an embroidered jacket to your wardrobe?

Wedding Fashion: Saris dipped in gold

Wedding fashion: Let the kalidar kurtas bloom

In Fashion, sari, trends

Wedding picks: Top sari and lehenga trends

Speaking ChicNovember 25, 2010Leave a comment

As promised, Speaking Chic brings you a special wedding wear series. Our series is not just for Indian brides, but for all our readers who are attending weddings of their friends, family and relatives over the next couple of months.

We kickstart our wedding 2010-2011 series with our top sari, lehenga and churidar-kurtas trends for Indian weddings.

Jewel Tones

Indian weddings are delightfully colourful. Wear jewel tones to make a striking appearance at the wedding, but make sure it’s not ostentatious or loud. (Shyamal & Bhumika lehenga below.)

Printed

Who says printed saris should be restricted to day wear? Embellished printed saris look rich, festive and traditional, and can be worn to a wedding with the right jewellery. Take a look at the Satya Paul creation below:

Shruti Hassan is wearing a blue silk sari with embellishments on the border and blouse (bodice and cuffs).

More hot trends to wear (for sari, lehengas and other Indian wedding wear) coming soon. Stay tuned!

In Celebs

Fashion News: Big wedding in Bigg Boss!

Speaking ChicNovember 10, 2010Leave a comment

My first thought when I heard about the Sara Khan-Ali Merchant wedding on Bigg Boss 4: “OMG, what are they gonna wear? Track pants?!”

Turns out I need not worry: Bigg Boss has roped in designer Vikram Phadnis to design exclusive wedding outfits for the couple! Here are some preliminary sketches Vikram has made for the young couple. No one knows the final designs yet, but we need to wait just a bit to satisfy our curiosity.

What Sara will wear

Sara Khan will wear an exquisite lehenga embellished with intricate zardosi, gota and kundan embroidery, artistic motifs with gentle fluid drapes in vivid colours.

But which of these lehengas will Sara wear? Take your pick:

Sara’s jewellery

Kundan and jadau polki from Jaipur.

What Ali will wear

Sherwani in soft colours, embellished in antique gold and paired with a patchwork stole.

Are you looking forward to Sara and Ali’s wedding outfits on Bigg Boss 4?

Showing all posts tagged bridal wear

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