Indian wedding has undergone sweeping changes and therefore, wedding dresses have also witnessed a sea-change. Gone are the days when brides used to shop their trousseau from a local shop in a single visit. But now, it’s a different story. Brides and even grooms are choosy and the collection of local shops is hard to please them.
Selection of bridal wear eats up a hell lot of time as bridal ensemble is going to play an important part on that crucial day. This is the reason brides today turn to designer wears and fashion designers are in great demand when the wedding season is in full swing.
There is no doubt that wedding demands a lot of preparation and, hence, many expenses. While your groom and your wedding planner are leaving no stone unturned to make the D-day memorable, you are in a topsy-turvy as to what you should wear on the big day.
But now your worries end here. Some of the famous fashion designers are here to tell you about your bridal dressing, what is hot and not in Indian wedding dressing and moreover, the biggest myth about bridal dressing is shattered.
Colors and Trends
Forget what your friends wore in last season. This year everything is new – from colors to trends. However, it’s a back-to-basics culture. Brides are just crazy for traditional colors. US based fashion designer and founder of SilkThreads Ruby Bhandari says, “I think that brides are finally going back the traditional colors of reds, rusts, maroons in the winters and pinks, creams, and golds in the hotter weather. For a little while, brides were trying to be “high fashion” and choose colors like purples, blues and greens, but now, I think that new brides are beginning to realize that the more traditional colors are what make them look and feel like a queen (which they are on their wedding day).”
Colors to watch out for this season are metallics like antique gold, platinum, pewter, champagne, bronze and copper, says Anita Dongre, a Mumbai based fashion designer. These are a very neutral color palette and suit all skin coloring. Brights are also very much in fashion like raspberry, aubergine, crimson, tangerine and brighter pastels like aquamarine, salmon, mint and butter yellow. A hot trend to follow is ombre shading for saris, skirts and dupattas for a more stylish look.
Your Monsoon Medley
With the arrival of monsoon, tension builds up for brides about what to wear. It’s always difficult to make a perfect choice when showers swamp the India. Dongre says, “The most popular bridal wear for the young brides are usually lehengas, heavily embellished kurta sets and saris. For cocktail wear one can opt for corsets teamed with fitted skirts and stoles jazzed up with swarovskis and sequins. For traditional rituals a classic style is more suited to the occasion.”
Grooms also join the designer-wear Bandwagon
Designer wears are not only for girls, grooms are no less fashionable than girls as grooms also get their dresses designed. Ruby adds that SilkThreads works with a lot of grooms. She observes, “They are much savvier about their outfits for their weddings than a few years ago - the ethnic look has been in for a while - typically Sherwanis, with matching embroidery as the bride, matching embroidered shoes, or open jackets with embroidered vests. They are becoming more adventurous as far as colors are concerned, experimenting with splashes of orange, turquoise, magenta, etc.”
While among Indian grooms, favorites are bandhgalas, sherwanis, textured kurtas and unlined jackets for semi-formal looks, adds Dongre. Fabrics can range from jacquards, linens, brocades and silks.
Wedding Dressing Market 2008
More wedding, more buzz in the market. Speaking about US market, Ruby says this year has had more weddings than what we saw at the turn of the century. The difference is that now, brides are more educated about embroideries and fabrics and want to design or choose their own clothing, but do not have time to go to India due to their busy work schedules. So, our job is to bring the heart of India to the American Desi brides by offering a large selection of designer bridal wear in house “ready to wear”, as well as a designer on staff that can put together a dress and grooms attire and the matching accessories to make the perfect wedding ensemble!
While in India, the trend is inching towards sophisticated flamboyance. Embellishments involve use of antique gold, swarovskis, glass beads and lots of fabric effects in tonal and contrast looks. Ombre is also another look to watch out for along with metallics this season. A total coordinated look is boring and it is far trendier to mix various elements to make a unique fashion statement.
The Myth
The biggest myth is that brides should wait on designing their bridal dresses as long as possible so that they can have to follow the latest fashion. In reality, bridal wear doesn’t really “go out of fashion”. Your bridal attire is about “you” and who you are. It is supposed to compliment your skin color and body type so that your photography is complimenting to you. You need to design your dress so that your photographs look beautiful even after 50 years.
According to Dongre, a very common myth and a mistake brides end up making is over embellishment, therefore making an OTT style statement. Bridal wear is not all about being overly done up but choosing key pieces that make up a certain style quotient. For example it is interesting to pair a muted embroidered skirt with a crystal embellished choli and maybe a leheriya dupatta embroidered with both elements involved.
A word of advice
Before you decide your final wedding date, start looking your favorite halls, entertainers and caterers and see what dates are still available so that you can book the ones that you really like. Most couples do exactly the opposite…They decide the date and then find out that many of their favorite venues are already booked. Why settle for less?