In-Trend Bridal Lehenga Styles for Indian Weddings

Be it weddings, festive occasions, or Dandiya-Raas outings, lehengas, with origins in Rajasthan, have long been a favorite for Indian women. Bridal lehengas particularly, have undergone many improvisations to come up with a traditional yet contemporay look. Heavy lehengas, with options like brocade, silk, zari, stone, crystal embellishments are a perfect choice winters. The lehenga, the choli and blouse, each is an important part of the whole bridal get-up.

Talking of bridal lehengas, contemporary versions of the choli, like fitting corsets and bikini patterned blouses are a result of years of improvisation, majorly to suit current trends and preferences. Then again, the choli could have a resham dori hanging by the back, or one could go for backless styles, thereby adding a contemporary touch to this traditional attire. But ideas don’t stop there- a hot favorite this season seems to be the halter neckline or a strapless blouse, to up the oomph factor on your wedding day. Hence, every little detail, be it the lehenga, choli, or dupatta, can be played with to enhance your look. Also, in bridal lehengas, women have started to experiment with colors, drifting away from the usual reds. The newest trends include multi-colored panels- where the different layers form a vibrant mix, also giving a modern appeal to you attire.

TV Soaps and Bollywood influences like movies- Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Paheli have helped bring back the glamor associated with the authentic, traditional, lehenga-choli look, thereby making ‘traditional’ the new ‘fashionable’. Over the years, heavy borders of gota-patti, or intricate embroidery, has gone up the preference chart for women, when it comes to wedding lehengas. One of the hottest trends for 2013 would be wearing a silk blouse and lehenga, with the dupatta being of a flowing fabric, for instance, chiffon, adorned with embellishments to keep the glamor quotient intact. The lehenga saree is the look to don this festive if you’re in the mood to try something new. Merging the look of a lehenga with that of a saree, the outcome is a wonderful blend of classic styles that have only gotten better with time. The best part is, the lehenga-saree only resembles a saree, but is as comfortable as a long skirt, thanks to the absence of pleats.

With the approaching Dandiya Raas celebrations, women are stocking up on new party-wear lehengas. But this time around, instead of going for the usual heavy-embellished look, women are opting for shades like cream, and white, a favorite with the likes of Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor this year. Also, floral prints on a white lehenga seem to have made a grand, fashionable entry this year. Bandhej pattern with inricate mirror work refuse to go out of vogue, year in year out. For those who like to stick to the decade old, evergreen look, options are aplenty. Vivid colors, or contrasting mix-matches are a great style to try too.

Designer lehengas are an option a woman would surely want to consider for special occasions. Meera- Muzaffar Ali recently came out with an elegant white-gold lehenga choli combo, once again reminding us of the shift to shades like white and cream this year, for lehengas. Swarovski crystals, beads, kundan and other embellishments end up giving you a wholly grand and royal look. The Shehlaa collection by designer Shehla Khan, and Debarum have brought back focus on the floral prints, taking you back to the 1950s.

Be it designer lehengas, or party-wear lehengas, or the different drapes and styles, women have a wide variety of outfits to choose from. With the boom in online shopping, one can do the same sitting in the comforts of one’s home.