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The bride is now being given an attire that will make her look beautiful on the
The very first one is that you should not outshine the bride of the day. It is like any other wedding tradition. In Christian weddings white is the colour reserved for the bride, and in 1982 the famous prima donna, Grace Kelly, the Queen of Monaco in Europe, got into the bad books of the fashionistas by dressing in white for attending Princess Diana’s marriage. So, your Banarasi costing nearly Rs 2 lakh is a no no for attending your first cousin’s marriage. This practical problem has made our brides to plan for a trousseau that can be used again, combined with mix ‘n’ match dress. Trousseaus had a different value in olden days. It was mainly for wearing when you move to your husband’s house, when your in-laws would like to show off their daughter-in-law to relatives and friends. Nowadays even in Chennai (the most conservative of our metros) this is no longer true, and a week or fortnight after the marriage, you are in the midst of your office parties, where the mehenga ( costly) lehenga choli would not be appreciated. As such, for the middle class bride, new set of rules have come while selecting the most important dress of her life, very grand but not at all showy. "After spending a huge amount on the wedding trousseau, it shouldn’t be a one-time wear. So we give brides-to-be attires that make them look stunning on their all-important day, and will also help them retain the gorgeous look on other occasions with the same attire, or a combination with other dresses, explains fashion designer Tarini Sharma of Ahmedabad, and adds: " Present-day brides are ready to experiment new styles. Lehngas with long jackets with corseted blouses and full-flared skirts with full sleeves, band gala and short cholis are in this season." Fashion designers are reconciled to this change of attitude and, as Rajen Sarkar of kolkata says: "Today’s brides have a variety of designs to choose from. We give them pre-pleated saris, saris with soft drapes, or saris with long separate duppattas, which transform the simple sari to a different level of chic. This makes a bride look young, beautiful and trendy. At the same time, she adheres to her traditions and dazzle on her day." Fashion maestros opine that in this marriage season two distinctive dresses would be lehengas and then the traditional sari with an ethnic feel. The idea is to make the dress look and feel very old-worldy and yet a have a multi- textured blend with modern accessories and embellishments that are vintage. The traditional ghagra, the favourite dress in north India, continues to be popular amongst brides, but the styling has changed. Now the ghagra has a modern touch with eight or 16 kalis (panels), or it can even have the mermaid cut (close fit at hips and flaring at the bottom). These have caught the imagination of young brides, and lehengas with long jackets or with corseted tops with moderate embroidery and western gown of embroidered silk are likely to form part of the various social rituals that are essential before the muhurat. Designer duo Radhika and Mrinalini Jain advise that a bride should go for colours that are not too gaudy, so she can always use them for special occasions. "The contemporary bride should be a blend of tradition and modernity. Modern bridal line has a base of earthy shades with motifs, semi-precious stones, crystals and sequins. The bright-coloured clothes we wear for the wedding are used only for one day and then locked in the closet, but these shades can go for other parties too, " adds Radhika. Indira Khaturia of Mumbai, specialising in wedding saris, opines that in fabrics also there would be a distinct shift from rich brocade and heavy silks when it comes to urban marriages, whereas in rural areas the grandeur of these fabrics would continue. In cities textured fabrics with kundan or stone embroideries give the bridals a rich look. "This matched with net dupattas will add the glam touch. Further, there are several types of fabrics in vogue now — net, silk, woven net, embossed net, which can take light to heavy embroidery of stones, zari and sequins, and make a bridal attire appear more beautiful, and yet suitable enough for wearing on social occasions." Yes, the contemporary
bride is bolder, and the latest trends give her an opportunity to go
with an Indo-western look. And that’s exactly what today’s bride
is looking for — a modern interpretation to a classic look in a
limited budget. — MF
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THERE
is a sea change blowing in the case of wedding trousseau for gals.
Statistics reveal that the gorgeous dress you wore for your wedding
can rarely be used again. Remember that Indian weddings are the
flashiest functions you can attend. But you cannot wear your trousseau
for any other wedding, as there are certain guidelines.