Colour of winter

Mona

Aaj tak aisi koi thand nahi bani jo ladlkiyon ko lag sake... goes the popular joke when talking about women and winter dressing! Style top notch, shine brilliant, colour jewel tone — has been the reigning mantra for the folks up north, especially in winter when plenty of weddings and parties are lined up. 

We enlist help from famous designers to ensure that you carry the bling with some warmth layered in. 

Tradition with a twist

For winter weddings, couturier Jayanti Reddy makes a case for ‘tradition with a twist’.  “For mehendi dos, the favourite colours are mustard, pale blue, green and a combination of purple, fuchsia and orange,” says Reddy. Twist it by adorning a contrasting colour like violet to bring out the warmth of the ‘haldi’. Slay the chic Anarkali or lehenga and bring some royalty to your attire, a la her ‘Benares & Beyond’ collection.

floral choice

Vibrant floral prints and embroidery motifs in supple luxurious fabrics, delicately hand-embroidered with zardozi and resham threads doused in ivory pearls, is at the core of Bhumika Sharma’s Hera collection. Deep colours, rich textures as well as intricate embroideries in classic and effortless silhouettes resonate with elegance. 

Play up the jewels

Play up the accessories, opine designers Mehar Juneja and Navroze Kochar from MÉRO. Experiment with the sleeves of your blouses, jackets or coats. You can break the monotony of woollens by adding some trendy jewellery to your outfit for that extra bling.  

Classic dress

Now that the verdict is in favour of classic blue for 2020, get a step ahead with a long dress, which remains a classic choice. “An ornate jacket, brocade skirt with a big chunky earpiece could work well,” says designer Shahin Manan.

Versatile separates

“Investing in versatile separates is the key,” says designer Veerali Raveshia from LOKA. Think of an embroidered jacket, which can be worn over a saree, or a bustier and a lehenga or even plain silk pants. Mixing classic pieces from your wardrobe with your Indian ensemble adds a contemporary spin to the outfit. Team your satin blouses or silk shirts with a high-waist lehenga and just add some jewellery with Indian accents. “Also, what’s important is to retain your distinct style while having fun with layering. This way you can wear your Indian outfits in more ways than one.”

All that Bling

• Think warm and bright with Benarasi silk, which is very light and flowy. Bride or bridesmaid, one can play with colour and cuts. 
• Benarasi is a not only a fabric, it’s a legacy. Lehengas are rich, classy, timeless, and have an understated glamour of their own. If you are going to be a bridesmaid, then choose light-work lehenga. Play with colours — blue lehenga along with yellow dupatta or coordinate pink lehenga with royal blue dupatta. 
• If you are not a lehenga person, you can choose a suit with little bit of mirror-work around the neck and sleeves. You can wear kundan earings along with kundan kadha. Add a sparkle with a nose pin. 
• Fresh colours always rock. Opt for a white simple Anarkali with sea green dupatta, adorn it with a maang tika. 
• This season is all about dreamy, fluid drapes. From tunics to dupattas, romantic cowl hemlines to wispy flowing layers, drapes add just that touch of edge to wistful soft silhouettes. 
• If Indian-wear is not your style, go for blazer with desi print. A regular top along with embroidery jacket with a small embroidery clutch is festive, yet minimal. 

— Ankit Singla, Punjla