Bawree Blog

Mumtaz saree

The orange saree worn by Mumtaz- in ‘Aaj Kal there a mere Pyar ’ song in the 1968 film ‘Brahmachari’ -became an instant hit. The saree, draped in an unusual manner, became a new and stylish way of flaunting a thin frame. The style is still known by all and sundry as the ‘Mumtaz saree’.
‘Hum Aap ki Hai Kaun’ outfit

The heavily embroidered eye-catching purple saree worn by Madhuri Dixit in ‘Didi tera dewar…’ in the movie ‘Hum Aapke Hai Kaun’ was on high demand in the market at that time. The backless blouse added to the ‘oomph factor’ and the design was given a ‘thumbs up’ by the women in India.

Chiffon sarees

Sridevi, clad in a chiffon blue saree in ‘Mr.India’, had increased the hotness level and changed the stereotypical ‘Sati Savitri’ image that was usually related to a woman in a saree. A simple chiffon saree could set the temperature soaring – that’s what her look proved. Apart from ‘Kaate nahin kat te’, this Southern siren donned a red one for the song ‘Har kissi ko’ from the movie ‘Jaanbaz’. Chiffon sarees

Bobby’ print

Dimple Kapadia, at a tender age of 17, became a youth fashion icon in 1973, all thanks to her ‘knotted polka-dotted shirt and hot black mini’, which she wore in the movie ‘Bobby’. Till date, the polka-dot print is famously known as ‘Bobby print’ in India. This print was a massive hit among not only women but also men at that time. ‘Bobby’ print

‘Retro-style’ Bell-bottoms

In 1970s, Bollywood actresses like Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Hema Malini and Neetu Singh were often seen on the silver screen wearing bell-bottoms paired with over-sized glasses. This ‘retro look’, witnessed in movies like ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, ‘Trishul’, ‘Maha Chor’, ‘Yaadon Ki Baraat´, etc. motivated young girls in India to dress up in this style. ‘Retro-style’ Bell-bottoms

Anarkali suits

Anarkali suits are still favoured by many; and the list includes top Bollywood actresses like Aishwarya Rai, Katrina Kaif, Rani Mukherjee and so on. The birth of this trend dates back to 1960, when the beautiful Madhubala, who played the character of Anarkali in ‘Mughal -E- Azam’, donned the suits. It is from there this apparel got its name ‘Anarkali’. ‘Anarkali’ suits

Patiala with long T-shirt

The Indian audience not only liked the ‘extra chirpy and lively’ Kareena Kapoor in the movie ‘Jab We Met’, but even madly followed her much appreciated indo-western look in the movie. The ‘Patiala and long T-shirt’ combo was so popular that it soon became a must have for young girls, given the fact that it is comfortable yet stylish.

Every year there are over 200 fashion weeks taking place worldwide.

A dozen of them happen here in India and bridal fashion has overridden almost all other fashion weeks in terms of prominence. All the major fashion designers and design houses focus largely on the multibillion booming wedding industry in India. They generate their revenues primarily from dressing up the DULHA- DULHAN and the rest of the fashion savvy crowd of uncles, aunties and cousins too.

Indians love their weddings. They spend lavishly not only on the arrangements ,not only on food and entertainment ,but a large chunk of it goes into the clothing, jewellery and other forms of ornamentations for the bride. And brides now a days are more than happy to let the term ” pampering” mean a whole new world of indulgences. They want to make the most of their newly acquired fashion liberties and desires. In this quest, experimentation has become the key factor.

The wardrobe choices, the trousseau selection and the impeccable sense of individualism rather than affirmation to traditional dictums, is the new bridal fashion mantra. The color scheme has not escaped the dramatic make over either.

Traditionally, Bridal fashion has always meant red, pinks and maroons. But the new age brides of modern India love to go a little away from the conventional and be a show-stealer. Recent bridal fashion weeks saw ace designers tap just this, and set a new trend in bridal fashion- white, beige and black.

There has been a paradigm of shift in design choices, the color palette and the silhouettes. Black which has for the longest time reigned supreme as the color of the inauspicious and a ceremonial taboo is now ironically seeing brides vying for it for their big day ceremonies. Not just gowns and LBDs, lehngas and saris are getting the Goth color inspirations. Monisha Jaisingh, Anju Modi, Varun Bahl have all shown an entire line of noirs in the black scheme.

Another unusual color which is looking beautifully apt for the bride this season is white. The obvious choice of brides in the western world has not been a conventional color for Indian brides so far. In India , white is the color of mourning, And yet brides today have shunned the convention and created a trail of pristine white fashion as a wardrobe must have. The unconventional colour looked stunning as shown on lehngas by fashion moghuls such as JJ Valaya, Meera and Muzaffar Ali and Rohit Bal in the recently concluded Bridal Fashion Weeks.

The other colours that are fast replacing the conventional hues are the pastels and blues. Normally considered sub terrain colours for trousseau, they are becoming mainframe for the actual wedding ceremony itself. Brides love to look regal and yet different, without looking too loud or over the top. So by picking a light color ,they leave room for experimentation with accessories and make up. By making subtle color choices, they are letting the diva in them make a bold ,confident ,out of the box statement that makes them a bride like none other. The day colors or the summer colors of powder blue, beige and lime green are replacing the bold peacock hues that dominate the wedding season country wide. Bling has turned a new shade of pale, literally! The creator of fashionable romance on celluloid, the very hot Manish Malhotra will vouch for it.

The shedding of conventions has become a wonderful trend in itself as it gives wider choice in terms of styling and innovation. So hemlines, structuring, designing apart, let the color scheme dominate your style preferences this wedding season.

India is a country of royalties who loved rich silks, long flowy fabrics, rich thread embroideries, gold embroideries, traditional handmade ornament detailing on the fabrics. We are blessed with an ever evolving incorporation of those into modern day fashion. There are endless choices when it comes to women’s Indian ethnic wear, there is a classic style salwar-suit and numerous modern twists of it. There is but one garment that will never go out of style and always will be the most sensuous one to make any woman look beautiful, that is Saree.

While Saree is the most popular , wearable and hands down winner on the ramp of traditional Indian wear, salwar-suit has to be the most practical, sensible and easy to wear Indian ethnic wear for women. Salwar-suit has caught the fancy of womanhood abroad too.

Here are a few tips on choosing the Right type of salwar-suit –

1. Salwar suits are like air-conditioners, they can be made to adjust your body type. Depending on the fit, they can make you look slim or plump. Basically, salwar-suit makes a woman look slimmer and shapely.

2. If you are a bit on the bulky side, choose fabrics like soft silk, crepe, soft cotton, linen, georgette. Polyester or chiffon would hang away from your body making you look bigger. Silky fabrics that cling just a bit, are a good choice for you.

3. Also fabric blends with spandex; lycra like stretchable fabrics should be chosen very carefully, as they will tend to stick to the curves of your body accentuating them in bad manner.
4. If you are too slim and would want to add some volume to your figure, go for heavy silks, jute, thick cotton, spandex blend cotton. You can do ok with chiffon and polyester too.
5. Avoid sleeveless, deep neck or open back designs of the top, if you are heavy. Flesh protruding out of the dress is not flattering.
6. Avoid frills, layers, too much detailing, glitter work around the part of your body which you would not want to emphasis.
7. If you are pear shaped, meaning your bottom part is bigger than the top part, have your suit made with a yoke. The yoke ends just below the bust, giving it some lift and accentuating it more and creating a visual balance between the upper and lower part of body.

8. If you are too skinny, long, flared Anarkalis would make you look beautiful. But since Anarkali designs are not apt for casual wear, you can opt for A-line cuts with little added flare.

9. If you are tall, you can easily wear short tops with pleated Patiala bottoms. They would give a shapely volume that balances your height.
10. If you are short in height, wear straight fit tops that end 2-3 inches below your knees to elongate your frame. Strictly avoid tops that end just below the hips, or tops that are too long. Same goes for the women with bulky frame.
11. When choosing a tunic or a Kurti, let them be a bit loose over the leggings or even jeggings. Tight, short tunics over leggings are a major faux-pas.
12. The all-time favorite salwar-suit cut for the top that flatters all body types, is the knee length, straight fit, with side slits, worn over pleated bottoms or leggings or churidar salwar.
13. When it comes to prints, the rules are universal for any attire. Small prints for bigger frames, bold prints for tiny frames, vertical stripes for short ones, horizontal for tall ones.
14. When considering the colors, bright, bold, shiny colors for thin frames and subtle, earthy, rustic, dark colors for broad frames. Although go ahead and experiment with colors since they have a lot to do with your mood and attitude. With the right attitude, you can carry off any color.

Ultimately, there is only one fashion mantra for dressing in Indian Ethnic Wear, that is the ‘Perfect Fitting’. No matter what style you wear, it will look fabulous on you if the fitting is Perfect….not even good or nice, but only Perfect.

However popular western clothing gets, there is something sublimely beautiful about wearing Indian ethnic clothes. An effortless elegance. When it comes to Indian wear, it’s very important to know where you really wear these clothes. It could be
# Office
# College
# Weddings
# For a play/music night
# Just like that

We’re going to build a wardrobe together to fit your lifestyle.

Essential # 1
A Versatile Heavy Dupatta

A dupatta with heavy embroidery/patch work is the first must have in your wardrobe.

You can wear it with

# A single colour Salwar-Kameez to add richness & style
# A harem pant with a spaghetti top
# A nice saree and use it as a shawl to add colour to your saree

Essential # 2
Comfortable & Flattering Kurtas:

The kurtas, casual or chic, paired with churidar, pants, Patiala salwaar or jeans are as hot and happening as it gets. Make sure you have a diverse collection of kurtas based on fabric & style.

#Bases on style: Few printed kurtas, tunics without slits, A-shaped kurtas, umbrella shaped, short & long kurtas. This will give you enough chance to try different styles.

#Based on fabric: Nice mix of silk, georgette, cotton, chikan, crepes, linen and cotton silk should complete your wardrobe, making you ever ready to step out in ethnic clothes.

Essential # 3
Black/Golden/Silver Sequin Blouse:

These go well with most of the sarees (especially when you are borrowing A saree from your mom OR FRIENDS). The saree colors that work best with these blouses are:
Black blouse : Black, Red, Yellow, Silver, Magenta,White, Blue
Golden blouse: Rust, Black, White, Green, Brown
Silver blouse: Blue, Pink, Purple,Magenta, Black

Essential # 4
Basic Leggings

Leggings are versatile. Black & white ARE must-haves, make sure you have some basic colors that go well with your kurta collection.
#Ankle length leggings: Go well with Tunics, short kurta, umbrella shaped long shirts.
#Long leggings: Can be worn with kurtas of any length and they replace the churidars, making it more wearable without a dupatta.

Essential # 5
Pakistani Ankle Length Pants

Source: Cre’me Fraiche

These are trending right now and a basic Pakistani ankle length pants is a must have to add diversity to your wardrobe.
#These Ankle length pants go extremely well with Long length kurtas and Kaftans.
#If you are tall then you can wear nice ethnic flats else you can wear slight heels to avoid looking stout.

Essential # 6
Pair of Punjabi Juttis/Kolhapuris

The magic of sparkling, flamboyant varieties of the Punjabi Juttis/Kolapuris gives you a unique and cultural look.

#You have a great variety of these juttis from daily wear to a proper ethnic function wear
#You can wear them with salwaar-kameez, ethnic skirts, and leggings with Kurtas
#You can easily slip into them

Essential # 7
Multipurpose Patiala Salwaar

Patiala Salwaars are no longer categorized as a typical traditional wear alone. These can be worn as formal as well as casual wear.

A bright Patiala salwaar is a versatile piece in your wardrobe. It goes well with a long shirt, short kurta, tunic with vest and also a plain t-shirt.

Essential # 8
Ethnic Skirt

Source: Dwanada

Ethnic skirts are great if worn the right way. The most important thing is the waistband of the skirt, which should fall at the right place- just below the belly button.

#Pair it with a nice sleeveless cotton/silk ethnic short top
#You can also pair it with a broad neck kurta and accessorize it well
#A nice long stole can also add a lot of oomph to the look
#A nice strapped top also look amazing when worn on an ethnic skirt

Essential # 9
A Classy Clutch

Make sure the size of your clutch is perfect to accommodate your basic cosmetics, a phone & car keys. (You don’t want to be carrying your other stuff in your hand while carrying a clutch)

Essential # 10
Basic silver jewellery

Silver jewellery can do work magic with your look. A nice collection of silver jewellery will, not just add an ethnic touch to attire but make you look feminine. Invest in it and flaunt it!

It is that time of the year. The time for celebrations, for regaling in the traditions and enjoying flavors of the numerous festivals of our country. The Indian calendar is jam packed with colorful festivities towards the year end. There are bright lights ,beautiful colours, lively decorated markets, happy kids and shopping crazy women all over the nation. Even the elders are excited as they live to tell and re-tell the stories behind the origin of the festivals to whom so ever bothers to ask them.

Fashion wise, this is a wonderful time to dress up. One needs no excuse to go shop as these festivals in themselves invite hordes of compulsive shopping needs as tradition. For instance, Diwali ,Id and Dussehra automatically mean new clothing. The celebration is incomplete without wearing new garb. Bling is the order of the day, days rather. Wear jewellery..compliment your clothes with statement pieces, go all out and show what celebrations can be all about.

This festive season, opt for the fusion look. Wear neon colours in suits, lehngas and sarees. Wear saree gowns. Wear sheer, wear unique drapes. Wear skirts, wear crop tops. Wear them to honour the occasion and to show your festive yet fashionable spirit. Fashion is fusion. Select a silhouette basically drawn from Western influences, but relying heavily on Indian textile heritage and styling. These elements when combined together, give the garment a modern feel.

The current fashion crush is on the crop tops. They are invariably being combined with Indian skirts, trousers, pants, dhoti pants and many possible silhouettes. You can wear them with sarees too for those endless rounds of cocktail and card parties. For Pooja, go slightly more conventional and try the formal ethnic weasr that is traditional and sensible. For the dandiya fun you can definitely bring the bling out. Mirrored skirts with sexy cholis, ghagras and skirts in rainbow colours, the glittering silver or golden gota patti work. It all blends perfectly well in the garba raas masti.

However, designers feel that though dramatic statements in colours are good, but bright and soft pastel shades will add the perfect balance to the festive look. Since it is not winters yet, the colour scheme can be a bit summery but the overall feel and structure can draw from the upcoming season. So one can opt for floor length anarkalis, or even long straight kurtas with shararas and palazzos. Silk pants and long Sherwani style jackets are also an eternal fashion statement. Colours which will stand out this season are champagne pink, fuchsia, faded red, mint green, black and baby blue and can be teamed with light breathable fabrics such as chiffon, georgette and crochet lace.

Beautiful embroideries and embellishments can be splayed across giving a playful yet feminine look. Opt for flowing anarkalis with a subtle highlight of badla work or Chikan anarkalis and shadow saris which can be worn for the perfect day look. Transparent sheer and opaque silk ornate with vintage floral patterns appliquéd or embroidered make superb evening wear.

Try not to lose the aesthetic value of festivals when celebrating or dressing up for these occasions. Traditions are like precious heirlooms, they need to preserved no matter how much we evolve with times. So go out and flaunt yourself but flaunt the rich heritage that we are a part of too.

A saree is one of the most classic and elegant attires that almost every Indian woman has in her wardrobe. When draped perfectly, this wonderful garment makes a woman look stunningly gorgeous.

In India, almost each and every state comes up with its own speciality of sarees. And each style has some feature that makes it unique in its own way. These styles never go out of fashion, and make you look lovelier every time you wear them. This is one of the reasons why almost every newlywed has at least one saree from each of these traditional styles in her closet.

#1. Beautiful Bandhani

Image Courtesy: www.indianarthub.com

These enchanting sarees, also known as bandhej, are from Gujarat and Rajasthan. These tie and dye sarees come in multitudes of colours, and plethora of designs. Whenever you are in a festive mood, the bandhani sarees are perfect for you to reflect your feelings in front of the world. Whether you go for traditional red, green, yellow, or the modern pastel shades of pink, the bandhani style always looks majestic. So, next time when you have to attend a religious function or shake a leg at dandiyanight, look ravishing in a bandhani saree, and steal compliments for your looks.

#2. Sophisticated Kanjivaram

Also known as the name of their place of origin, i.e., Kanchipuram, these sarees are symbolic of ‘luxury in silk’. The beautiful motifs, mostly animals and birds, and its shinning golden border are sure to make head turns whenever you wear it. The elements like intricate weave and patterns, opulent silk fabric, gold thread, etc., make them one of the costliest sarees. Go classy and elegant in your family functions with these graceful Kanjivaram sarees. You can even take inspiration from the Bollywood divas who have adorned these sarees.

#3. Marvellous Banarasi

The oldest living city of the world gives us one of the finest sarees of the country. These hand-woven sarees with explicit embroidery are almost impossible for any Indian woman to give a miss. The making of a Banarasi saree can take anywhere between 15 days to six months. This art was brought to India by the Mughals, and thus you might still see these sarees with Mughal motifs and designs. And if you thought that Banarasi saree is synonymous to brocade, well then this might come as a surprise to you that it comes in many variants like zardosi, meenakari, georgette, jamawar, etc.

#4. Pretty Paithani

The beautiful Paithani sarees from Maharashtra are the richest quality sarees of this state. In older times, these gold and silk sarees were made only for limited and high-end buyers. These sarees come in impressive colour combinations, and their pallus are embellished with beautiful designs. So, whether it is animal, birds, or art from the Ajanta Ellora caves; they all find a place in the border of this beautiful saree. These handwoven sarees are made to perfection, and suit all occasions as well as ages.

#5. Evergreen Patola

The Patola sarees are considered to be a status symbol, and also the definition of royalty in Gujarat. The intricate design of these sarees makes them quite costly. With weaving done by limited families in Patan (Gujarat), and the silk quality being second to none, it takes anywhere between six months to a year to get the final piece of these sarees. Most often, these are custom designed. The beautifully designed geometric shapes and traditional colours of these sarees are sure to make all heads turn to you whenever you wear them.