How to wear traditional silk this party season!

December rings in a whole new party vibe which continues till the next year. The chill in the air and roads and houses lit up for the season adds on to this festive spirit. There are a lot of invitations that we have to attend this winter ...Christmas parties, weddings,reception parties, new year gatherings, year end office parties, dinner parties with friends and family etc. etc. These days most of us tend to reach out for our cocktail dresses or our heavy salwar suits for most of these events. But let me tell you that you can easily ditch the "Oh-so-Obvious" winter party wardrobe and drape your pure silks with elan. I remember my Ma and aunts flaunting their traditional coarse silk and tussars in winters with lots of confidence and comfort. Be it their office parties, winter weddings or year end gatherings, their utmost glamour and grace in finest 6 yards would amaze us.  So if you are with us in this, lets talk about how to #bringbackthesaree this season ladies!!

Recently had to attend an evening party at a friend's and while planning for what to wear, I thought of reaching out to my heavy silk saree. It has been a part of my trousseau and lying in my wardrobe to be worn at a suited occasion. It added the perfect bling to the event that night, was most comfortable as the warm silk hugged me all around and stood out in the crowd, garnering a lot of appreciations. So after I came back from the party, I thought of clicking few pics to post for you all.

Tips to wear traditional saree to evening parties this winter

Your heavy traditional sarees too may be waiting to get out of your closet, so bring them back this party season. Style them unconventionally, increase the oomph in them by strategic styling and feel their warmth this winter. 

Here are few tips for the season:

• Choose the right saree for comfort and glamour. Wearing the right fabrics will keep you looking great and feeling warm during the short days of the cold season. A good winter fabric should be strong, warm and natural, but should look amazing as well like pure silks, brocade, cashmere, etc.

• Pair them with unconventional blouses like, sweaters, jumpers, warm t-shirts, velvet cholis/blouses, jackets, crop tops, winter coats,. This is the season you can experiment without melting in them. Wear according to the weather so that you feel comfortable while looking stylish.

• Ditch the petticoats  and wear wool leggings and skirts instead for comfort through long hours in cold. Depending on the temperatures and your comfort choose the right material for the leggings or skirt. Merino wool is my choice of base on the lower part of my body. This will help to dance away the night in comfort.

• Layer your saree with a jacket or overcoat if you're having a late night outdoor party or you need a extra warmth. Intricately embroidered shawls can adda lot of style to the whole saree look. But drape them nicely rather than just clumsily putting them on. Don't shy away from comfort. Concentrate on the base and outer layer of the saree as much as you do for the saree itself.

• Accessorize to balance out the look. Choose heavier accessories to accentuate subtle sarees and concentrate on statement pieces for rich embroidered sarees. If you are wearing an outer layer on the saree like a coat or a jacket, consider visibility of your statement accessories like necklace, either skip them and wear big earrings or pin them over your jacket. There's no point wearing any jewelry if its hidden below your shawl.

What Was I Wearing

Let me breakdown the look for you. This royal blue silk saree has exquisite zari work on its border, pallu and pleats. Although it came with its own matching blouse, but to keep the season's color in mind, I paired it with a heavy embroidered velvet net choli. The choli came with a lehenga set, and was perfectly warm and rich. Paired my favorite over-sized "katori"(as my Ma would call them 😏) jhumkis and a studded bangle. I opted out deliberately of any other statement jewelry in the look to avoid crowding the look thus keeping it easy and smart. Kept my makeup bright to be in sync with the ambiance.

Saree: Priyo Gopal Bishoyi, Kolkata, India
Choli: Came with a set of lehenga choli bought from Utsav Fahsion
Bangle: Gift from a friend, bought from Chique, Kolkata
Earrings: Gariahat Hawkers Market, Kolkata, India