The very concept of a saree made to look and drape like a lehenga was a complete hit not many years back. Experiments in draping styles of sarees have only helped improve the outreach of this beautiful timeless wear, as it has certainly got far more fans now who thought its boring and aging. It is in its flexibility of wearing styles which give the saree its firm place of superiority. It also needs to be accepted that lehenga for the snobbish crowd has slowly risen to the status of a garment that is as traditional and as loved. In fact lehengas have an unmatchable  popularity among younger generations thanks to Bollywood, it’s glamour and innovative crossover designs are most loved.

So what should one do who doesn't have many lehengas in stock (read me😕😞) and want to wear one on any special occasion? Can tweaking be possible? Of course!  Not only is it possible, but it has variations that you would love to try, giving your saree a look and drape of lehenga. We had shown a variation of lehenga saree drape in a previous post (click here to read). Here comes a completely new version of Lehenga saree for you.

Drape Story

The whole six yards of a bright fuschia cotton chanderi saree has been pleated on an underskirt. Each pleats are about 4 inches wide. Sanchita wore this same saree a couple of years back for Diwali(read it here). A mint green benarasi kurta makes the perfect contrast with the fuschia skirt. To brighten up the look even more a neon orange silk shawl has been placed on the shoulders. 

The Look

The whole outfit is very bright and is perfect for your Diwali celebrations or as a bridesmaid dress at any upcoming wedding. So to match the brightness of the outfit, its paired with a beautiful kundan peacock jhumka, a kundan coin necklace and a statement ring. The makeup is kept on the dewy side with bright lips.

Happy Diwali and Kali Puja to everyone celebrating!

Outfit details:

Saree was a gift from cousin on his wedding, bought from Adi Mohini Mohan Kanjilal, Kolkata, India

Kurta material bought from Geeta's, Hogg's Market, Kolkata, India

Silk shawl: Bought from local store in Chennai, India
Earring: Etsy

Ring: Amazon link here

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It’s that time of year again! The holiday season is coming in hot, which means there’s a party or gathering at every turn. It was highly requested that we share a saree look and tips to make that can make us party ready for this season. So here is a the most glamorous look of the year and with a rule book of how to party in a saree

Rule 1: Wear a rich colored but light work saree

The moment you say party in a saree, I think of a black or red simple Benarasi styled in the most outrageous way. Remember to choose your saree wisely as you don't want to look like a Christmas tree yourself. So lighter work sarees are always convenient for the comfort and also look of the event. I had this red benarasi in my wardrobe an was all ready to grab the onlookers attention. It had rich work on its border and anchal and was perfectly made for the occassion.

Rule 2: Be bold on your choices for blouse

Ditch the usual matching blouse, pair with a contrast blouse, pullover , crop-top, jacket etc. Or if you want to style like I did, pair the saree with a bold stylish blouse that amps up the oomph factor in the look. This sleeveless deep neck silk blouse had a cute bow at the back and aptly made the look all the more stylized.

Rule 3: Accessorize rightly

Accessories make or break a look. So put as much thought into them as you put while choosing the saree. Based on accessories you can dress up or down a look. As in this look I have paired with statement gold 4 lahari necklace, smaller earrings, chur and a statement ring  and made the whole appearance gorgeous and rich depending on the setting of the party I was attending. You can go for a lighter version too with only statement earrings and no necklace.

Rule 4: Keep your manes manageable

You surely don't want to feel "when can i go back home" if you are in a hot and happening holiday party. So make sure your hair listens to you. you can keep your locks open or in a bun if they are tamable. Also listen to your outfit, like what goes with it. I had put up my hair in a bun with with red roses adorning it. Roses are in trend in hairstyles now  days, you see celebs like Priyanka Chopra, Anoushka Sharma and Deepika Padukone sporting them with style. Try them this winter and your look will be enhanced immensely.

I hope this will help amp up your holiday style for those all of the fun parties you’ll be attending this season! If you want to revisit our party look from last winter click here. If you like the post please do like, comment and share it. Your words of encouragement keeps us going. Please do follow us on  Facebook and Instagram for latest updates on the blog.

As the wind chills are setting in another glorious wedding season is at our door steps. Some of you are getting married yourselves or your close friends/family are and many of us have several invitations to attend. Indian ethnic wear is the quintessential outfit for the desi wedding settings. So for our first post this season, decided to jot down few essential tips. 
Weddings creates a lot of memories and fun times. We want to look our best, and grab all the attention. So if its your own wedding, its THE day of your lifetime when you don't want anything wrong. Even for the wedding guests or bridesmaids its very special and looking horrible is the scariest dream come true for them too. I still cannot share the my photos of my twin's (sanchita's) wedding as I looked like a zombie and it's still a nightmare for me😖😖😖.
Thus from my trials and errors in this lifetime, I am sharing my wedding season tips for you: 


Know your preferences well ahead

To achieve the look of your dreams plan well ahead of the event. First and foremost, you'll have to know your own style and preferences. Its OK to not give in to the ongoing trend. Specially if its yours or your close one's wedding its better to follow your own style than the fashion guru's. Turn deaf ears to the "body type styling" trend. You experiment yourself and come up what you look comfortable and good in. Take help of inspiration boards in Pinterest, Instagram or Google Images to know what you like and how you want to look. In our case, well before our weddings we knew how we wanted to look. We did a lot of search on social media and made a full folder of pics that we love and looks we wanted. It made things a lot stress free while shopping.

Consider your Budget while shopping

Next most important factor is your budget. While shopping for the event, you can either tell upfront to the shop keeper to show you the best within your preferred range or you can negotiate the price to suit your budget. Its not that you won't be able to get a good buy within lesser budget. Spending a bomb is not always needed to get your dream look. Look out for sales and clearances to have the best you can get for your buck. You can always re-style your old sarees and jewelries if you don't want to buy anything new and if its not your own wedding. Click here to know how you can restyle your old sarees in newer ways.

Be photo ready!!

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Wedding photos are great memories and in this Insta-age its all the more important 😎😎.  If you are a photo buff like me and cherish your photo memories this tip is for you...remember some pieces can look gorgeous in person but not in photos. Thus click pics by putting that saree on your shoulder before buying it. Don't feel shy to do so in middle of onlookers as its your buck and your buy...make the most of it.

Market research about where to buy from

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Do market research around where you live to know where to get the best stuffs best deals from. Ask around friends and do little bit search online. These days you can ask for feedback from experienced shoppers on different forums on Facebook. So take advantage of the age we live in and make most of your shopping experience.

Online shopping for convenience

Apart from them, look around for online stores/sellers for some good deals. They are the best bet for shoppers like us who live abroad and want to shop for Indian outfits. But before purchasing take into consideration the outfit color/fitting etc as they may not be best represented in most of the pictures. Accessories like junk jewelries, bags can be bought easily conveniently from these online stores. There are several sites like Pernia's pop-up shop, Carma, Utsav fashion, Mirraw etc. Even different stores have their own online shops as well, you can buy directly from them. There are different price ranges available, work around which one suits your choice and budget more. There are yearly sales in these online shops as well so look around to shop around that time for bonus savings.

Renting your Outfit and Accessories

You can also look around for renting your indian sarees or lehengas for the day of the event. This helps you to spend less for the event and also achieve your dream look. There are online renting stores like Borrow It Bindaas, Saris and Things, Swishlist and others for your convenience. 


Classic pieces rules ages

if you are buying for your trousseau buy classic pieces like traditional silks, or hand embroidered pieces. they are evergreen and you don't have to worry about being out dated or ill fitted. In these cases sarees becomes the most classic outfit as unlike your lehenga or kurtas as their fitting and cuts can become uncomfortable over time depending on the ongoing fashion or your figure. keep a lot of margins in whatever you are getting stitched. In this case from my own experience, I bought some expensive salwar suits for my trousseau which i can only imagine to fit into now, and they are adorning my wardrobe ever since. But my silk sarees like benarasi, baluchari, kantha, kanjeevaram can be and has been worn several times with different blouse options.

Accessorizing makes the game!

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Accessories can make or break a look. Zero down on the acessory or outfit and let the other one compliment it rather than overshadowing. When you begin putting your outfit together, design blouses/cholis according to the different necklines suited for your jewelry pieces or vice versa. Polish your jewelry if you are wearing heirloom pieces. Don't over do with your jewelry. If your outfit is simple, wear heavy jewelries, but if they are heavily embroidered opt for subtle pieces.  Choose your bags and shoes according to your outfit. Remember even a Louis Vuitton can look ugly if its not complimenting the attire. So go for the whole look rather than the brand.

Comfort, Comfort and Comfort!!

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Think about the duration you are going the event for. If its a day long one, your comfort is everything. Consider shoes you are wearing, weight of the outfit etc. The last thing you would want is to take off your heavy dupatta or are shivering in your chiffon by the end of the event. Shoes should match but let your comfort speak for you. Use shoe inserts for added comfort and get used to your shoes ahead of time. New shoes, shoe bites etc can be too much to handle for you on that day. While deciding on shoes and bags keep in mind what your role would be that day. Clutches can be very stylish but sometimes while running around the event, it may be bothersome to carry in your hand. Opt for sling bags in such cases.


Lay out your full outfit

Before any important event, its best to decide every small outfit details well ahead. Last minute "jig saw puzzle settings" are not fun. There would be many more important things to sort out on the day of the event so let your outfit be sorted out before-hand. Lay down your outfit and accessories together to get a sense of how they are looking.


Makeup and Hair

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You can opt for makeup and hair from your preferred specialist on the day of the event for lesser stress. If its your own wedding, please invest in finding the best professional according to your budget. Its them who can make or break your look. Even if you are wearing the best saree or most expensive jewelry, the "cakey" makeup or messed up hair can spoil the whole thing. Go for pre-wedding trials and have a good discussion on what exactly you want. If you decide to do your own makeup, do some rehearsal sessions so that you exactly know how to do it on the final day. Remember you should look like yourself and not someone else, so avoid going over the top dramatic with hair and makeup. 

Thus these are tips we came up with for this wedding season. These holds true for any other major ethnic event you're having in your family. So let us know how you liked them and do you have any other tips for our readers. Do like share the post with your friends and family who you think will benefit. 

P.S. This post was not sponsored.