Confused About How to Dress Up This Navratri? Here's Your Complete Style Guide for That Special Look for Both Men and Women (2019)

Besides the religious essence of the festival, the 9 days of Navratri are significant socially as well, the fasting, the lively music and dance fervour and the vibrant fashion, combined together make for a memorable time of togetherness and celebrations. Given the ethnicity of the festival, it is essential that you incorporate colours that speak about the festivities. Shades that are bright like orange, fuchsia, yellow, emerald green or red in lightweight fabrics like chiffon, paper silk, crepe or georgette make moving around easy in the midst of dancing! Popular trends make it evident that heavy blouses over solid coloured bottoms or velvet cholis with zardozi work are still as popular as ever. You can also explore ready-made pearl or embroidered tops with your saree and pair accessories like long kundan/meenakari or gold earrings with your outfit.

Given the traditional vibe, feel free to blend bright colours with subtle variants like pairing your golden jewellery with vibrant colours and silver wear with white outfits, to make for an interesting fusion and flamboyant persona!

If you are averse to following tradition, then bring in an element of contemporary to your traditional attire by exploring Indo-Western wear, full length anarkali gowns, mermaid full length gowns befitting your body shape and style. Choose from pastel shades or shades like red, pink or golden, accentuating your look with pencil heels and a classy silver/golden clutch. Colourful beads, embroidery, shell or mirror work are as popular as ever, as is gota patti, pearls, Swarovski and rhinestones and varied dying effects like tie & dye, bandhani, leheriya are also still in vogue. When it comes to make up, keep it light as you may end up sweating when dancing and play around with a smoky effect, keeping your lips simple with peach or pale pink shades. Go vogue with hairstyles like a fishtail braid, bun with a pouf or vintage curls, or perhaps a side French.

Why should the men be left behind when it comes to being stylish through the festivities? There’s nothing certain or simple about their style as well anymore…An ethnic Kediyu, which is the traditional Gujarati outfit or a simple kurta pajama ensemble isn’t enough, so explore the latest hues & shades from the International colour palette like purples, red or deep blues and go in for a classy ethnic jacket that can be worn over a Kurta Pajama or wear a dhoti/pathani salwar or Jodhpuri pants with a coat with a matching or contrast coloured safa/scarf.

Combine the right accessories with your outfit, so that you stand out for the right reasons as well. For instance, pair your danglers with colourful bangles and contrasting potli bag, perhaps adding a maang tika or a kamarband or even anklets to add an unconventional twist to your look. If you go in for an unembellished outfit then pair it with a long & heavy neck-piece to make for a glamorous accessory. Go an extra mile and incorporate oxidised earrings to jazz up your Navratri looks. Oxidised jewellery includes bangles, finger rings and maang tika as well.

For men, hoops/bali give off a sharp vibe, you need not get your ears pierced for it, just go for clip hoops that can be worn with a clip-on mechanism. Just like for women, there are bangles for men too, find them at your nearest Gujarati accessory store or online and choose from among some large sized, manly looking designer stuff. If you aren’t comfortable with bangles then choose a thick metal Kada which looks really cool and then combine it with neck-pieces that are antique and can be either short or long, however comfortable you are in wearing them. If you don’t mind donning rings, then look for oxidised rings and go in for at least 2-3 for a richer look. If you’re blending tradition with a modern look then a jeans and shirt ensemble would look festive with a bright coloured watch strap. You can also experiment your look with a bandhani shirt, or a pom-pom tasselled stole around the neck on a white shirt or simple kurta and make a style statement of your own! Don’t forget to complete your look with ethnic footwear, like pairing your garba-kedia outfit or kurta & pyjama with a pair of Kolhapuris.

Here is a representation of the beautiful, colourful and ethnic art of Gujarat atop the traditional attire of Kedia and Tulip Pants with ancient folk designs and contemporary motifs, bringing in a burst of colours, and a variety of birds like parrots, dhinglis peacocks, elephants and gujarati community to the world of fashion. This set of Kedia Collection for Navratri includes 8 colourful and heavily embroidered pieces of Kedia with embroidered tulip pants in pure khadi fabric, available in sizes of 36” and 40” and matching pants with Kedia lengths ranging between 28” and 40”. Priced at Rs.1,899, the Kedia Collection for Navratri for Women is available on styleon.in.

Here’s a quirky neck-piece from the House of Anuradha Art Jewellery which presents a multi-coloured necklace with Abhla work and includes a fabric pendant with woollen thread tassels, a pair of arm bands and wrist bands with a colourful pair of pom pom earrings. This beautiful jewellery set will go well with a matching Navratri outfit. Measuring 20 cm in length and 20 cm in width, the neck-piece is adjustable, the earrings measure 5 cm in length and 2 cm in width. The adjustable bajuband (armband) and the wristband weigh 26 gm. The multi-coloured floral necklace set is priced at Rs.675 and is available on anuradhaartjewellery.com.

Priced at Rs.5,060, this gorgeous Woven Art Silk Jacquard Lehenga in grey colour comes with patch border work, zari, resham, dori and stone work. Paired with a semi stitched fuchsia art silk choli, made with a round neckline, the choli sleeves are half in length and come with a yellow coloured art silk jacquard dupatta. The choli’s length is about 14”, while the semi-stitched lehenga’s waist size and hips can be custom tailored from 30-38” and from 38-46” with the length at 41”. The ensemble is covered in beautiful embroidery from top to bottom and looks as regal and pretty as the festival of Navratri. You can purchase this exquisite lehenga from Utsav Fashion.

This beautiful Punjabi Suit is an ensemble of kameez, dupatta and bottom in red in varying fabrics of taffeta, net and santoon. A semi-stitched set, the red embroidered taffeta silk top comes with a santoon red coloured dhoti with heavy embroidery from the Lilots Brand with the kameez length in 44 inches, a dhoti styled bottom at 2.5 ft. and a net dupatta in red colour again at 2.25 ft. The lining fabric for the set is santoon and the work done is called Dori Embroidery. The sleeve length is full while the neckline is round. Priced at Rs.2,816, the embroidered Punjabi Suit in red is available at Mirraw.

This gorgeous Bengal Handloom saree is white and red is made in Jamdani Jacquard and comes directly from the Fulia Weavers of West Bengal. The body of the saree is woven with creeper designs in red towards the upper section of the saree, a red coloured border and the drape designed with intricate woven patterns in the same colour. The beautiful ethnic Dhakai Jamdani weaving technique was born in Bangladesh and has been carried forward to West Bengal. The feather light and sheer saree is woven with fine motifs throughout the length of the saree giving a rich & luxurious finishing to the outfit. The crisp elegance is captivating and the saree’s length measures 6.5 m. There’s an attached blouse piece in silk cotton and the whole set is best dry cleaned, to be stored in a dry place, away from dust, insects, moisture and excess light. Priced at Rs.1,749, the Bengal Handloom White & Red Jamdani Saree is available on gocoop.com.

The Turquoise Ethnic Jacket from Amazon is a silk blend, in imported jacquard fabric with a concealed placket, collar less neck and abstract design. Popular as a "Modi Coat or Koti" for men, the glorious jacket is ideal for men and best suited for pathani suit ensemble, achkhans, bandhgalas or jodhpuri outfits and comes in a v-neck jacket style as well. To choose the ideal size for yourself, pick the jacket on the basis of your chest measurements. So if your chest size is 38” then pick a medium size kurta which would be 42” in chest size, since a jacket should have a fitted look in comparison to a kurta. If you have a heavy abdomen then select a bigger size than usual. Priced at Rs.1,499, the Turquoise Silk Blend Ethnic Jacket is available in 6 varying sizes of 36”, 38”, 40”, 42”, 44” and 46” (S to 3XL). It is best to dry clean or cold wash this jacket.

Ideal for traditional wear on the occasion of Navratri, this Bharwadi Themed Kediya for men is a smart and colourful set of top and dhoti styled bottom wear on a white base with a colourful and heavily embroidered set in full sleeves. The ethnic dress comes with a kediyu (kurta) as the top garment with a chorno (in cotton as a dhoti for bottom-wear). Traditionally worn during Navratri Garba Dance, this Bharwadi Themed Kediya is priced at Rs.4,250 and available on indiamart.com.

Juttis or mojaris in ethnic footwear form an essential part of India’s cultural wear. Handcrafted for men especially with premium quality material, this pair of mojaris is available in sizes 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (UK/India). The Blue-Gold Silk Sharwani Mojaris for Men from Flipkart, are made of synthetic on the inside and fabric on the outside and are ideal for ethnic wear. The sole is rubber and the style is slip-on. The mojari set is priced at Rs.499 and is best worn for festive occasions or special events, best cleaned with a good quality soft brush, kept away from direct sunlight in a dry bag to retain shaped and protect from moisture.

The Golden and Red Kurta Dhoti Set is made of Dupion Silk and comes with a bandhgala collar and long sleeves. With a plain patterned kurta in beige and a reddish rust coloured dhoti for bottom-wear, the set also includes a maroon waistcoat jacket in mandarin collar, heavily embroidered with thread work. From brand Zoravo, this ethnic ensemble offers stylish outfits with a fusion of ethnic & contemporary designs, in perfect combination of casual & occasional wear. Priced at Rs.2,188, the Golden & Red Kurta Dhoti Set is available on Amazon.

This ready-made Art Kota Silk Kurta in off-white colour is available in sizes 28” to 62”, with a collared neck and full sleeves, adorned with buttons, foil print and pockets on the side. Inclusive of an off-white coloured pair of Aligarh Pants and a red coloured dupatta in faux georgette fabric in Bandhani print, the kurta ensemble is perfect for festive occasions and best paired with ethnic footwear. Priced at Rs.3,601, the Foil Printed Kota Silk Kurta Set is available on Utsav Fashion.

India is all about cultural diversity with a unique blend of culture, language, food and even attire, depending on which part of the country we find ourselves in. Hence, it’s no big surprise that in lieu of idolising changes that’s customary in our society, we add a touch of tradition and richness in the way we live our lives too. The festivities of Navratri is an opportune time of celebrating cultural diversity through the nine days of honouring Ma Durga and her varied avatars by way of religious practices, puja, fasting, singing and dancing rituals. Here are some usual and some innovative ways of celebrating this beautiful and heartwarming festival where our hearts and family unite: