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Lehenga: A Traditional Attire Of India
Are you planning to purchase a dress for festivals like Holi, Diwali, Eid or to attend a wedding ceremony? The first thing that pops up in your mind is a beautiful lehenga choli which is the perfect ethnic wear. Lehenga choli is a traditional attire of India which originated during the Mughal period. It is an outfit consisting of a long skirt, a blouse and a dupatta. The women during the Mughal period wore this intricately designed dress to grace special occasions, as it imparted a gorgeous outlook.
The royal families wore lehengas stitched in precious silk or satin fabrics which are embroidered in gold and silver brocades and adorned with expensive stones. The basic pattern of a long skirt with a blouse has remained the same, though there has been immense upgradation in terms of style, especially on the choli/ blouse. This dress became very popular among women in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
This traditional attire has been made fashionable by innovative designers of the present day. Interestingly, the patterns and designs prevalent during the Mughal period are still a craze during the current time. Thus designers today carry out a fusion of modern style with contemporary designs on the lehengas creating elegant designer outfits. It takes around twenty days for stitching a complete lehenga set.
Bewildering Range Across The Country
There are different types of lehenga cholis, all of which have their own history of evolution. The little girls of South India wear a type of lehenga choli called Patu Pavadas, which gave rise to the A- line modern form of lehengas. Similarly the ghagra choli worn by the women of Rajasthan is modified to form the circular lehenga. The Indian markets are swarmed with a wide variety of lehengas where the designs of both the skirt and the blouse are manipulated.
The lehenga has been categorised into different types depending on its design. A circular lehenga is a skirt with a wide flare from the waist, while a mermaid cut lehenga is a skirt which is tight till up to the waist and flared at the bottom. Similarly, A-line lehengas are similar to straight cut western skirts. The bridal lehengas are always intricately designed to give exquisite appearance with a resemblance to those in the Mughal period. Present day bridal lehengas are stitched in different colours of grey, cream, black and ivory apart from the traditional red colour by designers. The zari or zardosi work using golden thread is very common for bridal lehengas.
Different artistic motifs are also prepared employing buti work, gota pati, ek taar ka kaam and cut dana styles. The silk and cotton fabrics are basically used for this type of lehengas along with georgette, chiffon and crepe fabrics to give beautiful results. The Indian lehenga choli is hugely influenced by the Bollywood industry, as a cluster of people try to replicate the designs worn by the heroines.
Things To Consider While Selecting A Lehenga
If you plan to purchase a pair of stylish lehenga choli, consider the following points while selecting your set to make you choose the best for you.
Shape Of Your Body
You should know your body shape before selecting your lehenga set. If your body is in the shape of a rectangle, also called H shape, then you should adorn a lehenga which will generate the curves for you. You should select a firm fabric like raw silk with a wide flare which will boost in the desired volume at the bottom. The blouse should be dipping and low cut to accentuate the shoulders. Pair it up with a soft and silky dupatta.
A person is said to be O shaped if her waist and tummy is over-weighed and plump while the legs and face are slim. If you happen to fall in this category, you will look fabulous in a Sharara cut lehengas. Adorn it with hip length blouse, which can conceal your stomach. You can also select a lehenga with a high waist. You can conceal your waist with the dupatta stylishly.
If your body shape is narrow at the top while heavy at the waist and bottom , you have a pear shaped body. You should wear A- line lehengas devoid of heavy work, so that the attention gets shifted to the blouse. Wear a heavy blouse with deep neck or high neck without sleeves. Wear the dress with a light dupatta in such a manner that it does not add flare to your lehenga skirt.
You are V shaped if you are overweight at the top and slim at the bottom. Wear jacket lehengas made of soft fabrics and pair it up with a blouse with wide and open neckline. Do not wear sleeveless and off shoulder blouse, which will make you look heavier. Carry the dupatta along the elbows to look perfect. If you are the owner of an X shaped or hourglass figure , you have a perfect shape and can wear any type of lehenga. However mermaid lehengas will be appropriate for your figure. Wear a short choli or crop top which displays your waist to give you a stunning look. Wear any dupatta, but do not conceal your waist.
Go By Your Own Preference
We are always tempted to get the opinion of our friends or family members while deciding on a dress for such an important day of our life. A handful of suggestions are no doubt beneficial, but too many suggestions will make you even more confused. You may end up on purchasing a dress which was far away from what you imagined. So, it is always better to heed on your own opinion while selecting your dress while also considering advice of others. It is important to understand that happy girls are the prettiest!
Buy Your Lehenga Before Buying Your Jewellery
Always buy your jewelleries after procuring your lehenga so that you can find the right match. The real charm of your dress is reflected by wearing it with appropriate coloured and well designed jewellery. The most common error we notice is that women wear jewellery which is so far off from the dress that they are wearing that it ends up spoiling the dress rather than complementing it.
Fabric And Colour Of The Lehenga
The colour of your lehenga should complement your skin colour and the shape of your body. If you have a curved figure you should pick darker shades while you should highlight your slim figure with bright colours. If your skin tone is dark you should choose earthly tones while owner of a light skin tone can wear clothes of any colours, but will look best with darker or pastel shades. You should always select a comfortable fabric with proper colour to flaunt your appearance.
Budget
This is of course the most crucial part of your selection. You have to decide the budget prior to your selection as there are innumerable dresses within a variety of a particular budget range. This will save your time and effort by keeping you in the right direction.
10 Different Types of Lehengas That are Super Stylish
We have made a list of 10 different stylish lehenga choli sets, which you can wear to any occasion. We are sure these beautiful ensembles will make your day by highlighting your looks.
A-Line Lehenga
The flares of this lehenga are similar to the letter A, hence it is called an A-line lehenga. This silk lehenga choli is in contrast colours of peach and maroon is stylishly designed with a modern touch. The complete dress is hand embroidered with zari work on it. The maroon blouse is designed with pleated sleeves on one side. The maroon dupatta enhances the grace of this dress, which you can wear to any party. You can tie your hair in a bun and style yourself with a pair of large traditional jhumkas and slim neckwear. You can order this dress online from aishwaryadesignstudio.com for Rs 8900.
Anarkali Lehenga
This is a fusion between Anarkali and lehenga choli and has been inspired from the traditional Mughal era. The ladies of the royal families wore completely covered Anarkali dresses with heavily embroidered skirts. Taking this as cue, the present day designers match anarkalis with beautiful lehengas. This beautiful currant red front slit anarkali is made with intricately embroidered net, which is then contrasted with an off white silk skirt and a red net dupatta.
The anarkali is also adorned with resham embroidery and stone work, all done by hand. Complete your looklf by wearing bangles and slim neckwear to grace any occasions like wedding or different festivals. You can buy this dress form andaazfashion at a price of Rs 15,062.00
Panel Length Lehenga
Another name of panelled lehenga is 'kalidar lehenga' and is so named because the skirt is made of different panels. A`silk or georgette panelled lehenga will give you a sleeker look. The panels stitched to the bottom of the skirt creates a contrast with the dress and enhances the volume of the skirt.
You can wear it with a heavy set of bangles, a heavy neckwear and dangles. This designer lehenga choli set has a short blouse with short widely flared sleeves giving it a fabulous look. The blouse is paired with a beautifully embroidered Jacquard silk lehenga. You can purchase this item from indianclothstore.com at a price of Rs 6389.
Long Choli Lehenga
This lehenga pair with a long choli makes the set look exquisitely beautiful. This designer black full length A-line choli is made of faux georgette. It has been embroidered on the left shoulder, which makes it very attractive. The embroidered cream coloured lehenga is perfectly contrasted with the black topwear. You can wear heavily designed tribal jewellery with this dress. This can be procured online from cbazaar.com at a price of Rs 2463.00
Mermaid Style Lehenga
The mermaid style or fish tail lehenga is absolutely perfect for ladies who have a desire to highlight their beautiful curves. The mermaid lehenga is very stylish with its beautiful flare from the bottom of the knees. This beautiful figure hugging pink and beige silk lehenga choli has been adorned with resham and zari work. The high neck blouse makes the dress appealing and it looks marvellous when worn with minimum jewellery. You can buy this item from indiabazaaronline.com at a price of 15,433.
Lehenga Saree
The lehenga saree is a dress which can be conveniently worn as compared to a simple saree. You require expertise to elegantly drape your conventional saree, while this substitute can be worn without any practice. It is a pleated skirt with attached pallu. You have to wear the skirt, place the pleats around your waist, while place the pallu over your shoulder. This designer dusty pink lehenga saree is stitched with an imported fabric. The blouse and saree has heavy handwork designs done, which makes it a unique piece. You can buy this item from siyafashions at a price of Rs 11,466.
Flared Lehenga
This flared lehenga is the most simple and conventional form of lehenga. Nevertheless, the ethnicity of this dress is worth mentioning which makes it a distinctive item for your collection. This stylish net lehenga in zardosi work is a stunning set designed in an off white colour. The shining edge of the lehenga enhances its glamour, which is perfectly matched with the fashionable blouse. You can step into a grand wedding ceremony in this stylish outfit. The zardosi art adds an extra touch of beauty to the attire which you can buy from indiaemporium.com at a price of Rs 39,200.
Double Flared Lehenga
The traditional look of a flared lehenga can be transformed into this piece of spellbinding dress by modifying the single flare into different folds or double folds. This designer heavily embroidered lehenga choli set has been made in a teal blue colour, adding vivacity to the dress. The blouse is made of art silk while the lehenga is made of satin silk to make the dress comfortable. The upper flare of the lehenga is so designed that it flows forming large pleats which makes the dress gracious. Wear a stone jewellery set of same colour to complete the outfit and you are ready for the show. Buy this pretty dress from nikvik.com at a price of Rs 10235.
Sharara Cut Lehenga
The Sharara lehenga is a modification of the Gharara prevalent in Muslim culture. This is a perfect outfit for concealing your curves effortlessly. The lehenga is designed with a heavy flare and divided in between. It is a favourite dress amongst Muslim brides. This dress is preferred by women for festivals like Eid, Diwali and Holi. The blouse is a cropped top with heavy net at the edges imparting a trendy look to the choli. The Sharara is designed with an elegant cut in heavy gold and ivory raw silk and can also be adorned as bridal lehenga. The cold shoulder sleeves add an extra glamour to this dress . You can get this pretty dress from shahistyles.com at a price of Rs 42,000
Indo Western Lehenga
The Indo western lehenga is a fusion of the eastern and western dressing trends. It blends the western style of dressing with the traditional Indian dressing form, resulting in a gorgeous outfit, which makes you look chic and smart. This white lehenga paired with a short blue blouse and an ankle length shrug will make you look adorable. You can wear it to a party by pairing it with elegant neckwear and yellow dangles. You can buy this smart looking and lovable dress from wearyourglamour.com at a price of Rs 2150.
Punch Line: Look Smart In A Traditional Attire
A pair of stylish lehenga choli is a modification of the traditional dress, keeping the traditional panache as the bottom line. Thus adorning a set of stylish lehenga choli adds flamboyance to your appearance. You look well-groomed and smart for gracing any occasion in this modern as well as traditionally blended outfit.
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Choosing The Perfect Dupatta To Complete Your Look!
The part that is most often not paid attention to is the dupatta of the lehenga dress. No dress is complete without a dupatta and its fabric and colour has the most impact on the overall look. Mostly a flowy fabric is preferred for a dupatta, such as chiffon, silk or even georgette. It is because any other fabric will give a very stiff look. The colour is also very important. If the dress is of many colours it is better to choose dupatta of one solid colour from the colours of the dress. But if the dress is of one solid colour then colourful printed dupattas are better. It is always a good idea to add some details around the borders of the dupatta as well!