Finally got a chance to wear that lehenga you’ve been eyeing for months now? From picking the right colour and the right blouse to choosing the right embroidery and work… There are a lot of things that go into looking like a total babe in a lehenga. Here’s what not to do while wearing a lehenga as well as some lehenga wearing tips that’ll help you wear it right! Get ready to rock your desi look like never before, girl!
1. Not choosing the right lining
It’s important to choose the right colour, the right fabric and the right length of the lining for your lehenga. It should compliment your lehenga well. Plus, that’s what you are going to wear under your lehenga and is going to touch your skin the most, so if it’s not well stitched, the fabric is prickly or the embellishments are poking you then you’re not going to be super comfy and the entire experience is not going to go down well.
2. Being matchy matchy head to toe
You really shouldn’t match everything to the colour of your lehenga. Keep your accessories, like your heels or your clutch, neutral. You can even contrast the colours of your jewellery. For example, if you’re wearing a red lehenga, opt for jewellery with emeralds and footwear that has gold or beige tones.
3. Don’t be covered from head to toe
Wearing a lehenga pretty much demands you show off a bit of your midriff or that sexy back. You need to be prepared for a bit of skin show when wearing this desi style, girls. Please don’t wear a full-sleeved blouse with a high neck and a high waisted lehenga; it will be a disaster! On the other hand, please don’t go overboard with revealing too much skin, the key is to balance your look. If you’re opting for a backless choli, balance it out, say with a high neck. And if you’re planning to wear a low waist lehenga, keep your blouse a little longer.
4. Embroidery all over
It’s important to put in a lot of thought into how much and what kind of embroidery you want. Don’t go overboard with it by combining different techniques, colours and patterns all in the same outfit. Opt for one type of embroidery and let that be the focus all over. Case in point, if you’re opting for a gota patti lehenga, don’t include cut-work, mukaish and salma-sitara work into it as this will only spoil the look.
5. Not paying attention to the size of the motifs
Remember that the size of your motifs, be it the embroidery or the work that’s on your lehenga, should not be too big. And this holds especially true if you don’t have a petite or narrow frame.
6. Wearing all the jewellery you bought
As Indians, we love all things golden and blingy, but when you’re wearing a lehenga that’s intricately embroidered, it might not be ideal to load yourself up with a lot of jewellery. It’s easy to get carried away when we’re decking up in our traditional best but please don’t over-accessorize. Less is more and unless you’re a bride-to-be, you can really do without that heavy duty kundan choker.
7. The length of the lehenga is too too long…
…or too short. Yes, heels are pretty much a must-have when you’re wearing a lehenga. But it’s important that you measure the length of your lehenga skirt and decide the height of your heels well in advance. You don’t want your lehenga to be dusting the floor nor do you want it to finish above your ankle, both scenarios are seriously not ideal. And know well, how to alter lehenga length, it can either be from waist or length, so be wise!
8. Not choosing the correct dupatta
Your dupatta is as important as your lehenga, so don’t leave it as an afterthought. Be as picky and choosy about it as your lehenga itself. We suggest not matching it with your outfit, choose a contrasting colour and opt for something light and transparent, whether you want to drape it over your head or pin it on your shoulder. Also, make sure dupatta length and width are accurate.
9. Don’t wear dark colours in the day
Because that’s just going to look gaudy and make you look dull. Instead, a deep colour, perk up your look by mixing some dark and light colours together. You can choose a navy blue lehenga and offset it with an aquamarine blouse or even a fuschia pink one.
10. Not getting measured properly
Don’t do this to yourself because it’s going to end up looking really awkward. Don’t give your old outfit- a blouse or skirt to the tailor to reference from. You may lose or gain weight between this time, you need to have yourself measure properly before making an outfit to ensure that it fits you well and flatters you as much as possible.
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