Earlier in January, Natasha Dalal kickstarted the wedding season 2021 with her off-beat ivory lehenga. Soon enough, we witnessed a number of brides following her lead and promptly ditching the usual roster of bright bridal colours for muted, pastel picks. Clearly, the bridal fashion scene in the country is undergoing a major change right now as we witness the rise of Indian brides wearing white. This new-age bride is an amalgamation of both traditional and contemporary–the millennial beauty whose style is all about comfort, statement, and individuality. Unlike her Western counterparts, this bride is still rooted in her Indianness as she continues to give it new dimensions and meaning.
That said, you don’t need to go too far to trace the making of this bride. With the heavy cutdana lehengas dipped in a spectrum of reds crowding the Indian bazaars, the market had already started saturating in the past decade. Post the entire Anushka Sharma phenomenon, the pinks were beginning to born as well. Amid it all, the pastels started rising in popularity. Cut to 2020, the pandemic promptly put a pause on the OTT 20 kg bridal lehenga, replacing it with lighter and, more importantly, whiter options.
Credit also goes to some Indian designers who steered the trend by heavily exploring all shades of ivory in their recent couture collections. Abhinav Mishra is surely among the pioneers of this movement. Enamoured by the white bride’s aesthetics, we recently reached out to the master couturier for his take on the same. From the thought behind this fresh bridal trend to styling tips, he helped us decode it all. Here’s a lowdown.
The Rise Of The White Bridal Lehengas
According to Abhinav, the millennial woman is on the lookout for something unique and fresh. Today a bride wants so much more than the traditional reds, she has made changes to what has been the pattern and the norm. As he shares, “Having worked so closely with millennial brides, I’ve learned that they want to stay traditional but also want to add in their own vibe, their own colours and their personal style to their wedding wardrobe. I believe there is nothing as timeless and elegant as white is.”
The brides who wear white/ivory are the one who go against all stereotypes. They are the real Abhinav Mishra brides who are a reflection of the budding new India–vivid, dynamic and lively.
Styling Tips For Brides Who Want To Go All-White On Their D-Day
Yes, white is a pretty striking bridal hue, the kind that’s hard to unsee or forget. That’s exactly why you need to be careful with the trend ‘coz your mistakes won’t be forgotten. While we have seen traditional brides from Kerala, Gujarat, and Assam in white before, for the modern bride the aesthetic is relatively new. Therefore, we thought that a few tips from the expert on all things white couture might help. Here are Abhinav’s tips on acing the white bridal look:
Choose Your Jewels Carefully!
“Whether you are wearing an eggshell white or an ivory ensemble, pick the right jewellery to complement the shade,” shares Abhinav. You need to begin by understanding the undertones of your lehenga. If it has warm undertones and lies more on the eggshell side of the white spectrum, then jewellery with shades of gold would look good. However, if the undertones are cool and the lehenga lies on the ivory side of the palette, silver would be a better choice.
Don’t Go Overboard
Less is more when it comes to styling your white lehenga. This is because you are automatically choosing a more understated and serene vibe with the hue and you don’t want to create any confusion by going OTT with your jewels.
Comfort First, Always!
Admittedly, white is a high maintenance hue. Thus, you need to be really careful in handling it and avoid spoiling your outfit at all costs. As Abhinav suggests, “Avoid eating any messy foods that could be disastrous for an all-white outfit. In case, you’re putting henna, be careful around your outfit.”
Add A Pop Of Colour
No one said that you have to go for a head-to-toe white look and in case you’re looking for something vibrant, Abhinav recommends that you “pair your white lehenga with a colourful dupatta to offset the white and add a splash of colour and excitement.”
Play With The Accessories
However, in case you don’t wanna ruin the entire all-white vibe, you can add some colour through your jewels and accessories. “Accentuate the all-white wedding look with attractive and colourful potlis, juttis, choodis and parandees,” shares the designer.
Choose What Suits You The Best
“Lastly, choose the right shade and fabric to complement your skin tone and body type,” shares Abhinav. Well uncomplicated as it might sound, even the white outfit comes in a variety of hues and it is important that you choose wisely. For instance, if your skin has yellow or warm undertones, then an off-white outfit that can be easily paired with gold jewellery would suit you better. In case, your skin has blue or cool undertones, you can go for a snow-white outfit that pairs well with silver jewels.
Don’t Overlook The Makeup
Needless to say that the same makeup that works on reds and other jewel-hued bridal outfits won’t work for the white bride. It is important that you have a thorough discussion about the same with your makeup artist.
Some More Recommendations For The Unconventional Bride
The desire to wear something unconventional is the major reason why brides are beginning to opt for white lehengas. Besides the whites, Abhinav predicts that light gold lehengas are also going to go pretty big this season.
But that’s not it. Not just the hues but the modern bride is also experimenting with prints, pastels and new silhouettes instead of heavy embroidery and jewellery. “Since functions are smaller, brides don’t want to go with heavily embroidered lehengas. They are happy with bright prints and colours and minimal embroidery to highlight the prints,” shares Abhinav.
And in case, the entire idea of a lehenga itself sounds too cliched to you, the designer suggests that you experiment with a saree instead. “A fit that I’d recommend for the bride who wants to ditch the lehenga is a saree. Lifestyles have changed and so have preferences and fashion, but if you follow Indian tradition while choosing wedding attire, then a saree comes first. Nothing can beat the elegance and grandeur of a traditional wedding saree. It can be draped in different styles, it accentuates the curves and it is more light and comfortable,” he says.
Hey 2021 brides, all set to slay that all-white look?
Featured Image Courtesy: Abhinav Mishra