Stand out this Diwali!

It is that time of the year when we celebrate some of India’s biggest festivals. After an exhilarating Navratri and Durga Puja, we now look forward to some Diwali Dhamaka! After all, who doesn’t like the festival of lights!

The fashion trends this season are moving towards a comfortable and minimalistic look. Embroideries are kept to a bare minimum and bold jewellery is a great way to make a statement. Florals are the most sort after prints in ethnic wear. Opt for handloom fabrics, cottons, chiffons and silks. If you are going to light crackers yourself, make sure you wear fabrics like lightweight cottons or linens that are less susceptible to fire.

Here are some style tips that can help brighten up your Diwali.

Desi Design:

If you want to go all desi this year, opt for pastel colours, minty greens, zesty orange or champagne gold. Ivory and gold is a classic combination. Asymmetric hemlines are a particular favourite this season. You can team asymmetric kurtis with Patiala pants, leggings or palazzos. Another trend to look out for is the extended slit kurtis. Long kurtis with a high side slit can be teamed with a lehenga, palazzos, churidar or leggings. Go in for floor length kurtas to achieve a boho chic look. High neck collars can add to your formal look.

Saree Soiree:

One can never go wrong with the saree. You can either drape it in the traditional way, or experiment with contemporary drapes such as the dhoti saree. Even a minuscule detail such as twisting the pallav around your neck can change the look of your drape. Handloom sarees are your best bet. You can contemporize your look by teaming the saree with a long, loose blouse, a jacket, or a cape. Capes are one of the raging trends this season. Add drama to your look by opting for puff sleeves or floor length sleeves.

Fashion Fusion:

For those of you who like an unconventional look, there’s always fusion wear. You can team up an embroidered lehenga with a crisp white shirt and complete the look with a pair of ethnic gold earrings. Besides a shirt, you can also wear a solid coloured tee shirt and a bold necklace with a lehenga. Better still, you can wear your lehenga with an asymmetric hem dress. Layering is a great way to look stylish in the most minimalistic garments. Contemporize your long slit kurtas by teaming it up with trousers or a pair of jeans. Broad colourful printed handloom dupattas can be worn with a short kurti and jeans.

Why should girls have all the fun!:

We have always been focusing so much on women’s wear, that men usually feel left out. With not many options to choose from, men usually end up wearing a kurta and pajama for traditional events. If they feel like going in for a fusion look, at the most they team up their kurta with a pair of jeans. But with changing trends, that should not be the case anymore.

Men now have the option of wearing dhoti pants or a stitched dhoti with kurta instead of the traditional pajama or churidar. The Asymmetric hem trend applies not only to women’s wear, but has now seeped into the men’s wardrobe as well. Men can wear an asymmetric kurta in fabrics such as cotton, linen or silk and combine it with dhoti pants and a stylish stole.

Another alternative to the traditional kurta-pajama is the Pathani style kurta-pajama. This not only looks masculine, but is comfortable too. Choose fabrics such as cotton, linen or silk.

Floral prints are trending not only in women’s wear, but in men’s ethnics as well. Go in for a floral printed kurta with a solid colour pajama. For those who are more conservative, you can experiment with florals by incorporating the print in a Nehru jacket or a shawl.

Men who are not into prints can wear a kurta in weaves such as Ikat. These can be teamed with a solid colour Nehru jacket. Or alternatively wear an Ikat jacket with a solid colour kurta.

Don’t forget appropriate footwear to go with your ethnic look. Mojris, Kolhapuri chappals or a pair of leather sandals go well with an ethnic attire.

Being comfortably dressed will ensure you have fun galore this Diwali. Bring on the excitement. Stay safe and stay stylish!