In character movie promotions are very common these days and you can spot almost every bollywood celebrity dressed in character at  promotional events. No one does fashion and and in character promotions better than Sonam Kapoor and for her recently released blockbuster Prem Ratan Dhan Payo sonam kapoor was seen in  a series of ethnic looks at promotional events.

 If you are following up on this blog for a while now, you will know that recently it was buzzing with the news of a big fat wedding. This haul was made 2 months ago (close to the wedding).

The main idea behind the haul was splurging on some wearable, not-so-heavy-yet-gorgeous anarkalis. You know how much drama goes behind an Indian wedding so you can imagine what fun it was shopping for all of these! :D

The awesome Bling Sparkle Trio *ehem* went shopping and this is what we picked from our haul! All of them look prettier in reality!

 This is the one shown in the first pic. It's very different from others. The design is kinda unique! Also, there's no lays in the borders so this one's considerably lighter than others. Comfy too.

 This one's another beauty! Don't know why but the colour pink always catches my eye. I always end up buying a pink! :D It has detailing on the sleeves too and the kalis are considerably more in this suit.

I had to attend a wedding recently and i couldnt decide what to wear , an anarkali or a chudidaar dress. Anarkalis are quite a rage and everyone would be wearing one so i settled for a straight cut chudidaar suit. At the wedding i was shocked to find a girl wearing an exactly same anarkali like i was planning to wear. I thanked god for  not having turned up in the same anarkali.

The thing with DIY outfits is that it allows you to explore the creative side of you along with helping you cut down on cost. Also the probability of someone turning up in an outfit exactly like yours is very low. Since mehendi is a low key affair spending less on a mehendi outfit makes sense. This is also a function where you can add personalized touches with decor and outfit.
To design yor own outfit you need a vision because having the colour pallaete and cut in mind always helps . Here i present to you some DIY mehendi outfit ideas you could try out . You can try them as is or just take inspiration and and play more with colours cuts and fabrics. These outfits can also be worn for your engagement or sangeet .


1. The Yellow and purple anarkali: This is my favorite DIY idea and i am wanting to replicate it for quite sometime now. Wearing chudidaar isnt the best idea for mehendi but if you do want to wear an anarkali this colour combination fits the bill.

Not all tailors will be able to stitch a kalidaar anarkali for you so go for an umbrella cut one. Any local tailor can definitely stitch up an umbrella style frock anarkali .

how to Replicate:  Get Half meter purple benaras silk for bust and  maybe around 1-2 meters for the borders. Yellow georgette of about 3-4 meters for the flare and 2 meters for the dupatta .  6 meters american crepe or santoon cloth for lining and chudidaar bottom . 1 meter each red and gold thick lace and thin gold lace of about 12 meters . small round Gold buttis or patches to stick or sew on the flare part.

Keep the sleeve length as is or go sleeveless. Also latkans at the back is important.  You can also go for a chiffon dupatta  instead of Georgette one.  Even for the flare dont restrict yourself to georgette go for embellished net or chiffon but make sure the lining is in a richer cloth as it will be seen.




2. Blue jacket Lehenga: When i spotted Kajal aggarwal wear this Sanjay garg jacket lehenga i knew i wanted one. The styling was so simple yet striking that i knew i would definitely style it exactly this way. This jacket lehenga is perfect for a brides mehendi . The jacket silhoute allows the bride to skip a dupatta which is abrether when yopu have heena on both your hands. also just a mang tikka means more comfort but ofcourse you should go for shorter sleeves or no sleeves at all for mehendi. The lehenga makes it perfect for a little dancing on your mehendi night. You could also wear it to someone elses mehendi if the function is a huge one.
This is the easiest style of lot because no appliques or laces is  involved making shopping for this more easy. I have already shopped for blue brocade fabric for my jacket and iam using a blue net lehenga i already own with this jacket . simple no?
how to Replicate: Get about 3 meters of  brocade silk in blue  for the top and plain raw silk  for lehenga . If you already have a lehenga in a different fabric or colour then get brocade in the same colour for the top . Also you can try colour blocking with lehenga and jacket in here . Try short sleeves if you are wearing for mehendi also try a different neck if yo want to flaunt some neck jewellery .





3. White brocade lehenga with green dupatta and blouse: Malaika Arora Khan wore this lehenga for the wedding of Arpita Khan in taj falaknuma palace. This is designed by Seema khan and well everyone is free to take inspiration .
how to Replicate: 5 meters of white gold brocade for lehenga . If you have green blouse use it or get green brocade for blouse. plain green chiffon for dupatta. Get gold shimmery lace attached at the bottom of lehenga. since green lace shown here can be difficult to find get a green velvet strip attched and get round gold motifs stitched on the velvet (optional. ). Thin gold lace for the blouse and dupatta. If you can find it then do put a neon orange gold lace all 4 sides of dupatta.



Refer the middle vikram phadnis lehenga for more ideas with borders of lehenga (click to enlarge)



4. Navy velvet lehenga with jacket :  This style may seem a little difficult but if you have good tailor and a worksman who can do zardosi work then this is definitely doable. I love this style for its ease and regal charm . The bare belly buton is a nice touch to this ethnic style. You could try this as is or  also replace the lehenga with cropped pants to make this outfit more mehendi appropriate.

how to Replicate: 5 meters of navy velvet and shimmery gold lace for the lehenga and 3 -4 meters of biege shimmer silk for the jacket. You may want to play with the neck design a wee bit and also with the sleeve size if you are planning this outfit for mehendi and ofcourse with this silhoutte going dupatta less is an easy option. You can easily skip the zardosi work on sleeves and neck and replace it with gold sequined lace but for the lehenga you should definitely get the zardosi work in gold done from a karigar . You can also leave the lehenga plain if your function isnt too big  or go for attaching embellished motifs and buttis in the place of zardosi work.

If this silhoutte and design interests you then you might want to check out blogger Hamis version of this lehenga on her blog Fashionmate here. She has replicated this style beautifully and has given detailed instrustions too.



5. Pink Gold lehenga: If you want to wear a lehenga for mehendi then it should definitely be light . This pink lehenga is perfect and the gold sequined blouse will give the required bling. Ofcourse you could play with colours and switch the lehenga colour from pink to orange to suit your needs.

how to Replicate:  Get a gold sequined cloth of about a meter for the blouse or just hunt down for a gold blouse in your or your moms wardrobe and use it!. For lehenga get pink raw silk or chanderi  and borders in shimmery gold and black velvet . Use the same borders  on a pale gold chiffon dupatta . Your outfit is ready. Make sure the blouse is hatke and stands out , go for a ribbon cut out or latkans at the back.
Dont forget the details... latkans for the lehenga and maybe even dupatta is important. Get some pre embroidered patches in gold (buttis) and stick on the black lace with fabric glue.
Also keep in mind you need to shop for the lining.

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Designing your outfit is a risky affair for sure but here are some more tips for you 

• For a perfect DIY outfit all you need is a decent tailor and some good fabric stores. In Bangalore by lanes of commercial street is the best place to buy fabric , latkans and lace for ethnic wear. You can also check out chikpet for silk fabric.
•  With DIY it is always good to skip the intricate detailed work and go for rich fabrics, layered borders and play with colours.
• If you are investing a lot on your DIY outfit then get the tailor to make a trail piece in cheap crepe or cotton material only after you are satisfied get the final outfit stitched. 
•  carry photos on your phone to show your tailor exactly what you are looking for. 
• Ask your tailor properly of the meters of cloth required for your height and style before heading out to buy. 
• If you dont get fabric in your desired shade or colour then get it dyed. DIY outfits are all about colours , dont compromise on that , not one bit. 
• Make sure the Materials you are buying is of high quality. Even in stuff like brocades , nets and velvets a lot of varieties are available. To make your outfit look amazing the fabric has to be of good quality.
• If you are not a fan of patchwork or appliques then find a local kaigar who can do seuqins , zardosi and embroidery for you. 
•  For more inspiration check out fashion week collection of inidan  ethnic designers. 
• go for rich fabrics like brocades and velvet instead of going for hand work . This cuts down costs and the risk also goes down .
• Make laces your best friend. 2-4 layers of lace is enough make your lehenga and dupatta look regal. Go for laces in gold, or silver along with velvet strips .
• If you want to give this DIY a try at first then hunt down your moms wardrobe for unused sarees and get your outfits made from them. 
• If you have some good dupattas with  just gold or silver work then get an outfit made in similar colour and use the dupatta to save costs. 
• If you want your outfit to flare out then get a layer of full length can can skirt attached underneath your lehengas .  The can can can give the whole outfit a more volume

Mehendi is an important pre wedding ritual in indian weddings where the bride is put intricate heena patterns on her hands and feet  . Mehendi ceremony for the bride can be a tiresome and long process  but it is also the most fun ceremony where the close family and friends of the bride gets together as they sing, dance and celebrate.

Comfort should be the first thing you should look for in your mehendi outfit  as you will have to sit for 5-6 hours in a fixed position as the mehendi wali gets the designs done.. also since the mehendi will be applied over your elbow length it is better to go for sleeves less or short sleeved outfits. Most mehendis these days are combines with sangeet ceremony so if there is dancing involved then go for flowy flared out silhouettes.

Yellow and green are considered the best colours for a Mehendi outfit but since Mehendi is a fun and a colourful event you can get experimental and choose any colour you love .  I suggest brides to avoid  Black and whites and go for a bright contrasting mix of 2 or 3 colours in their outfit .

Here are some outfit ideas to inspire you




1. Fun Colourful Lehenga : A colourful but light lehenga with latkans is the best mehendi outfit . make sure the choli is sleeveless or short sleeved. Lehenga means you can get mehendi on your legs easily done just by lifting it a little and it will flare out nicely if you have a little dancing involved later on in the day. You could choose from designer creations like nishka Lulla or just get fabric in net or Georgette and get a tailor to stitch up a lehenga for you .

2. Saree: Saree isnt the most comfortable pick for your mehendi but this is the most cost effective option as you can just get a plain saree ombre dyed in 2 or three colours and wear with a sequined or brocade blouse. If you have worn a saree before and are comfortable in it go for it. But make sure you arent wearing a saree for your wedding or reception this way you will have variety in your looks


3. Plazzos with long kurta : This pakistani silhouette is very popular these days and you could get variety in your bridal looks by adding plazzos for mehendi. opt for plazzos in raw silk but if your mehendi is a small event you can go for plazzos and kurta in multicoloured crepe .





4..Ethnic gown or floor lenth anarkali:   Ethnic gowns are very popular these days as they are very easy to handle . You can even skip the dupatta with this and dancing the night away also looks fabulous in a flared floor length kurta. But go for this option only if you arent wearing a gown on your reception .


5.. Short lehenga choli : Wearing Lehenga is a good option but it has a lot of scope in spoiling your mehendi on feet so better to get a knee length lehenga stiched with a short sleeved choli. This option is a risky affair and is for bold experimental brides only.

6.kurti with short pants : Have a colourful anarkali kurti ? just pair it knee length pants and you are good to go.


7. Peplum cholis : Peplum in ethnic is fast becoming popular and if you have waist for it go for it. for more on peplums check here

8. Dhoti Pants : Dhoti pants are super in these days and they also make for fun mehendi wear . wear a pair of silk dhoti pants with a bright tulip cut kurti and viola chic mehendi look

9.  Lehenga or gown with a knee high slit :  If you are up for it then a sexy gown or lehenga with a slit is the best option for your mehendi. It adds the required flare yet gives you ease for getting mehendi done on feet without compromising on style factor. If you dont want flare you can just have a straight cut lehenga or gown. Also if the slit seems too daring for you go for a pair of brocade or a rich fabric cropped pants .


 10. Hi low hemline anarkali top: I love asymmetrical hemline and this is my personal favorite option. Hunt for a good flared out anarkali and wear it minus the chudidaar bottoms.



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11. Draped saree gowns: Draped sarees are very comfortable and that is exactly what you need for a mehendi ceremony.
12. Dhoti saree: Sonam popularised this kind of a draped dhoti saree with cape when she turned up in one at cannes last year and you could try the same iZifferent preferable more brighter colour

13. crop tops : Crop tops in ethnic are super in everyone from payal singhal to ridhi mehra are embracing them . Pair crop tops with plain lehengas, plazzos, short skirt or sharara pants . The best thing about crop tops is you can reuse them later on .




14.Try off beat motifs: If bright clours arent your thing then add fun to your mehendi outfit via quirky motifs or prints like fans, dragon flies, and parrots .

15. Embrace huge floral prints : what betetr way to do bright ethnics than florals? go step head and do them huge . Surendri by yoges choudari and many other designers are churning some very peppy huge floral prints perfect for mehendi.

For more Mehendi Outfit Inspiration have look at our Pinterest board here  
for mehendi jewellery ideas go here 

Mehendi Style Tips: 
*Avoid hand or feet jewellery as it may get your mehendi smudged.
*If you want to add a DIY outfiit touch to your wedding ,Mehendi is your best bet, bring out your creative hats and design away. (go here for inspiration)
*For Mehendi  people go with fresh flowers in decor and jewellery so keeping your make up light and natural is a good idea
* When planning your hairstyle for mehendi keep in mind that you will have to sit for hours with your heena laced hands . Go for a bun or braid . Make sure you pin up your hair in the front
* Skip your precious or imitation jewellery for mehendi and opt for trendy floral , lace or gota jewellery. this will help your mehendi outfit stand out and it will not look repetitive when you see all photos together in your album.
*floral wreathes are super in for mehendi these days you could try it.
If you need help wth mehendi style do mail us and we will be happy to help out

Keep it stylish 
~ zooni.