Tradition of wearing anklets goes back many many years ago. In India, traditionally they were worn by married women. But, nowadays it is a popular fashion statement and women/girls of any age can be seen wearing them. Anklets can be of gold or silver or even leather, plastic etc. When investing in them, try to pick the ones that are long lasting and designs that can be worn with both Indian and Western wear.

Just one tip for this: Make sure you have got your pedicure done beforehand :)

Velvet, a luxurious fabric that dates back thousands of years, is widely used in Indian dresses. Velvet has kind of rich and sensual appeal to it, and it perfect to glam your night parties or attend a wedding / function. Since the fabric is heavy (in weight) and soft (in texture) it immediately gives a dressed-up feeling.

You can either go full velvet (as in 1,2,3 above) on your attire or use it as in some places in your outfit, just as a highlighter. A velvet blouse (4) , dupatta, or as border for your saree or suit (5). The idea is not to overdo and kill the look of it. You would want to carry the fabric with grace and not drowning in it.

Another good this about velvet is, like silk, it can support very heavy embroideries and the hand work that are on most of the Indian dresses. Deep blues, greens and reds are my favorite colors in velvet; black not so much. I am not sure whether velvet is used very heavilt in western dresses as well. I have not seen much of it and don’t own any western piece in this fabric.

Anyone has any western outfit in velvet?

One my readers Aksar asked me this:

“i liked the idea very much even i was wondering how to manage a heavy dupatta..but as i m short height will it look good on me m having height of 5...my marriage is on dec please help”

Hi Aksar:

There are different ways in which you can experiment with your dupatta. I would assume that if the dupatta is heavy, you would like to make it the center of attraction. For that, you can go with either of the first three styles – cross over the dupatta as in Ist pic below and add a lighter dupatta to cover the head, have the dupatta cover the part of your neck and waist as in IInd pic or just have it on the side as in IIIrd pic below.

I think it would be true for anyone, but especially since you mentioned that you are short in height, I would pay very careful attention to both lehenga and dupatta. If the dupatta is too heavy, you don’t want lehenga to be too heavy and vice versa. Also, try broad neck blouses with not very heavy neck pieces and pulled back hair. That usually adds some illusion of height. You can go heavy on earrings and bangles.

The second set of pictures below are more for the style of lehenga than dupatta. Sleek cuts, like fish cuts or A line would suit you more than a heavy kali lehenga. If you have a lighter dupatta, one trick is to just have it on the side and roll up on your hand from behind as in the pictures below.

Hope this helps and all the best for your marriage ☺

Saree is one of the most graceful Indian outfits and there is no denying the fact that you can wear it in a million different ways. It, however, takes considerable amount of skill and practice to do it right. If you are attempting to wear saree for the first time or want to do it in a perfect way, check out this post from Leia of Leia's Delights - a gorgeous fellow blogger who explains how to master this art.

If you wish to experiment and/or add a little more “oomph factor” to the saree, here are some ways in which you can play with it.

Word of Caution: Well, not literally. But, one small thing to keep in mind while experimenting with these styles is to pay special ATTENTION to your choice of blouse / top. If you are wrapping it around your neck (like a scarf) you want to go a slightly conservative with the blouse. With the regular style (Ist Pic), you are safe with halter or noodle straps or pretty much anything. If you have a dazzling top to show off, then 4th style in the picture above would be the best.

Also, never throw away your old sarees. My mom always recycle them into salwaar kameez or dupattas to make a whole new outfit.

Whenever I look at this photo shoot from Vogue India I am reminded of one basic rule that can seldom go wrong – the rule of “understated elegance”. Wearing just the right amount of bling, neither too much nor too little. When wearing statement jewelry pieces, keep the dress simple and when dress is the center of attraction, keep the jewelry minimal.



Coming back to the jewelry – More than anything else I love the versatility of these pieces. They can be worn with almost any Indian dress (lehenga , saree or suit), giving an elegant look to the modern day bride. Moreover, they can also be effortlessly combined with a fabulous gown or an evening dress and still look equally fascinating.