Popular Indian Casual Wear for Summer 2015

The Indian casual wear has gone through huge transformation. The picture of Indian wear today will be very different from what people used to wear a hundred years ago. Today’s Indian casual wear has borrowed from western fashion heavily and what we see are attires which have Indian embroidery, techniques and cuts, but they give you the flexibility of western wear. When you walk down any street in a city in India, and observe people, you will see them in ethnic casual wear or western casual wear.

Let’s first have a look at the ladies’ Indian casual wear. The ethnic casual wear for ladies includes casual cotton and synthetic sarees or salwaar kameez. You can never go wrong with a saree because a saree is the most versatile piece of attire in India. You can wear it casually, formally or to a red carpet event as well. It is a very common casual wear for women in India especially the elderly prefer it. Saree is also more popular in the southern states and the East. Traditionally people in the north used to wear salwaar kameez.

However, nowadays it has found acceptance across different regions, cultures and age groups due to the ease of movement that it offers. Western casuals are more popular with the younger crowd. In colleges of the major metropolises in India, we can see the latest western trends. The western casual wear will include skirts, summery dresses, jeans, tops and tunics. These days we can see women donning very Indian tunics with western stretchable leggings and skin tight jeans.

Purple hand-woven saree

Sea green Tunic 

Red Checks top 

Orange pleated skirt and top

From the days of dhoti/ lungi the Indian casual wear for men has evolved a lot. Today his casual ethnic attire will be mostly a kurta with churidar or cotton trousers/ jeans pants. The kurta itself has lot of modifications; it can be long or short. If the kurta is knee length, has pockets across chest and is worn with salwaar, it is called a ‘pathani’.

The Indian Islamic men are commonly seen in Pathanis but others in general are also open to adopting it as casual wear or as an outfit for semi-formal events. The modern Indian man is mostly seen in western wear, which includes a shirt with a pair of trousers or a T-shirt with denims. Lot of international brands are entering the Indian market due to the huge demand of casual as well as formal western wear. We can see Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Arrow, Polo, Marks and Spencer and many more in the men’s fashion segment.

Source: projectfashion

Source: Jabong

Casual Kurta

Pathani Source: Lakme fashion week facebook

When we move away from the metropolis, to the interior rural India, we still see more traditional outfits worn by men, women and kids. The rural Indian casual wear has still kept our roots alive by using lot of traditional weaves and crafts, which find its way into our modern wardrobe. The modern day Indian designers also take a lot of inspiration from the village casual attire like mirror work, etc.


Today’s Indian casual wear is a perfect blend of old ethnic charm and modern day versatility in carrying out our daily activities. The cottony Indian casual wear cools you off in the tropical summer heat of the country. Maybe this comfort factor makes our Bollywood shake a leg on a whim!

The Indian Runway Bride: Different Indian Bridal Looks

The coy Indian bride has come a long way and what we see today is a confidant woman who dresses according to her taste, individual style and culture for her big day. She is more of East meets West and the fusion can be seen in today’s bridal wear. The different Indian bridal looks have a more global approach nowadays.

In India mainly the bridal wear comprises of a saree, lehenga, salwaar kameez or an anarkali suit. The events associated with the Indian weddings like the Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi and the cocktail party have also opened doors for different Indian bridal looks to suit the event. Adding to it the cultural diversity brings out more Indian bridal looks like the South Indian, Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Bengali or the North Indian bride. 

When we consider the saree, it is no longer the age old attire. The blouse worn with the saree has undergone a huge transformation. Sometimes it is the show stealer from the saree, and gives that edge to the outfit. The sarees also portray a look with jackets and sometimes instead of the unstitched drape brides also go for a fitted saree.

Here are some of the modern Indian bridal looks:

Applique and zari saree

Pre-draped Saree

Crystal blouse

Culturally in India the saree is more popular as bridal wear in Maharashtra, Bengal, Orissa and down South. We can see the brides from there decked in Kanjivaram, Banarasi or Paithani style silk sarees.

Bengali bride in red and white banarasi saree

The South Indian Kanjeevaram

Maharashtrian Paithani saree (Source: Pinterest)

The lehenga originated from the north of India but has gained popularity across regions as bridal wear. It has a heavily embroidered skirt teamed with a blouse and stole. The lehengas can be paired with a Gujarati style shorter blouse with bare midriff or the Northern style longer fitted jacket type blouse. The elaborately done lehenga with a big flare gives a royal princess look because of which it has become popular with the girls today.

Opulent red lehenga

Four piece lehenga

Traditional Gujarati inspired Lehenga

The Anarkali suit again due to its flare and volume like the lehenga is a great bridal choice. The difference is that in an Anarkali suit the top is one piece almost reaching the ankles and it is generally worn with churidar pants below. The look is completed with an embroidered stole, or the new trend, a jacket.

Anarkali jacket set

Red embroidered anarkali

The salwaar kameez bride can generally be seen in Punjab region of India. This outfit is preferred by the Indian ladies as daily wear or office formals due to the comfort factor. This outfit however will offer a subtle bridal look as compared to the sarees and lehengas.

Beige Salwar suit

In the cocktail parties of the modern day Indian bride, the gowns have also found a place. The Indian bridal looks with gowns can be traditionally inspired or can have a complete modern feel to it.

Corset Gown with traditional embroidery

Modern gown

A bride can mix and match from the plethora of the different Indian bridal looks for her big event. She can wear the traditionally relevant (depending upon her family’s lineage) saree or lehenga for her wedding day and opt for contemporary bridal wear for other events.

A wedding is a once in a lifetime affair, so brides, show all your Indian bridal looks with all the show stopping attires. The wedding runway is all yours!

Anita Dongre: When Elegance Met Edgy

Dear Anita Dongre, is there anything you cannot do? We desperately wish someone could answer our question. Anita Dongre is the reigning queen of Indian Fashion. She is the preferred designer by various Bollywood celebrities and has dipped her fingers in almost every field. Ranging from suits, sarees and lehengas in Indian fashion to contemporary fashion, she has left no stone unturned. In order to commemorate her sheer brilliance, we have put together a list of all our favourite Anita Dongre salwar suits and anarkalis.

We are in love with this Anita Dongre embroidered kurta jacket and straight pants. It has the perfect mix of black and golden; elegance and edgy; new and old. Minimal accessories add the perfect finishing touch to the outfit. This ensemble is sure to make heads turn with envy.

This Anita Dongre salwar suit is ordinary yet extraordinary. Contradicting statement, yes. But strangely true. This salwar suit combines three most basic and commonly worn colours. Fashion faux pas? Some may see it as that. But we see this Anita Dongre creation as a symbol of her versatility. She makes unusual combinations and ideas come to life and with such flair, mind you! Don’t give this super chic outfit a miss. Trust us.

We strongly believe you can never go wrong with pink. Pink is definitely the new black. It is consistent and never goes out of fashion. So when our eyes landed on this pink Anita Dongre anarkali with flare pants, we just couldn’t get enough of it. The gota work, intricate embroidery and printed anarkali scream timeless beauty.

This white Anita Dongre salwar suit personifies perfection and Kareena Kapoor Khan carries it with so much finesse. While pink has a special place in our hearts, white isn’t forgotten. For an instant burst of elegance and grace, embrace this elegant colour! Preferably this Anita Dongre salwar suit.

In our craze for grace we haven’t forgotten edgy and modern styles. This Anita Dongre salwar suit fulfils all our requirements. It has a long printed flare top paired with pants. This ensemble is seen in two of our favourite colours, black and red, which gel so immaculately with each other that all we can do is lust after this outfit.

Our last outfit is this blood red Anita Dongre lace kameez with straight pants. Lace is very difficult to get right, both whilst creating it and wearing it. But Anita Dongre undoubtedly nails it. Available in an array of colours, red was the hue that stood out for us. As Bill Blass so aptly puts it “When in doubt, wear red.”

We can’t get enough of all things Anita Dongre. She has definitely carved a niche for herself in this huge Indian fashion world. Now go and treat yourself to some Anita 

Salwar Kameez - Popular Indian Fashion Apparel

If you are the type of woman who finds wearing jeans and tops too suffocating and modern apparel not flattering enough for your figure, then Salwar Kameez wear is the ideal option for you. It is commonly believed that Salwar Kameezes are normally simple with plain patterns. This is not true there are plenty of different and exciting patterned Salwar Kameezes.

Salwar Kameez came from the Mughal reign. Other clothing items from this region are churidars, sharara and lehengas. It is thought that Salwar Kameez is the conventional dress of Punjab.

Traditionally Salwar Kameez has been worn with knee length Kurtas. Today the tradition of wearing them has been modernized and girls have started wearing them with bandeau tops and long shirts.

Salwar Kameez has been made popular in the west due to the Bollywood celebrities wearing them to high profile events. These traditional dresses are often made with a variety of rich fabrics, silk, tissue, Crepe, Chiffon and Georgettes. There is often beaded work on the neckline and shoulders. Extensive sequins are also used combined with patterns and colours that capture the eye.

Often there are different Salwar worn in the outfits, for example a churidar salwar is a baggy drawstring trouser. Wearing this item with a Kameez Kurta creates a classy, cool and sophisticated look.

See also how Indian and Western styles can be combined together!

Indian Clothing over the decade!

There is no doubt that the fashion industry is one of the fastest moving industries in today’s time. Also, it cannot be denied that the Indian clothing has evolved tremendously over the past decade.

Traditional Indian Clothes

The traditional Indian clothes for a women included Saree, Salwar-Kameez , Ghagra Choli(Lehenga).Jewellery was an integral part of a traditional Indian woman’s attire. It depicted ones status.  The traditional Indian men’s attire included Dhoti, Kurta, Sherwani and Turban. Even back then colour played an important role in the Indian fashion. Rich Indian fabrics with intricate hand woven embroidery were a beauty to look at.

Cine Blitz magazine (1970)

Dimple Kapadia in the Film Bobby (1973)

Indian Movies played a major part back then to influence the Indian audience regarding the fashion trends. In the 1960’s, the Bollywood actresses pretended to play shy and modest roles so were their clothes.  1970 -80’s was one of the most influential years, a turning point of the Indian clothes industry. The 70’s started trending bold designs. Bollywood actresses were spotted in bikinis and skimpy outfits on screen. For instance : Bobby (Bollywood Movie)   The fashion trending in the 70’s era was transparent synthetic material like georgette and chiffon saree’s with small pallu ,different type of blouse designs like halter , low neck-line and noodle strip blouses etc . For instance : Sholay (Bollywood Movie) The Indian clothes for men were cotton printed shirts, cloth and leather jackets, trousers with flare, shirts with butterfly collar and big sunglasses, etc. Three piece suits also gained a lot of popularity during the retro era.

Amitabh Bachan in film Agneepath

StarDust Annual (1980)

 In the 80’s disco era, the attire got bolder as women started strutting in strappy sandals, fitted denim/pants and the traditional saree’s were plain and simple. The change in the Indian clothes industry was caused of the influence of western fashion. The men were seen in complete head –to-toe white attire. The evolution was huge not only for the Fashion industry but also for the Bollywood industry in India.

Isqh (1997) 

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) 

The 90’s was the old school style ,where the men’s wardrobe included baggy pants, oversize shirts  with t-shirt underneath them, waistcoats, printed ties , coloured denim pants and dungarees. On the other hand, the women were spotted in colourful bandani outfits, chunky jewellery, shoulder pads, hair bands, high waist skirts, long dresses, shorts etc. Their make-up included matt lipsticks.

Kaho na… pyaar hai (2000) 

In the 20^th century, the Indian audience was introduced to the concept of Indian designer wear with contemporary clothing. Indian men were spotted wearing tight fitted jeans/pants, shirt and t-shirt.  Women’s fashion in India had become classy and sophisticated by this time. Women started wearing short dresses, designer clothes and grooming themselves.

Dhoom 2  (2006) 

Aisha (2010) 

Ever since then the Indian designer wear in India has been booming. Today, people have become so brand conscious and fashion alert. The urban crowd is very well aware of the latest trends in fashion. The fashion industry in India has also created its own unique space in the international market: thus even Western people started to wear Indian dresses. The Indian fashion industry is an amalgamation of ancient Indian craftsmanship along with contemporary designs.

See also the history of Indian floral patterns!

Read more about Indian fabrics :

http://www.squidoo.com/indian-fabrics-ancient-history-of-quality-and-tradition

Indian Bridal Lehenga by Indian Designer Payal Singhal

Payal Singhal is an Indian Fashion Designer that creates Contemporary collections that combine Indian clothes and traditional techniques with modern sensibilities. This Indian Designer creates beautiful Indian Dresses, Indian Salwar Kameez Suits and Bridal Lehengas that have detailed embroidery work.

If you want to find out more about her fashion mission, you can see Payal Singhal's Interview here!

A beautiful and elegant bridal Lehenga in Ecru featuring keri motif embroidered detailing all over the skirt. A stylish piece that is suitable for all tastes and styles because of the subtle detailing. If you needed to make a statement without saying much, this piece is perfect.

Want to see more about Indian bridal wear?

Trends in Bridal Lehengas

Traditional Indian Weddings have a wide variety of garment to choose among. The families take a long amount of time to decide what to wear in the wedding and especially with the bride. There are several alternatives that can be worn for an Indian Wedding such as sarees, salwar Kameez and Lehenga.

Nowadays there are different versions of Lehengas, following the traditional and the contemporary styles.

In the next photos you can appreciate the differences between the two garments.

The main parts of the Lehenga are: the long skirt (the lehenga.), the stole is called duppatta and the blouse is called choli.

                Contemporary Lehenga                                                                  Traditional Lehenga .

    

                       

Indian Bridal Wear Trends 2013

Indian wedding is the event when everyone wants to look more and more beautiful. Wedding is always a really special and big event for all, it’s not only important for women but also for men, who want to look great and be elegant. 

In the past, during Indian weddings some people wanted to wear ordinary dresses and some others preferred to wear unique Indian bridal wear. But the trend has changed and now everyone want to wear Unique Indian Bridal wear for the wedding and parties. Here is some outstanding pictures of bridal lenghas, Salwar Kameez and beautiful dresses.