Introduction:
Ethnic bridal fashion differs from all other forms of style because on the wedding day you just need to be your elegant-best! A marriage day comes once in a lifetime and on that day, the bride needs to look like an epitome of grace and a personification of elegance. Opportunities to dress casually will come in the future but a wedding day will only come once. Thus the bridal outfit can’t afford to be anything less than grand.
Brides struggle to find ways to look grandiose, stately and awe-inspiring. Apart from the lehenga, which is, of course, the most important part of a bridal outfit, few little things like the jewellery of the bride, her make-up or her dupatta, adds that extra flavour to her poise and the whole look. Amongst all, the dupatta may be regarded as that essential element of the bridal wardrobe which can make or break the elegance factor of the bride on her D-day. And a great way to sport the dupatta is the double-dupatta style which is taking the bridal fashion market by storm. Today we will tell you more about this trend and it will help you decide how you want to sport it on the day of your wedding.
Dupattas have been the bridal lehenga’s favorite companion since forever! Dupattas, in traditional weaves, intricate details, designer patterns etc compliment lehengas perfectly. A good dupatta with a lehenga is a match made in heaven, just like you and your partner!
Five Traditional Ways to Drape a Bridal Dupata:
- The most traditional way to drape your dupatta over your lehenga is by pleating it and treating it like the pallu of a saree. You have to tuck one end at your waist and allow the other to fall behind your shoulder just like the saree pallu.
- You can pleat your dupatta and let it flow in the front by pinning it to your left shoulder. The other part of the dupatta can be brought up to the forearm, over your head, creating a beautiful pattern with the pleats.
- To showcase the heavy embroidery and detailing of your lehenga blouse you can give it full exposure by pleating and draping your dupatta only on one side.
- Heavily embroidered or sequined dupattas should be brought to the forefront by the ‘U’ style of draping. You can do this by pleating one end of your dupatta and pinning it to your left shoulder. Allowing the dupatta to flow in front of you, you can either tuck one end of the dupatta in your lehenga skirt or drape it around your head forming a ‘U’ pattern behind.
- To sport this draping style, inspired by royal fashion, you need to tuck one end of the dupatta at your waist and then bring it in front, letting it fall all over your blouse. Pleat it well and pin it at your shoulder for that flawless grace.
What is the double dupatta style?
This trend was started by the god of Indian bridal fashion, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee and numerous Bollywood brides of the recent times have religiously followed it. The style involves using two dupattas – one for the body and the other to be used as a veil. This look is in no way minimalistic and is aimed mainly at bestowing that regal grace to the bridal outfit. You can use dupattas in two contrasting colours. You may choose a heavily detailed dupatta for the body drape and a lighter one to be used as a veil.
Why is the double dupatta style better than traditional single dupatta styles?
- If you have one single very heavy dupatta, draping it over your head at the time of the wedding rituals will surely give you a headache. When using two dupattas, you can drape one across your body to show off its work and use a lighter one to cover your head.
- To make your lehenga look even better pairing it with a contrast colour is a great idea. This can be done by using a second dupatta in a contrasting colour. It gives that much needed extravagant yet bright and cheerful look to the outfit.
- If you want to show off the intricate work of the blouse of your lehenga set, you will have to go for that one-sided pleated dupatta look. This look might prove to be too casual for the bridal attire. Adding the second dupatta will bring the royal look back to the outfit.
- Many brides prefer to invest in a ‘not-so-heavy’ lehenga as they like to re-use it on other occasions in the future. But the bride also cannot compromise with looking plain on her wedding. Two dupattas draped in complementing ways adds that grand look to a plain lehenga. You can use one dupatta like a saree pallu and the other over your head. You may drape a heavily embroidered dupatta across your chest and use another one over your head.
- Are you a plus-size bride? Are you scared that your wedding lehenga will expose your curves? Be proud of them because dupattas look great on plus-size figures. The double dupatta style will help you hide those few extra inches and add an extra dose of grace to your entire bridal look.
Double Dupatta with Lehenga: 10 ways to carry it
Did you know that Bengali brides, who traditionally wear a red Benarasi saree on their wedding day, use a separate veil or dupatta to cover their heads? It looks extremely elegant and beautiful. You can also style an extra dupatta with your usual blouse-lehenga-dupatta set to become the most beautiful bride your relatives and friends have ever seen. Choose one of the following styles:
- The most common way to style two dupattas with your lehenga is using a traditional drape for one dupatta, usually, the heavier one, and the other lighter dupatta is to be used as a veil covering the bride’s head.
- In the double dupatta style, one of the dupattas is always meant to cover your head. This makes it convenient for the bride and adds that graceful look to the outfit. If you want to experiment a little bit with the other dupatta, try styling it like a suit dupatta, forming a ‘U’ the pattern over the chest.
- Those with a more experimental nature should fasten the dupatta draped around the body with a belt. This gives a unique yet elegant, neat and put-together look to the bride. The other dupatta, of course, will be traditionally draped around the head of the bride. Wondering what kind of a belt you should use? Try your grandma’s kamarbandh or get one made for yourself. This look is ethnic and unique together.
- We have mentioned the one-sided dupatta draping style that brings out the beauty of the lehenga blouse. If you are going for this look, make sure that the second dupatta which you are using to cover your head is allowed to flow downwards, next to your arms, bordering your frame. This creates a royal silhouette.
- The veil looks great with a saree pallu. So use the heavier dupatta like a pallu across your body. You may pleat it neatly and create a narrow pallu or you may attach one end of the dupatta on your left shoulder in such a way that it gives the rest of the dupatta a free fall. Attaching the upper corner of the flowing side to the waist will give the dupatta a beautiful, lose-pleated drape that also shows off the work on it.
- Bringing the heavier dupatta from behind your shoulder and arranging it in front of your frame like a Gujarati saree pallu will give a special look to your bridal outfit. The other dupatta will be used like a veil over your head.
- Another great way to uniquely drape the heavier dupatta is by pleating it well, pinning it to one shoulder and bringing it down in a deep ‘U’ and then again pinning it either on the other shoulder or at the waist. With the lighter dupatta draped around the head in a reverse ‘U’ shape, this look creates a beautiful sense of symmetry.
- Want to look like a Rajput queen on your wedding day? Epitomize elegance by draping one dupatta like a bridal chunari. Pin the other one behind one shoulder and bring it across your body, gather it in lose pleats and let it hang over your wrist. Though this will keep one of your hands occupied, it will create a statement of class. Remember to not use contrasting colours in this case.
- Talking about two similar dupattas, you can use both together to drape like a shawl across your body. In this case, you have to choose a sheer fabric as an opaque one will hide the designs on your lehenga blouse completely.
- Look like a Nizami princess by using the lighter dupatta to frame your head and then bring it in front to form a small ‘U’ and then throw it back over the other shoulder. This is similar to the casual way in which women cover their heads with dupatta during prayers. Let the other dupatta hang over one of the shoulders casually.
Colour combinations to go for:
If you are thinking about two dupattas in two different colours, make sure that they complement each other as well as the designer lehenga. Below are some suggestions to give you a better idea:
- Choose a colour family and then match two different shades. For example, you can choose two dupattas – one in light blue and the other navy.
- Pastel shades go well together like mustard yellow and peach or peach and blush pink or light blue and light pink.
- If you are going for a white with gold or silver lehenga, use the second dupatta in red or fuschia or pink. This will bring out the intricacy of the zari work or embroidery of your lehenga.
- Want to go for two dark colours? Try red and green or red and turquoise or marsala and ruby.
- If you want to go for one dark and one light shade, try out the following combinations – red and peach, mint and dark pink, light blue and dark pink, magenta and light pink, white and orange.
- Red and gold or maroon and beige are eternal combinations that look good on every skin tone.
Tricks to Master the Look
- Never use the heavier dupatta as the veil; no matter how beautiful it is, it will surely make you very uncomfortable.
- You can choose the two dupattas in different fabrics. Choose the fabric according to the way in which you will be carrying the dupatta. For the veil choose fabrics like chiffon, net etc. Want to go for pleats? Choose a fabric like silk that will not crease easily.
- Choose the colours based on your skin tone.
- If you are getting married in winter, choose a pashmina or velvet body drape dupatta. It will keep you comfortable.
- Safety pins are your best friends when you are carrying the double dupatta style. So make sure you pin your drapes well.
- Don’t go for two lightweight dupattas. The one which you will drape around your body should be unique and heavy. You may go for heavily embellished designer dupatta’s or choose a traditionally gorgeous one like a bandhani, phulkari or zardosi dupatta.
Conclusion
Now that you have aced the double dupatta style to complement your designer lehenga, don’t look back. Start your dupatta shopping immediately. In case you need more advice and customized expertise, we are here for you. You can consult our style experts or go through our huge collection of designer lehenga’s and dupattas to find the right one for you.
Summary
The double dupatta draping style was introduced by ace designer and wedding fashion guru, Sabyasachi Mukherjee. From Bollywood divas like Anushka Sharma to numerous fashionable brides – all have sported this look at their weddings. The trend is one to watch out for this shaadi season. So in this blog we have decoded the trend for you by compiling the different ways in which it can be carried, tips and tricks associated with the style and suggestions on colour combinations.
