Ah! Diwali is back! Again, we will lit the diyas (small light lamps), decorate the house with rangoli (creative design patterns on the floor using color powder/sand, rice and flowers) light fireworks, eat as much mithai (Indian sweets) as possible, play cards etc. And of course, most people’s favorite part, dressing up!
WHAT IS DIWALI?
Diwali also called Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights. Celebrated on October 19, 2017, it is one of the most popular festivals of Hinduism. It spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. To celebrate it millions of lights are lit. Dubai with such a huge Indian community gets all beautiful and bright and the feeling of celebration is everywhere.
Photo Credit: Yash Goenka from Unsplash.comNext, you will see a breakdown of the different styles of Indian outfits that we wear for Diwali. As well as a brief introduction to some amazing local and international designers that will take your breath away.
DIFFERENT STYLES OF INDIAN CLOTHES
THE SARI
This is by far the most popular and iconic Indian outfit. The sari, saree, or shari consists of a drape varying from 4.5 meters to 8 meters in length and 60 cm to 1.20 m wide. Typically goes wrapped around the waist with different draping styles. It has one end draped over the shoulder, leaving bare the midriff.
You would wear a sari over a petticoat, with a fitted upper garment commonly called a blouse (ravike in South India and choli elsewhere). The blouse has normally short sleeves and leaves bare the midriff.
PADMASITAA
PadmaSitaa is a brand by Padmini Kolhapure & Sita Talwalkar. They have exquisite hand embroidered kaftans, tunics & jalabiyas. PadmaSitaa works hand in hand with artisans and karigars who carry the legacy of hand-crafted vintage white thread embroidery.
PadmaSitaa SareeYou can find PadmaSitaa at Collage Boutique Dubai (Location – Showroom No 5, Street Number 95, Al Etqan II, Behind Mall of the Emirates, Opp Lulu Hypermarket, Al Barsha, Dubai)
For any additional inquiries please go to their Website or to their Facebook page.
To view my in-depth interview with the gorgeous Padmini Kolhapure, please click on this link.
THE SHARARA
One of the coolest and most comfortable of the Indian outfit choices. So cool in fact, that there is a Bollywood song specifically paying homage to this outfit!
Indian and Pakistani women wear shararas often. They are traditional ethnic wear with pleated loose pants. You can wear them normally with a chunni (something similar to a stole) and a kurti (a top).
There are plenty variations of the outfit including pants or a skirt. While you can wear a sharara to almost any occasion, one of the favorites is the luxurious bridal sharara for weddings. Shararas though are very versatile. You can customize them using different fabrics to achieve a more formal look or a more casual style.
WHERE CAN WE FIND IN DUBAI SHARARAS?
ZARODOZI
It is the best location to find them. The Location of the shop is 10 10a Street, Al Karama, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
THE LEHENGA- CHOLI
This is the sexiest choice out of all the Indian outfit choices, and where all those hours slaved at the gym come in handy. The Lehenga, lehnga or langa, is a long skirt with embroidery and pleats. It is secured at the waist leaving the lower back and midriff bare. There are different types of traditional embroidery work for lehengas, with Gota patti embroidery being one of the popular types for festivals and weddings.
NAZAKAT
Check this gorgeous creation from Salima Lalani, of fashion label ‘Nazakat’.
Salima Lalani is one of the icons in the Indian Fashion design industry. She established her label ‘Nazakat’ which is running successfully amongst the who is who of tinsel town. Not only in Mumbai but also in Pune, Hyderabad, Delhi and internationally. The Nazakat brand has lovers from Sydney, Dubai, London, and the USA.
With more than a decade of work, Salima excels in both traditional and western outfits, but bridal attires are her specialty. She has kept in sync with the varying times and has brought creativity and innovation to each collection. Salima works with different fabrics and colors whether it is vibrant or pastels and her intrinsic cuts go well with any type of figure.
‘Nazakat’ by Salima Lalani is exclusively stocked at their Mumbai boutique, you can also check their Facebook page or visit this online shop.
So, ladies, it looks like your spoilt for choice, which outfits are your favorites, do let us know!
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