What to wear this Diwali

The festival of lights is synonymous with celebration and of course, the chance to dress up in the season’s best and finest. Everyone wants to put their best ethnic foot forward. So how can you stand out and make heads turn? Don’t just blindly follow fashion trends; pick a style that suits you and one that you feel confident in. Our personal favorites for this festive season are Saris for religious functions and Anarkalis for the evening festivities.

Anarkalis always make the perfect statement for an evening function, especially when you want to dress to impress which is probably the reason for its abundant existence in the market. There are many varieties of this suit; the one with a simple flair, the one with a lot of layers, one with edgy cut-outs on the back or shoulder but the ankle length gown style currently ranks the highest.

Digital prints are in trend this season and this is largely due to the popularity garnered by the Indian fashion designer, Masaba Gupta. You can wear a digital print sari, pair up a digital print dupatta with a plain long dress or digital print kurti – Don this trend for modern, trendy and edgy look this diwali.

Deciding between different cuts, colours, styles and fits can be difficult at times but is a crucial aspect when picking the right ethnic outfit for your body shape. Below is a guide to the right ethnic wear for different shapes.

Apple-Shaped Women

An apple-shaped body is usually characterized by a heavy bust, fairly large tummy and narrow hips so it's a good idea to draw focus away from your torso. What to wear

• Kurtis/Anarkalis/Lehengas with simple A-line cuts without gathers and pleats

• V-shaped, halter and embellished necklines to move the attention away from your upper body

• Fabrics such as cotton or silk that tend to fit your body well

• Skinny or fitted churidaars under your kurtas to draw attention to your slim legs

• Dark-coloured tops with lighter-colored bottoms

• Flare and cuff sleeves

What to avoid

• Bandhgalas or outfits with a lot of detailing on the hem

• Yoked style kurtas that draw attention to your torso

• Patialas and loose salwars

• Heavy neck accessories as they draw focus to your upper body

Pear-Shaped Women

Popular among Indian women, the pear shape is characterized by narrow shoulders with broad hips and/or heavy thighs. The key to ethnic dressing for this body type is to draw attention to your slender waist and upper torso.

What to wear

• Kurtis with collar, boat and square neck styles or ones with lots of detailing around neck and waist will accentuate your leaner upper body

• Fit and flare styles, anarkalis and tunics that are flared from the waist down

• Pastel colors with darker or neutral colored bottoms to streamline your lower body

• Printed and textured kurtis (stripes, polka dots, sequins)

• Patialas or wide pipe bottoms to camouflage large hips and thighs

What to avoid

• Body-hugging fabrics

• Tight bottoms that highlight your broader lower half

Inverted triangle-shaped Women

Women with this body shape tend to have wide shoulders or broader upper body than hips, skinny thighs and little or no waist definition.

What to wear

• Horizontal stripes and prints with low v-necklines

• Embroidered leggings with simple kurtis

• Create the illusion of a waist with embroided waist details

What to avoid

• Boat necks, high necklines and bulky shoulder patterns, as those will accentuate your torso

• Styles that hide your silhouette

• Styles that extend or accentuate shoulders e.g. details, volume, fuss on your shoulders such as puff sleeves, shoulder pads

• Stiff fabrics on top and narrowing hemlines

Rectangle-Shaped Women

Women with a rectangular or square shaped body usually have no curves therefore the main goal is to find ethnic wear that creates the illusion of curves in the right places.

What to wear

• Kurtas/ tunics with wide, deep necks that take the emphasis away from the boxy look

• Belted kurtis which help to create defined waist shape

• Anarkali style kurti or heavy fabric that can add volume to your figure

• Slim bottoms

• Semi-fitting clothing that drapes around but tightens at the waist line

• Kurtis with front panel detail & pleating

What to avoid

• Tight kurtis that emphasize your body shape

• Loose clothing

• Outfits with darts at the bust and waist

Hourglass-Shaped Women

Women with this figure tend to have small waist with wide hips and shoulders. It doesn't take too much to pick out the right ethnic wear for the hourglass figure.

What to wear

• Kurtis that are narrow and defined at the waist to accentuate your curves

• Fit and flare tunics with classic work

• Low and bust-enhancing necklines to slim upper body

• Dress in colours that suit your skin tone as all colours will go with your body type

• Experiment with 40s and 50s retro style ethnic outfits as these look good on your body shape

What to avoid

• Loose or ill-fitted suits that hide your curves and instead make you look shapeless

• Patterned bulky kurtis that make you look plump

Still haven’t found your Diwali outfit yet? Not to worry. If you’re looking for ready-to-wear outfits, your best bet is to head to bustling Meena Bazaar located in the heart of Bur Dubai. The best shops with a good variety of Indian wear can be found along the Madhoor Stores lane and along Fahidi Street close to Sun City Hotel. Although getting the best price will depend upon your bargaining skills.

Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday – [9:30am – 1 pm and 5 pm – 10 pm], Friday 4 pm until midnight

Here’s wishing all those celebrating a Very Happy Diwali!!

#desifashion #ethnicwear