Lehengas are the top choice for weddings and festive occasions due to their connection with ancient royal clothing and regal style. Classic lehenga fabric choices – silk and velvet – dominate the market even today, with the latest trends and evolving designs offering new textures. Many lehenga designs also combine these contemporary silhouettes with traditional fabrics for a modern look.
Outfits for weddings and festive occasions in India are grand and should be nothing short of perfect. To ensure that you have picked the best possible lehenga, aspects like the fabric should also match the occasion, location, and heme. Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered. Keep reading as this article lists the most popular lehenga fabrics and how you can pick the best one for you.
Types Of Lehenga Fabrics:
1. Pure Silk: The classic choice, silk lehengas are worn even today for the natural sheen of the cloth that exudes a rich and royal feel. For weddings, you can opt for a Banarsi silk lehenga, which is stiff with a voluminous skirt. For a lighter lehenga suited to pre-wedding ceremonies and festive occasions, you can pick from silk crepe, chiffon, or Tussar silk options. You can find a wide variety of textures within silk fabric.
2. Velvet: The luxurious velvet fabric was once only used by royal family members. Today, velvet lehengas hold the same significance while being accessible to all. Deep red, purple, or blue velvet lehenga with gold metallic embroidery will help you achieve a look fit for queens.
3. Woven Fabrics: Silver or gold threads are woven with silk, linen, or cotton fibres to create the brocade fabrics. Along with the brocade lehengas with raised metallic designs, you can also pick jacquard or chanderi fabrics that reflect the rich history of weaving and handlooms in India.
4. Georgette/Chiffon/Crepe: Durable and breathable lightweight lehengas are ideal for the summer, cocktail parties by the beach, or outdoor venues. Georgette, chiffon, and crepe all have a similar sheen, and breezy feel, and will move gracefully with your every move with one key difference – Chiffon is sheer, georgette is matte, and crepe has a unique crinkled texture.
5. Net/Mesh: You can opt to incorporate net or mesh in your lehenga skirt for volume as well as the dupatta for a bold yet modest look. The see-through net or mesh will help you achieve the traditional silhouette while showing off all the best features of your blouse and lehenga skirt.
6. Organza: Hand-painted and floral print organza lehengas are all the rage at the moment and a top choice for pre-wedding ceremonies and bridal showers. Organza is translucen 1t and has a natural shine that will help you stand out.
How To Pick Lehenga Fabric:
1. Season: If you’re wearing your dream lehenga and looking your best, feeling too hot or cold should not take away from the experience. Consider checking the temperature before picking the lehenga fabric to ensure you will be comfortable. A rule of thumb is to pick breathable and light fabrics for the summer and thick woven fabrics with lining for the winter.
2. Packing For Travel: From beach resorts to desert palaces, weddings and special occasions come with travel. If you are going to be packing for a destination wedding or event, consider wrinkle-free fabrics such as chiffon and velvet. Similarly, lightweight fabrics will be easier to pack and take up less space in your luggage.
3. Time Of Day: The colours of the fabric will depend on the time of the event as different shades look good in certain lights. Vibrant colours and pastel shades are better during the day, while deep jewel tones are better suited for night time. Similarly, you may need lightweight fabrics during the day and fabrics with heavy embroidery at night to shine under the fluorescent lights.
4. Occasion: Whether you’re attending a formal event or the wedding of a close loved one, considering the occasion is key while picking the lehenga fabric to dress appropriately. Plush fabrics like silk and velvet will steal focus with the royal look, while light chiffon and georgette will help you look elegant and stylish.
5. Theme: Following the theme and colour palette while dressing for any event is important as it shows respect toward your hosts. You can experiment with silhouettes and opt for silk or velvet during traditional functions and pick net or mesh lehenga for cocktail parties and events.
Conclusion:
Fabrics dictate not only the volume and structure of the lehenga but also the comfort factor in different weather. The opulence of some fabrics and the contemporary feel of others should also complement the design and style of the lehenga. Opting for sturdy fabrics with linings will be preferable if you want heavily embellished lehengas with beaded or embroidered details. You must also consider factors like wearability, body type, and budget while buying the lehenga to ensure you are happy with the purchase.
