My fashionistas, as promised earlier, here is my Durga Puja look 2 for Ashtami featuring a black bamboo silk saree with wide gold border and with water print cross-box design paired with magenta benarasi saree blouse with gold embroidery in silk thread. But picking the prettiest saree for a party or a festival is not enough– accessorizing it will avoid getting you lost in the crowd. I’m tired of seeing beautiful ladies in heavily embroidered sarees and lehengas weighing them down.
As I always say, unless it’s your own wedding, it is wiser to go for simple prints or net/chiffon/cotton fabric and add the bling with an antique necklace design. Gold, pearl and diamond necklaces go well with ethnic wear. Elaborate necklace designs that adds to the elegance of an ordinary saree or any outfit are here to show us how to pair traditional jewellery with contemporary styles. This Vasundhara creation featuring a rhodium plated necklace with engraved goddess and cubic zirconia pendant with faux pearls chain set in mixed metal is what I have chosen to style this high-street-buy saree. I have avoided accessorizing my ears and kept the make-up minimal to draw all the attention to this statement neckpiece. It turns a simple saree look into royal elegance with this traditional Seeta Haar necklace designs. No other accessory to distract either – the statement necklace takes all the credit.
There are many practical ways you can make the most of your high-street purchase. Whether you want to stand out in the crowd, look different than everyone else wearing pieces that screams about the latest puja fashion trends or simply bring out your individual style, there is never a bad time to get inspired and follow your dreams. I have been designing my own clothes since I was 14. I enjoy it much as this way I can avoid the irrational fear of not seeing someone else wearing the same outfit before I do;) Also reinventing a new look ensures uniqueness and not following what others are wearing this season. If you have followed me closely, you have probably noticed, I am a believer of mix ‘n’ match of high-street buys with a bits and pieces of designer collection, pairing flea market purchase with picks from thrift stores. This allows me to get more ambitious to take things further. Designing and making my own clothes allows me to focus on detail and construction. When I bought this black Bamboo silk saree from Benarasi Kutir from Benarasi Polli in Mirpur, I knew instantly that I’m not going to wear the matching blouse came with the saree. I did not throw it, instead I conceptualised a look, designed it and wore it with a Kantha Stitch Tussar silk saree (see here). Then how do I accessorize this saree without a blouse? I brought my own style by designing a traditional benarasi silk blouse as it complements the neutral color-black and also accentuates the gold border and pallu. This is also a great way to re-vamp your mother’s silks and chiffons- with feisty blouses! When wearing a saree, my top most priorty is to get the blouse right because that’s where most younger women go wrong. Wearing the boring ’round in the front, round at the back, cap-sleeve’ pattern is boring. All my blouses are built-in cups for a good fit and peace of mind — no more peeking brastraps. According to your needs, you can always keep it thin or thick cups. So, I opted for this contrast colour magenta benarasi silk blouse with this black Bamboo Silk saree. Keeping it sleeveless added a modern twist to an otherwise traditional saree like this. As repetitive as it gets with strings tied at the back in almost every single blouse you own, I still insist on a string so the sleeves don’t droop of a low-cut back. And I always rely on the trusted hook-and-eye buttons instead of zipped-in blouses.
While the necklace and the blouse have taken the front seat of styling this saree, adding a golden beaded boatshape clutch to match the pallu and border brought the subtlity to this look. I chose to wear a black metallic strappy stilettos with this look over the usual suspect- golden stilettos.
A low twisted bun is the perfect haitstyle I could envisage on this look as I want to keep all the focus on the hairstyle which will draw attention to the statement neckpiece.
Adding some colored glass bangles along with your traditional gold bangles brings vibrant and modern twist to your look when wearing a saree during festival season. These magenta glass bangles hand-picked from the street in front of New Market, Kolkata matched well my magenta benarasi blouse paired with black bamboo silk saree with golden border and pallu.
Putting a look together all by yourself for a fashion blogger is not a difficult task but there are some moments, only some, eh, when I wished I had someone to give me a hand in tucking safety pins in the weirdest places e.g. the back of your shoulder where my hand can’t reach etc. to keep the saree safe and secure from falling off in public. Share your Durga Puja looks with me on Facebook and let’s get inspired!
Stay tuned, stay stunned!
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