Indian Sharara- Is it Different from Lehnga?

There are many Indian ethnic clothing. Sharara is one of them. It is basically a Muslim wear and are worn by Muslim brides on the occasion of their weddings. However, due to the much appreciated adaptability of Indian culture, sharara has been whole heartedly accepted by the Indian woman. It gives that graceful charming appearance to all women, much like a lehenga choli. One can very easily mistake it for a ghagra or lehnga but there is a difference between lehnga and sharara. To know this difference and more about various types of this ethnic clothing, read Sharara

Indian Women Clothing- The Myths!

Indian women clothing has been a fascination for not only Indians but worldwide. However, nowadays, it seems Indian woman is slowly distancing herself from the traditional Indian sarees and other Indian dresses. With due respect to all western and other clothes adopted by the women in India, it seems that she has certain misconceptions about the dresses of her own country. This article brings out the reality behind these fashion myths about Indian clothing.

Myth#1 Saree is so unprofessional!

Reality It is true that it takes a little longer to drape a saree and it also requires more care and maintenance. However, sari can never be said unprofessional. If draped properly, saree brings an unparalleled grace to one's personality. How else can you justify the charm of great personalities like Indira Gandhi, Gayatri Devi and more contemporary Sonia Gandhi? True, they are politicians and need to be seen as true Indian and so they can't shed the traditional Indian clothing! Then how will you justify the business personalities like Chanda Kochhar, the Joint MD of ICICI Bank and Neelam Dhawan, the MD, Microsoft India who are rarely seen in other dresses than saree. And no one can debate over how professional and successful top business executives are they!

Myth#2 Salwar Kameez is not for modern women!

Reality There you see a girl clad in salwar kameez and here you give her the tag 'behen ji'. However, every girl secretly admires the fabulous churidars and patialas worn by their fellow beings. Fashion designers are doing more and more experiments with this fabulous attire of India. Models on ramps flaunt their designer salwar kameez. How could it happen then? If its not for today's woman, why the fashion industry wasting so much of its manpower and money on designing these salwar kameez? And I thought business runs on demand and supply principle and also that today's woman is 100 percent a modern woman.

Myth#3 Wearing skirts is non Indian!

Reality Here people don't accept the salwar kameez and there they say that skirts are against traditional values of India! But look at them carefully, don't you find any resemblance between Indian skirts and lehenga? The long skirts are more like lehengas but with a little lesser diameter. Yes, one more difference- skirt is worn with shirts while lengha is worn with choli and dupatta. Did I hear someone saying stoles with skirts?

Myth#4 If you are slim, you'll look good in any clothing!

Reality This myth prevails all over the world and not only in India. Although being slim provides an advantage of looking good in most of the dresses but if you wear a saree without proper pleets and pallu setting, I swear, you'll not like yourself in the mirror! Wear a blouse which is either too loose or too tight, and you finish off the whole charm of an elegant saree. And just try a badly stitched salwar kameez to see how it coverts you in a hanger with clothes on it instead of a girl with lovely curves! The mantra to look good is ofcourse a good figure and properly stitched and worn dresses, whether Indian or western.

How to Look Slim In Indian Clothing?

Who doesn't want to look slim and gorgeous! If you are very heavy or a slight heavier- its always best to cut off your fat and lose weight but by the time you achieve your goal and be really slim, follow these tips to look slim while wearing the adorable Indian women clothing!

Highlight your body assets: First of all research a little about your body assets and faults too. Look in the mirror, ask your friends, do anything but discover your "pretty area" – everyone has at least one of it. It can be a firm and ample bust, round hips, a small waist, long thin legs or toned arms- anything. When wearing clothes, try to accentuate these parts and camouflage the faults. If you have toned arms, wear a sleeveless blouse with saree. If you have nice legs, don't hesitate in wearing knee length skirt with a basic shirt to draw more attention to the legs. If you have a beautiful slender neck, but a bulky waistline, draw attention to your neck by wearing a blouse with delicate neck line or an eye catching necklace.

Avoid frills, gathers, and broader belts: Top-heavy women should avoid clingy fabrics on the top area like frills in the neckline or shoulders of blouses. Bottom heavy women should avoid salwars with heavy gatherings. Choose raglan sleeves or bell shaped sleeves for larger arms. Churidars or narrow salwars are good alternative to bulky Patiala salwar. Wear slightly loose Indian ladies kurtas. They should not be body fitted and also not clingy but made of slightly stiff material. The kurta should cover the hips well enough. When buying salwar kameez, avoid large patterns, polka dots or horizontal stripes. Vertical stripes, small dots and delicate prints give slimmer look. To give an impression of slim waistline, wear blouses and dresses with a thin belt. Kurtas with empire waist line are also good for heavier ladies.

Choose saree and lehengas carefully: A plain sari with a good border and pallu, without any prints give a slimmer look. Heavy silk or brocade saree give a bulky look. Chiffon, Georgette, and delicately hand embroidered sarees give slender look to the wearer. Accompanying blouses should be well matched with the saree. Blouses should fit properly- not too loose or too tight. A blouse with a knot or back open blouses also give slim look by drawing attention to your back. Always remember to drape the saree properly. When it comes to lehengas, a fishnet lehenga will accentuate your body curves in a great way. Straight or A-line lehengas also bring out the body curves very well. Lehenga with too much gatherings or frills will make you look more fat.

General rules for looking slim: Black is the quick fix color solution for heavily built ladies. If it allows, wear a black blouse with a saree or a black churidar with A-line or tunic style kurta. Blacks are great but sometimes a bit boring. If you feel so, go for monochromatic outfits. Mix textures and shades of a color to keep the look interesting. Other colors like blue marine, prune, brown, dark red and dark green also give slimming effect. Never wear anything shiny or bright over an area that you want to hide. Avoid wearing small sized clothes. Give attention to hairdo and footwear too. Avoid a very fluffy frizzy hair do which adds volume to the upper part of body. In stead, have a high bun or high ponytail. Wear well heeled comfortable footwear, particularly with Indian dresses like saris. Use fashion accessories intelligently. Long earrings and thin long chain around the neck with a pendant gives a slim tall look.

Most importantly, learn to choose clothes that flatter your figure. Don't go for a clothing just because it’s hot and in. Modify it to highlight your good bits and look slim in Indian women clothing!