Gharara | The Quintessential Indian Bridal Wear!

Dress like a Mughal princess on your big day. Yes, we are referring to a Gharara! It is one of the most elegant and traditional among Indian bridal wear, However; it has lost its glory over time. With changing trends, Bollywood has brought this undiscovered treasure back in to fashion by popularizing it recently.

 We are totally in love with this traditional outfit! Ghararas originated in Lucknow and were traditionally worn by north Indian muslim women. The outfit comprises of a mid-length tunic known as kurti and is paired with flared wide legged pants which are ruched at the knee. The outfit also has a dupatta to go with it. Worn by Nawabs and muslims, the outfit often reflected the status of the person wearing it in olden times.

 

The Gharara is the traditional outfit of a Pakistani bride. The pants of the Gharara are very dramatic and each leg is artfully crafted with more than 12 metres of fabric. Rich fabrics such as silks or brocades were traditionally used to design this elegant outfit. Though now days you may see variations in fabric as, georgette is also widely used because of its flowy texture.

 

 Wedding ghararas usually have ornate embroidery or zardosi detailing on them. Kareena Kapoor wore a lovely gharara in the movie Agent Vinod. Manish Malhotra designed this pink gharara with zari and sequin detailing. Katrina also wore a gharara in a qawwali song sequence in the movie Tees Maar Khan. Actress Kulraj Randhawa was seen wearing a modified veison of a gharara in a song sequence in her debut film Yamla Pagla Deewana. In the movie Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Kareena Kapoor was also wearing a modified version of a gharara.