Lehenga Choli - Sink in the Traditions

Ethnicity is a way of life. It is much more than a mere dressing style. It is a way in which one identifies your roots and traditions. Clothing in India varies from region to region depending on the ethnicity, climate, geography and cultural traditions of the people of that particular region. Ethnic outfits bring the culture in you alive and upbeat. One of the ethnic wears which goes synonymous with the traditions, is lehenga choli.
A Lehenga Choli  is the traditional attire of women in Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is the favourite apparel worn during festive seasons or special occasions like wedding and such. Traditionally, the sari and the lehenga choli are the most popular garments for the bride in India. However, lehenga cholis are the most common bridal wear in India. Specifically pertaining to the northern part of the country, it is used to dress up the bride; the typical colour being a vibrant red. During the annual festival of Navratri, women throng themselves to Garba performances wearing heavily embroidered lehenga cholis.

A lehenga choli comprises of different parts of clothings worn together. It consists of a lehenga, a well-fitted choli on top and a dupatta. Traditionally, lehenga was a form of pleated flowy skirts. Now, with the infusion of contemporary trends in traditional attires, lehengas are available in different shapes. You can get an A-line lehenga which fits tightly at your thighs and flows from your knees, giving you an amalgamated look. It is usually embroidered or has a thick border at the bottom. A choli is a blouse garment, which is cut to fit the upper part of the body and usually has short or long sleeves and a low neckline. Right from the ancient times, different styles of ghagra cholis are worn by the women, ranging from a simple cotton one as a daily wear, a traditional ghagra with mirrors embellished or a fully embroidered lehenga worn by a bride.

The lehengas are made of a number of fabrics. Earlier, the lehengas were restricted to fabrics like cotton or khadi. Now, with modernisation seeping in, lehenga cholis have paved way for a multitude of gorgeous fabrics such as silk, cotton, khadi, georgette, crepe, net, satin, brocade and chiffon. With such elegant bases, the various decorative stitching patterns also play a major role to enhance the overall look. Lehengas come with a wide variety of decorations and embroidery works like gota, phulkari, shisha, chikankari, zari, zardozi, nakshi, kundan and so on. The ethnic shisha embroidery is commonly used to stitch lehenga cholis for festivals like Navaratri. With the incorporation of latest trends, heavier works in pearls, sequins and zari have found a place in lehenga cholis for weddings and associated functions. Another unique embroidery of Kutch looks exquisitely glorious, which is basically a net woven on a cloth using thread. Thereafter, the net is filled in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually stitched in geometric shapes. This embroidery follows its own traditional design logic and an impressive blend of colours and motifs.
Another type of lehenga choli known as Luanchari, is the traditional attire worn by the women of Himachal Pradesh. The Luanchari is made up of two parts, the upper part is called choli it is made of the same fabric as of the lehenga. The two parts need not be of the same colour. It is a one-piece attire with the choli stitched to the lehanga.
Get a stunning lehenga choli for yourself and grace any occasion with a chic and classy style.