Alia Bhatt Makes A Case For The Skinny Dupatta At The Cannes Film Festival 2026
Bridesmaids, take a cue from Alia and embrace the skinny dupatta this season, because we don't have to keep pretending that it's a scarf!
The annual celebration of cinema that is the Cannes Film Festival is back in all its glory. While the festival is primarily known for showcasing the crème de la crème of international cinema by screening one-of-a-kind movies from different countries, it has also come to be known as a major event for the lovers of fashion. Every year in May, different celebrities from across the globe make their way to the South of France to walk the Cannes red carpet of the world’s most prestigious film event.
This year, Alia Bhatt made her second appearance at the Cannes red carpet, and it’s safe to say that her sartorial choices are in line with the elegant and sophisticated backdrop of the French Riviera. Her looks, all styled by Rhea Kapoor, are serving French sophistication.
For the opening ceremony, she wore a coral custom Tamara Ralph column gown with a corseted bodice.
Her off-shoulder gown had a structured plunging neckline with a cut-out detail. She also paired the gown with a matching scarf. But let’s be real, while the world is calling it a scarf, we Indians recognise it as the same old skinny dupatta we’ve seen the Bollywood girls wear in the 90s and early 2000s. She paired the outfit with a matching custom necklace with rare pink coral from Amrapali jewels, and a pair of square-cut studs from Chopard. She wore her hair in middle-parted soft curls and kept her make-up fresh and dewy make-up with peachy lips, soft blush, and lots of highlighter.
If Bella Hadid’s look at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party 2026 and Kendall Jenner’s recent Dior top and pants look with a matching scarf are anything to go by, then the skinny dupatta (or scarf, as they like to call it) is not going anywhere anytime soon. And Alia’s appearance at the Cannes further solidified this.
Take this as your sign to embrace to good old skinny dupatta this wedding season. Whether it's with a sleek lehenga, or with column gown like Alia's, this trend is here to stay, whether you like it or not!