- Avarna Jain,
Chairperson RPSG Lifestyle Media
Do Thermals Belong at Weddings? Let the Kurta Make a Better Case
Here’s how to make the kurta your warm and chicest ally this winter wedding season.
Attention girls! Here are ways to elevate your kurta game this winter.Gopi Vaid; Dusala; Kressa
With wedding season kicking off, the question that’s quietly nagging at many of us resurfaces at Indian weddings, ‘Do you really need to layer a thermal under your kurta?’ According to couturier Tarun Tahiliani, comfort is not a compromise. “Comfort is the biggest commandment for the new-age bride,” said the designer at the India Couture Week 2025.
It’s a truth that feels especially urgent when you’re dressing for pre-wedding rituals, you want to look beautiful in photographs, but you also don’t want to feel like you’re trapped in a wool cocoon. Rather than default to a basic thermal, there are more inventive, elegant ways to stay warm and make the kurta feel elevated and bring comfort at the same time. Here are some kurta styling ideas that are chic, practical, and deeply suited to the wedding week.
How to Style a Kurta Across Your Pre-Wedding Week
A Minimalist Winter Kurta Look With A Turtleneck Or Collared Neck
Choose a long silk kurta in a rich jewel tone in emerald, sapphire, or deep burgundy with clean cuts and minimal embellishment. And instead of a thermal, you can also layer a fine cashmere turtleneck in a different shade under the kurta if required. Accessorise with a choker or a delicate metallic neckpiece that sits just above the kurta collar.
Turtle Neck Tunic Co-OrdThree
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Kurta With An Embellished Cape Jacket Or Long Jacket
Start with a sharply tailored, cropped kurta in a structured fabric, layer an embroidered cape jacket, pick one in satin, velvet, or something with a slight sheen, so it reads elevated. For the bottom, go with a richly embroidered or woven palazzo or flared pant in a complementary shade. Shoes can be minimalist heels or sleek flats.
Varun Bahl
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Button Down Straight Fit Long JacketEKA
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Kurta Paired With A Quilted Bundi
Choose a handloom or khadi kurta in a neutral or earthy tone (sand, olive, terracotta) to create a base and layer a short, quilted Gujarati-style cotton bundi (vest) over it. Think mirrorwork, running stitch, or light embroidery. Pair with wide-legged pants or soft palazzos in matching or tonal fabric. Accessorise with handcrafted rings, oxidised neckpieces, or mirror-work earrings.
Kora India
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Kora India
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Monochrome Layered Kurta With Shawl
Opt for a plain, monochrome kurta (ivory, black, deep navy) but in a heavier fabric and drape a large embroidered pashmina or shawl over your shoulders, letting one end fall longer in front. Pair with straight trousers in the same colour as the kurta, so the drape remains the focal point. Add statement earrings or a bold ear cuff.
Dusala
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Shaza
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Where we give you a fast-paced look into everything you should wish list when you start to think about marriage. What to buy and how to dress, along with modern mithai and the homegrown fragrance makers to bookmark. Make special note of the feature on alta.
It has everything you need to make your wedding special. From the big comeback of red and pink in bridal wear to how the cool kids are wearing corsets to the celebration, there is only one way to get ready for a wedding —with enjoyment.
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This needs very little description. It has travel with a special focus on incredible India, and a collection of wedding albums, sourced randomly, but collected with abundance because happiness has no limits.
