Minimal Brides, What’s Stopping You From Embodying Maharani Gayatri Devi’s Style?

Long before the ever-changing roster of influencers peddling unrealistic beauty standards, we had style icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy who celebrated timelessness as opposed to latching on to fleeting trends, and embraced self-expression as opposed to trying to fit into a mould. Back home, we had Maharani Gayatri Devi.

Besides being a successful politician and a philanthropist, Maharani Gayatri Devi, the last queen of Jaipur, was known for being a global fashion icon. She was the epitome of elegance and grace.

While you won't be wrong in crediting Yash Chopra for popularising diaphanous chiffon saris, thanks to the breathtaking visuals of sari-clad heroines atop Swiss peaks, Maharani Gayatri Devi had a huge role to play too.

She introduced the world to the beauty of delicate chiffon saris. Her signature look, consisting of chiffon saris, pastel colours, and pearls, was the definition of timelessness. She would often be seen wearing huge sunglasses as well.

Her sartorial taste was impeccable, and it inspired other artists as well. In 2013, Sabyasachi created five limited edition saris inspired by Maharani Gayatri Devi. 

While she would always embrace the regal Indian aesthetic, it had a lot of modernity to it, and the visual language transcended boundaries—her fashion had a global appeal. I mean, there's a reason why her style is relevant even today.

If Janhvi Kapoor’s recent appearance at the Cannes Film Festival and the love that it got is anything to go by, it seems like Generation Z might not have lost the plot on the timeless, regal Indian aesthetic, and perhaps there is still hope.

If there’s anything to learn from the towering fashion legacy of the Maharani of Jaipur, it’s to embrace your roots and celebrate timelessness. Her style is nothing if not timeless, which is to say, it’s still relevant, and will always be.

How Minimal Brides Can Embody Maharani Gayatri Devi’s Style

Brides, in particular, can embody their style for their wedding festivities. We suggest a delicate saree like hers, paired with a string of pearls for your mehendi! Remember, the whole idea is, you do you. So, if you're a maximalist bride and doing a crazy outfit comes naturally to you, you do you.

But if you find yourself gravitating towards Maharani Gayatri Devi's style and would like to embrace it as a bride, even though other brides might be miles away from it, that’s perfectly okay. Because every fashion icon that the World has ever known had the courage to dress in a way that nobody else was. 

If you want to channel your inner Rajmata of Jaipur (as she would often be referred to as), know that the first step is to not try and comply with others’ beauty standards—embrace who you are. Not that that’s out of the way, let’s dive into her sartorial choices. She would wear chiffon saris in muted and pastel colours.

You can go for saris in colours like powder pink, ice blue, mint green, and ivory for your mehendi or haldi. You can even go for feminine prints, like florals. And if you’re wearing a saree, make sure to keep the blouse modest. Remember, it’s okay if it's a really simple saree, but make sure it's classy, and something that your daughter can inherit years later, which is to say, timeless.

Saris Inspired By Gayatri Devi's Style For Summer

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While she would often be seen wearing gemstones like Emeralds and Rubies, her forever favourite was pearls. You can go for strings of pearls or huge pearl stud earrings—you can even keep your jewellery extra extravagant, to balance the simplicity of your outfit.

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Remember that, to truly embody Maharani Gayatri Devi, you have to ignore the fleeting trends, and stick to the timeless—ignore what other brides are doing. And remember to always keep things classy!