- Avarna Jain,
Chairperson RPSG Lifestyle Media
Your Complete Guide To Embracing Androgyny As A Wedding Guest
Ladies, sometimes, a boxy bandhgala trumps a sleek sari!
Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor in androgynous looks by Kunal Rawal and Raghavendra RathoreInstagra,
While we love a sexy sari or an opulent lehenga, it's hard to deny the sheer charm of a woman in a sharp bandhgala set. Or a beautiful sherwani. A simple, classic, and crisp bandhgala, paired with a multi-layered statement polki necklace is all you need for an impeccable wedding guest look. If you too, would like to hop onto the androgyny bandwagon this wedding season, here’s how to do it.
Here's How You Can Wear An Androgynous Look As A Wedding Guest
Designer Palak Shah wearing a bandhgala set from Kunal RawalKunal Rawal
Bhumi Pednekar in an androgynous look from Kunal RawalKunal Rawal
For a blatant approach
If you want to dive head first into the androgynous aesthetic this wedding season, we suggest taking pieces directly from your husband/boyfriend/brother/father's wardrobe. Because when an outfit is designed for men, it reflects in the tailoring.
Stylist Rhea Kapoor in a classic bandhgalaInstagram/Rhea Kapoor
Wear a classic bandhgala set or even a sherwani for a strong, impactful look. If you want to embrace androgyny in its truest, more unadulterated form, keep things classic, and wear the complete set—kurta, dhoti pants, bandhgala together, as opposed to mixing them with pieces from women's clothing. Keep things very sharp and masculine. You can extend this to the jewellery as well, with studded brooches and cufflinks, or add a layer of femininity through the jewellery, with pieces like cocktail rings, chic necklaces, and head jewellery.
Sonam Kapoor in a bandhgala set by Kunal RawalKunal Rawal
For a more subtle approach
If going for an out-and-out androgynous look sounds too OTT for your liking, and if you would like to adopt a more subtle approach to androgynous dressing, we suggest you mix and match, as opposed to going for a full menswear look. For example, you pairing your bandhgala jacket with a lehenga, or a sharara will add just the right amount of androgyny to the look, without it being too out-there. As opposed to investing in a menswear look, you can choose to test the waters by pairing the skirt of your lehenga with a jacket borrowed from your husband's wardrobe.
Rhea Kapoor in a men's jacket paired with a lehenga—a more subtle take on androgynous dressingInstagram/Rhea Kapoor
Our pro-tips for androgynous dressing:
Go for a minimal, clean, and polished, outfit outfit with a classic silhouette and minimal embroidery, and balance it out with exquisite, chunky jewels that add a pop of color.
As opposed to having that outfit fit you like a glove, opt for an oversized, boxy fit for more gravitas.
For a truly impeccable androgynous wedding guest look, keep your accessories masculine—pocket squares, brooches, beautiful cuff links etc.—except for the shoes. Pair the look with a pair of pumps. The shoes will give you the stature that the boxy fit might have taken away.
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.
This section is a building block, a step to a better life. A place where we have all the answers. Or at least the beginning of a great conversation.
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.
