Payal Singhal’s Top Trousseau Tips

Inspiration for Sitara
“Vintage royal costumes spanning styles and eras, as well as museum pieces have inspired my new bridal collection Sitara in terms of construction, silhouettes and embroidery. From old European influences to Indian ones, historical clothing specific to royalty have been interpreted in an Indian context and then modernized to appeal to the contemporary bride.”

The Payal Singhal bride
“The Payal Singhal bride is one who values comfort and effortlessness over everything else. She is drawn to individualistic looks rather than the kind of overtly heavy, put-together looks that are normally expected of brides. She wears her outfits with ample swag — she’s most likely to top off her wedding lehenga with a cool pair of aviators!”

Trends to try this season
“There is a major emphasis on shoulders this season, and styles like cold shoulders, off-shoulders, and shoulder cut-outs have become go-tos for blouses and kurtas. Trousers are taking center stage, so experiment with traditional bottoms like shararas, palazzos and dhotis. With the introduction of capes and drapes, the dupatta has also become redundant.
There is a return to traditional, old-word embroideries like mukaish, zardosi, gota, mirror work, and resham as well.

Trending colours include shades of red like pomegranate, marsala, deep red, crimson red and maroon, jeweled tones like emerald green, navy blue and black as well as the pastel hues like nude, silver, gold and blush.”

Pitfalls to avoid
“Having pre-conceived notions about what not to wear is the biggest mistake brides tend to make. Be open-minded and try on as many styles as you can before making the final purchase.
It’s also important not to be a fashion victim. Dress according to your body type and choose something you’re comfortable in. Make a note of colours that have always looked good on you, and try and choose from that palette, so there’s no going wrong with the end result.”

Evergreen bridal trend
“I think a deep red lehenga for the wedding ceremony is an evergreen bridal trend.

Beauty look for the modern Indian bride
“Highlight one feature — less is more in this case.”

For the sangeet ceremony
“The outfit will depend on the bride’s personality, but I would suggest a brocade pantsuit worn with a veil or dupatta.”

Golden rules
“Make sure you eat something before the wedding as most brides forget to, and end up eating nothing all night. Also, wear comfortable shoes.”

Recommendations from Sitara
“I’d recommend our Aarzoo lehenga that was modeled by Shibani Dandekar at Lakme Fashion Week. The deep pomegranate lehenga set features a gathered waistline skirt and a plunging blouse with zardosi and pearl work.The Nur Jahan lehenga with a cutwork belt and an off-shoulder blouse evokes the feeling of having restored your mother’s wedding lehenga.”