BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Beautiful Benares Saris in 'Laagi Chunari Mein Daag'

The costumes in 'Laagi Chunari Mein Daag' are beautiful, and they would be, having been designed by the wonderful Sabyasachi. Throughout the film the actresses wear outfits which are beautifully colourful, outfits (which usually are plain kameezes with colourfully printed dupatta scarves, like this), and which I actually found quite charming because of simplicity of them.

There was one, outfit which stood out for me the most, and which I really liked. At the wedding scenes in the film, Rani's character wears a beautiful green and cream lengha-sari which I loved - the drape of it is very flattering and I love the motif design on the sari drape as well as the flattering cut of the skirt. I'm also a big fan of the longer-sleeved blouses for saris, and here it looks lovely, simple gold and green print yet effective - I can imagine this being a perfect sari to wear to a friend's wedding!

I also really like Rani's understated make-up here, with goes well with her beautifully sleek bun with the traditional  jasmine flowers in her hair. Her make-up seems to be a golden wash of eyeshadow with natural pinky lips, which I thought was very subtle but flattering, and something which makes her eyes look more striking too. My favourite thing, though, has to be the extravagant crystal earrings she is wearing, which are huge but look quite elegant.

I also thought I'd mention Konkona Sen Sharma's character's lengha-sari, which is a traditional bridal red, and has a similar look to it with the banarsi print blouse and worked sari. I didn't get a good look at the full outfit properly, but it has the similar look to Rani's one - plain gold and red printed blouse with a beautful skirt and the drape of the sari pinned on her shoulder in an elegant way. Again, Konkona's make-up is subtle and light, so that it doesn't look too much, and balances well with her jewellery, which is great since she has a petite face and it wouldn't suit her to have too much.

All images taken from Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and do no belong to me

I think I liked Rani's green sari more than the red sari worn by Konkona, but this is because I love the shade of green she is wearing. I find the red shade that Konkona wears elegant, but not a flattering shade on everyone, since it is quite 'bronzey' which may not always suit younger women. I would love to have a lengha-sari like Rani's green one here, it looks very classic and the traditional - and still has a Sabyasachi signature look. While I would get a longer blouse made to cover my stomach, I think the way the sari is draped is very flatttering, and it's definitely something I would like to try with a sari.

Which sari do you prefer?

GLAMOROUS ACCESSORIES: Konkona Sen in Amrapali Jewels

I really like this image of Bollywood actress Konkona Sen Sharma modelling some lovely bridal pieces a couple of  years ago, by Indian jewellery company Amrapali - and she looks beautifully elegant and regal. I'm not quite sure what style this look would fit into, it's not quite Mughal and it's not quite traditional Indian, but it does look well put-together, and certainly wouldn't look out of place on a bride or on a Bollywood set!

I also like the fact that she wears a simple, cream-coloured sari to set off the jewellery, with accents of maroon, which really compliments the mix of white stones and gold metal, which I think really helps to set the jewellery off and pull it all together.

What do you think of this look?

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BRIDE COUTURE: Konkona Sen Sharma's Wedding Outfit

A bit late to the party I know, seeing as Konkona Sen Sharma got married to hubby and follow actor Ranvir Shorey back in September 2010, but just would like to talk about her lovely bridal outfit. Konkona decided to stick with her Bengali roots, opting for a simple golden-cream sari, and a traditional jewellery set which belonged to her grandmother.

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I love the Mughal style which is going on here, it looks beautiful on Konkona and her simple make-up and striking jewellery only accentuates the whole look. The 'borla' tikka piece and the sparkling white and gold jewellery are very suitable accompaniments to her outfit, and I love how she has not opted out of gold either, as can be seen from the gold bangles on her wrist. Truly a glowing bride here, right down to the mehndi style on her hands.

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Madhuri's Arab Style in Aaja Nachle

The ever iconic Madhuri Dixit's last Bollywood venture, Aaja Nachle shows an array of flowing costumes, following an Arabic dress style which has rich, plain colours and still remains quite modest. I quite like these outfits as these are styles which can easily be adapted into our own dress styles, especially as maxi dresses are in vogue.
The main outfits which stood out for me was this black and green one modelled by Madhuri below:

I also quite liked this yellow and orange one modelled by her (and also the light blue flowy robe that Konkena Sen's character wears):

Although it does feel a bit generic and lacks detail, I still think that this is an interesting branch of fashion being explored here. I also liked Konkona's bridal dress here, which focuses more on simplicity of design and the traditional style jewellery:

And lastly, this outfit worn by Madhuri in her O Re Piya piece also shows a traditional influence, although this is perhaps more Indian than Arab.

All Images owned by Yash Raj Films

I am aware that this is a style that hasn't really seem to have caught on in the asian fashion world, yet I'm sure I am not alone in liking the flowing, modest look and the fact that this film has tried to branch out from the typical heavy lengha look. I also like the use of maxi style dresses and abayaahs, which I'm sure may be relevant to many readers, which they can take design inspiration from.