Wedding Wow

When the temperatures outside begin to dip, the social scene here in BD starts heating up! Parties, get-together, religious festivals, and of course, the inevitable weddings. Weddings in this sub-continent are elaborate affairs, spanning three or more events over the course of a week, or even longer. That makes for a lot of different outfits in varying degrees of formality.

With the chillier weather amenable to more layers, there’s also a wider range of choices for both men and women. It’s easy to get confused, but with a little careful attention, you can be safely stylish. Remember not to chase trends, but to go with what works for you.

The Bold and the Beautiful

The Engagement: Both the groom and the bride may be dressed rather simply for the occasion. Suits for men and Jamdani sarees with very light natural make up and a set of jewelry is a good mix.

The Holud: This is the most colorful ceremony during a wedding. Both the bride and the groom should be dressed in bright attires. The bride should try avoiding gold jewelry and go for more natural jewelry made of flowers.

The other events: include ceremonies like Mehendi (where intricate details of Hena is drawn on the bride’s hands), Sangeeth nights (musical evenings) etc. The bride and the groom should wear Lahengas (blouse and a skirt) and Sherwani suits. It’s alway nice to see the couple sport colored attires together.

The Wedding: This is the big day. The groom should sport a heavy detailed Sherwani suit teamed with a turban, while the bride has an option between a Lahenga or a Saree. Heavy make up and a heavy set of jewelry is also welcomed to celebrate this auspicious day.

Guests: Don’t over do your outfit. Nice embroidered Panjabis or suits for the men teamed with a good pair of shoes. Ladies! Keep your make up simple, play with your hair to make it look different and throw on a saree, a shalwar kameez or even a lahenga. Don’t forget the bling!

Pocket pick

Sometimes it’s easier to pack for a trip than it is to figure out what to stash inside our everyday handbags. With the fickle fashion dictates first wavering towards ultra-mini clutch purses and then veering off towards big bags, the issue of space and necessity becomes a pressing concern.
This is particularly true for people who are always on the go, and usually have impromptu social engagements. Imagine a day packed with classes and work, when you suddenly have to drop in at a friend’s place? How do you retain your freshness without the option of a shower or a change of clothes?
Girls, make use of the big bag trend while it’s still in, and fit everything that you need into your roomy tote or coach bag. Make sure you don’t stuff so many things into your carry-all so as to totally distort its shape.

Make a checklist of the things that you need.

• Shades to protect your eyes

• Lip-care and sunscreen because you don’t want chapped lips and a horrible tan

• Eye-liner and a face powder for minor touch-up jobs

• Comb, breath-mints, perfume, keys and of course, cash

Special tip for the extra cautious people: you could always carry a traveller’s toothbrush; it’s small and doesn’t waste space
Those of you with severely oily skin carry blotting paper to soak up excess facial oils; other options include wet towels or a small face-wash.

Boys have limited options, since backpacks don’t go with all kinds of attire, and you don’t want your pockets bulging out with too many things, attracting pickpockets and all sorts of melodrama. But then again, you also don’t need to worry about lotions, potions and make-up, so you don’t have the same space issues.

• Cash, cards and keys to help you get about to places

• Mints and a handkerchief – remember to wipe off the sweat from you’re face before visiting your friend

Extra tip- you want to smell good, so leave the cologne either in your car or in your locker so that you can use it just before leaving