At long last the most awaited season of the year is upon us. That hint of chill in the air, days of mellow sunshine, and long magical nights are what we pine for all year and rightly so! Indeed, there is something so special, so wonderful about winter in Dhaka that only Dhakaites know and understand. And boy do we like to celebrate in style! Magnificent weddings, parties, dinners and brunches keep our social calendars buzzing, and we turn out in our festive best without fail.
The best part about winter styling? Stylish outerwear that is relegated to the dark corners of our wardrobe throughout the year. Sleeveless tops and off-shoulder dresses may hold a place in our hearts but winter wear is something else. Imagine a lady ravishing in a sequined black saree, slender and stunning. Wrapped around her glowing shoulders is a shimmering fur stole, so timelessly elegant that all eyes are on her!
Channelling old-world glam is a sure-fire way to turn heads during colder months. Furs, (must be faux of course!) are undeniably chic and incredibly sophisticated. They bring an instant dose of high-octane glamour to party looks and can be dressed in a variety of ways.
A chiffon saree in shades of maroon, emerald, or sapphire will look stunning paired with a brown or black fur stole. Sable-toned furs look fabulous with muted shades like rose beige, mauve, or white.
Another fantastic way to style sarees in winter is with jacket or shirt-style blouses. A time-honoured piece, this style was invented by the noble ladies during the British Raj. Inspired by the jackets worn by English ladies, the women of the Tagore family, well-known for their elegant style sensibilities during that time, emulated this genius design.
Short jackets fashioned from fabrics like silk, brocade, and Jamewar, embellished with zardozi and zari embroidery, are worn with sarees of one's choice. An old traditional style, still remarkably relevant and adored by designers in our subcontinent, is a testament to the fact that timeless pieces are revered and loved forever.
Aishwarya Rai immortalised this style in the sartorial sensation of a movie, Devdas, which is a study in style in itself. Pair a katan saree with a jacket blouse, with the anchal either draped in the front or the back. Wear your hair in a low bun with marcel waves and voila!
Legendary Indian designer, Rohit Bal passed away recently, leaving behind his greatest contribution to fashion — long, embroidered jackets worn with a saree. It makes a fantastic statement and is elegant in the best sense of the word.
A velvet jacket with heavy embroidery is undeniably an investment piece and is a gift that will keep on giving. Pair a navy jacket with a maroon velvet saree, or a white Georgette saree with an emerald jacket. It will look stunning either way. Put your hair up in a bun and throw in some stunning chandelier earrings for those magical nights.
Stylish ladies of our subcontinent have always favoured cardigans as a lighter option to keep the chill away while looking sophisticated. Our mothers and grandmothers paired demure cardigans in soft shades such as ivory, peach, or pink during winter days with delicate chiffon sarees, looking lovely and pretty. What an amazing turn of course it is that we, women of modern times keep going back to the archival styles, reinventing them and making them our own!
For daytime brunches and ladies' lunches cardigans and shawls are perfect. Chiffon and georgette sarees worn with a coordinated cardigan are absolutely beautiful. A Devonshire cream cashmere shawl draped delicately around your shoulder over your salmon pink saree will keep you warm and cosy as you sip on your smoky earl grey at your friend's afternoon tea party, the pearls around your neck and diamonds on your ears glistening and glinting in the soft rays of sun in the late winter afternoon!
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