“Out of the Box Festive Styling” – Modern Style Traditional Values

The time for celebration has begun with the onset of Navratri. Navratri stands for ‘nine nights’ which are filled with the rhythm and hues of dandiya, Raas Garba, pooja and festive fashion. The festival is about more than just worshipping of the deities. It’s about celebrating as a community and dancing away until the wee hours of the morning to some traditional folk songs. The nine days of Navratri have different cultural connotations and are often represented with 9 hues, one for each day. This is a perfect fashion week for any fashionista who leaves no stone unturned to look pretty and stylish for all the 9 days with different colours, style and outfits.

I enjoy dressing up for any festive season and love to get creative with my traditional outfits. I prefer to wear western outfits on a daily basis, but when it comes to festivities I prefer to go back to my roots and take some cultural inspiration from my traditional outfits. But the inner diva in me loves to experiment with my traditional look by giving it a quirky twist. Navratri has been synonymous to Chaniya Cholis or Lehengas. But for the beauty queen, it’s more than just following the traditional ethnic wear. Add some glamour to your conventional traditional attire with this quirky ethnic outfit for a trendy Navratri this year!

Navratri is not just about Lehengas, so this year I chose to style a gorgeous crimson and black tusser silk saree from Amota for the festivities. Amota is a brand that strives to bring back the hues of India’s traditional textiles. They aim to create contemporary designs by merging modern with traditional while keeping sustainability in mind. Their silks made with authentic handwoven fabrics such as tusser silk, gichha silk, mulberry silk, and pure cotton.

I chose a tusser silk saree because I personally love the elegant and sophisticated finish the cloth gives you. It’s a classic pick for a traditional look. The saree has a black border with silver piping which enhances its subtlety. I gave this gorgeous traditional silk a contemporary twist by ditching the conventional blouse and pairing it with an off-shoulder crop top instead. Indo-western outfits have always been in vogue and this is a perfect outfit for you this festive season. Add a trendy crop top to your traditional outfit and watch the crowd taking style lessons from you this season. The crop top gives the saree enough oomph to give it a modern twist while keeping its elegance intact. It’s a very stylish option and also very convenient. Just think of how easily you can wear any saree without having to worry about getting a blouse stitched the next time. I love wearing contrasting shades. I love to incorporate the colours of the festival in my outfit so I paired my crimson saree with a yellow off-shoulder crop top instead of a boring black one. I wanted to flaunt my off-shoulder crop top style so I pleated the pallu of my saree to show-off the statement sleeves of my crop top.

Every outfit is incomplete with some jewellery. Traditional Navratri jewellery has a lot of silver bohemian pieces. I paired a chunky silver necklace with a statement cocktail ring. When talking about accessories for Navratri we need some gorgeous jhumkas to complete our look. I decided to go bold with my entire look by finishing it with a bold lip colour matching my saree.

You can play around with multiple pieces in your wardrobe to create our own personalized outfit. You can pair this saree with an ethnic jacket or wrap the pallu around your neck as a scarf. You can also experiment with footwear by wearing jhootis or Kholapuris. Just remember, to stay comfortable as you won’t be able to enjoy the raas-garba in high heels.

Have you picked out your outfits for Navratri yet? Do let me know if you guys come up with some interesting styles in the comments below.