All About The Dress

Remember Ridaa Mian and her guide to bridal trousseau shopping? Well, she's back, with more great advice about finding the perfect bridal lengha. Take it away Ridaa.

image via Maram & Aabroo

1. Designer dresses are not the only beautiful dresses available. There are numerous shops that carry ready-made dresses that can offer you the glamour that you're looking for at the right price. Start with your budget and decide what style of dress matters to you versus what brand the dress is or who made it. Do you want to be a traditional, modern, a mix of both worlds bride, or do you have a color preference in mind and that's all that really matters? Ever thought of buying an outfit and then having the sleeves removed to reflect more of your style, or changing the pant/churidaar to a second and third color to give it more flair (a big trend these days).

2. Coordinate your groom's attire with yours. It's nice to have something that binds the two together. This doesn't mean that you need to match entirely, subtle touches can go a long way. What about picking one color from your outfit and coordinating it with his embroidery, cufflinks, tie, or turban/shawl. Instead of coordinating the exact color you could just stick with the same color palette or material.

3. Fitting - tailoring is key. No matter how beautiful and ornate your bridal dress is, if it doesn't fit, it isn't meant to be worn. Don't think that because you have something beautiful and overspent your budget that the tailoring does not matter. In fact, a bride would be better served spending less on the actual dress and putting aside funds for adequate tailoring. The overall shape of the silhouette will be noticed from how well fitted the sleeves are to shirt proportions on the body.

4. Jewelry - details can make or break your overall bridal look. This doesn't mean you need to spend a fortune to get the perfect set, but think ahead and plan a bit. If your dress is maroon and gold and you want to stand out - ever thought of using a new color and not sticking with a gold and red set? You could incorporate pearls, possibly emeralds, or maybe wear a classical nauratan set that you could borrow from your grandmother? Wearing an heirloom set, but haven't thought of having it cleaned in time for the big day? Do a dress rehearsal and make sure the necklace stays put, that no pinning is required and remember, even necklaces/earrings can be altered to suit your taste and the way you plan to wear your dupatta.


image via Maram & Aabroo

5. Lastly, some trends I've noticed in the past year planning my own wedding:
- Elbow to full length sleeves are all the rage and still give brides an opportunity to showcase any bangles or jewelry, and they look especially elegant when using interesting materials like lace or chiffon.
- Farshi ghararas will never go out of style and are considered the epitome of tradition. They create a more flowy and heavy effect because of the extra yards of fabric used. The only drawback - it can be super heavy to wear, especially if the embroidery is not evenly distributed.
- Chatta pattis with farshis are also big - a chatta patti is a combination of different colored swatches of fabric one after the other forming lines and are usually found at the bottom half of the gharara (two pant legs) or sharara (skirt).
- Nowadays, for a more traditional look, brides are making extra long kameezes (shirts) which gives you an opportunity to re-wear your wedding outfit by combining it with a churidar or narrow/cropped pants. Shorter kameezes still work just as well, and corset/bustier style shirts and/or front open shirts are still in as well.
- In terms of embroidery, it ranges from old-school "gotta" embroidery using antique gold all the way to the use of zardozi work and contemporary rhinestones (preferably swarovski). Large and medium sized jewels are being heavily used on shirt pieces to make one-of-a-kind outfits, and a single outfit can have upwards of 35 different kinds of embroidery.
- Long coats are HUGE right now and can be worn over and over again: it's as easy as dressing down with a lighter dupatta and less jewelry. What's different about the coats is that lengths vary from super long coats to coats that are shorter in the front and longer in the back for a more eye-pleasing effect.

Bridal Trousseau Shopping - Part IV

Here's the end to this incredibly useful little series on all the things you need to know to shop for your bridal trousseau - all thanks to Ridaa Mian. It's great to know there's a way to have the quality ensembles you want without having to travel around the world!


images via weheartit

Advice to non-traveling brides to be:

- Become comfortable with your style and and stick with it. After running through hundreds of wedding and bridal photographs, I learned what my taste was and what kind of bride I wanted to be. Traditional.
- Stay organized, otherwise you'll get inundated with information and find that ultimately what you liked at the very beginning is exactly what you want.
- Keep a budget. Either way you'll need a budget, giving the designers an idea of your budget can help gauge whether or not you want to choose one designer over another.
- Send your photograph and ask for feedback. Ask the designers what's in, what's not, and what would suit someone with your body type, frame and facial features. The more information you share about yourself, the more likely they'll get a better idea of who you are, what you're looking for and what you plan on doing with your bridal dress afterwards. Heavy ensembles can be worn separately in the future for more versatility.
-Customer service is Pakistan does not always correlate with the size of the designer's boutique. Having said that, some were entirely gracious with their time and efforts.
- Delivery time is always a problem, even if the designer is reliable. To reduce last minute stress, place orders sooner rather than later, and request clothes sooner than you need them. Designers require 3-6 months for bridal and valima dresses. Some will make exceptions.
- Do your own homework. Search the internet, bridal magazines and even facebook, where many designers have homepages. Consider visiting blogs and sites such as GupShup forum where tons of wedding obsessed people share knowledge about bridal dress shopping and Pakistani and Indian fashion.
- Enjoy the process! This is one of the funnest times of your entire life!

Be sure to check out Part I, Part II and Part III of this series as well!

Bridal Trousseau Shopping: Part III

Today we're sharing the last bit of wisdom our bride, Ridaa Mian, had to share about shopping for your trousseau without actually having to travel to Pakistan or India. A little "how to" manual definitely goes a long way....

Also, we completely agree with her on finding a local tailor no matter where you buy your clothes. Last minute fittings are inevitable.


image via weheartit

Pros:

- You will be able to save a trip to the motherland, and use that time for pre and post wedding fun!
- Limit the stress of shopping in Pakistan, where the political climate is not ideal and boutiques open and close with little to no notice.
- In some instances, you may receive better service because you're calling from abroad.
- If you know exactly what you like, have a picture of it, and know who the designer is, you can almost guarantee you'll get what you're looking for.
- The challenge of not being physically there can be exciting to some. In some instances, you get more time to think through your decisions before placing orders under a time crunch.

Cons:

- You will never get the South Asian bridal experience that some girls feel is a right of passage. For me, that didn't make a difference.
- You may compromise on a style based on the fact that you're not face to face with the choices available in the boutique and will have to trust the designer.
- You limit the customization process, partially due to fear and uncertainty.
- Your measurements may not come out exactly, because the designer is not taking them himself/herself. To troubleshoot this, you should go to your local tailor and have them take your measurements. Taking your measurements once or twice can help guarantee better fitting clothes.
- You may pay "foreign" prices based on the fact that the designer will know you're working from abroad. From my own experience, the prices I paid were comparable to what the locals paid, but this is strictly at the designer level.
- You will not get the designer shopping experience, where the designer could consult with you and coach you on how to wear your hair, makeup and how to set your dupatta. This is extremely important, but bridal magazines can guide you, as well as a phone call or email to the designer.
- Can be a slow and tedious process and at times, inconvenient.

Next up, we have the final post of this oh so helpful shopping guide! And if you haven't had the chance to yet, you can check out Part I here and Part II here.

Bridal Trousseau Shopping: Part II

Here's more sage advice about buying subcontinent designer wear from the comfort of your home - courtesy of Ridaa Mian....


image via verve magazine and a bloomsbury life

What I learned:

• Some designers never pick up their phones, usually because they’re in private consultations with local brides.
• Some designers are so flexible, they’ll give you their home and cell phone numbers to fit your needs (Nilofer Shahid of House of Meeras and Faiza Samee worked very closely with me and were extremely flexible via phone).
• Some will outright reject taking orders over the phone, not for any reason other than ensuring client satisfaction through customization.
• You have to trust the designer you’re working with, otherwise you will never be able to accept the final product.
• Designers will make accommodations for you. For instance, I was able to get color swatches and fabric samples mailed to me to help in deciding my wedding dress and embroidery.
• Having someone at the local level can only help. There is always more accountability when there is a physical presence versus limited communication through phone and e-mail. However, many of the top designers are extremely professional and have worked with clients without having met them.
• The more ensembles you order from one designer, the more likely that you’ll get better service and a better value, but not always. In some instances, the designers just cannot manage a large order and in others, they’ll offer a package based on the number of pieces ordered.
• The more modifications you make to a dress, the greater the chance that it won’t meet your expectations. Again, trust the designer. They made the dress, they’ll know what colors/fabrics and details would suit that ensemble and you best.

Bridal Trousseau Shopping - Part I

Some time ago, we were speaking with our friend, Ridaa Mian, who's currently planning her wedding, and she seriously knows everything about everything related to wedding shopping in South Asia. So of course, we asked her to share some of her secrets with you! And here we are, starting a four part series all about bridal trousseau shopping. We wish we had known all this when planning....


image via verve magazine

After numerous attempts to get to Lahore for my bridal trousseau shopping, I reached the conclusion that I’d be able to prepare for my upcoming wedding (with a one-year timeline) without ever stepping foot in Pakistan. The last eleven months have proven that it is possible, with some inconveniences, and a great deal of patience. So you’re probably wondering how the heck I got things done? Here are three obvious steps I took:

1) Set my alarm clock for 4am (EST) and arrange conference calls with designers!

• Pakistan is 10 hours ahead, which meant that reaching design houses in Lahore and Karachi would require me to stay up late or wake up early.
• Most designers are open for a short window of time, usually between 11am – 2pm, but sometimes you’ll be able to catch someone before and after those hours. It’s worth the call!
• By keeping an organized notebook with each designer's name, contact information and your personal agenda, I was able to get my orders in time. The more you know about what you want and how you want it made, the easier it’ll be. I recommend buying bridal magazines, logging the outfits you like, and tracking down the designers who made them in addition to learning about the various fabric and color choices.
• Skype is a great way to speak internationally at a low cost and in a convenient way. Through my laptop I was able to speak to designers, while jotting down notes, handing off measurements and tracking orders and details. It allowed for longer conversations. In one instance, I even worked with a tailor shop in Lahore to compare measurements for my bridesmaids before they finished the tailoring!

2) Use E-mail

• Designers will communicate over email, but may require initial phone call “introductions,” but not all. Some will send measurement charts requesting specific information and accept credit card payments through forms. Others will send photographs of high-resolution pictures to give you ideas and encourage your vision. In one instance, Bunto Kazmi sent me a variety of her photographs to guide me in bridal dress shopping. It helped immensely as she’s very high in demand and her ensembles are not advertised in the mainstream market. It gave me a better idea of what I was looking for.
• Send a photograph of yourself and your height/weight information. The designer may never have an opportunity to meet you, but they’ll be able to better guide you knowing your body type, facial features and what suits your complexion.

3) Reach out to your local relatives or family friends, if that is an option.

• Because my father was on a business trip to Lahore during all of this madness, I was fortunate enough to have his perspective and opinion at the local level. He was able to touch base with the designers where I placed orders and ensure the quality and delivery time.

Next up, we have some lessons Ridaa learned through this whole process!