What Is Lehenga Choli and How to Wear It?

A very special Indian outfit for girls is the lehenga choli, which many women wear during Indian or Asian weddings. The item of clothing basically comprises of an assortment of pieces- the lehenga which is a long gypsy-style sort of skirt, the choli which is a bodice that may be worn long or cropped and a dupatta that is sort of an embroidered stole and draped over the shoulder. The dupatta gives a finished look to the outfit.

The cut, style and draping of the lehenga may differ according to taste and fabric. Customarily speaking, women of Rajasthan and Gujarat wear this in the rural areas and it acts as the regular dress for those women. These are cut in the style of a gypsy skirt which is panelled and swells to a full hem. The choli worn by the women of this region is often a bit loosely-fitted as that adds to the comfort factor in hot weather. The attire is accented with embroidery and mirror work which is typical to that region.

A dress almost similar to this is worn by the women of southern India which is known as lehenga saree which is a lehenga but the dupatta is draped in the style of a saree. The skirts have far less volume and the choli is sort of like a tunic which covers the midriff totally. The entire outfit is a lot less gorgeous and much simpler since it is meant for daily wear. In fact, the style there is to wear all the three articles of clothing in three different yet somehow complimentary colours.

There are four variants of this skirt-like Indian outfit for girls. One skirt is actually straight and long that falls in straight lines from the hips; it is often sort of like a wraparound. The other most commonly preferred style is a long flared one which increases the flare gradually from the hip to the end, in perfect proportion of the length of the skirt.

The third style comes pleated from waist and its heaviness results in the flare. The fourth one is a very popular option for young girls and is affectionately called the fishtail style. It is a form fitted style that resembles a mermaid. It hugs the figure till the knees and from there it flares downwards.

The outfit looks really beautiful and graceful and those who are going to wear it for the first time may think that it is very intimidating and difficult to wear. After deciding on what style of lehenga choli you want, it is the time to wear it. Simply wear the blouse and zip it up or if it has strings then ask somebody to tie it up for you carefully. Now wear the lehenga like you wear a skirt and tie it tightly if it has drawstrings as otherwise it often tends to loosen. The dupatta or scarf can be draped in a number of ways. Play with various styles and find which one is most comfortable for you. Now to add cherry on the top, accessorize the outfit properly by wearing dangling earrings, bangles, bindis and necklace.

Lehenga choli, the Indian outfit for girls can be easily bought from garments stores in India. Otherwise, there are several online portals in India, USA or UK which can easily ship to any part of the world.