How to Choose a Bridal Lehenga For Your Body Type
Every Indian bride-to-be has their dream lehenga on their wish list. Admittedly, the bridal lehenga is the focal point of any Indian wedding, and there are many factors to consider when buying one. We, at 5-Minute Crafts, believe that it’s not just about choosing a beautiful one, but more about what suits you best according to your body shape — to accentuate your figure and make you feel great on your big day!
1. Pear-shaped body
The pear shape is also called a triangle shape where the upper body is narrow and light, but the lower body is heavy, the hips are broader than the shoulders, and your waistline is slim.
- Blouse / Top: This should be the highlight of your ensemble so go for heavily embroidered and vivid color tops to enhance the beauty of your arms and balance it out with the shape of your hips.
- Skirt / Bottom: Flaunt your waistline by draping a bridal saree below your navel. You can also wear a low waist lehenga choli. Your skirt must be made with plain fabric, and must be very flowy and flared in nature. Avoid going for a fish-tailed skirt or a snug-fitting one.
- Dupatta: Top the outfit off by carrying a cape dupatta and make sure it’s not too heavy or flared because it may make your hips look larger. A-line flared lehengas with a heavy blouse are the best fit for this body type.
2. Apple-shaped body
Apple-shaped bodies are usually heavy on top and bottom with a less-defined waistline. Your aim is to choose a lehenga that balances your overall attire for this body shape.
- Blouse/top: The neckline should be wide and open to enhance your look. The more closed your neckline looks, the heavier your top body looks. Also, avoid going for off-shoulder and sleeveless blouses. Jackets or peplum tops are the best choice when it comes to balancing your entire ensemble.
- Skirt/bottom: It must be ruffled, flowy, layered, or flared in nature. Pastel-colored bridal outfits are the best for this body shape. Go for softer fabrics like chiffon, crepe, or georgette to make you look graceful, and avoid stiff fabrics like brocade or tulle.
- Dupatta: You can either wear it like a veil or around your elbows. Avoid wrapping it around your neckline, shoulders, or bust, as it could make you look heavier.
3. Hourglass-shaped body
If you have this body shape, you have a defined waist with a balanced hip-to-shoulder ratio. Choosing bridal attire is not difficult because pretty much every dress will fit you.
- Blouse/top: You can go for A-line dresses, fishtail lehenga or gowns, or a saree drape. Another option to try is Anarkali suits that are ankle-length and that fit you perfectly at the waist. It can have a flair that starts after the waistline. If you go for a saree, fabrics like chiffon and tulle will complement your body shape.
- Skirt/bottom: If you go for an A-line lehenga, make sure that the flowy skirt is made of fabric like velvet or chiffon. For the blouse, go for a short one so that it flaunts your waist and your upper body nicely.
- Dupatta: You can drape the dupatta in any way, but ensure that your waist is visible and that the dupatta doesn’t cover it.
4. Inverted-triangle shaped body
This is also known as a cone-shaped body. It’s the complete opposite of a pear-shaped body where the upper body is heavier but the lower body is lighter.
- Blouse/top: Since you have broad shoulders, lehengas are a good choice for you. Try to keep your choli minimally designed to avoid making your upper body bulky.
- Skirt/bottom: Go for an A-line lehenga with wide flares that have lots of detailing on the bottom that’ll balance out your body shape. Also, make sure that the fabric used for layering is soft in texture.
- Dupatta: Avoid wrapping it around your neck or bust, otherwise, it makes the upper body look heavier. Instead, you can drape it around the elbows to complete the look.
5. Rectangular-shaped body
This body shape is also called the ’H’ shape, where all the measurements are equally balanced. You may have a straighter torso and an athletic and skinny frame without curves. So let your lehenga bring out those curves for you.
- Blouse/top: Go for an Anarkali style Kurti that has flair from the waistline to create the illusion of curves. If choosing a salwar suit, go for Anarkali dresses with an emperor line and V neck. You can also go for a sweetheart neckline. Another option is Patiala suits to give volume to the lower torso. To highlight the curves on your upper body, try a bertha collar or a proper cape-neck.
- Skirt/bottom: If suits don’t suit you, then go for a long choli lehenga with full flair on the waistline or a deep neck blouse with a plunging neckline to enhance your upper body. You can also go for embroidered skirts made of raw silk that are heavily flared. The best choice of lehenga for this body type is high-waisted skirts with a crop top or A-line lehengas.
- Dupatta: Go for a soft and flowy one, with transparent fabric. Make sure it’s not a stiff dupatta as this will create more width.
- If you want to try something new, you can try adding a matching belt to your outfit to complete your look.
- Drapes make a lot of difference when it comes to this body type. So whether it’s a dupatta you drape a certain way, or even with the pleats and drape with a saree, making the most of the pleats to add volume at the right places is a very classy way to do it.
Other factors to consider when buying a bridal lehenga
