Solaah Shringaar-Bicchiya

Known as Bicchiya in the North or Metthi in the South toe rings have been worn by Indian women since the ancient ages.Most Indian women who are married wear a toe-ring. It’s not only a sign that the woman is married, it’s also science. They are usually made of silver and worn in pairs (unlike the trend in Western countries, where they are worn singly or in unmatched pairs) on the second toe of both feet.

Indian Vedas (Vedham or Vedam) say that by wearing this in both feet, it is believed, that their Menstrual cycle course is regularized with even intervals. This gives good scope for conceiving to married women. Also it is said just because that particular nerve in the second finger from toe, also connects the uterus and passes through heart. If you notice, the toe ring will always be on the second toe of the right leg and also the left leg.

It will control the uterus and keep it healthy by producing evenly balanced blood pressure to the uterus. As Silver being a good conductor, it also absorbs the energy from the polar energies from the earth and passes it to the body, thus refreshing whole body system.
Traditionally they are quite ornate, though more contemporary designs are now being developed to cater to the modern bride.

Some ‘bichiya sets’ may have pairs for four of the five toes, excluding the little pinky. ‘Bichiyas’ may not be made of gold, as gold holds a ‘respected’ status and may not be worn below the waist by Hindus, but this is not followed very strictly and toe rings made of gold and diamonds are commonly seen.

In great Indian epic called ‘Ramayana’ toe ring plays a vital role. When Sita was abducted by Ravana, on the way, she throwed her toe ring (kaniazhi) as the identification for lord Rama. This shows that toe ring is used from ancient time.Toe rings were introduced to the United States by Marjorie Borell who, after returning from India began manufacturing and selling them in New York in 1973. Her first retail outlet was Fiorucci, a trendy fashion retailer located on 59th Street in New York.

Solaah Shringar-Mangalsutra

Traditionally, there are five signs of marital status of women, according to Hindu culture-mangalsutra, toe rings, kumkum, bangles and a nose ring. Talking about Mangalsutra, the word denotes a significant meaning. While mangal means aupiscious, sutra can be deciphered as a thread.It is a sacred necklace that the groom ties around the bride’s neck on the day of the wedding in a ceremony called Mangalya dharanam (meaning – wearing the auspicious), thereby giving her the status of his wife and life mate. Thereafter, the wife wears the mangalsutra all her life or till the time the husband is alive as a sign of their marriage, mutual love and goodwill, understanding and faithful commitment to one another.

The mangalsutra, worn by most married Hindu women across India, is known differently in different parts of the country – ‘thaali’, ‘thaaly’, ‘pustelu’, ‘maangalyam’ or ‘mangalsutram’ in the southern states of India and ‘mangalsutra’ in the northern states. Each black bead in the mangalsutra is believed to have divine powers that protect the married couple from the evil eye and is believed to safeguard the life of the husband. Hindu women are extremely superstitious about the mangalsutra.

If it breaks or gets lost it is considered ominous. Therefore, the Mangalsutra is much more than a piece of fancy jewelry, but a sacred necklace of love, trust and marital happiness of a Hindu couple – a vital symbol of wedlock.

Today, the concept of wearing a mangalsutra has changed considerably. It is more of a fashion statement than a symbol of marriage, thanks to modernization. With the progressive times, the wearing of mangalsutra in working women has considerably reduced.

There is also a marked change in the style and making of mangalsutra over the years. Previously, women used to wear simple design mangalsutra, with small pendants, but now, the trend is to wear short length ones, that too with a single string.

Instead of gold pendants, they prefer diamond ones. However, the black beads have still managed to remain constant. Whatever may be the reason to adore it, mangalsutra surely symbolizes the real essence and concept of a Hindu marriage.

Bridal wear inspiration from real brides !

Haven’t we all seen lehenga’s online or in boutique’s and wondered how they would actually look, here is some real inspiration get inspired by what these real brides chose to wear on their big day

Stunning Priya Narwani in a Anjalee & Arjun Kapoor lehenga.

Sabyasachi lehenga with subtle green border work

Doesnt this silk lehenga have an old world charm to it,very unique I must say

Rose pink & Red tinted lehenga by Anita Dongre

Yet another lovely creation by Sabyasachi love the inclusion of colours

Red lehenga with an orange lining to give it a slight hint of orange,love the gold kurti with it.

While most brides shy away from white for their big day,gujrati brides traditionally wear red & white lehenga’s called panetar.

What to wear on your Mehendi Ceremony ?

So now you’ve seen all the amazing décor & ideas from my previous Singh is King themed mehendi post, but what do you wear for such an event?

The Mehndi ceremony is one such important day which chimes the wedding bell and is an occasion which sees the bride embellished in psychedelic hues signifying that her life be as bright and colorful forever. Here are some tips to help you pick out the right outfit to look your fashionable best in the Mehndi ceremony.

Vibrant,fun yet very elegant,if you’re looking to wear bold colours but not sure if you can carry it off this should be your ideal choice.

Love the sequin & embroidery on the lehenga although i would prefer something lighter in weight if the ceremony is to be held during the day.

This would certainly be my choice love the pastel pink & green combo, apt for brides shying away from bold colours.

Love this indo western lehenga,very chic & modern.

Not a dupatta fan? Then this is perfect team your choice of dupatta with a corset and enjoy your ceremony.

Tips for buying the right wedding shoe !

From Cindrella to Carrie Bradshaw, women’s love for shoes has been dubious and fanciful. Shoes without doubt, are the most sought after fashion accessory and when it comes to wedding, a bridal look is only complete with an a statement pair of shoes. The wedding is the perfect occasion to splurge on shoe-mania sans any regret. From sparkling towering heels to peep-toe sandals and crystal-studded kitten heels, it’s the bride’s day to score on such extravagant fashion items.

If you’ve already started your wedding shopping then before you blow a fortune on foot wears make sure the money is worth spending. Even though heels and comfort do not go hand in hand, just trail down these hot to make your bridal look perfect in all aspects.

You have to wear your shoes
You might have fallen in love with a pair of skyscraper heels but remember you’re going to have to walk down the aisle in them, stand for photographs in them, maybe dance in them and walk around all day. Wobbling around on heels that are too high isn’t a good look and you don’t want to catch a high spiky heel in your dress either.

Choose a special pair of shoes
Choose shoes that make you feel amazing! Even if your dress is floor length, giving your guests the occasional peek of an exquisite pair of shoes will make you feel like a true princess! Wedding shoes don’t have to be boring – combine classic style with fashionable detailing and you’ll love them for years.

Get them worn in
Don’t wear your shoes for the first time on your wedding day. Make sure you have them a few weeks before the wedding and wear them around the house (on carpet) to get them worn in a bit before the big day so they’ve moulded to fit your feet and eased up.

Take some measurements
Remember your dressmaker will need to know the exact height of your shoes for your final fitting so she/he can adjust your Lehenga accordingly. You’ll need to be wearing your shoes at this fitting so when you order them check how long it will take for them to be delivered so you don’t have any last minute panics.

Match your shoes to your dress
Take a swatch of your dress fabric with you when you choose your shoes to make sure that it matches up and the colour doesn’t clash.

Pamper your feet
Have a pedicure before your wedding day so that your feet are soft and nails in great condition. They’ll also be picture perfect for your honeymoon!

What about the detailing?
Have you decided on your jewellery yet? If you’re going for silver, look out for co-ordination detail on your shoes, such as metallic binding or pretty jewelled buckles. If you have a lace headpiece look at shoes with all over or lace details

To sparkle or not to sparkle?
If you’ve always had your heart set on a pair of glittering heels, there are some amazing Swarovski bejewelled styles on the market. However you can achieve a more understated sparkle with a cute pair of shoe clips, giving you two looks- sparkle for the big day and afterwards a pair of shoes to wear with jeans!

Enjoy it!

Finally, don’t stress about finding the perfect pair of wedding shoes – this is SHOE SHOPPING ladies! How often do you have the opportunity to buy your dream shoes? Enjoy it, have fun and be confident in the fact that you will look amazing!

Trousseau Tales-Neon !

From neon nails to neon sarrees everybody these days is sporting Neon,so why should you be left behind.. here’s some light weight neon lehenga’s perfect to wear for your mehendi or wear it at a wedding your attending !

Trousseau Tales- Kisneel by Pam Mehta

Fashions fade, but style is eternal.’ Gifted with an alluring sensibility of style, Pam Mehta’s creations spell grandeur, beauty, sensuality and class.
Right from her foray into the fashion industry, Pam has always designed keeping the values and aspirations of the Indian woman in mind, yet highly stylised to make the overall silhouette seem contemporary and very authentic. Her label, Kisneel by Pam gives ‘stylish bridal dressing’ a whole new meaning.

Each ensemble defines sophistication and glamour with classic designs and embroideries receiving a modern twist. Asymmetric cuts and experimental draping is also given an upbeat representation.

I personally love her style of incorporating a modern touch in our traditional Lehenga’s and Saree’s, the below lehenga saree is perfect for a Ring Ceremony or even a wedding reception. The bridal chhura would compliment it completely.

Swarovski crystals, semi-precious stones, sequins, tassels and hand-made beads along with fine embroidery in gold and silver threads complete each look. The perfect blend of traditional and modern designs – essentially glamorous yet very wearable can be seen through the use of embellishments and fabrics.

The use of georgettes, chiffons, satin silks and nets make each silhouette very wearable, sensual and thus complementing the look of the garment. Anarkalis and gowns worked upon with intricate thread-work and feminine drapes, make for a glamorous evening-out. While the lehengas and saris are also given a contemporary and modern feel this season with a lot of color and texture blending.

The color fiesta can be seen through the vast palette of colors used in Kisneel’s trademark color blending and blocking techniques. Wide range of pastels and primary colors tones are complemented with metallic hues, neon’s and antique textures. Also a wide range of warm tones like reds, oranges are seen. The collection also has a dash of blues, greys and purples to appease the ever so stylish KISNEEL by PAM fashionistas.

Pam Mehta’s label KISNEEL BY PAM focuses on styling the modern Indian woman in relaxed couture with a global appeal. Indian couture is given a modern twist with experimental draping and a vibrant palette of colours.

Pam Mehta’s creations can be bought at the Kimaya store located in Jumeirah or you could always buy them online,however I always prefer to try outfits before purchasing.

Solah Shringar- Chura

Wedding is like a charm for every girl I think..! The sensation of wedding makes you happy, the makeover and accessories are hot craze for every girl. Specially wearing Chura is on top demand.With the initial thought of wedding in specially in North Indian tradition Chura is first accessory which comes in mind with your wedding dress selection. I have always been fascinated by them, just love the way they look.

Wearing a choora, after marriage, has become more like a fashion these days, irrespective of the prevalence of this custom in their religion or not. People have now-a-days started considering Choora bangles as a symbol of a married woman. Even with the changing times, where, women do not prefer wearing mangalsootra and sindur, after marriage, they take immense pride in showing off their choora. My muslim friend went against her family to adorn the chura for her nikah. She wore it for 40 days all because it looked pretty and stated her married status.

The bridal chura is worn to signify a woman’s newly married status. Some say that the bride doesn’t have to do housework while the bracelets are on, I have seen my maami and maasi’s being told not to work until mehendi and chura were removed how nice right? ( i hope my inlaws are reading )

Actually, the ritual of choora has its traditional roots in the Punjabi culture, where the maternal uncle of the bride, on the day of the marriage, performs this custom of making his niece wear the wedding choora. The choora or the wedding bangles is first washed in milk, and the bride cannot see her choora before wearing it. These days, the design of the choora is first selected by would- be bride, after which a different set of the same design is worn by her on the day of her wedding.


The traditional period of wearing a choora is the starting one year of her married life, but these days, girls wear them as long as they wish, due to their liking towards it. There are different set and designs available in the market, which vary in their colour, maroon and white being the base, and the count can vary from 21, 31 to 51, bangles in a set, as per the choice of the bride. Simple chura is now become the designer chura the simple red, maroon ad white bangle is now in new avatar with the spectacular stone work, latest trendy designs
While a simple chura would cost between 2000-4000 RS, a fancy chura with all the bling and swaroski would easily cost up 15-20,000 RS.

Kalire !

The sweet moments of wedding are not only unforgettable for the bride and the groom but also for the near and dear ones. One such moment is the chuda ceremony which is celebrated at bride’s place just a day before the wedding. Once the chuda has been worn, the bride’s friends and cousins tie Kalire to the chuda. Kaliras (or known as kalire) are ornaments worn on the hands of Punjabi brides. While this is traditionally a Punjabi wedding custom, most brides these days opt to wear them thanks to our bolly movies.

They hang like beautiful chandeliers and come in a range of colors to match any outfit.These are pieces of umbrella shaped gold or silver ornaments. These signify good wishes for the bride’s new life ahead and are also meant to remind her of her friends and cousins. It is said that the number of leaves on kalire are as many as bride’s friends. Kalire’s are encrusted with dried coconut and dried beetle nuts.



I absolutely love the way they look, needless to say the logo shows my love for kalira’s. There’s an interesting ritual associated with kalire. The bride shakes her hands over heads of all the unmarried girls in the family one by one and if a leaf or a part of kalira falls on anybody’s head, then it is believed that she will be the next one to get married.


So what happens to these post the wedding? Usually the couple visits the temple/gurudwara the morning after the wedding to take blessing this is where the bride leaves one of her kalira’s and the other is stored with the bride a momento. My mom still has her kalira’s and I plan to use it for my wedding, incorporate it in my phoolon ki chaadar how kool right? Here’s another way of storing them and keeping those wedding memories fresh

Where to buy these? while finding them in Dubai will be a task they are readily available in India. The best ones are offcourse from Amritsar, Gandhi Market in Mumbai is another great place to buy these from or infact buy anything typically Punjabi.

Having difficulties getting hold of some Kalira’s? contact us and we’ll have them shipped to you!

Solaah Shringar- Nath

Nath or Nathni is almost synonymous with bridal wear as generally it’s worn only on weddings these days! The word ‘Nath’ is derived from HindI word “Naath”, meaning husband or master.
As per old tradition on the wedding night the groom removes the ‘Nath’ to show a sign of the ending of virginity ‘Nath-Utarna’. In the past, it was said that a single, unmarried girls or widowed woman could not wear the Nath. But nowadays at any cultural function, wedding ceremony or religious festival, women of all ages can be seen with these nose dazzlers without regard of her marital status.

The Nath has become an essential part of trousseau of married women and women of different cultures adorn different styles of them.

In the Punjabi culture the Nath is gifted by the Maama of the bride along with her chhoda and kalire. Here’s a pic of my Nath umm yes I already have it, my Maama was kind enough to have gifted me this post graduation.

Nath for all the Marathi Mulgi’s
Styled in the shape of the number “9” and studded with translucent pearls, this symbol of old-world charm has long been an essential part of a bride’s trousseau, often being passed down as family heirloom.