It is a well-known fact that Indian weddings are large and lavish. The decor, the food, and the meet-up with various people is an experience in itself. But the one thing that everyone awaits is how decked up the bride and the groom are. While grooms are expected to complement the bride, the bride is expected to look absolutely perfect. With time, the fashion sensibilities change and we see a huge shift in the way brides dress themselves for their wedding day. In this blog, we will go over the bridal fashion of Bollywood actresses from the 1980s to the present and how you too can take clues from the decades to choose the right theme for your wedding day ensemble.
1960s To 1970s – Thoroughly Ethnic
The decade is considered to be a part of the golden era of the Hindi film industry. Many stunning actresses gave path-breaking performances and record-breaking movie hits. These eras were all about rooted Indian choices, with globalization not quite touching Indian lives. Indian women still wore traditional clothes with conventional embroideries and silhouettes. Still, they managed to radiate their charm. Ghaghra choli, sarees, and churidars with kurtas ruled the fashion scene.
Sharmila Tagore chose to wear an extravagant orange sharara set with stunning bridal jewelry, including maangtikka, necklaces, and haathphool. While Jaya Bachchan née Bahaduri chose to wear a traditional red bridal saree with traditional jewelry pieces. These actresses married in the late 60s and early 70s respectively so you can still see the ethnic influence. If you are someone who loves ethnic bridal looks, the actresses who wed in these years will help you map out your overall look.
1980s To 1990s – Shining On
With the Golden Era truly at its peak, the decade saw more balance between Indian and Western fashion. While in these decades, fashion had started shifting a bit more towards Western garments, prints, and silhouettes, the bridal looks remained fairly Indian. Umrao Jaan brought the popularity of Mughal outfits and jewelry with intricately embroidered Anarkali sets and jewelry pieces like passa. Sleeveless blouses, bright and lustrous sarees, and shiny ornaments had all begun to be loved. In the wedding pictures of Neetu Singh, you can clearly see the bling effect going in full force. The heavily embroidered saree and decadent jewelry stood out in the happy pictures. So, if you are a bride who loves all things bling and loud, you can certainly look back to this decade for reference.
1990s To 2000s – New Style Trials
This was the decade when globalization officially entered the country with a landmark policy change. While it helped the economy, it also remarkably changed Indian fashion too. People started experimenting with the existing outfits and ornaments. The brides began to pick and choose their bridal jewellery and outfits as they deemed fit. While keeping the traditions in the blend, they began to have a say about the outfits, colors, and jewelry without thinking about ‘what will people say?’. Kajol wore a beautiful green Nauvari saree with nath, necklace, and chooda, even though she is a Bengali. Madhuri Dixit chose a golden lehenga choli with minimal but glimmering gold jewelry for her wedding reception. This decade can be your clue to know how to pick traditional wear but make sure that others do not tell you what kind of bride to be.
2000s to 2010s – Roots Of Maharani Looks
This decade saw many interesting looks from many Bollywood divas. If in the previous decade, the bride had started dabbling with the traditional silhouettes, then this decade saw a lot more involvement. While the traditional look was still very much ruling, the brides started being smart about it. From the intricately embroidered pink lehenga of Karisma Kapoor to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s golden Kanjivaram saree, the decade saw the brides going opulent yet slightly experimental. The jewellery was heavy but heavenly with brides keeping the outfit in mind. For all the brides who want to feel like a bonafide queen, this is the decade that should be your go-to.
2010s To Present – To Each Of Her Own
The modern decade ushered in a full-blown change in the fashion scene. In the previous decades, the brides were changing their trends subtly. In this decade and till the present, brides are coming up with groundbreaking ways to dress up for d-day. While the previous brides loved traditional colors and dramatic clothes with their own spin, the brides in the current decades do not hesitate to shift from the norm completely. Jewellery pieces from kundan, polki, and other materials are now being selected by the brides. From Kareena Kapoor Khan’s restored sharara set to Anushka Sharma’s trend-setting pink lehenga, the present era is all about brides making everyone gasp with their wedding day fashion choices. From pastel lehengas to unique embroideries to modern cuts, the only norm is that brides get to do absolutely anything they want to.
Conclusion
In this blog, we came to know the amazing Indian bridal fashion through various decades. From absolutely traditional outfits to futuristically modern, the Indian styles have gone through a fascinating evolution. We also saw how each decade is special and you can refer to which decade based on your fashion requirements for your special day.
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