The Lehenga is one of the most famous dresses of the Indian subcontinent. It is a three-piece ensemble consisting of the actual lehenga, a long ankle-length skirt, a well-fitting blouse top known as the choli. And a scarf to drape around the outfit, known as the dupatta.

Women and girls of all classes and ages love to adorn their beautiful bodies in these beautiful dresses. The dress usually has different patterns and styles and designs that can often be indicative of the outing or event it is being worn for. This article describes everything we know about the lehenga, from its history to making, styles, trends, and how/when to wear it, among others.

LEHENGA BACKGROUND, HISTORY & ORIGINS

The Lehenga Choli is believed to have been introduced to India during the reign of the legendary Mughal Empire. While the exact timing is not certain, it is believed to have occurred sometime in the 10th century.

Not long after the introduction of the lehenga to Indian fashion culture, the dress quickly became a hit among royals as the unofficial royal attire. However, members of the public soon began wearing these as well, with the dress eventually gaining mainstream acceptance outside the palace.

Today, throughout India, Pakistan and numerous other South Asian countries, this style has become an important fashion item that women cannot live without.

From being a dress mainly worn by royals, the lehenga has become a standard dress for many women across the Indian subcontinent worn on a variety of occasions from weddings to birthdays, graduations and more.

However, it is important to point out that today's lehenga has come a long way from what was worn in the past. While the basic elements remain the same, the style of stitching, embroidery, and even the variety of fabrics used have evolved.

MAKING A LEHENGA – PROCESS, FABRIC AND ALL

Curious how these dresses are made?

The design process of the lehenga has undergone several changes over time.

In the early stage, women of higher social classes wore lehenga choli dresses mainly made of royal fabrics. Others often have to make it from khadi and cotton fabrics. However, the 19th and 20th centuries saw the highest evolutions and adaptations of this style.

States like Gujarat started to include patchwork and mirror work in the designs while Kundan work and Gota Patti embroidery started with Rajasthan designs. The main takeaway from this is that different states and regions from Pakistan to India have different varieties of lehenga that are heavily influenced by their cultural heritage.

FABRIC TYPES

There are different types of lehenga fabrics for different seasons, events, locations and more. Some of these are highlighted below;

• Silk: These fabrics are stylish and beautiful, they are great for weddings, winter and more.
• Brocade: these lehenga varieties have a lively, traditional and rich atmosphere. Pink, orange and red brocade fabric is also great for weddings!
• Velvet: Like silk, velvet models are perfect for winter weddings. Since the velvet fabric is a rich material, even minimal embroidery and needlework will look enchanting.
• Lace/net: While these are often used for weddings, net dresses seem to be more common. Both are light and suitable if you don't want heavy dresses. They are great for women of most body shapes, as they hardly add any volume.

LEHENGA EMBROIDERY

Because lehengas allow for virtually unlimited style and design possibilities, you can easily choose from embellished, embroidered, and crafted styles.

Whether it's a wedding or something else, maybe you can also incorporate or combine multiple design elements to make your dress stand out even more.

Heavy fabrics such as silk and velvet are always best if you want heavy embroidery. However, heavy embellishments such as beadwork and zardosi may not be great on light lehenga fabrics such as chiffon or georgette, especially when the designs are very detailed.

DIFFERENT TYPES AND STYLES

There are many variations of the lehenga choli.

However, the three (3) most prominent types include the;

• sharara ,
• Ghagra , and
• Including Lacha .

While the sharara includes an ensemble consisting of a kurta, dupatta and a long blouse which is fitted to the knee from where it then spreads out like a skirt. The main variable of the lacha is the blouse which is often designed to go down to the knees.

The ghagra style of lehenga choli is more common in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

While the plain dress is usually designed to fit the body, the ghagra usually has many folds and often features vibrant embroidery, beading, crystals, and mirror work, among other things. 

That said, below are some of the most prominent styles and designs of the lehenga choli as we know it;

• Saree Style: This style is usually flared and the dupatta is draped around the outfit in a manner similar to a saree.
• straight cut: This style comes with a skirt designed to be straight, without any flare. They go very well with different body types and even with designer blouses and crop tops.
• A-line: These models are popular in parties, sangeet, haldi and other kinds of occasions. They are cut at an angle similar to the letter "A".
• Sharara Cut: Sharara lehengas usually have long skirts that reach the knees and then flare out and may also include beautifully designed palazzos.
• Jacket style: This style adds a coat (usually long and loosely falling) to the jacket. The jacket is often provided with fine details and light embroidery.
• Lehenga Paneled: These styles feature panels added to the hemline, usually to add volume to the flare of this dress.
• fishtail: This is also called the mermaid lehenga because of the flared fish style design at the bottom. Great if you're looking for a dress to accentuate your curves!

MOST POPULAR LEHENGA STYLES AND DESIGN TRENDS

Although the lehenga is timeless and never goes out of style, there are various trends and subtle changes from time to time.

If you are currently looking for one or more choli dresses and want some trendy and trendy dress designs, below are some of the hottest trends right now;

1. Dupatta trends: The dupatta is taking on a whole new meaning with different styles and designs popping up lately. From pre-attached dupattas to double dupattas, dupattas with contrasting colors and designs and belted dupattas, among others.
2. Bridal lehengas: These are always in fashion and their classic colors of red, maroon, blue and more are always on trend. However, pastel shades have also become quite popular not only for weddings but also for regular occasions.
3. New choli cuts: Cholis seems to be getting a redesign with several new styles such as high-lows, half cap sleeves, sleeveless cholis, cross halter and more.
4. Peplum tops: Lately we are seeing more peplum tops in beautiful embroideries (simple and heavy) that are combined with the lehenga. These tops are narrow at the top and flare out just before the waist.
5. Layered models : We're starting to see more and more layered dresses, from designs with a heavily embroidered top over a plain one to designs with different layer colors and shades in the mix.

HOW AND WHEN TO WEAR

How do you wear a lehenga? What occasions is it best suited for?

This section answers these and more questions about how and when to wear a lehenga for the ultimate killer look.

You can decide to wear this dress in different ways depending on the occasion and whatever look you are trying to achieve. For example, a lehenga with a shirt can be great for sangeet parties, birthday parties and other casual or festive occasions.

It is also possible to wear these with jacket and kurti, with crop top and jacket, peplum tops and more. The dupatta can also be styled in a variety of ways, from adding a belt to pinning it in different ways.

You can also combine your lehenga with the right accessories and matching jewelry. Just don't go overboard with accessories.

They are perfect for most occasions be it Sangeet, Indian Wedding or Nikah, Graduation, Dinners, Casual Outings, etc.

THE LEHENGA REMAINS POPULAR AND ATTRACTIVE TO THIS DAY… THIS IS WHY

The lehenga still has much of the love it enjoys since it was first introduced in the 10th century. And while much of what we have today has undergone several evolutions from what it once was, the basic elements remain the same.

Urban motifs, new embroidery designs, the latest fashion design techniques and Indo-Western influences continue to define new lehenga choli styles and trends. And because of the simplicity, versatility and elegance of these dresses, they are always guaranteed to have a place in the hearts (and wardrobes) of most women. With models for ethnic dresses of Indian or Pakistani origin.

Source: https://www.fabricoz.com/blogs/fabricoz/what-is-a-lehenga