Thursday, October 18, 2012

Say Yes To The Dress


As I promised in my previous Post "What Not To Wear" I was gonna wow 'em at my sister in law's wedding with a fab dress to make up for wearing cotton ::gasp:: to the wedding date setting "function." My husband took me shopping yesterday and I found two (okay I found a lot more, but I decided on two) fantastic dresses, one for the wedding and one for the reception. Both are anarkali styles which is a loose fitting A-line type that falls just below the knee, with curridar bottoms.  They both have great bead work on them and fancy sleeve work thanks to the creativity of the tailor who had to improvise when she measured my neanderthal length arms. One is bright red, which is a traditional wedding function approved color, and the other is a bright pink with a full swirl of bead and stone work from tip to toe. I thought immediately of my sister in law (the one that's about to get married) when I saw it because she loves brightly colored fabrics and anarkali dresses are one of her favorite styles. I was happy. My husband was happy. I apologized to him  for all the dress drama I'd created over the past few days and thanked him profusely for taking me shopping. We headed home with our purchases with a plan to accessorize the dresses the following day after I had to time to evaluate my current shoe/jewelry/purse/hair clip inventory.
 
Once we reached home, it was a fashion parade. I again modeled the dresses for my husband. Loving the fit, the color, the bead work. I even did a few spins to see how they flared. I was getting in touch with the Charminar princess within.
 
I called my sister in law to tell her about the purchases. I described the dresses to her and told her that she could chose which one I'd wear to the wedding and which to the reception. To which she replied........."You're not wearing your khada dupatta" (read: wedding dress)? I told her I would be happy to wear whatever she thought was best (see, I'm learning). She said that the only time a bride gets to wear her khada dupatta after her own wedding is for the subsequent weddings of immediate family members, like siblings and maybe cousins. She thought it would be best to wear it so I had the chance once more before it had to be shoved in a closet forever. She said she'd confirm with the eldest sister in law and let me know. Before hanging up, she reminded me that when I'm packing for the week we're spending at the in laws in preparation for the wedding, I should make sure I don't pack any cotton dresses. Got it.
 
So I called Didi (the eldest sister in law). She informed me that not only was I to wear my khada dupatta for the wedding, but I was to wear my ghagra to the reception as well. My ghagra was my reception dress. It seems I have ZERO need or use for the dresses we so triumphantly bought. When I told my husband what they both said, he howled with laughter.  
 
While I know there will be other functions, these were purchases specifically made with this wedding in mind and after so much fuss, I had my heart set on wearing them. I guess we can skip accessory shopping, at least for today. I can accessorize with my own wedding ensemble. Ahh well what the hell. I love my khada dupatta and my 6 pound ghagra is out of this world. It's a cultural phenomenon that a woman would get to wear her wedding dress(es) more than once and I'm happy to have the chance.
 
Double Anarkali I won't be wearing to the wedding
Pink Anarkali I won't be wearing to the reception

 
 

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