Lehenga Choli

A lehenga is a skirt — one stitched sweep of cloth falling from the waist, with nothing to drape below it. A sharara is a pair of wide trousers that flare from the waist and read as a skirt until you move, at which point the split shows. A gharara is trousers as well, but fitted to the knee and then gathered heavily below it, with a decorative band marking the join. A lehenga holds its shape through a long function and photographs as one sweep; a sharara is lighter on the legs and the easier of the two to dance in.

Silk for the ceremony. It carries weight and sheen, holds a full skirt in shape through hours of sitting, and catches indoor lighting, and a woven zari silk resists crushing on top of that. Net is the usual ground for heavy embroidery because it gives volume without much weight. Georgette drapes close and swings, so it suits a sangeet where there will be dancing. Keep velvet for a winter wedding and an evening function, where its weight is comfortable and the light makes the most of it.

A flared or A-line skirt suits nearly every shape, because the volume begins below the hip and moves away from the waist. A circular or panelled cut gives the fullest sweep and wants some height or a heel behind it. A mermaid or fishtail must fit through the hip and thigh to work at all and rewards an hourglass frame, though it shortens your stride — try stairs in it before deciding. On a petite frame, a shorter choli with a narrow pinned dupatta lengthens the line.