7 Ways to Add Vibrance of Phulkari Embroidery to Your Wedding Look
Geometric, colourful, and oh so stunning, the traditional Phulkari is making its way back to our hearts. Get a lowdown on the best ways to include the heritage work in your wedding ensemble!
With its origins in Punjab, Phulkari is literally translated to phool-kari (meaning: flower work), the traditional Phulkari now has a modern-day spin. With designers bringing traditional weaves to the forefront, it is no surprise that Phulkari embroidery is a statement weave in 2020. If you’ve ever had a Phulkari embroidered dupatta in your wardrobe, you know how instantly it livens up any outfit. The colourful, geometric patterns just add to the traditional goodness! Over the years, Phulkari has not just been restricted to dupattas or odhnis, it has transcended effortlessly to Potli bags, blouses, sarees, and even bridal lehengas.
Phulkari embroidery design can now be seen on bespoke bridal wear and commonplace alike! We will give you 5 ways to include the Phulkari embroidery style in your outfits.
Phulkari embroidered dupatta with a silk salwar suit
Take cues from singer Neeti Mohan who chose a brightly coloured Phulkari dupatta with a simple brocade suit. As much as we love our light-weight sheer dupattas, a Phulkari dupatta like this one will instantly brighten up your look for a day-time function like your mehndi or Haldi. Don’t get us wrong, these are not heavy, just elaborate. A full-hand mehndi will require you to be hands-free (umm, obviously), we suggest you neatly pin your dupatta in place to prevent it from smudging your bridal mehndi.
Balance your minimalist lehenga with a bright Phulkari blouse
A minimalist lehenga skirt can be paired with a brightly coloured blouse with Phulkari embroidery motifs for a striking look. See how the bride paired her stunning blouse with floral jewellery for her mehndi day? You can replicate a look just like this for your pre-wedding functions too. We suggest you pick out a blouse with mirror work or sequin all over to add an element of festive bling to your ensemble.
Pair a Kalamkari Saree with Phulkari blouse
Pick a traditional kalamkari saree to match with a contrasting Phulkari blouse for an off-beat pairing. Whether you are a millennial bridesmaid or the bride herself, a Phulkari blouse will liven up your look nonetheless. Indian weddings usually have a lot of colours, a tailored Phulkari patterned blouse can add a whole lot of experimental charm to your classic nine-yard head-tuner!
Go for a modern-day lehenga with liberally used Phulkari design
Don’t want an overdose of Phulkari? If you don’t want to go overboard with the traditional Bagh embroidery, include it subtly in your lehenga for a touch of tradition and its vibrant hues. This bride’s beige lehenga with panelled work in gold and a matching blouse with mirror work details is a stunner for sure! You can pick a lehenga similar to this one for an all-eyes-on-you look.
Go Indo-western in a Phulkari hand embroidered long jacket
Image Courtesy: Manish Malhotra
Phulkari embroidery jackets were introduced by Manish Malhotra a long time ago! The jackets are back in trend owing to their signature style and versatility. Get yourself a long-slit jacket that can be paired with an Anarkali or a lehenga skirt. A full sleeve jacket like this one will look exceptionally good. That being said, you can always experiment with the neck and back designs as per your taste and style. If all-traditional is not your thing, quirk things up with a jacket like this one.
An embroidered Phulkari suit for that Punjab-di-kudi Vibe
Image Courtesy: Mr.andmrs.weddingplanner
A traditional suit with Phulkari embroidery is a visual break from all the sheer dupatta and Farsi pant ones. Go dressy from head-to-toe in a stunning Phulkari embroidered suit with neatly spaced out colourful patterns. Punjabi bride or not, you can pick out a suit that is super comfortable and a little hatke! If you have an elaborate dress planned ahead for your mehndi and Haldi, pick a suit like this for puja and other ceremonies before the wedding.
Get yourself a pair of Juttis in Phulkari
Image Courtesy: Instagram page of Tradition Meets Trends
Wedding functions like mehndi or haldi call for a comfortable, chic pair of juttis you can dance in! Get yourself a stunning pair of juttis with thread work in silk for a polished festive look. The peppy designs will instantly lift up the mood of your day events, and give way to hundreds of coordinated clicks with your bride squad!
The best part about all these Phulkari pieces is the fact that you can pair them up, mix-and-match them with your wardrobe essentials post wedding too. Be it the multihued dupatta, the embroidered blouse, or the long jacket, you can put them to good use even after the wedding is over. You can also go for a pre-wedding shoot that will turn out beautifully with these stunning colours of Phulkari.
We are so onboard with these options, are you? Would you be keen on adding a touch of the traditional Punjabi Phulkari to your wedding trousseau? Let us know in the comments below!
