Different Dupatta Styles with Lehenga - A Style Guide

Styling a bridal lehenga is as important as buying the right bridal dress. The moment you pick out your dream designer dress for your big day, you should start thinking about how you're going to style it. Jewellery, makeup, accessories, and most importantly, how you style your dupatta can make or break a look. Alternatively, you can reuse your bridal outfit by draping your dupatta differently. It's certainly possible to go for all the traditional looks and wear an outfit with a head-covered dupatta, but once you wear it again, you can simply place it on your shoulder, and it will change everything. The dupatta is extremely versatile, and you can wear it in several different ways.

Here are a few ways you can style your dupatta with your bridal designer lehenga.

• Pinned on the top and brought on the front
• Dupatta draped overhead and over the shirt
• Pinned on the head and the wrist
• Draped overhead and on the elbow
• Pinned over the head and brought on the front over the shoulders
• The same dupatta brought on the front, one side over the elbow and one side on the other shoulder and shirt
• The neck drape
• Dupatta is worn all over the sides
• Thrown on the side
• Dupatta is worn all over the sides
• Thrown over the shoulder from the back
• Slipped off and thrown over the shoulder
• Draped like a saree pallu
• One on the head and one on the side
• One on the shoulder and one on the side
• Both effortlessly thrown on the shoulders

Bridal Dupatta Draping Styles

Every bride has different personal style and outfit when it comes to bridal styling. Here are a few draping ideas for all the brides-to-be.

1. Pinned on the top and brought on the front

It is a lovely and elegant way to drape your dupatta. This style is romantic and evergreen and looks best over a long shirt and lehenga where you want to accentuate your dupatta but also don’t want to take attention away from your shirt as well.

2. Dupatta draped overhead and over the shirt

This is a very traditional and modest way to drape your bridal dupatta. It gives off a royal appearance and is perfect for Nikkah functions. On her Nikkah, Fiza Khawar draped her dupatta the same way. Hussain Rehar's "Nawab Zadiyan" is a great example of this type of styling. The collection has a classic and sophisticated look.

3. Pinned on the head and the wrist

This is also one of the most elegant ways you can carry your dupatta with a lehenga. It looks best when you wear a heavily embellished choli with a minimally embellished dupatta to draw the attention to the choli. As a result, the dupatta also looks like an accessory on the wrist. This style looks best on mehndi or Haldi.

4. Draped overhead and on the elbow

You can drape the dupatta over the head and throw the pallus over the elbow. When the dupatta is off more of a stiff material, this style looks especially modest and royal. It looks good at any wedding function, and you don’t need to accessorize much with it. You can take inspiration from the recent grand wedding of Aima Baig’s sister Komal Baig. Wearing her Fahad Hussayn ensemble in the chicest way possible, she draped her dupatta to the side and over the elbow.

5. Pinned over the head and brought on the front over the shoulders

Need new ways to carry your dupatta? You can always rely on Hussain Rehar’s collection to drive some inspiration. Pin it over the head and bring it in front over your shoulder, this way you're not taking focus away from the blouse, while highlighting the dupatta at the same time. This is a great way to show off both pieces of your bridal set, while also remaining modest and modern.

6. The same dupatta brought on the front, one side over the elbow and one side on the other shoulder and shirt

This is our most favorite style from the “Nawab Zadaiyan” collection. When your lehenga and choli are not overly embellished, and you have kept the embellishments and detailing to the dupatta, you would want the dupatta to take center stage. This style gives a vintage and royal feeling to the whole bridal look.

Wedding Guests Draping Styles

The lehnga choli is a must-have for any wedding function, but how you style it can make or break a look. Here are a few ways you can style an ordinary dupatta.

1. The neck drape

This is the easiest and the classiest way to wear your dupatta without having to put too much effort in. You can easily drape it yourself and you also don’t have to put a zillion pins to stay it put. You can wear this with a small choli for your sangeet function.

2. Dupatta is worn all over the sides

You will want to make your dupatta the focal point of your outfit if it has the most beautiful formal embellishments. If you're attending a wedding in a lehenga and want to look modest yet chic, this is the perfect choice.

3. Thrown on the side

It's another great way to carry your dupatta when you're attending a wedding. You will look extravagant and classy without having to put much effort into the drapery techniques. This is the most overdone style, and we are not complaining.

4. Thrown over the shoulder from the back

If your lehenga and choli are heavily embellished, and your dupatta is the least interesting, then style it this way. Keep in mind that the dupatta should not be stiff, but rather a flowing piece of chiffon or georgette. You can pair it with a low bun and statement accessories to complete the look.

5. Slipped off and thrown over the shoulder

This is the latest trend of carrying an organza or net dupatta. It's best to just put it over the shoulder since the fabric of organza or net is not convenient since it slips off, so it's best to just put it over the shoulder.

6. Draped like a saree pallu

This is the trendiest way to carry your lehenga choli set. Inspired by the Sabyasachi campaigns this style is perfect when you must dance the night away because it doesn’t require to pin-up, just put your on pallu in the lehnga and drape it from the front.

The double dupatta look

Recently, this has been one of the most popular styles and it gives off a very classy and bridal feeling. You can wear a heavy dupatta and a relatively light dupatta. You can also go with a contrasting color, just to put up a pop of color in your traditional attire.

1. One on the head and one on the side

This is a great way to put on a dramatic look for all the extra brides out there. You can put the heavy dupatta over your shoulders and light one on your head, this way you won’t have a headache and you’ll look glamorous too at the same time.

2. One on the shoulder and one on the side

If you're not a fan of pinning the dupatta over your head and want to show off your hairstyle. Put one dupatta over the shoulder and the other on the elbow. Take cues from Mahira Khan on how to carry this look effortlessly. We have seen this style in the campaigns of Mohsin Naveed Ranjha and we are here for it.

3. Both effortlessly thrown on the shoulders

This is perfect for the modern, chic, and effortless bride who wants to look put together, but is also fun and stylish. You can just put on the two dupattas over the shoulders, this way you can also add up a pop of color to your look.

Final Thoughts

So, do you find your style yet? LAAM provides a wide range of bridal designer dresses to choose from, so every bride can find something according to her style and budget. We also have a fashion consulting team that would love to assist to find your bridal style within your range.

- by Fatima Farooq

Fatima Farooq