DDhanteras is the festival of colors, designs and infinite style along with extravagant fashion and descriptive choices. Fashioning yourself in a number of ethnic outfits is exactly what this festival demands.

Traditional Indian wear is scattered all over the market. It’s easier for one to make choices in Dhanteras that also stands out. Let’s take a look at some of the best attires that you can try this festive season.

The much-loved attire which Indian women love to try on these 5 days of Diwali is a saree and consider the festivities and the choice that suits the ambience. A huge range of choices is available in the market, you can now choose different materials like silk to chiffon to look elegant and gorgeous as well.

Since gold is worshiped during Dhanteras, it’s a common practice for women to opt for gold sarees. You can also team it up with blouses in contrasting color to create a bold statement, or opt for a pair of dazzling golden earrings to stand out from the crowd.

It is almost time to light up your houses and add sparkle to your closets. As the festival of Diwali is in full swing - I thought to pen down the tips to deck yourself up in these five days.

Dressing up in the choicest Indian ethnic outfits is what we all love, for this is the occasion that celebrates Indian culture in all its glory.

Diwali is also the official time to refresh your wardrobe! These are also the days meant for showing off your best collection of silk sarees and all sorts of wardrobe extravagance. While keeping up with the grandness of the occasion is a requisite, the Diwali week has its share of quiet moments when you can play low-key on your outfit and still look fabulous.

Your Diwali Lookbook

Whether it is an informal house party, or you are hosting a closely-knit family dinner, or want to spend some coffee time with your friends - these are the moments when you need not indulge in head-to-toe decoration, but dressing up on the lines of ethnicity would be better to keep up with the Diwali vibe.

Amidst all the running around for the array of rituals that claim a lot of the week, we rarely get time for nicely ‘dressing up’ and prepping up. Anxious already? Don’t worry! I will share some useful outfit ideas and style tips to keep you gorgeous throughout the sparkling five days of merriment.

Day 1- DhanTeras

The first official day of the Diwali festival is also known as the Dhanvantri Triodas. Considered extremely auspicious. DhanTeras is the day to buy, shop, and make merry! Dedicated to the Lord Dhanvantari – the Goddess of Wealth – this sacred day or shubh muhurat is an excellent time to buy precious metals like gold and silver.

Astrologically, it is also the best time to commence your wedding shopping! Many would-be-brides buy their wedding sarees on these days. Wear attire that brings an abundance of wealth into your life.

It’s precisely the day when you can get glorious, with brocades and shimmering zari weaves over hand-woven silk sarees. And well, colors play an important role here! Adorn the positivity vibe with bright tones of yellow, orange, green, royal blue- plenty of palettes to explore; except the classic black!

Day 2 - Choti Diwali/ Kali Chaudas

Social media may be full of funny graphics depicting the auspicious day in a different way, but in many parts of India, the second day of Diwali is of divine significance. People devotedly worship Goddess Kali – the destroyer of evil, while following rituals like Naivedyams and havana.

For a lot of people though, this day is just the time to relax and make memories with their families and friends, while gearing up for the Big Day.

With little or no work on the cultural front, it is the time to engage in leisurely meet-ups. A roomy saree, lighter fabrics like cotton and georgette or a print will keep you comfortable for the day. 

Day 3– Laxmi Pujan/ Deepawali

The brightest day of the year- it’s officially the occasion to shine. For a day that’s busy to the brim, there are simply lots of things to do. Decorations, meeting loved ones, celebrations, worship rituals, dressing up – you may just run out of time.

But, that’s no excuse to let go of this lovely chance to flaunt your style.It’s time to unleash the ethnic diva in you and dress up to the hilt with the classic Indian-wear!

Take to the glint of mirror-work or sequinned sarees, and metallic colored silhouettes to stand out against your well-lit surroundings. And well, it’s advisable to go easy with your make-up, and a staunch NO to smokey eyes!

Day 4 – Bestu Baras

Well, this day has mixed connotations all over India. While in some parts, this is officially the New Year (as per Hindu Calendar), in other places, this is just a day to enjoy the festival. Many tend to continue their visit to relatives’ and friends’ houses, while many take off for vacation, some would cook extensively to celebrate Annakut and Govardhan Pooja – as this is also a day to feast. 

Depending upon what you are planning to do on this auspicious day that marks the daylight of goodness – you can plan your wardrobe.

Softer palettes blended with breathable fabrics get a thumbs-up for continued socialising moments. Try on a chiffon, beautiful organza silk saree with floral prints to mark the celebration. 

Day 5 – Bhai Dooj/ Teeka

Bhai Dooj is the second-in-significance day for siblings after Raksha Bandhan. The rituals for both the days are quite similar, with a slight variation where the sister applies a tilak on her brother’s forehead instead of tying a rakhi.

You can keep your overall look light and peppy. Choose lighter fabrics, or brocades and prints, while going embroidery and ostentation free. Channel a youthful look with printed or ruffle sarees. Color is a no bar, so you can pick your favorites!

Came to the End of Our List

So we are done. We have come to the end of our long list of saree styling and tips for ther . These are the best for every onlookers to try out.

We hope you make use of these styling tips to the hilt and look gorgeous during all five days of Diwali festivities. We would love to hear from you about your experiences and feedback, do share them in the comments!

Happy Diwali!

Author Bio

Sumana Bhattacharya completed her Masters in Economics from the University of Calcutta & was working with the Department of Education, Govt. of West Bengal to provide training to the teachers in Government Schools. She moved to USA in 2005 after getting married & is the mother of 2 kids. She is the one that drives IndyVogue every day, every hour, every minute and every second. Salute to her and her undying spirit.