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For non-Indian guestsInvited to your first Indian wedding and worried about getting it wrong? Good news: wearing Indian clothing is welcomed and easy to get right. Here is how.
Quick answer
Non-Indian guests are warmly encouraged to wear Indian outfits to an Indian wedding. When you have been invited, it reads as respect and appreciation, not appropriation. Women can wear a lehenga, saree or anarkali, and men a kurta pajama. Avoid white, black and bridal red, dress modestly, and when in doubt, ask your hosts.
This is the question most non-Indian guests worry about. When you have been invited and you wear Indian clothing to honour the occasion, that is appreciation, not appropriation. Hosts love seeing guests dress for the celebration, and many will say so on the day.
Appropriation concerns come up around mockery, costume, or treating sacred items as fashion. Dressing with care for a wedding you were invited to is none of those things.
You have several easy options. If you are new to ethnic wear, an anarkali or a pre-stitched saree is the most beginner-friendly.
A kurta pajama is the simplest and most reliable choice: a long tunic over slim trousers, in silk, cotton-silk or a jewel tone. Add a Nehru jacket to dress it up. A sherwani is grander and usually best left to close family. See the full men’s guide.
Wear colour, and plenty of it. Avoid white and black (associated with mourning) and bright bridal red (the bride’s colour). Jewel tones, pastels and gold are all safe and celebratory. Keep necklines and hemlines reasonably modest, especially for religious ceremonies. More in our colour guide.
You do not need to spend a lot for a single wedding. Buying preloved is an easy way to get an authentic, beautiful outfit at a fraction of retail, and it keeps a lovely piece in use. If you want a starting point, PurvX has preloved desi outfits from sellers worldwide.
From the PurvX marketplace
Anarkalis, suits and sarees that are simple to wear, from PurvX sellers.
These are real listings from PurvX sellers, live when this guide was published. If one has sold, see more on PurvX.
Good to know
The questions guests and search assistants ask most.
Yes, it is encouraged and appreciated. When you have been invited, wearing a lehenga, saree, anarkali or kurta reads as respect for the occasion, and hosts generally love it. Western formal wear in colour is also acceptable if you prefer.
Not at a wedding you have been invited to. Wearing Indian clothing respectfully to honour the celebration is appreciation. Appropriation refers to mockery or treating cultural dress as costume, which is the opposite of a guest dressing thoughtfully.
An anarkali suit or a pre-stitched, ready-to-wear saree is the most beginner-friendly choice, since neither requires draping. A salwar suit is also easy and comfortable.
Avoid white and black, which are linked with mourning, and bright bridal red, which is the bride’s colour. Choose jewel tones, pastels or gold instead.
Keep reading
More from the PurvX desi fashion library.
Browse preloved lehengas, sarees and suits from real desi wardrobes, at a fraction of retail. Every order covered by Purchase Protection.
