When we talk about weddings and fashion, we always seem to end up referring to brides ? it seems to be universally acknowledged that a wedding is the bride?s special moment; a time when she gets to play princess for the day. However, doesn?t it take two to tango in a marriage? Given that, how come nobody talks about the poor bridegroom?
Be it media, the fashion industry or magazines, everybody wants to cater to the bride?s needs, leaving the groom out almost completely! Therefore, I have decided to dedicate this column to the ?bridegroom? exclusively! I wish to look at certain trends that have emerged in wedding fashions, vis-?-vis men.
While brides have a more or less fixed colour palette which happens to be shades of red and gold when it comes to their big day, grooms can be much more flexible when choosing their outfits.
A groom can be seen wearing almost any colour nowadays (with black being an exception many a times) ranging from whites to blues and yes, also jewel colours which are becoming more and more popular! The modern groom is also venturing into wearing more ethnic clothes at his wedding than what was traditionally done in the past. Whilst in previous years, grooms preferred to wear a European style suit with tie, today many grooms that at least I dress, agree on a shervani/achkan with little persuasion. And why not? In India we actually do have distinct attires for men so it is only befitting that we wear them for special events and ceremonies! So the shervani has become a favourite for wedding days, and the bundhgala jacket is worn as a suit or even as a combination during the other functions like the pre-wedding cocktails, sangeet, and even the wedding reception.
One big advantage that comes with wearing Indian clothes is that they can be made from either light or heavy a fabric as the weather requires. So in the summer months, the bridegroom can be cool and comfortable while wearing a linen shervani with minimal embellishment, and during the winter, shervanis or bundhgalas can be of cashmere wool, made even richer with tasteful embroidery and other ornamentation. Traditional shawls are also making a come back, replacing the hideous Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham kind of stoles hanging from the shoulders. A Cashmere shawl draped over a silk kurta can be extremely elegant.
And it is not just the clothing that makes the bridegroom shine at his wedding; the accessories are very crucial as well. Watches, cufflinks, kurta buttons and more can all be considered jewellery for men! So it seems that, while the focus is usually just on the brides, bridegrooms are also becoming much savvier when it comes to preparing for their Big Day. Case in point ? beyond the clothing and accessories, many bridegrooms of today also spend their wedding day getting pampered at the salons as much as women do, getting facial, manicure, pedicure…perhaps ensuring a marriage of equals?
The writer is fashion designer