Exquisite blouses make a buzz

Just in time for the year-end festivities, these top garments are going through a sweeping makeover

New Delhi-based designer Ridhi Mehra has created a jewelled deep U-neck blouse.

Vani Vats has created unique blouses with mirror work and shoulder cut detailing.

Scalloped, sequinned, strapless — the blouse has undergone a stylish upsweep this festive season. Take your pick from tie ups, blingy, and sleeve-detailed pieces, to suit your mood and occasion, and rev up the glam quotient of your sari through real zari and hand cut mirrors.

Design experts vouch that a gorgeous blouse can elevate the overall look of an unassuming sari, whether it is for a wedding, cocktail party, Sunday brunch, or for a formal event at work. You can look your relaxed and elegant best in a swish blouse teamed with an underplayed sari. While satins and silks are out, organza with its dreamy wisps, georgette with its fluid fall, and net with its feminine elegance, are in trend now. Boat cuts, embellished backs, capes, spaghetti straps, peplums, jacket cuts and single shoulder contours have been elbowed aside by reinvented cholis, intriguing sleeves, infinity cuts and striking crops in blouses, they confirm.

Exaggerated arm cover-ups bring in a touch of elegance in balloon sleeve blouses. Lavish embroidered blouses from Awigna in New Delhi, are available in pastel hues like salmon pink and peach, with thread work rich in cutdana, sequin, beads and mirror work. The sleeves bring in a Victorian touch to the piece, and the collared neckline accentuated with floral embroidery creates a contemporary look. Perfect for an afternoon wedding, this bishop style blouse comes priced at Rs 59,000 and can be teamed with a pre-stitched sari or flared pants.

The blouse finds its origins in the ‘stanapatta’ (a loose wrap cloth for the upper body or a chest band) worn by women as recorded in ancient artworks of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The unmistakable feminine contours of the garment add an elegant appeal to any traditional ensemble it becomes a part of.

An addition of elements like tiny bows make the blouses trendier. Kolkata-based designer duo Charu and Vasundhara celebrate off shoulder blouses. “The organza detailing can be tied into a bow,” says Charu, adding, “embellishments in a midnight blue net blouse make it easy to team it with a contrast colour or a two-tone coloured sari, or lehenga. This adds a sparkle to your evening functions with a touch of aplomb.” Priced at Rs 69,440, such blouses flatter all body types and are available in midnight blue, oxblood, bottle green and rose pink, with embellishments in gold and silver thread.

New Delhi-based designer Ridhi Mehra has created a jewelled deep U-neckline blouse. “The net plays up the graceful appeal with beads and stones creating the illusion of a studded neckpiece,” she says.

Set beautifully in layers, the blouse also features tear-drop shaped translucent beads placed strategically all over the beige pink blouse.

Cold-shoulder crop blouses from Loka by Veerali Raveshia, a designer based in Mumbai, add the bling quotient to your wardrobe. Replete with colourful sequins and mirror work, the block printed jade green blouse in her latest collection, comes with an elegant halter style neckline. “The cold shoulder sleeves give an illusion of a decorative and colourful kada (bangle),” she says. “You could pair this creative blouse with a two-tone sari to make it perfect for your wedding celebrations,” adds Veerali. The blouse, priced at Rs 28,800, can also be slipped on as a crop top with more contemporary bottoms.

The gorgeous evergreen choli goes through a fun makeover with feather detailing, at the hands of New Delhi-based fashion designer Nitika Gujral. “The ink blue ombré organza choli comes with straps that are laced with feathers. It is a contemporary classic with the right amount of drama that can make you a showstopper,” she says with a smile. The butterfly-like embellishments dangling on a beaded chain attached to the blouse straps up the glam quotient. “You can recreate the blouse in net and georgette, other than in organza,” she adds.

Jaipur-based fashion designer Radhika from Prints by Radhika, goes deep with red. “Crimson is the way to go this season, celebrating the festive mood, and celebrations as things open up post the pandemic,” she says.

The sparkle and shine is upped further with mirrors in shoulder cut detailing by designer Vani Vats for her label Vvani by Vani Vats. “The georgette V-neck brings in shoulder cut detailing. The dark teal colour plays the perfect canvas for the mirror work which is artistically placed all over the full-sleeved blouse. Dance the night away and let the mirrors on this blouse reflect your happiness on your big day,” she adds.

Things to remember

*High-jewelled necklines leave no space for neckpieces

*Deep cut blouses flatter broad shoulders

*A V-cut adds length to your neck and spotlights your face

*Play up the arms in halter neck blouses

*High-necked sheer blouses add to your grace

*Ensure snugness of innerwear and armhole cuts for a perfect fit