Emblaze the Diyas outside the door. Get the boxes of sweets to bring to your friends and family. Start cleaning your home and remove each speck of dust. That’s right! Diwali is just around the corner. This is a time to rejoice with your friends and family, a time for celebration and reflection, an utter testament of good above evil. All Indians, regardless of religion or caste, luxuriate in the spectacular festivities of lights.

Homes are enlightened with countless luminosities, and are kept open to the Goddess of wealth, luck and prosperity – Lakshmi – to receive blessings and success. The Diwali festival includes five days which are intermingled in auspicious value – Dhan Teras, Kali Chaudas, the Diwali day, New Year (bestu varas) which is mostly celebrated according to the Gujarati calendar, and the holy Bhai Dooj. All these combine and form the renowned merriments of Diwali in the Indian sub-continent.

India being a diversely rich culture, Diwali is celebrated in many different regions with varied traditional values. Apart from the religious significance and rituals, Diwali is not just about that. It is also a time to rejuvenate your wardrobe with vogue trends and fresh styles. To wake up early and dress up in a stunning Indian attire is almost a customary tradition for each and every individual regardless of age. Also with increased socialization, it becomes obligatory to show up in your best look with a gorgeous silk saree or a shimmering lehenga set, or letting your own authenticity shine with indo-western suits.

There are a lot of opportunities with massive community get-togethers to experiment with different variants of traditional and fusion wear. So, we’ve put our stylist back to work – for curating a Diwali look for you with some quick and easy styling tips to get an impeccable festive look.

Diwali Lookbook

Day 1- Dhan Teras

Dhanteras, also known as Dhanatrayodashi, is the first day that marks the festival of Diwali in India. It is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvini. Goddess Dhanvantari, who is worshipped on the occasion of Dhanteras, is considered the God of wealth. So people tend to buy auspicious gold and silver jewellery for good luck and prosperity. Many would-be brides buy their bridal lehnghas or wedding saris on this day for a flourishing future.

Deck up in your best to invite wealth

Dhanteras is the day to get accoutered with splendid brocades and shimmering zari weaves over hand-woven silk sarees. The majestic feel of divinely embroidered Anarkali suits, sharara, and lighter variants of the Indian lehngha is likewise an apt choice. And well, make sure you choose the right festive palette! You can elevate your aesthetic vibes with bright yellow, orange, green, and royal blue or even with subtle pastel hues if that matches your style quotient.

Day 2 – Kali Chaudas

Kali-Chaudas a Hindu festival, which falls on Chaturdashi (14th day) of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. It is the second day of the five-day-long festival of Diwali. In many parts of India, the second day of Diwali has an exceptionally high divine significance. It’s the day to worship Goddess Kali – the destroyer of evil while following rituals like Naived and havans. And for the ones who aren’t praying, this day is just the time to take a break before stepping into the big Diwali day.

An unperturbed Vibe

With little or no work on the cultural front, it is the time to involve in leisurely meet-ups. You can choose comfort dressing styles like a flared palazzo suit in lighter fabrics like cotton and georgette or a printed Anarkali Kurti. For the occasion of Choti Diwali, you can also explore your styling skills with an indo-western statement like an ethnic suits and dhotis or statement styles with minimalistic make-up and light jewelry.

Day 3– Laxmi Pujan/ Deepawali

Diwali is a festival of lights and is one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus. The brightest festival 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, and dressing up – you may just run out of time. But that’s no excuse to let go of this charming chance to flaunt your style. We suggest that you keep your outfit ready in advance to be your stylish best.

Shimmer of sparkles

Let the ethnic diva in you shine and dress up with the tasteful and polished traditional wear! Dive into the spark of twirl-friendly mirror-work lehngha cholis, sequined sarees, and outfits with metallic highlights to stand out against your well-lit surroundings. A pre-stitched saree is all you need if you’re running out of time and energy because we agree, it’s all about efficiency with elegance.

To balance out the stunning ensembles, you have to laden with jewels to complete the look. You can stay with the classics- like a pearl choker or a Kundan Necklace set, but if you’re the one, who loves an instant spotlight, you can add a few statement add-ons such as chunky golden hoops. And well, it’s advisable to go crazy with your makeup with golden or silver tints, or embolden with a timeless red lipstick or a heavy smokey eye.

Day 4 – Bestu Baras/ the next day of Diwali/ Vikram Samvat New Year

This day has mixed inferences all over India. While in some parts, this is officially the New Year (as per the Hindu calendar), in other places, this is just a day to enjoy the festive sociability. Many tend to continue their visit to relatives and friends’ houses, while many take off for travel to enjoy the rest of the Diwali vacation. Some would be cooking 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.

Brimming with feminine sophistication

The Hindu New Year is the occasion to bring out your demure palettes or just-be yourself! There is no such thing as an overdose of festive glimmer so keep shining in sequins and zari and if you want, take a breather with relaxed wardrobe choices. Softer palettes blended with breathable fabrics get going with continued socializing moments. The New Year celebration usually has few or no cultural rituals, and that’s where you can experiment with your look with trending fusion styles. Contemporary wear like indo-western gowns, floral organza sarees, Kurti-palazzo sets, and jacket suits are some choices to explore.

Day 5 – Bhai Dooj/ Teeka

Bhai Dooj is a festival celebrated by Hindus on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Kartika. It is celebrated during the Diwali festival. The celebrations of this day are similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, brothers give gifts to their sisters. . It’s a day steeped in heart-warming affection and tradition, so sarees, printed salwar suits, or contemporary lehngha would look great as festive attire.

Farewell to the festivities with style

You can keep your overall look dainty and playful with an added factor of oomph. Yet, don’t forget to add a generous dose of traditions! Choose lighter fabrics, or brocades and prints, while being embroidery and ostentation-free. Channel a youthful look with printed or ruffle sarees, ethnic dresses, and Kurti palazzo coordinates in the trendiest and latest designs of the year. Colors no bar- you can pick your favorites!

We hope these styling tips have guided you for looking your best 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!

We heartily wish that your Diwali celebrations are extraordinary!