Janhvi Kapoor, Kriti Sanon's lessons on wearing a backless blouse with your lehenga or sari

The onset of the festive season serves as the perfect opportunity to start dreaming up ways to inject some energy into your traditional wardrobe. Whether you’ve got your eye on a scene-stealing lehenga or a standout sari, the perfect finishing touch comes from this season’s favourite silhouette—the backless blouse. Not for those faint of heart, this bold design has earned the approval of trendsetters and tastemakers alike, from Sonam Kapoor Ahuja to Shloka Ambani. If you haven’t invited one into your Indian wear wardrobe yet, allow the best-dressed names in the biz to convince you otherwise.

Backless blouse designs that come celebrity approved

If bling is your thing, you’ll want to take notes from Sonam Kapoor Ahuja’s ivory and gold ensemble for her mehandi ceremony in 2018. Designed by her go-to couturiers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, the panelled chikankari lehenga made for an instant conversation-starter. The pièce de résistance of the look? The open-back blouse doused with crystals and zardozi work and held together by the daintiest of doris. The finishing touch came in the form of the mogra-accented braid.

For the wedding guest who is looking to make a statement, further inspiration can be found in Kriti Sanon’s lustrous Manish Malhotra pick that will ensure all eyes aren’t just on the bride. The slinky ivory drape featured head-to-toe mukaish work, making it a winning candidate for cocktail hour. The focal point of the look, however, was the halterneck design of the blouse. 

The silhouette also found a fan in Karisma Kapoor, who opted for a backless blouse with skinny straps to go with her sequinned black Manish Malhotra sari—a failsafe duet that is guaranteed to light up the night. Those looking to ease into the trend will want to take their cues from Alia Bhatt, who opted for an olive lehenga that came with a back-open blouse design for Armaan Jain's wedding. For a social event earlier this year, Janhvi Kapoor was spotted in a flamenco red sari and embellished blouse punctuated with a single beaded sash across the back. Head turns guaranteed.

For a family wedding, Shloka Ambani turned to a powder pink Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla lehenga that was elevated with a conversation-starter blouse. “Shloka wore a cutwork blouse, hand-embroidered with Swarovski crystals and featured a nude crystal jewelled back,” the designers told Vogue. The see-through back not only gave the illusion of being completely backless, but also wearing a multi-layered necklace, thanks to the strings of crystals it featured. 

Backless blouses to add to your festive wardrobe this season

If you'd rather take baby steps, check out Anita Dongre's open-back creation that's perfect to team with a sari. Krésha Bajaj and Monisha Jaising, meanwhile, have strappy iterations that will make festive dressing a breeze. A metallic blouse, like the one from Payal Singhal, also makes for a versatile investment that can be mixed and matched with a wide array of separates. Pair yours with a textured updo to help your favourite drape inch closer to party girl territory.

Scroll through the gallery below for all the backless blouse designs you’ll want to see in your close

Also read: 

Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra show you how to wear a sheer blouse with your lehenga and sari

How to go big with blouse sleeves this season

14 blouse designs you need to bookmark this festive season