Janhvi Kapoor and Kajol show you how bandhini saris make the perfect look for the festive season

Remember the vibrant green bandhini sari Janhvi Kapoor wore at Isha Ambani’s pre-wedding festivities in Udaipur? The Manish Malhotra drape, featuring a rich gold border, was styled with a bottle green velvet blouse; a perfect ensemble for a destination wedding.

Months later, we saw Alia Bhatt champion the craft—this time in a custom-made Tarun Tahiliani sari in tones of red, mint green and gold, which she wore during her promotional rounds for Kalank. Both saris won favour for the age-old craft’s timeless appeal and easy elegance. With festive season just around the corner, it's a great time to invest in a traditional designer bandhini sari like Kajol's Manish Malhotra bandhini sari in black or Shweta Bachchan Nanda's Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla red drape with a contemporary strapless blouse. 

Your guide to shopping designer bandhini saris

Whether you’re attending a traditional pre-wedding event or a small puja at home, there's a bandhini saris to suit every occasion. For those of you who fit into the former category, check out Manish Malhotra, Naina Jain, Mirraw and Bandhej’s vibrant offerings. The key to effortlessly elevate your bandhini sari, as proven by Janhvi Kapoor, is to make your blouse work for you—whether you do it by picking an opulent fabric like velvet, or an intricately embroidered or embellished number.

Alternatively, you can also use the same strategy to tone down your look, or give your sari a contemporary twist. Look towards Lajjoo C, The Pot Plant Clothing and Abraham & Thakore for this—these designers style unconventional blouses like shirts and oversized tops with their bandhini saris. Scroll ahead for Vogue’s edit of bandhini sari designs you can pick from.

Also read:

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The incredible history of the traditional Parsi Gara sari

Designer Naina Jain talks about the labour intensive craft of bandhini