Big, Bold & Beautiful – Fashion Cheat Sheet for the Plus Sized Bride

Reading Advisory: This article is not intended to give rise to an anti-body shaming movement, or help you battle your know-it-all relatives. Neither does it intend to help you look slimmer, taller, or a lookalike of your favorite fashion icon. Rather, it’s a simple take on what we think can help you enjoy your wedding day as much as possible.

Petite may be the fad but what do you do when you’re big and beautiful? You be, big, bold and beautiful.

So what is this about?

Plus-sized ladies receive a lot of unwarranted advice – what to wear, what to eat and most importantly, how to lose weight from overly ‘sympathetic’ relatives. And if you’re from a staunchly Punjabi or south-Indian family, you’re probably used to having your intentions to lose weight being tossed out of the window while being fed extra rotis with worried mutterings of “kamzor ho gaye ho beta”.  Well, all those “looking for a 5’6, fair, beautiful bride from an affluent bride” ads will just have to wait, it seems. And while we wait, here are some tips to have your dream wedding day:

Tip #1: Planning to Diet?

Don’t. It’s not easy to skip meals, but we know nothing stands in the way of a determined bride. And so, we’re only going to say this – even if you want to lose weight before your wedding day, you need to eat enough to be able to facilitate the process. Eat 5 meals a day, about every 3 hours to stimulate your metabolism including two mini meals between 5 basic meals. What you need to do is ensure you eat the right stuff and as activity levels decrease throughout the day, eat less as the day goes on.

Tip #2: Wearing dark colors?

You can but the good news is that when it comes to your bridal outfit, you really don’t have to stick to dark colours only. A monochrome look can also serve you well, rather than going for a burst of colours. One single colour, preferably rich colours such as royal blue or gold, can make you look not only slim but tall as well. Doing a mix and match between two colours with similar hues can also work wonders for your appearance.

Tip #3: Embroidery, prints & patterns all the way?

Nothing proclaims a shaadi wala suit better than these three festive sisters! Embroidery and embellishments, can be used very effectively if given a little thought. Pick patterns that are smaller versus larger – choose medium-sized buttis and borders. If you’re a bling is king kind of girl, go for glimmering sequins, but be warned – they only appear great in moderation. A great alternative is to go for zari in gold tones or use bright kundans.

Tip #4: Jewellery matters

Even if diamonds are your friends, little diamonds are probably better for you. When you wear jewelry that wraps delicately around your neck, or lighter jewelry with longer chains, the delicate arch of your nape gets showcased at its best, giving you a very feminine look. We’d suggest avoiding chokers and chunky jewelry in your wedding attire though a lot depends upon the cut of the neckline of your blouse.

Tip #5: What’s your Dupatta style?

If you’re wearing a lehenga, then the way you drape your dupatta matters! After all, draping it a little creatively can add an extra edge to your bridal outfit. Our suggestion – try draping the dupatta tightly like a saree and enjoy the effects!

If you’re wondering whether this blog was written by a slim girl, comfortable in her own skin, then you’d be wrong. I’m plus-sized too, and can honestly say, that like every other woman on this planet, I have second-guessed my appearance whenever I’m getting ready to go out. But, you know what gets me through it? The fact that I’m as beautiful as I feel beautiful. I can ride a train around the world with the right confidence and nobody would judge the large spaghetti stain on my t-shirt. But if I were to, say, constantly glance at & fiddle with it – I’d never complete the ride in peace.

In the end, beauty is about perception. You can’t control what others perceive but with the right confidence, you can give them clues to pick up on. And that’s all that’ll be required.