Gorgeous Saree Fashion Trends for 2019

Sarees have been a staple essential in every desi woman’s wardrobe. You can never go wrong with a saree. Whether you choose to dress it up or tone it down, a saree will always do the trick.

Every woman can remember her first saree, the fabric, the feel, the shape, and the drape. A saree has its own special standing within the desi wardrobe. Making your desi lookbook incomplete without the quintessential saree.

The saree as a garment has evolved over the years and often reinvents itself. Keeping the saree both contemporary and on trend in most South Asian fashion weeks.

However, the classic silhouettes and fabrics have stood the test of time. We often see the classic saree play muse to designers like Bridal favourite Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

So to keep you putting your best foot forward we have earmarked the latest saree trends for 2019.

Traditional with a Twist

There’s nothing quite like the texture of raw silk with hand-embroidered detailing. After all the devil is in the detail. The traditional saree has often married these two elements to create beautiful timeless pieces.

Fashion favourite Masaba Gupta, known often for her more bold prints and styles. Has put fresh life into the traditional silk, kanjivaram and chanderi styles. 

Don’t be afraid to play with colour in 2019, Sabyasachi shocked and captured the fashion world’s attention with his neon Summer collection in 2018. We have a feeling bold and bright is here to stay.

So be daring with your colour choices, silk shines even brighter with a colour that pops and we’re sure we’ll be seeing this combination a lot more in 2019.

Halterneck Blouses

We spy a new blouse trend emerging! Anita Dongre, renown designer having dressed the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge, has dared to re-introduce the bare-back halterneck blouse.

We personally, cannot get enough. With the busy prints and heavy embroidery in our fashion, sometimes less is more. You can have all the details within the saree but then go for a very simple, yet striking blouse cut, with the halterneck blouse.

It’s perfect for summertime when shaadi season will emerge. Allowing you to breathe within your garment. Dongre being ahead of the curb here has already added such blouses to her collection.  We are sure we will be seeing more designers follow suit. 

We feel we should follow suit and stock up on halterneck blouses in 2019.

Lavish Embroidery

Opulence and sarees have often gone hand in hand. For the more seasoned saree wearer, this trend will be one to watch.

Think heavy embroidery, pearls, sequins and crystals – the full works.

This is what we’ve spotted some of India’s prime designers using for detail work in their latest sarees.

Tarun Tahiliani a couture connoisseur for opulent South Asian fashion, has expertly crafted such unique, show-stopping sarees. Giving us all a little wardrobe envy.

Such luxurious ensembles have been seen at Bollywood awards events and other such grand ceremonies. We’re sure that such sarees will grace the red carpets of IIFA and Cannes alike in 2019.

Fashion is here to have fun with, Bollywood actresses like Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja and Kareena Kapoor Khan have often been seen sporting the heavier sarees and carrying them off like pros.

So, be unafraid of embracing the heavier sarees in 2019.

Flowing Florals

A delicate ode to spring, the floral saree is a solid failsafe for any desi function. Sabyasachi has been largely associated with this floral revival.

This trend oozes feminine frill and fun while still being fashionably on trend. Aishwariya Rai Bachchan was seen in a Sabyasachi floral saree for the L’Oréal X Sabyasachi partnership.

A breath of fresh air, the actress was flawless in the flowing floral saree, the picture of elegance and sophistication. We feel florals won’t be going anywhere fast and they will continue to dominate in 2019. 

Deepika Padukone soon to be a newlywed bride has also been seen in Sabyasachi’s floral sarees. With the approval of two of Bollywood’s fashionistas, we feel florals are a soft and romantic style suitable for all and any occasions.

The simplicity and elegance of a floral saree is one that cannot be denied. We are most definitely leaning into the floral theme and embracing its bohemian beauty.

The Hybrid Saree

With the emergence of Indo-Western fusion fashion, there has been a lot of innovation going into the cuts, patterns and silhouettes of staple ‘desi fashion’. We’ve seen the emergence of Bardot blouses, pre-wrapped sarees and ruffled drapes appear.

High Fashion favourite Anamika Khanna has often played with the cut, drape and shape of sarees. We have seen such a saree on actress Mouni Roy during promotions for the movie Gold (2018).

The lesson to be learned here is to embrace textures and innovative draping styles. We’ve seen Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra do so and she was the picture of chic sophistication.

Another designer based in Canada, Mani K Jassal, has also cornered the market on this trend. Her recent collection “Free Spirit” pairs plunging bustier blouses with contrasting yet eye-catching saree details including polka dots and ruffles.

These daring and cutting-edge styles have been on the surge for a few years now and we feel that they will be refined and spotted more often within the desi Fashion circles.

Handwoven Perfection

A classic is only deemed a classic for attaining a certain level of excellence. When we think of sarees the word ‘Benarsi’ often springs to mind simultaneously.

A hand-woven art form in its own right, the Benarsi saree has never gone out of fashion, with iconic stars such as Rekha and Vidya Balan adorning such pieces and keeping them relevant.

However, of late we’ve seen younger celebrities embracing this classic saree, showcasing the truth in the saying ‘old is gold.’

Sonam Kapoor Ahuja now newly married has been seen endorsing Benarsi sarees on her Instagram, embracing the more traditional look for Neerus India.

Mrs Ahuja who has been earmarked as a fashionista said, “I’m happiest when I’m wearing a saree, especially beautiful Banarsi weaves…”

So don’t discount Mum’s sarees she has saved in the back of the wardrobe. As is often the case with fashion old trends become new again.

Don’t be afraid to recycle or revamp a family heirloom in 2019, handwoven sarees will always be an elegant choice.

The Cold Shoulder

With the emergence of Bardot blouses and bralette style blouses, having a cold shoulder appears to be the in style. Sleeves are out and shoulders are in.

We have seen Saree expert to the stars, Manish Malhotra amplifies this trend in his latest stylistic choices. Be it a lace bustier, a mesh halterneck or a flesh coloured strapless bralette dripping in details.

The cold shoulder allows for more room to have fun with statement jewellery pieces, be it a heavy choker or headpiece. The delicacy of the blouse gives room to the wearer to have fun with more creative accessorising.

Shoulders are clearly the new saree accessory for 2019 so you should consider daring to bare the cold shoulder at the coming functions in the New Year. As this trend is only just kicking off.

Looking to the Future

2019 will be an exciting year for sarees especially when we have seen so much variety in 2018. This year was full of experiments with designs, patterns, prints, colours, cuts and silhouettes.

Our predictions for 2019 only highlight what an exciting and innovative period of fashion is to come, so get experimenting with your saree choices!