What Is the Best to Wear at a Diwali Party

When you are invited to a Diwali party or bought tickets to attend a Diwali celebration for the first time, you wonder about what to wear to a Diwali event and whether there is a dress code. This post adresses these questions for Diwali parties or celebrations in US college towns.

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Dress up for Diwali

Indians are known for being very fashionable and up-to-date on the newest trends. Thus, when celebrating the Festival of Lights, it’s a great opportunity to dress up in the newest trend. This means that you can do just that, dress up. However, when there is still time enough to order something special, checkout the latest designs and styles. Sure, shararas and gararas are the only things in Indian traditional fashion that can never go out of fashion.

What to wear at Diwali as a men

At Diwali parties in college towns, most men wear casual party outfits. However, you can see Indian men or men married with an Indian woman wearing everything from a plain western jeans and shirt look over Indo Western outfits to traditional Indian looks from various regions. You can see men in sherwani, kurta pajamas or a Jodhpuri suit, and occassionally a Nehru jacket.

What to wear at Diwali as a women

Most Indian women wear sarees. Only a few of them dress in kurtis, salwar kameez, anarkali suit or lehengas. It’s rare to see one of them wearing a head-to-toe western outfit. Non-Indian women wear something along the lines of a fancy dinner party or an upscale restaurtant. Some wear traditional Indian clothes mixed with western items like a global trend inspired Indian embroidered blouse with skinnie outfit or wear a  fancy panjeree. Once in a while you see one in a saree.

Munaz style wrapped black embroidered saree accessorized with Indian style belt, pendant necklace, short necklace, three multi-color bangles on each wrist, multi-color earrings (all own), and glamorous statement necklace c/o Happiness Boutique Burgundy silk with gold hand painted embellishment panjeree

When in doubt, wear something new

It’s a tradition to wear something new. Doing so is related to Diwali indicating the beginning of a new year. Thus, you don’t want to wear something that has old (painful) memories of the past. In other words dressing in new clothing has some symbolic. It’s a nice gesture to commemorate this tradition when you attend Diwali. When you follow my blog already for a while, this tradition once stressed me out what to wear for Diwali. I had nothing new and my friends expected me to attend in traditional clothing.

Note you can wear festive western clothing as well. Again, best wear something new that your friends haven’t seen before.

See the celebration party below. The majority of the attendees wear Fairbanks Formal.

Be creative to make it work

Sarees are always appropriate and you can find affordable silk sarees in fashion colors even in the US. Alternatively ou can easily buy 6 yards of sari fabric and hem the sides. When you can’t sew a blouse, wear a croped top or halftee underneath (see photos). Since it was a cold day, I wore my halftee with long sleeves underneath instead of a matching blouse. If you want to sew a matching traditional blouse, here is an easy-to-make sewing pattern I have used. Use an A-line maxi skirt as base to wrap the saree. Then accessorize with necklaces and bangles. Make two big arm parties of pieces (favorably in gold hues) that match with the outfit.

I styled the look with a statement belt and ethnic style jewelry. I added my metal bag that was a find on a market in Morocco in the late 80s. You have seen this bag already in many posts here on the blog. It sort of goes with everything.

Can I wear black on Diwali?

Diwali is about fun and happiness. Thus, would it be inappropriate to wear black, which is associated with mourning in many western cultures? Diwali is a special, auspicious event. Black is a special festive color. Go for traditional wear, if possible.

Stylist’s tip: Black is the most suitable color to wear on Diwali.

Happy Diwali!

Don’t let the right outfit be a random thing. Wear the right look in every situation by looking up what to wear when in How to Dress for Success in Midlife. Buy my book now.

P.S. Like these outfit ideas? If so, please feel free to pin them to your own Pinterest board.

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Photos of me: G. Kramm

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