From feminine ruffles to bold bikini style choli, here are the latest lehenga blouse designs forecast for 2019 to try this wedding season!
Hey gorgeous! India Couture Week just ended, and the wedding season is upon us. It’s the time to shop, embrace the traditions while looking trendy! Whether you’re getting married or attending one, the lehenga choli is the go-to Indian wedding attire if you wanna look special.
Latest Lehenga Blouse Designs & Top 9 Trends
With so many new trends coming up every season, it’s getting hard to keep track of what’ll make the perfect lehenga choli. But if you’re looking for the latest lehenga blouse designs, you’re in the right place. In 2019’s fashion weeks, we’re seeing loads of designers marrying bold western chic with Indian traditions. The trends for 2019 are getting sexier, bolder and even practical.
So we’ve rounded up the top and latest designer cholis we want to see making it from runways to weddings. From Rohit Bal to Manish Malhotra to Sabyasachi, the latest lehenga blouse designs and trends for 2019 make the evergreen Indian ethnic lehenga choli even more glam and gorgeous. We’re sure you’ll find something for yourself amongst these lehenga blouse designs patterns. Let’s take a look!
So let’s check ’em all out !
1. Built-In Wired Bra
The trend of pre-padded cholis that don’t require the wearer to wear a bra inside has been trendy for a few years now. But it was always subtly designed, like you wouldn’t know whether the bra is there or not. But in 2019, cholis are showing it off.
It’s not just padded now, but more! Here’s a daring but practical trend – the choli with a built-in bra! This season we’re seeing these latest lehenga blouse designs that look like an extended version of a bra. Or maybe you can define them as western-inspired bralette, like this off-the-shoulder one here:
This one below is a bustier-style top, which is very in right now. It’s a great idea for a fashion show, or for unconventional wedding guests who want to glam up their look! If you want more coverage, ask your designer to add a sheer top panel, or illusion neckline at the top.
This below one by Tahiliani shows the really practical side of the choli with a built-in-bra, as it seems to give shape without being too revealing or bold.
These here, for example, provide much more coverage with ruffled sleeves or folded off-the-shoulder designs. These extra elements make the daring choli more wearable.
Some are more like regular cholis with padding inside, very practical designs, like this one by Sabyasachi. Great ideas for your engagement or sister’s wedding.
Here are two examples of the built-in-bra choli with and without sleeves. The one on the right is strapless and sleeveless, which looks more like a bustier, not wearable IRL. But the one on the left (is that Karisma Kapoor?) is sleeved and looks way more wearable and convenient.
2. Choli with Pre-Draped Dupatta
Dupattas have been India’s traditional style since forever, but does the modern Indian woman have the need or time to pin it up, drape and carry it? In the age of crop-tops, off-the-shoulder styles and illusion necklines, what purpose do they serve really? That’s why the practical designs of 2019 include dupatta-less lehengas. Also, this year, we’re seeing a brand new trend – cholis with pre-draped dupattas. Just like built-in-bras, consider these as built-in-dupattas.
No more finding and losing, ironing it separately, paying your beautician extra bucks to pin it up only for it to get torn when you take those darned safety pins out at night. Thank you, designers. You finally realized we hate fussy outfits.
Is the millennial Indian woman ditching the dupatta for good? Our choli trend forecast sure suggests so.
We’re seeing all sorts of variations in this trend. One of the trending styles in lehenga choli designs is a dupatta-like fabric draped around the shoulders or sewn on one side. Rohit Bal, who doesn’t have a single dupatta in his Winter 2018 collection, has made it even more practical for us by blending the dupatta and choli all into one. Now that’s what we call designer of tomorrow! Bless you, Bal!
So if you’re bored of carrying dupattas on lehengas, here is something for you. You can even style up your dupatta like a pre-draped one, like this example:
Or wrap it in a new way…
Shyamal & Bhumika went ahead and removed the whole trail of the dupatta and just kept the bust-covering part, stitched it into the choli itself. Although it doesn’t cover the torso, so I’ll still probably need another dupatta with it. But if it were longer, this would be perfect!
3. Large Bows
Trends like ruffles, fur and feathers have been in vogue for quite a few seasons. But 2019 is the time to show off your bold sense of style with something that makes a real statement for a glam look. If you’re bold enough, wear a choli with a large bow, extra large sized ruffle detail or mega-sized flower-pin to steal the show.
Above is a choli with a matching half-a-head-sized red bow, replete with extra-wide ribbons hanging on either side of the shoulder. Love! Below is a larger-than-life-sized flower-pin that makes just as much of a statement if not more.
Not bold enough to wear something so huge? Then go for wide and flouncy ruffle detail on your shoulder and skip the dupatta.
Embellished off-the-shoulder choli with ruffle details on the shoulder is a great option for your own engagement, reception or your cousin’s wedding. Or go for a ruffled dupatta.
4. Bikini Style Choli
It’s time to be bold and show off that cleavage this year, because the bikini-style lehenga choli is super trendy. If you’re bold enough to wear the plunging necklines, then this would be a really sexy look.
Bikini style lehenga cholis have been amongst the latest lehenga blouse trends for a couple of seasons now and are here to stay. They’re not for conservative gatherings, obvi!
This season, we’re seeing lehenga-cholis with strappy bikini tops, strapless bustiers, bra-style cholis and off-the-shoulder bikini tops. All the focus is on the decolletage. The cholis have embroidery, sequins, brad-fringes and applique designs.
Go for matchy-matchy lehenga choli designs like the Sabyasachi one below, or choose a contrasting color choli like the Malhotra one above, which are still in trend.
I’m loving this fringed and appliqued one! Designer bikini choli paired with a flattering A-cut lehenga is a great option for a friend’s wedding if they have a not-so-conservative family.
Here’s a sequined one that’s seamless bralette style.
5. Illusion Neckline
From lehenga cholis to saree blouses to gowns, designers are coming up with illusion neckline in a big way. For 2019, we’re seeing so many embellished, appliqued and embroidered designs, both contrasting or to match the designer lehenga for weddings.
Applique is also one of the latest lehenga blouse designs this year, so go for it on your neckline. Try different styles of necklines, like halter and V-neck above, and high neck here below. You can go for sleeveless or sheer-sleeved cholis. The more embellished the better!
Full sleeved designer cholis are a great way to pull off illusion neck in the early winter time. Look sexy for the wedding all the while not being too cold. You can also try a feather-trimmed crop jacket paired it for a destination or mid-winter wedding.
Or you can go for fur trimmings on the sleeves of the choli itself…
These two designs by Tahiliani prove that even brides can rock a classy and modest-looking illusion neckline.
6. Ruffles
We’ve been seeing ruffles in Indian fashion for a couple of seasons now. Ruffles are very feminine and romantic, and with a little ruffle detail, a simple lehenga transforms into something very eye-catching. Go for ruffles on the sleeves of your choli, or bold statement ruffles on the shoulder of the choli.
A large flounce along the off-the-shoulder hemline is one of the latest lehenga blouse designs this season. Go for a simple lehenga with a matching flouncy layer and let the choli steal the show!
Here’s a new trend – a choli with ruffled flouncy half sleeves. Perfect for your engagement or cousin’s wedding.
You can also go for a demure-looking choli with ruffles all over it. Below, a large frill transforms what could have been a daring off-the-shoulder choli into something cute and romantic. Wearable but it doesn’t even need a dupatta!
7. Off-the-Shoulder and Strapless Choli
If you’re bold enough to wear strapless blouses, opt for a sexy metallic or black lehenga with cool botanical motifs or chevron pattern! Strapless lehenga cholis and off-the-shoulder blouses are still in and are making a trendy fashion statement. It’s the stuff magazine covers are made of!
We saw ruffled and embellished fancy cholis paired with matching or contrast-colored lehengas on the runways. Or if you’re feeling like it, go for a bandeau choli to get the stares!
Who says off-the-shoulder has to only be a bold choice? Pin the dupatta on one shoulder and show some skin on the other.
Here are the three styles of cholis to try this year – the off-the-shoulder, the strapless and the one-shoulder. All look sexy and it just depends on your comfort factor what you wanna go for. You can also add statement ruffled or fur-trimmed sleeves if you don’t wanna show too much skin.
Who says strapless cholis are too bold for brides? Sabysachi proves even brides can rock ’em!
8. Peplum Choli
Peplum cholis are very elegant and perfect for the modern Indian woman! It’s such a fresh combination of western and Indian desi styles and I’m already loving this trend. We saw full-sleeved royal peplums as well as strappy and sexy ones. Go for a sleeved peplum top with your lehenga for winter weddings, your family function or office colleague’s wedding. This is the perfect attire for any age group.
You can also try a sleeveless peplum blouse in an embellished or sequined fabric and pair it with plain lehenga and and sheer dupatta with embellishments to give an amazing look. Great idea for rakhi or teej.
For a bolder look, go for a strappy or off-the-shoulder peplum choli and pair it with a heavily embellished lehenga to make a real statement. Peplum lanchas are among the latest lehenga blouse designs for 2019. Wear something like this to your BFF’s wedding or to your wedding sangeet.
We saw the peplum styles on so many designers’ runways. Here’s an asymmetric, halter high-low peplum kurti paired with a plain silk lehenga.
A peplum kurti can also give your old lehenga a whole new look. You can pair it with jeans or salwaar pants as well as a lehenga and create multiple looks. Great idea for a cocktail party.
9. Statement Backs
Be it lehenga cholis or saree blouses, women in India have always had the fashion sense to go for daring and sexy back designs. From halter to backless to knotted to dori, statement backs have been the go-to thing to try for every Indian fashionista for decades, if not centuries!
This year, backs with even more intricate details are among the top trending style in latest lehenga blouse designs.
So if you’re bored of plain backs, here is something for you. Go for bead-fringes, tassles, ribbons or cross-shoulder straps.
Or just go for a pretty floral cut-work design at the back.
So those were the latest lehenga blouse designs and trends. Which choli trend is your favorite this year and what are you most interested in trying? Let us know in the comments below and show us your blouses by tagging me on your Instagram pics @shilpaahujadotcom!
Also check out:
– Latest Lehenga Designs for 2019-2020 from Celebs & Fashion Week
– Latest Lehenga Colors 2019: Designer Runway & Celeb Trends
Shilpa Ahuja the editor-in-chief of ShilpaAhuja.com, which she founded with the goal of inspiring confidence in the modern working woman through fashion. Other than defining the direction of the magazine, she also writes about fashion & beauty trend forecasts, industry analysis, and opinions.
Shilpa’s work has been published in the University of Fashion blog and Jet Airways magazine. She is also an artist, illustrator and cartoonist. She is also the creator of Audrey O., a comic series that represents the lifestyle of millennial women. She enjoys creative writing and world travel. Her art has been exhibited at Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh and been published in Chandigarh Times.
Originally from Chandigarh, Shilpa also has a degree in architecture and has worked in interior project management. She is also the author of the book “Designing a Chinese Cultural Center in India”. Shilpa has a Masters in Design Studies degree from Harvard University.
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With so many new trends coming up every season, it’s getting hard to keep track of what’ll make the perfect lehenga choli.