One of the defining traits of us Bangladeshis is that we love to fill the short-lived wintry months of our country with festivities and celebration, and nothing else ignites festive spirits the way a classic wedding does. One of the most enjoyable aspects surrounding weddings is definitely the dressing-up part of it. Much like the western world, finding the right saree for the bride is an activity a lot of the families partake in, but, the guests too, spend hours to put together the perfect outfit for each of the events.

Weddings have acted as the perfect opportunity for people in our society to dress and present themselves at their best. Couture has been a quintessential part of weddings for years, however, there have been many key changes in the way people have been dressing themselves for dawats. These changes are also reflective of the evolving mindsets of people and how their approach towards fashion has pivoted.

For example, the addition of more conventionally 'feminine' features to male fashion has become more prominent. Plain suits and sherwanis are now a thing of the past, and more people scramble to create outfits that stand out and mark the day as even more special.

Raiyan Chowdhury, founder of popular clothing brand Tapered, says, "Whether it's a waistcoat with full body embroidery, a sherwani with hand work, or even a tuxedo with textured fabric, nowadays, a groom's outfit has a lot more bells and whistles than it used to before."

A stark shift in trend with wedding couture has to do a lot with the choice of colors. Even four to five years ago, the affinity for bold colors dominated the wedding scene. If people wanted to stand out, they would wear bright red, yellow, or orange. And this applied to people of all ages. I remember (with great pain) a memory from 9 years ago when my mother tailored me a puffy dress for my uncle's wedding that was entirely neon pink and orange - a color scheme I would become nauseous over today.

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Wedding Etiquette: Dhaka Edition

Fortunately, however, over the years people have started to embrace the minimalistic idea of 'less is more', hence pastels are very popular right now. The bold color palette has been replaced by one that is much more pleasing to the eye, so you will find more brides wearing shades of beige, white, and muted tones of blue, pink, or purple.

Samiha Zarin, an A level student, says "Rajasthani and Pakistani embroidery are top sellers right now and have foreshadowed the traditional Indian style we Bengalis love. They have a lot of detailed working and artistry to it, which gives off elements of luxury whilst also being simple."

People have also started to wear more fusion style outfits, such as, pant sarees, kaftans, blouses in western cuts, and etc. Most young men, on the other hand, will now wear vests with panjabis and three-piece suits rather than plain ones to bring variety to their outfits.

Androgynous wedding fashion is rare, but they can still be spotted as females often opt to wear pantsuits, skirts, or kurtas.

Nowadays dark colors such as black, navy, or brown are also quite favored by the youth as they are becoming increasingly cognizant of how they want to look. Many want to break free from tradition and don clothes that are more reflective of their personality, and weddings provide the perfect opportunity for them to do so.

Koushin Unber is on a quest to finish her Letterboxd watchlist this winter. Help her stay focused by sending actually good video essays at koushinunber27@gmail.com