There are several websites giving suggestions about Bollywood Party and Costume ideas. I have to say most are full of misinformation; many websites are selling costumes which are not even closely related to India, I hope to explain a few things about a genuine bollywood and Indian party and how to dress for the occasion.
So what is Bollywood
Bollywood is the equivalent to Hollywood but bigger in quantity, 90 percent of them are semi musical. Bollywood movies follow a story line but they add music and dance to fast forward the story line or to explain a story, most of the song and dance parts of a bollywood movie are short but mainly happy and energetic.
What is not BollywoodSlumdog Millionaire, Bend it like Beckham, The Exotic Marigold Hotel or Monsoon wedding. These movies are based on India but they are actually made mainly by British and American production companies.
Party IdeasPlease read the following article.
How to organize a Bollywood Party
Bollywood costumesBollywood is not a mono cultured industry instead it’s a pot purée of all Indian cultures and Bollywood costumes reflect the same theory, depending on the story line the actors wear accordingly to fit in to the period or location of the actual screenplay. For example if a story is based in the Punjab, most likely the actors will look like a Punjabi and wear something that Punjabi people wear. If the story is based in modern time about two college goers they are going to wear as “western” as possible because that’s how Indian young people dress for a casual occasion. When you look at the images below from different Bollywood movies you see the first two actresses are wearing Indo-Western clothing with Indian jewellery and the last two actresses wearing Indian Saree.
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Well its a tricky question to answer because in Bollywood movies the costumes vary and often have a particular dressing code for characters. However for a Bollywood party we try to wear something Indian, Probably not Hawaiian shirt or Dashiki.
So what to wear to a Bollywood partyIndian Saree , Churidar , lehenga Choli are the most common wear for parties, often you see them in Bollywood movies worn by actresses. For men a Kurta with a trouser is absolutely acceptable but to present a formal look a Sherwani is the best way to go.
If the party is held in a trendy chic restaurant or club you may wear an Indian Tunic with trousers or tights or a glitzy top with a flowing skirt. If you go to a club in India you will see that’s how people dress for the occasion. But if you are going to a more formal type function please dress elegantly without going over the top. For a Bollywood party wear something bright and colourful with matching jewelry. Look at some of the clips in youtube , although you do not have to look exactly like the actors in the movie but try to customize accordingly with your choice of colour and style. Have a look at our style sheet to get some ideas.
There are some lovely articles around the internet like this one; the writer gave an honest description after attending an Indian wedding party. Look at our pinterest page to see some Bollywood fashion and makeup tips.
If you need more information regarding Bollywood costumes please look at our online store.