Haldi and mehendi outfits: comfort is the whole brief

Haldi and mehendi are the two functions brides consistently under-plan and most consistently remember being uncomfortable at. They have genuinely specific requirements, and the usual instinct — something pretty in yellow or green — misses most of them.

Haldi: assume it's ruined

Turmeric stains permanently. Plan the outfit as something you will not wear again, and the day becomes much more fun.

• Cotton, mulmul, light chanderi. Breathable, cheap enough not to mourn, and comfortable in sun.
• Avoid heavy work entirely — zari and turmeric paste are a bad combination, and nothing survives the washing.
• Yellow, white, orange, or an existing print. A pale solid will take the stain most visibly, which some brides want and some don't.
• Sleeves you can push up, and a length you can sit cross-legged on the floor in.
• Minimal jewellery. Floral is traditional for a reason — it doesn't matter if it's destroyed.

Mehendi: you will sit still for hours

The defining constraint of a mehendi outfit is that both your hands are out of action for several hours while the henna dries, and you cannot adjust anything.

• ✓Sleeves that stay above the elbow on their own, or that can be pinned there. Anything that slides down will land in wet henna.
• ✓No back-tie blouses you'd need help with mid-function, and nothing that needs holding.
• ✓A neckline and dupatta arrangement that doesn't require constant adjustment.
• ✓Light fabric — this is usually a long, warm, crowded function.
• ✓Something you can eat in, because someone will be feeding you.
• ✓Shoes you can slip on and off without hands.

Colour

Green and yellow are traditional, but the practical point is contrast: henna is dark red-brown, and it will be photographed on your hands all evening. Colours that sit well against it — greens, yellows, soft pinks, ivory — flatter the photographs. Very dark or very saturated reds compete with it.

Where to buy

These are the outfits to buy ready-made. Lajpat Nagar and similar markets are full of exactly this: light, pretty, inexpensive, available in sizes. Save the stitching time and the budget for the pieces that need them.

Neha's shortlist

I keep my own shortlist of the shops I actually send brides to here — the ones whose work, pricing and after-sales I've tested myself. I don't publish that list publicly, because a shop that was brilliant last season isn't automatically brilliant this one, and I'd rather give you a current answer than an old one. Ask me on a call and you'll get the names, the lane, and who to ask for.