DOWN WITH KILLER HEELS, SAYS THE NEWAGE BRIDE
Who says that brides need skyhigh heels to look sexy? Modern women are opening up to the idea of comfy bridal sneakers and flats
The modern bride is no Cinderella. She is a confident, self-assured woman instead, who doesn’t depend on a pair of cumbersome six-inchers to look sexy.
So, what is she going to wear with her lehenga on her D-day, if not sexy, gilded heels? Drumroll for bridal sneakers and flats! A growing number of brides across the world are swapping heels with comfortable flats. We saw actor Anushka Sharma go for embellished juttis for her wedding, and she surely made the trend even more popular.
“Heels were apparently invented for women to look taller and slimmer, but today’s modern woman is happy the way she is. She is willing to accept her body and understands that it’s her confidence that makes her sexy, not a pair of heels. Brides are happier with fun options such as flat juttis, kolhapuris, and even sneakers,” says designer Rina Dhaka.
Internationally, bridal flats have become increasingly popular over the last few years. Brides in the West are pairing their wedding gowns with embellished sneakers, custom made for weddings. In fact, Keds and Kate Spade recently created a bridal collection featuring embellished sneakers, merging style with utility.
Footwear designers in India are also receiving requests for custom-made flats, sneakers, and flatform shoes to go with the bride’s lehenga. The reasons are many. “Brides have now become more practical, and comfortable options like flats work well for them. Our weddings are an insanely long affair, so comfort becomes key. To survive those hectic days, heavy clothing, dancing, running around, you want comfortable footwear that doesn’t kill your feet the way heels do,” says footwear designer Shirin Mann.
“Wearing heels for long hours make the calf muscles sore due to the angular placement of the foot. No surprise then that I’m getting a large number of orders for customised bridal flats,” shares footwear designer Swati Modo.
TRENDS IN BRIDAL FLATS
“The trend will lean towards colour on colour — fuchsia pink lehenga with fuchsia juttis or peach sari with peach juttis are in. Embellishments such as ghungroos, pearls, Swarovski, and tassles are also popular,” says Mann. “While paper-flat footwear are most preferred, the brides who want some elevation opt for flatforms with 1.5 inch of height,” says Modo.
BRIDES WHO DITCHED HEELS
“I love heels, but on the day of my wedding, being comfortable was important for me. That’s why I chose sneakers. When I look back, I want memories of having fun rather than being in discomfort,” says blogger Aanam Chashmawala, who paired her lehenga with gold sneakers. Another bride, who wore jutties, says she couldn’t think of anything more comfortable for the wedding, “I wore four different pairs throughout my wedding events, and my feet were thanking me later,” says Nimi Gill from California.