Plus Size Festive Wear: Stop Dressing to Hide

Every plus size guide ever written is really a guide to hiding.

That is why the outfits it produces are dark, safe and completely forgettable. Nobody wants to be forgettable at Puja.

So let us do this properly. What makes a festive outfit sit beautifully — at any size?

The fabric decides everything. Not the colour.

This is the part that gets missed. How an outfit sits is about how the cloth falls, and that has nothing to do with how dark it is.

• Georgette, crepe and chiffon fall straight down and skim past. The most reliable saree fabrics there are — georgette and crepe sarees.
• Soft-finish silk — Tussar, Chanderi, soft Katan — drapes instead of standing away from you. Tussar, silk sarees.
• Stiff organza and heavy tissue hold their own shape no matter what is underneath. This is the one genuine thing to skip.

Which cut is the most forgiving?

The Anarkali, and it is not close.

It takes its shape from the yoke and falls free from there — which means it is shaped by the narrowest part of you and nothing else. Anarkalis.

Second place: a straight-cut suit with a side slit. Salwar suits.

Last place: the short fitted kameez. Hard to wear well at any size. Skip it.

Is black slimming?

Not particularly. It is just dark.

A deep jewel tone with a strong border does far more work, because it pulls the eye along a line instead of trying to make a shape vanish. Rani pink. Bottle green. Wine. Mustard. Teal.

Puja is not the occasion to be discreet.

The one thing worth getting stitched

The blouse. Always the blouse.

A ready-made blouse fits nobody exactly, and a properly cut one transforms a saree you already own. It is the cheapest upgrade available to anybody. The tailoring timeline says when to get it done.

Generously sized pieces are in plus size ethnic wear; the wider edit is the festive collection.