Practical Styling: Ethnic Accents for Work and the Weekend

The biggest myth about ethnic jewellery is that it needs an ethnic outfit. It does not. Some of the most memorable everyday looks put a single ethnic piece — a jhumka, a haram, a choker — against a completely modern outfit. The contrast is the point.

For the office

A single pair of small-to-medium temple jhumkas with a plain kurta, or with a solid-colour dress, upgrades your look without shouting. Skip the heavy haram; keep it to earrings and maybe a delicate chain. If you are on video calls, the jhumkas catch light beautifully.

For weekends

Denim + a linen shirt + oxidised imitation earrings is a classic combination. Try a wide temple-motif choker with a plain white tee — the juxtaposition makes both pieces look intentional. A layered chain (fashion Lakshmi haram over a plain gold-tone chain) works over almost any fitted top.

For dinner or an evening out

Pick one dramatic piece and keep everything else quiet. A single statement choker with an off-shoulder top, or a set of long fashion harams with a black dress, does most of the work for you. Skip the necklace layering here — the ethnic piece should be the only focal point.

For travel

Because our pieces are fashion / imitation jewellery, they travel light and worry-free. Pack a small plastic box with two pairs of jhumkas and one choker and you are set for a five-day trip's worth of looks.

A quick colour rule

If the outfit is patterned, keep the jewellery motif simple (plain gold-tone jhumkas). If the outfit is a single flat colour, let the jewellery carry the pattern (Kasu Lakshmi haram, oxidised statement piece). One of the two should always be doing the visual heavy lifting.

The point of ethnic pieces in a modern wardrobe is not to look "traditional" — it is to add something that mass-produced western jewellery cannot: heritage, meaning and a distinct visual signature.