No single item of clothing has evolved as much and yet remained a staple over the last twenty years as the crop top.  They are easy to style, easy to layer on, easy on maintenance-what is there not to love?

Lehengas have always ruled wedding mandaps all over India. Over the last decade Bengali brides too have steadily ditched the second Benarasi saree and swayed towards a lehenga for their reception avatar. They are surprisingly easy to style and carry and do not weigh you down as you finally hit the dance floor after a week of rituals.

Crop tops and lehengas however take your wedding trousseau game to a whole new level of chic. Yes, you read that right! Move over matching tailored blouses, a horde of crop top and lehenga ensembles have made it to the modern bride’s wardrobe and are here to stay.

CROP TOPS-IN, BLOUSES-OUT

Crop tops have steadily become every woman’s wardrobe essential because of their versatility and compatibility with a wide range of body types. A crop top will take you from airport to your best friend’s sangeet. And celebs are lapping them up with vengeance, styling them with gym pants and sarees alike.

But why are brides switching to such a casual piece of clothing from the age-old blouse stitched by that trusted family tailor? Here’s why;

• Most women these days do not have a favourite tailor who keeps getting their fit and measurement right. Busy careers and deadlines have compelled many to prefer readymade kurtas and blouses over unstitched salwar fabrics. What with destination weddings and multiple functions replacing traditional weddings, repeated and hassled visits to the tailor are something that young brides do not look forward to anymore.
• Crop tops are maddeningly easy to shop and even easier to style. A wide array of products caters to every kind of look and style. Change your crop top and it will dramatically change the multiple looks you are hoping to channel with the same saree or lehenga.
• While it is possible to wear a same blouse with a few different sarees, it is impossible to mix and match your lehenga blouses because of the coordinated embroidery work that goes into them. They just pile up in the back of your closet after that one wear on a special occasion. Crop tops solve all of that and open up new avenues in your styling journey.

DIFFERENT CROP TOPS AND HOW TO MATCH THEM WITH YOUR LEHENGA

Here’s where we will take you through the options available to you in the market and how to style them with the curated range of lehengas on Keya Seth Exclusive. Be it your bridal look or just a family function, we have the crop top solution to your lehenga skirt crisis.

THE CLASSIC LONG SLEEVES CROP

This is the one crop top that looks like a lehenga/saree blouse but still isn’t. It can be a classic pastel shade or an intricate gold brocade or a delicate hand embroidery. We recommend a round high neck and sleeves that kiss your sleeves for the timelessly elegant look. Pair it with a rich silk lehenga skirt and heavy chandelier earrings to channel the Sonam Kapoor like regal look. Tie your hair into a neat low chignon and you will make it into everyone’s style wish list for years ahead.

Style tip: Go for contrast. Pair a rich silk embroidered lehenga with a solid crop top and a solid skirt with an elaborately embroidered crop top.

ONE SHOULDER CROP TOP

Hardly any other style goes as well with your elaborate hairdo as the one shoulder crop top. This crop top is easy to transition from daytime to nighttime and makes any kind of lehenga bottom look fun and flirty.

Style tip: Pair your floral, neon lehengas with a one shoulder crop top. Put on some winged eyeliner and strappy sandals and you are good to go.

OFF-SHOULDER/ BARDOT CROP TOP

Destination weddings are the flavor of the moment and whether you are a destination bride or bridesmaid, a bardot crop top is your best bet with a lehenga. Think sunny pristine beaches or rolling vineyards and flowy chiffons comes to the mind. A pristine white organza off-shoulder is the perfect companion to your chiffon lehenga with natural flowers in your hair.

Style tip: Off-shoulder ensembles are usually very rustic in their style. Keep the look simple soft and light lehenga skirts and very light jewellery.

BUTTON UP CROP TOP

This crop top is possibly the most popular team with lehengas. Choose a top that bursts with colours with wooden buttons to go with it. Or a rich shade of solid silk that will set off jeweled buttons perfectly. Team the crop top with any lehenga bottom literally. Go crazy with clashing prints and embroideries. The top is super cute and will allow any amount of experimentation. Especially if you are the bride’s sister and have no business looking somber at the wedding.

PEASANT CROP TOP

If you are a bohemian bride and the theme of your wedding is wild flowers and silver jewellery, you need not look beyond the peasant crop top and lehenga combo. This kind of crop top has an exaggeratedly constructed silhouette so the more neutral the colour, the better the craftsmanship shines through. Team it with a lehenga skirt that’s bright and has intricate embroidery or prints, and you will be the bride that no one will forget quite so easily.

Style tip: This crop top and lehenga ensemble looks best with tons of non-traditional jewellery piled together, preferably in silver.

CROPPED BLAZER TOP

If you are the no-nonsense career woman who will probably plan her wedding in a couple of meetings, then an immaculately tailored blazer crop top should be your preference. Powerful women need statement garments to express themselves and teaming this with your mother’s wedding lehenga skirt will make jaws drop. We recommend getting this crop top tailored with exaggerated shoulders and slim sleeves.

Style tip: Get the crop top to match the exact shade of the lehenga skirt. Throw in a box clutch and stilettos in a contrast shade for a look that will stand out from the rest.

Keya Seth Exclusive has the solution to all your bridal and lehenga needs. By now you must already have visualized the wedding day look suited to your style. Go through our range of bespoke stitched and unstitched lehengas to find your dream lehenga. Find the crop top style to go with it and you are one step closer to your wedding trousseau.