What should I wear to come shopping?

Something easy to change in and out of — leggings, a fitted top, athleisure. You will likely try on several things, and it makes the visit much quicker. Flat shoes you can slip off help too, especially if you are trying saris. One heads-up on colour: Indian celebrations run brighter than most Western dress codes, so come open to emerald, magenta, mustard and gold rather than navy and black.

What do I wear as a non-Indian guest to an Indian wedding or event?

Choose a modest, colorful outfit — a sari, lehenga, salwar kameez, sharara, or gharara. For weddings, avoid white and black (mourning colors) and avoid red unless you are the bride. For Diwali or garba, brighter and bolder is welcome. Come in, tell us the event, and you are out the door in 20 minutes.

Do you carry red bridal lehengas?

Not many. Traditional bridal red, maroon and burgundy is not what we stock deeply. What we do have: bridal lehengas in plum, emerald, navy, ivory and gold, and sarees in red with unstitched blouses you can have made to any shape you want.

What's a reasonable budget for a wedding-guest outfit?

Most guests spend $150 to $250 on a complete outfit — sarees, salwar kameez and lehengas all sit in that range, with the simpler pieces at the lower end. Individually: sarees from $150, salwar kameez from $100, lehengas from $200. Kids outfits are $50 to $125. No pressure, no upselling.

How long does a fitting take?

Many customers walk out in 20 minutes, brides included. You come in with a problem, we solve it that day. We are an efficient in-and-out store, not a two-hour bridal appointment atelier. Made-to-measure wedding party orders are the exception — those are placed online and take about three months.

Do you carry kids' and menswear?

Yes to both. Kids outfits for boys and girls run $50 to $125, with most between $50 and $75. Menswear: kurta pajamas $75 to $125, sherwanis from $250, jodhpuri suits and Indo-western outfits $250 to $350, vests from $100, bridal stoles around $100, and shoes $75 to $100.

Can I buy just a dupatta, blouse, petticoat, or accessory on its own?

Yes — we sell almost everything a la carte. Petticoats are $15, sari falls are $3, and turban cloth (pagri) is about $3.50 a yard. We also sell dupattas, skirts, blouses ready to wear in a range of sizes, fabric for tailoring, artificial jewelry, bangles, tikkas, and other accessories. Come in whether you need a whole outfit or just one missing piece.

Where are you located and when are you open?

18507 Pioneer Boulevard, Artesia, California 90701 — in Little India. Free rear-lot parking. Open Tuesday through Sunday until 6:45 PM. Closed Mondays.

Do you ship or offer virtual fittings?

For everyday shopping we are an in-person store — the point of visiting is trying things on, and you can DM us on Instagram beforehand so we set options aside. Wedding parties are different: bridesmaid and groomsmen outfits are made to measure and ordered online through our order forms, with about three months of lead time.

How much do mens Indian outfits cost?

Kurta pajamas are $75 to $125. Sherwanis start at $250. Jodhpuri suits and Indo-western outfits are $250 to $350. Vests start at $100, bridal stoles are around $100, and mens shoes are $75 to $100. Come in and try things on — most men are dressed in about 20 minutes.

Can you dress my whole bridal party — bridesmaids and groomsmen?

Yes. Bridesmaids choose a pre-draped sari or a pant suit, $150 to $200 each. Groomsmen get a kurta pajama with a vest, or just the vest. Everything is made to measure in one colour picked from our 294-thread card, so the whole party matches. You order online through our wedding party order forms and we confirm every line with you before anything is made.

How far ahead do I need to order bridesmaid and groomsmen outfits?

About three months. These are made to order and come from our supplier in India, so we will not promise a wedding date we cannot hit. If your date is closer than that, come into the store — we carry saris, lehengas and menswear in stock and have dressed whole parties off the floor in an afternoon.

What to Wear to a Muslim Wedding: A Guest Guide

July 21, 2024

Dress modestly and elegantly. For women that means a longer or floor-length silhouette with good coverage — sleeves, a higher neckline, nothing sheer or tight. For men it means a kurta pajama or another elevated traditional look. The nikah (you will also see it spelled nikkah) is the ceremony, so it runs more conservative; the walima is the reception, where you can go dressier.

That is the whole answer. The rest of this page shows you what those outfits actually look like, and how the events differ — from three decades of dressing wedding guests at our Artesia showroom.

The 30-second version

Event	What to aim for
Nikah / nikkah	Modest and traditional. Fully covered, sleeves down, head covering likely.
Walima	Modest but dressier. Embroidery, sparkle, colour.
Mehndi	Colourful and festive. The most relaxed of the three.
Men	Kurta pajama, or kurta with a Nehru vest to dress it up.

Nikah vs walima: how the two events differ

You will see the ceremony spelled nikah, nikkah, nikaah or nikha, and the reception spelled walima, valima or waleema — every family writes them differently. They are the same two events. Use whichever spelling is on your invitation and we will know exactly what you mean.

Compare	Nikah / nikkah	Walima
What it is	The religious marriage contract	The reception, hosted by the groom's family
Where	Often a mosque or the family home	A hall or hotel
How to dress	The more conservative of the two — fully covered, sleeves to the wrist	Still modest, noticeably more festive
Head covering	Likely expected, especially at a mosque	Often optional — watch what other guests do
Embellishment	Keep it restrained	This is where the embroidery and sparkle belong
Length	Sometimes only 30 minutes	Runs late, with food served late

Some families also host a mehndi night beforehand — henna, music, bright colours, the most relaxed event of the three. Here is what actually happens at a mehndi, including why you should not wear sleeves you care about.

Not sure which events you are invited to? Muslim weddings vary by family, ceremony and cultural background. Bring the invitation to us in Artesia — we will look at the events, the venue and the dress code and help you find something modest, appropriate and still celebratory.

What Should Women Wear to a Muslim Wedding?

Modest, but not shapeless. Non-Muslim guests often over-correct and arrive in something deliberately plain, and that is not what is being asked for. These are the silhouettes that meet every requirement without any adjusting:

Sharara or gharara set — a long tunic over wide flared trousers, with a dupatta. Covered everywhere, and genuinely festive.
Anarkali — one floor-length piece, sleeves and length built in. The easiest place to start if you have never worn Indian clothes.
Salwar kameez or palazzo suit — tunic over loose trousers. The most comfortable option for a long evening.
A modest gown — floor length with sleeves, if you would rather stay in something familiar.

Three modest Indian wedding outfits with their parts labelled: a cream anarkali with dupatta, a dark green salwar kameez with dupatta, and a dusty pink sharara set

What modest means in practice:

Sleeves — full length is safest; three-quarter is usually fine at a walima.
Neckline — high or modest. Nothing plunging.
Length — floor length, or well below the knee.
Coverage — no bare midriff, no sheer panels without a lining.
Head covering — bring a scarf or dupatta. At a mosque you will likely need it; at a hall you may not.

Three modest Muslim wedding guest outfits with labeled parts: a raspberry sharara set (1 kurti tunic, 2 sharara pants, 3 dupatta), a rose anarkali (4 anarkali, 5 sheer dupatta), and an emerald sharara set (6 full coverage, 7 matching dupatta)

What Should I Wear to a Nikah / Nikkah?

The nikah is ceremony first. Dress for a religious space rather than a party: fully covered, sleeves to the wrist, a high neckline, floor length, and something you can sit comfortably in — seating is sometimes on the floor, and sometimes separated by gender.

Keep the embellishment restrained. Save the heavy work for the walima. Bring a dupatta or scarf you can put over your head, because at a mosque you will almost certainly want it.

Three Nikah guest outfits that cover the way the ceremony asks without reading as plain. Each comes with its own dupatta, so you have something for your head. These are on the floor in Artesia now.

A violet palazzo suit Nikah guest outfit with gold embroidery and a matching embroidered dupatta, on a mannequin

Violet palazzo suit. Long tunic over wide trousers, full sleeves, dupatta included.

A rust-orange sharara set Nikkah outfit with gold embroidery and a matching dupatta, on a mannequin

Rust sharara set. Tunic over wide flared trousers — warm colour, fully covered.

A deep pink and crimson printed anarkali gown, a modest Indian wedding outfit, on a mannequin

Crimson anarkali gown. One floor-length piece, nothing to coordinate.

Gowns like the last one are the easiest place to start if you have never worn Indian clothes before — there are no separates to get right, and the length and sleeves are built in. Ours run $150 to $300.

What Should I Wear to a Walima?

The walima is the celebration, and it is where you can go dressier. The modesty principles do not change — sleeves, coverage, length — but the fabric and the embellishment can do much more work. This is the event for the embroidery, the metallics and the deeper jewel tones.

A sharara set with heavier work, an embellished anarkali, or a floor-length gown with sleeves all sit comfortably at a walima. If you are only buying one outfit for the whole weekend, buy for the walima and wear it to whichever single event you are attending — it will not look out of place at the nikah.

What Should Men Wear to a Muslim Wedding?

A kurta pajama is the simplest respectful option, and it is what most male guests wear. A tunic over matching trousers, done.

Add a Nehru vest or jacket over the kurta to dress it up for the walima. That is one step, ten seconds of decision, and it reads noticeably more formal.

Beyond that: a sherwani works for close family, and a well-cut suit in a jewel tone is also perfectly acceptable, particularly at a hotel or Western-style venue. If you are one of a group dressing alike, the groomsmen order form covers kurta pajama and vests made to measure in a single colour, about three months ahead.

Three men's Muslim wedding guest outfits with labeled parts: a kurta (1 kurta tunic, 2 churidar trousers), a Nehru jacket look (3 Nehru jacket, 4 kurta underneath), and a sherwani (5 mandarin collar, 6 sherwani coat)

What Should a Non-Muslim Guest Wear?

The same things. South Asian clothing is entirely appropriate for a non-Muslim guest, and turning up dressed for the occasion is generally taken as a compliment rather than as overstepping — there is more on that here.

You do not need to know the difference between a sharara and an anarkali before you walk in, and you do not need to know your size in either. Tell us which events you are going to and we will pull the right shapes. That is the part we do all day.

What colours can you wear?

There is not one universal Muslim-wedding colour rule — customs vary by family and by cultural background. If the invitation does not specify anything, festive colours are usually the easy choice. Jewel tones, pastels, champagne, navy, emerald and deep rose all work beautifully.

Two things worth asking about rather than assuming. White may be worn by the bride at some nikah or walima celebrations, so if you are unsure, ask or bring the invitation when you shop. Black can also be perfectly appropriate depending on the event and the family — a black outfit with strong gold or colour work reads as festive rather than sombre.

A few practical notes

Seating may be separated by gender at some weddings, particularly at the nikah. Follow the crowd or ask.
Alcohol is usually not served. Do not bring any as a gift.
Food is halal, and often served late in the evening at a walima.
Photography — ask before photographing during the nikah. Some families prefer not.

For kids

Same principle, scaled down. Girls: a long kurti with palazzo trousers, or a modest lehenga. Boys: kurta pajama. Keep it comfortable — walimas run late.

Bring us the invitation

Muslim weddings vary by family, ceremony and cultural background, which is why the most useful thing you can do is bring the invitation in. We will look at the events, the venue and the dress code and help you find something modest, appropriate and still celebratory.

We have dressed thousands of guests over the past thirty-five years, and most are in and out in about 20 minutes. Walk-ins welcome. Free parking in the rear lot. 18507 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA. Tue–Sun, until 6:45 PM. Closed Mondays.

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