Frequently Asked Questions
Thirty years of the same questions, in one place. If yours isn't here, message us on Instagram — we answer those ourselves.
Visiting the store
Do I need an appointment, or can I walk in?
Either works. Walk-ins are great — most days you can come straight in and be helped immediately, no waiting list. And if you'd rather lock in a time, appointments are welcome too.
If you're a bride, send us a DM before you come. We'll pull options ahead of time so you're not starting from scratch on the floor.
Where are you located?
18507 Pioneer Boulevard, Artesia, California 90701 — on Pioneer Blvd in Artesia's Little India district, the largest South Asian shopping district in Southern California.
Where do I park?
Three options, in the order you'd want them:
- Our free lot, directly behind the store. Free, closest, and what most people use.
- The public lot behind that one. Sometimes metered.
- Street parking on Pioneer. Metered.
The free lot fills up on weekends and through wedding season. If it's full when you arrive, keep going — the public lot is immediately behind it.
What are your hours?
Open Tuesday through Sunday until 6:45 PM. Closed Mondays.
How long does a visit take?
Most people are in and out in about 20 minutes — including trying things on. You tell us the event, we pull the right things, you leave with an outfit.
That applies to brides too. This isn't a shop where you book a consultation, come back for a second appointment, and decide over three weeks. You walked in with a problem. We'd rather solve it today.
Is there anything I should bring?
Three things help, none are required:
- The invitation, or just the date and type of event
- A photo of anything you've been sent or seen that you liked
- The shoes you plan to wear, if the length matters to you
If you're coordinating with other people, bring a photo of what they're wearing.
What languages do you speak?
English, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi and Gujarati.
If English isn't the language you'd rather do this in, it doesn't have to be. We can handle the whole visit in any of them.
What we carry
What's the difference between a sari, lehenga, salwar kameez, sharara and gharara?
- Sari — a single draped length of fabric worn over a fitted blouse and petticoat.
- Lehenga — two pieces: a fitted blouse and a long skirt, usually with a dupatta.
- Salwar kameez — a tunic over loose trousers. The most comfortable of the five, and the easiest if you've never worn Indian clothing before.
- Sharara — a tunic over wide, flared, floor-length pants.
- Gharara — similar, but the pants are fitted to the knee and flare out from there.
We have a longer illustrated guide: Sari, lehenga, salwar or sharara? Six silhouettes decoded.
Do you carry menswear?
Yes. Kurta pajama, sherwani, Nehru jackets and vests.
If you're a guest and unsure how formal to go, the vest is the safest starting point — it goes over a shirt you already own and reads correctly at almost any event. Full men's guide here.
Do you carry children's outfits?
Yes, boys and girls. Kids' outfits start in the $50 to $75 range.
What sizes do you carry?
Extra small through 5XL, for both women and men.
That's a wider range than most shops on Pioneer Blvd stock, and we mention it because people ask nervously — as though the answer might be no. It isn't. Come in and we'll size you.
Can I buy just one piece — a dupatta, a blouse, a petticoat?
Yes. Almost everything is sold à la carte:
- Petticoats and sari falls
- Dupattas and chunnis
- Skirts
- Blouses, fitted individually
- Fabric for custom tailoring and turbans
- Artificial jewelry, bangles, tikkas and accessories
No minimum purchase. Come in for one missing piece if that's all you need — that's a normal visit, not an imposition.
Do you sell fabric by the yard?
Yes — fabric and material for custom tailoring, and for turbans.
Do you carry white outfits for funerals?
Yes, year-round. White and off-white salwar kameez, plain cotton and silk sarees, white kurta pajama for men, plain white dupattas for covering your head, and children's white outfits. Nothing embellished — deliberately.
These are not occasions anyone plans for, so we keep them in stock rather than ordering them in. What to wear to an Indian funeral.
Do you sell jewelry?
Artificial jewelry, bangles, tikkas and accessories — the pieces that finish an outfit. We're not a fine jewelry store.
Do you rent outfits?
No — purchase only.
Worth knowing before you assume renting is cheaper: our prices are deliberately set close to what rental costs elsewhere. We know most of these outfits get worn once or twice, and we'd rather you own something for roughly what borrowing it would have cost.
Brides and wedding parties
Do you carry red bridal lehengas?
No. We don't carry bridal lehengas in red, maroon or burgundy.
What we do have:
- Bridal lehengas in plum, emerald, navy, ivory and gold — hundreds of them.
- Sarees in red, with unstitched blouses you can have made to any shape you want.
Do you dress entire wedding parties?
Yes, and it's some of our favorite work. Bridesmaids, groomsmen, mothers of the bride and groom, and the kids.
How far ahead should a bride or wedding party come in?
Whenever you can get everyone in the same place at the same time. There's no lead time on our end — nothing is ordered in, nothing takes weeks.
For a guest outfit, the day before is genuinely fine. For a wedding party, the only thing to plan around is other people's calendars, not ours.
Can you help coordinate colors across a group?
That's most of what we do for wedding parties — building a palette that photographs well without putting everyone in an identical uniform. Our guide on dressing the wedding party.
Budget
What should I expect to spend on a guest outfit?
Most guests spend $100 to $200 for a complete outfit.
- Salwar kameez from $100
- Sarees from $150
- Lehengas from $200
- Kids' outfits from $50–$75
We flex up and down from there. No upselling — if the $120 option is the right one, we'll say so.
What does a bridal or reception lehenga cost?
$300 to $500 covers most of what we carry, and it's a genuinely good range for what you get.
Note that we don't carry red, maroon or burgundy bridal lehengas at any price — see the bridal section above.
What payment methods do you take?
All major cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover — and cash.
Fit, alterations and care
Do you do alterations?
Most people get sized on the floor and walk out in something that fits, with no work needed at all.
If something does need tailoring, it's a separate charge — but we work with our tailor on the pricing ourselves, so you're not negotiating it on your own. We only tailor what you buy from us.
Are blouses ready to wear, or do they need stitching?
Both, and it's worth knowing the difference before you come in.
- Ready to wear — finished blouses you can try on and take home the same day.
- Unstitched — blouse fabric you have made up to whatever shape and neckline you want. Slower, but it's how you get exactly the cut you had in mind.
If you're not sure which you want, come in and try the ready-to-wear ones first. It's the fastest way to work out what shape actually suits you.
I don't know my size in Indian clothing. Is that a problem?
Not at all — almost nobody does, including people who grew up wearing it. Indian sizing doesn't map cleanly onto US sizing, and it varies between garments. Come in and we'll size you in a couple of minutes.
How do I care for these clothes once I've bought them?
Carefully, and mostly not in a washing machine. Silk, georgette and hand-embroidery each want something different, and the storage mistakes are what actually ruin outfits over time. Full care and storage guide.
What to wear as a guest
I'm not Indian and I've been invited to an Indian wedding. What do I wear?
Something modest and colorful — a sari, lehenga, salwar kameez, sharara or gharara all work. Cover your shoulders and knees.
Avoid white and black, both associated with mourning. Avoid red unless you're the bride. Beyond that, go brighter than your instinct tells you — Western guests almost always underdress for these events, never the reverse.
Tell us the event and we'll handle it. Usually 20 minutes.
What colors should I avoid?
- Red — the bride's color at most Hindu and Sikh weddings
- White — mourning, at Hindu and Sikh events
- Black — read as inauspicious at many celebrations
At a funeral the rules invert: white for Hindu and Sikh services, subdued colors for Muslim ones.
Do I need to cover my head?
At a gurdwara, yes — everyone covers their head, regardless of gender or faith. Coverings are usually available at the entrance, but bringing your own is more respectful.
At a mosque, women generally cover their hair with a plain scarf.
At a Hindu mandir, it varies. Bring a dupatta and you're covered either way.
What should men wear as guests?
A kurta pajama is correct almost everywhere. A vest over a shirt you already own is the lowest-effort option that still reads as dressed. A sherwani is the top of the ladder — usually for the groom, the immediate family, and the wedding party. Men's guide.
What do I wear to Diwali, or to garba?
Diwali — brighter and more festive than a normal event. Metallics work especially well under candlelight. Diwali guide.
Garba — nine nights of actual dancing, so the outfit has to move. Chaniya choli, mirror work, and something you can spin in. Garba guide.
What do I wear to a Sikh, Hindu or Muslim wedding specifically?
We wrote one for each:
What's an appropriate gift?
Cash, and the amount should end in a 1 — $101, $51, $251. The extra dollar is the point. Gifting guide.
Online and returns
Can I order online?
A small selection of shawls and phulkari dupattas is on the site. Everything else is in-store only — the point of coming in is trying things on, and Indian formalwear is not a garment category that survives being bought blind.
Do you ship?
Not for the main collection. If you're driving in from out of town, message us ahead and we'll have things set aside when you arrive.
Do you offer virtual fittings?
No. We've tried to imagine a version of this that actually works and we can't.
What's your return policy?
All sales are final. We don't accept returns or exchanges.
This is why we'd rather you try things on and take the twenty minutes, instead of buying something quickly and hoping. If you're unsure, say so on the floor — that's exactly the moment to work it out. Full terms on the returns page.
Still have a question?
Message us on Instagram @loveleensari — a person answers, usually the same day.
Or come in: 18507 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA 90701. Tuesday through Sunday until 6:45 PM. Free parking in the rear lot.