“Lehenga” the attire by itself is a unique piece of royal clothing chosen widely for the most special occasions in India. Be it any grand occasion or special events, “Lehenga’’ have become the most chosen outfit for a woman. But this one lehenga that looks ethereal and majestic is the jacquard lehenga due to the thickness of the fabric itself. It looks bold and out there!. Jacquard lehengas are perfect for those winter evening weddings as they are comfortable and warm.
Origin
Going back to the era even before the 1800’s, Jacquard weaving was done by a process called draw-loom. But this process was so slow that it could only produce a limited number of patterns. A French designer Joseph marie Jacquard introduced a new loom for weaving which came to be called as jacquard loom. Of course, it was named after Frenchman Joseph marie Jacquard. This jacquard loom was a mechanical loom which was controlled by punch-cards which had punch-holes.
So, designs and patterns on jacquard were made by these punch-holes in a row symmetry wherein every row was punched by the row of punch-holes in these punch-cards. So designs could vary in every row of the fabric. But even this loom was capable of controlling only a few warp ends independently. So, the punching process had to be repeated again and again to weave one jacquard fabric. Gradually, larger machines were also introduced which did lead to less repetition of process but still it was not satisfactory.
Making
It was only in the 1980’s when electronic jacquard looms were introduced. The first one was introduced in Milan in 1983. This machine did eliminate repetitive weaving of fabric and symmetrical designs because of which it became possible to produce many different designs and patterns in less time.
But what it could not do was make Jacquard weaving economical. These electronic machines were insanely expensive and are apt only for a factory that produces specialized designs.
But now the scenario has changed. Jacquard weaving is now done with a computerized process. The computerization makes it possible to thread millions of hooks with different yarns in much less time and requires less labor as compared to the traditional looms which were highly labor-intensive.
Apart from the fabric made from the jacquard loom, jacquard fabrics can also be knitted and thus there is also a variety of jacquard fabrics available today. Some of these are Brocade Jacquard, which is a patterned fabric woven with various multi-colored threads. This is a much heavier fabric mostly used in upholstery and for glamorous fashion clothing. So, all the ethnic jacquard we see around is Brocade Jacquard. Other kinds of Jacquard are Damask Jacquard, which is finer and shimmery than brocade. It is mainly because it is knitted with silk, linen, rayon, cotton or other synthetic threads. And French jacquard, Jacquard net etc.
Bridal Jacquard lehenga
They are in vogue these days as they are intricately designed and heavy, just what a wedding lehenga should be!. The durability of the Jacquard lehenga for ladies is one of the biggest reasons this dress is a perfect staple for the ethnic wardrobes, as many brides want to keep their wedding dress and pass it on to their daughters. Hence they make a great wedding trousseau.
You can style up your wedding lehenga with jewellery like a long choker necklace, long earring , mangtika, big bangles with jaipuri jutti.
As part of a bridal trousseau, an authentic gota lehenga piece can easily become an heirloom down the line.
Occasions to flaunt to
It is even suited for pre-wedding functions like engagements and mehendi ceremonies. For the mehendi ceremony, choose jacquard lehenga of colours like orange and yellow to go with the sunny outdoors and the mehendi itself. It’s even perfect as bridesmaid lehenga, in colours like beige,turquoise and peach with silver or golden work. This look can be beautified with pearl necklaces and even white stone jewellery.