How I Found The Perfect Sister-Of-The-Groom Outfit On Instagram....

What do you wear when your brother is getting engaged and you are restricted to the bed cos of your health and just cannot get out to go shop? That's what I was wondering - I had to be on bedrest as per doctors orders and with just about two weeks to go to my brothers Roka, I had no idea how I was going to get an outfit in time. And yes, OF COURSE, I wanted to wear something new - the kid brother only gets engaged once you know.

Well, I checked out online shopping stores like Carma Online & Pernia and bookmarked some outfits but their delivery dates were really far into the future. I also got a local store to WhatsApp me some outfits in their store but somehow didn't love anything there either. Then, as I was scrolling through Instagram I came across IT.. the one.

It was a mint green-grey cape outfit with a sheer bodice and flowy cape sleeves. It was edgy and chic and when I messaged the Insta account - it was by designer Sana Barreja for the pricing, it was within my 30K budget. I quickly asked them to show me some alternate color samples over WhatsApp, and show me a video of the original outfit and once I was convinced, I transferred half the money to their account.

The outfit was ready in ten days and the team sent over someone to deliver it to my house. I tried it on, and it needed some minor alterations, which I promptly told the guy and he carried it back. Then a few days later he came back to deliver my outfit to me. I couldn't believe I scored such a pretty outfit on Instagram, but here are my pointers to keep in mind when ordering via WhatsApp/ Instagram. 

1.) Ask for a video of the outfit via WhatsApp- this helps you understand the fabric and how it flows better. Is it soft is it stiff? Moreover people can always copy photos off of others instagrams but they cant rip a video you ask them to create

2.) Ask for a close up of the embroidery. I did this because I am a stickler for good finishing and this way I could see any loose ends and open threads. Sometimes things look great through studio photos but up close they look tacky. 

3.) If you are changing colors, always ask for a photo of the new color on WhatsApp. Sometimes under studio lighting, the swatch looks very different as compared to random lighting. 

4.) Go with trusted designers. My designer was listed and selling in Pernia & Carma so that gave her credibility. A lot of the other people on Instagram will just put photos of other outfits that they haven't made themselves.

Outfit by Sana Barreja. Priced at Rs 28,000. Hair & Makeup : WedMeGood Family Makeup  Package