Beautiful kurtas. Stunning ghararas. Elegant lehngas. Gorgeous saris. Desi bridal and party couture is an exquisite composition of color, embroidery, lace and threadwork in a multitude of styles. Some come with dupattas (long scarves worn in a variety of fashions) and may include multiple pieces of clothing worn in many different styles. Pairing desi bridal fashion with hijab fashion is a whole thing that brings its own set of questions.

What type of hijab should you wear? Satin? Chiffon? Woven? Should it be a print or a solid? How should you wrap it? Should it be tucked in? Draped over one shoulder? We asked HH Ambassador Mahwish N. Hussain (@mahwishnh) to style multiple desi bridal outfits with Haute Hijabs in this lookbook and showcase just a few of the gorgeous possibilities.

This outfit can be worn to a mehndi or small intimate wedding. Featuring the Bamboo Woven in Lilac, I did a simple drape over the shoulder to achieve this effortless hijab look. To accessorize the look I wore strappy sandals and gold bangles. I am wearing the dupatta that comes with this kurta outfit around my arms like a shawl. Dupattas are classic “accessories” to desi outfits and have been historically used to wrap in various ways to accentuate the body (see any and every Bollywood dance number!), to cover the head as a symbol of respect or to provide extra coverage for modesty purposes.

Desi hijabis have often used their dupattas as hijabs, but dupatta fabrics aren’t designed specifically as hijabs and can be large and cumbersome for this job. One nice thing about HH’s Bamboo Wovens, especially the maxi sized-ones, is that they are large enough to replace a dupatta (especially if your outfit comes sans dupatta) and will cover much more effectively! I chose the Bamboo Woven in Lilac because I wanted to be able to drape the hijab loose and easy without pins but still cover effectively. Bamboo Wovens are also breathable and comfortable to wear in the heat, especially if your wedding function is being held outdoors.

This is a semi formal outfit perfect for a friend’s wedding featuring the ever so silky Perfect Satin Hijab in Champagne. I chose this hijab for this look because the sheen of satin compliments the sheen of the suit, especially in the neck and chest area.. To achieve this hijab style, I placed the hijab on my head with the left side a bit shorter than the right side. I then tucked in the left edge of the hijab into the kurti (to help cover the neck area), took the right side and wrapped it all the way around the neck until it fell over the right shoulder. This brings a nice drape to the hijab but allows the front design of the kurta to be seen. I am wearing this Satin HH without an Ultimate Underscarf, but satin does tend to be more slippery, so if you want to make sure your hijab style is very secure, wear an underscarf underneath. I am wearing the dupatta of this outfit around my arms to complete this look.

If you want to give more attention to the dupatta, you can drape the hijab around your head, secure it under your chin with an HH No-Snag Hijab Magnet, then criss-cross the ends around your neck and secure at the back of your neck with another set of magnets or tie it. Then you can drape your dupatta over both shoulders and across your chest or let it hang down over one shoulder.

This formal suit is perfect for a family wedding or dholki, featuring the Everyday Chiffon in Mink. I chose this color in chiffon because HH’s Everyday Chiffon is my go-to fabric and one I’m most comfortable in. Plus, the mink complimented the suit! HH’s Satin hijab would also work great as another alternative as its sheen would match the beading beautifully without overwhelming the suit

To wrap the hijab, I did the tuck and roll method in which you drape the hijab over your head leaving the left side short and the right side long. Then pull the left side under your chin to the right shoulder and tuck in the edge of the left side into your kurta. You take the right side, wrap it once around your neck and bring it around to fall behind the right shoulder. You can then take your dupatta and wear it over one shoulder, across your chest or around your arms, as I did in this photo. This particular suit has a lot of bead work on the front that could snag my chiffon hijab, which is why I styled it to drape behind the shoulder.

A sari is the perfect wedding outfit, but often we struggle to figure out how to wear our hijab with this drapey look. It’s a lot of fabric to contend with between the sari and hijab. Should you tuck it in? Flip the ends of your hijab to the back? For this look, featuring the Perfect Satin Hijab in Silver, I did the tuck and wrap method to style the hijab.

This time I tucked the right side of my hijab into my sari blouse and wrapped the left side around the neck and brought it back around until it draped over the left shoulder, which is the same shoulder where the sari is draped. I paired the look with a gold pearl cuff and fancy heels.

This sparkly fancy long dress is perfect for a siblings’ wedding or even one’s own engagement or valima. I paired it with the Everyday Chiffon in Pewter. This suit is heavy on the embroidery and beadwork, which brings a lot of sparkle. Because of this, I chose to go with a chiffon, choosing the more monotone color of pewter, instead of a satin. I felt the shine of the satin would distract from the work of the suit. Plus, this color from their Everyday Chiffon collection matched my outfit best!

To achieve this hijab look I simply secured my hijab under my chin with an HH magnet, made sure both sides were even, criss-crossed the sides under my chin and then threw both sides over the shoulders. I’m not wearing an underscarf with this hijab, but you can certainly choose to do that for more coverage and security. Because the front of this long dress is heavy with metallic threadwork, I draped the dupatta over my right shoulder so its beauty can be seen as well. With this outfit I’m wearing a gold pearl cuff with strappy heels.

Which look is your favorite? How do you style your hijab with your Desi bridal or party outfits? Let me know in the comments below!