The sharara is one of South Asian fashion's most elegant silhouettes — and it has a history as rich as the fabrics it's made from. Today, British Asian women reach for sharara suits at weddings, Eid celebrations, and formal events across the UK. But this flared, wide-legged trouser style has been turning heads for centuries.
Key Takeaways
- The sharara originated in Mughal-era royal courts in the 16th century
- It was a symbol of aristocratic status and refined feminine style
- Bollywood revivals in the 1970s and 2000s brought it back into mainstream South Asian fashion
- Sharara suits are now one of the most popular choices for British Asian women at weddings and formal events
- Modern styles range from heavily embellished occasion sets to lightweight printed options for daywear
The Mughal Origins of the Sharara
The sharara's story begins in the imperial Mughal courts of 16th-century India. At a time when intricate embroidery, lavish fabrics, and refined silhouettes defined royal status, the sharara emerged as a garment worn by noblewomen and court attendants. Its dramatic flared legs — typically split from the knee or thigh — allowed for graceful movement while creating an air of grandeur with every step.
Crafted from silks, brocades, and sheer muslins, early shararas were often heavily embellished with zardozi (gold thread) embroidery and adorned with pearls and precious stones. The garment was worn with a short kameez (tunic) and a carefully draped dupatta — a trio that would evolve into the sharara suit we know and love today.
The Lucknow region of present-day Uttar Pradesh became especially associated with the sharara during the Nawabi era of the 18th and 19th centuries. Lucknawi craftspeople combined the sharara's dramatic silhouette with their celebrated chikankari hand embroidery, producing pieces of extraordinary delicacy that became synonymous with refined taste.
Partition, Change, and the Sharara's Quiet Years
The Partition of India in 1947 brought enormous upheaval — social, political, and cultural. As new national identities formed in both India and Pakistan, fashion shifted. Simpler, more practical silhouettes became the norm, and the salwar kameez — with its narrower trouser — rose to dominance as an everyday garment. The elaborate sharara quietly retreated from daily wardrobes.
For a generation, the sharara was kept alive largely through weddings and special occasions, preserved in family trunks and passed down as heirloom garments by grandmothers who remembered the days when it was considered the height of feminine elegance.
Bollywood and the Great Revival
As with so many South Asian fashion stories, Bollywood played a decisive role in the sharara's comeback. The 1970s saw a wave of nostalgia for Mughal aesthetics, and the wide-legged flared silhouette aligned perfectly with global fashion's own love affair with flares during that decade.
But it was the 2000s that truly cemented the sharara's modern revival. Films like Devdas (2002) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008) brought lavish period costumes to a new generation of South Asian audiences worldwide — including Britain's growing British Asian community. Suddenly, the sharara wasn't just a garment from grandmother's wedding photographs. It was aspirational, cinematic, and deeply desirable.
Fashion designers in Pakistan and India responded to the renewed appetite, reinterpreting the classic silhouette with contemporary fabrics, updated embellishments, and cuts that suited modern tastes. The sharara had returned — and this time, it was here to stay.
The Sharara in British Asian Fashion Today
Walk into any South Asian wedding in Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester, or London today and you'll likely spot several shararas among the guests — and for good reason. The silhouette is remarkably versatile: the flared leg creates a lengthening effect, the fitted kameez defines the waist, and the dupatta adds the kind of occasion-appropriate drama that few other garments can match.
For British Asian women balancing cultural heritage with contemporary life, the sharara offers something genuinely special. It is unmistakably South Asian in its roots, yet entirely modern in its appeal — a garment that feels both deeply personal and effortlessly stylish.
At Zahra London, we design our sharara suits with the British Asian woman firmly in mind — from richly embellished georgette and chinon silk sets for weddings, to lighter styles perfect for Eid and family celebrations. Each piece is crafted to honour the heritage of this remarkable garment while feeling entirely wearable in the UK today.
How the Sharara Has Evolved
Today's sharara suits have come a long way from their Mughal origins — and yet the soul of the garment remains the same. Contemporary styles include:
- Heavily embellished sharara sets with thread, sequin, and mirror work on both the hem and kameez — ideal for weddings and formal functions
- Printed shararas in floral or geometric patterns for a lighter, more relaxed daytime aesthetic
- Embroidered border shararas where intricate detail is concentrated at the hem, letting the fabric speak for itself
- Palazzo-inspired styles with a wider, more relaxed flare for a fusion look that bridges South Asian and Western silhouettes
The beauty of the modern sharara is its adaptability. Pair a richly embellished set with statement jewellery and heels for a Pakistani or Indian wedding, or choose a simpler printed version with flat sandals for an Eid gathering with family. The sharara works for both.
A Garment That Carries History
What makes the sharara truly special — beyond its undeniable beauty — is what it carries with it. When you wear a sharara, you're wearing a garment with centuries of history woven into its seams: from Mughal imperial courts to Nawabi culture, from the silver screen to the wedding halls and celebration venues of modern Britain. That is a remarkable journey for a single silhouette.
For second-generation British South Asian women especially, choosing to wear a sharara is often more than a fashion decision. It is a quiet act of connection — to heritage, to family, to something that has survived centuries and somehow still manages to look breathtaking.
Ready to find your sharara? Explore Zahra London's sharara suit collection — beautifully crafted, UK-ready, and available with free delivery across Britain. Your next occasion outfit is waiting.