India, Aug. 10 -- I love a good designer kurta, but I don't always love the price tag that comes with it. And after looking at enough ethnicwear, I've realised that what makes a kurta look expensive isn't necessarily the label. It's usually the fabric, the fall, the colour palette, the embroidery and, most importantly, how well the whole set comes together.

That's why I've started looking beyond the obvious designer names. There are plenty of affordable kurta sets that manage to create that same polished, occasion-ready effect without making you spend Rs.5,000 or more on one outfit.

The trick is knowing what to look for.

A kurta can have the prettiest print in the world, but if the fabric looks stiff or doesn't fall well, the outfit ca...