New Delhi, Sept. 13 -- Ganesh Chaturthi dressing does not have to mean reaching automatically for a silk sari, embroidered lehnga or heavily embellished kurta. As celebrations become as much about gathering, eating and moving between homes as they are about formal rituals, there is room to rethink what festive dressing can look like.

The easiest place to start is colour. Jewel tones, deep reds, pinks, greens and warm metallics can bring a festive quality to an outfit without making it overtly traditional. A bright bag, a pair of earrings or even a watch can provide the colour hit, allowing the rest of the outfit to stay relatively pared back.

Then there is the question of embellishment. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of those occasions when a ...