off-page_2026-09-14_PGF_Lehenga_Fabric_Selection_Guide
                     FABRIC REFERENCE · LEHENGA
Lehenga Fabric Selection
Guide
Ghera, weight, kalis. Cloth by cut before colour.
For brides' sisters, boutique owners and wedding-guest shoppers
Delhi counter rates · Updated 14 Sep 2026
Includes cut-by-cut fabric matrix and karigar cost bands.
Paras Gallery Fabrics  ·  Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi  ·  Est. shop-front 2019 parasgalleryfabrics.com
Lehenga Fabric Selection Guide Paras Gallery Fabrics  ·  Lajpat Nagar
Lehenga Fabric Selection Guide
Buying lehenga fabric before you have decided the cut is a common counter mistake. Ghera,
kalis, canan structure, dupatta weight, karigar time. Cut decides cloth. Not the other way
around. This guide walks you through the fabric choice from the moment the cut is
confirmed.
Base assumption
You have decided the cut (12-kali, 18-kali, mermaid, A-line, straight). You know the function
(Sangeet, Reception, wedding-guest). You have not yet touched fabric. Now come to the
counter.
The three lehenga cuts and the fabric each demands
12-kali flare (standard)
Twelve triangular panels stitched together. Ghera at hem: 8–10 feet. Weight of full skirt: 1.8
to 2.4 kg. Fabric requirement: medium-weight cloth that holds shape without heavy canan.
Best picks: silk organza, blend organza, soft net, dola silk, Chanderi. Skip: crush organza, thin
chiffon, heavy velvet.
18-kali heavy flare
Eighteen panels. Ghera 12–14 feet. Weight 2.8 to 3.5 kg. Needs cloth that can absorb weight
without tearing at the kali seams. Best picks: sequins on hard net, silk organza with
structured lining, velvet 9000, Katan silk. Skip: soft light fabrics like plain georgette, plain
chiffon.
A-line / mermaid / straight
Narrower silhouette, less ghera. Weight 1.2 to 1.6 kg. Fabric can be lighter or heavier
depending on drape you want. Best picks: heavy silk, brocade, embroidered net panels, satin
silk. This cut lets the fabric speak, so choose statement cloth.
The lehenga fabric matrix
parasgalleryfabrics.com  ·  WhatsApp +91 96544 40244  ·  [email protected] Page 2
Lehenga Fabric Selection Guide Paras Gallery Fabrics  ·  Lajpat Nagar
Fabric 12-kali 18-kali A-line Per-metre band
Silk organza ★ Yes ★ Yes (with lining) OK ₹520–950
Blend organza ★ Yes OK OK ₹280–520
Sequins on soft net ★ Yes ★ Yes OK ₹380–620
Sequins on hard net OK ★ Yes OK ₹520–850
Velvet 9000 OK ★ Yes ★ Yes ₹280–520
Katan silk OK ★ Yes ★ Yes ₹850–4,200
Brocade / Banarasi OK ★ Yes ★ Yes ₹450–2,400
Chanderi silk ★ Yes Skip OK ₹450–1,800
Dola silk ★ Yes OK OK ₹280–680
Georgette (plain) OK Skip Skip ₹140–520
Chiffon (plain) Skip Skip Skip ₹95–320
Crush organza (poly) OK for Skip Skip ₹85–180
budget
Metres to buy (with buffer)
Cut Skirt / kalis Dupatta Blouse Lining (add) Total
12-kali standard 5.5–6 m 2.5 m 1 m 5 m 14 m
18-kali heavy flare 7.5–8.5 m 2.5 m 1 m 6 m 17 m
A-line 4.5–5 m 2.5 m 1 m 4 m 12 m
Mermaid 3.5–4 m 2.5 m 1 m 3 m 10 m
Straight cut 4 m 2.5 m 1 m 3.5 m 11 m
Buffer rule
Always buy 0.5 metres more than the karigar quotes. Mill selvedge, cutting error, one lost
panel. This happens. Half a metre extra costs ₹200 to ₹800. Falling short costs ₹5,000+ in
karigar re-run and cloth chase across the market.
Dupatta weight vs skirt weight (the balance rule)
A common styling mistake. Heavy skirt paired with a heavy dupatta. The look becomes
overwhelming, the photograph flattens. The rule: if skirt is 2.5 kg+, dupatta stays under 800
g. If skirt is under 2 kg, dupatta can go up to 1.2 kg with heavier embroidery.
parasgalleryfabrics.com  ·  WhatsApp +91 96544 40244  ·  [email protected] Page 3
Lehenga Fabric Selection Guide Paras Gallery Fabrics  ·  Lajpat Nagar
Skirt fabric Best dupatta pairing Avoid dupatta in
Silk organza skirt Net dupatta with light zari border Silk organza (double weight)
Sequins net skirt Plain net with sequin border Heavy embroidered net
Velvet skirt Silk organza or chiffon dupatta Second velvet dupatta
Brocade skirt Plain net or chiffon Second brocade or heavy silk
Chanderi skirt Chanderi or silk organza dupatta Heavy sequins or velvet
Karigar cost for lehenga stitching (Delhi standard)
Style Plain stitching Hand-work light Hand-work heavy
12-kali plain ₹5,500 ₹12,000 ₹28,000+
18-kali heavy ₹8,500 ₹18,000 ₹45,000+
A-line ₹4,200 ₹9,500 ₹22,000
Mermaid ₹5,500 ₹11,000 ₹26,000
Straight cut ₹3,500 ₹8,000 ₹18,000
The five mistakes that ruin a lehenga
• Buying fabric before the cut is confirmed. You end up with the wrong drape, or the wrong
ghera capability.
• Skimping on canan / lining. Underpriced lining shows through and adds a shabby look.
• Buying dupatta from a different fabric family than the skirt. Colour matches, texture
clashes.
• Wearing shoes without a trial. The 18-kali lehenga at 8 feet ghera catches on 4-inch
heels. Trial with the final shoes before the wedding day.
• Storing the finished lehenga on a hanger. Shoulder line permanently drops. Store flat,
muslin-wrapped, in a wide storage box.
Questions people ask at the counter
Q. What is 'ghera' and why does the karigar keep asking about it?
Ghera is the flare width at the hem. Measured in feet, sometimes called 'flare'. 6 feet is
modest, 8 feet is standard, 12 feet is dramatic, 14+ feet is bridal show-stopper. Ghera
decides everything: number of kalis, metres of fabric, karigar time, canan structure, even the
shoes you can walk in comfortably.
Q. How is a 'kali' different from a 'panel'?
Same thing, different word. Kali is the North Indian tailoring term for a single triangular panel
in a flared skirt. More kalis, more flare, smoother curve at the hem. 12-kali is standard,
18-kali is heavy, 24-kali is bridal spectacle.
parasgalleryfabrics.com  ·  WhatsApp +91 96544 40244  ·  [email protected] Page 4
Lehenga Fabric Selection Guide Paras Gallery Fabrics  ·  Lajpat Nagar
Q. How much does a good bridal lehenga cost end-to-end (fabric + karigar +
accessories)?
For a serious mid-tier bridal lehenga in Delhi: ₹28,000 to ₹48,000 for fabric, ₹18,000 to
₹45,000 for karigar hand-work, ₹8,000 to ₹15,000 for canan, lining, hooks, tassels. Total
ballpark ₹55,000 to ₹1,10,000 without designer branding. Designer branded pieces start at
₹1.8 lakh and go up to ₹8+ lakh.
Q. Should I buy fabric and stitch separately, or buy a stitched lehenga?
For bridal and heavy wedding lehengas, buy fabric and stitch separately. Fit will be perfect,
karigar work will be to your requirement, cloth quality is under your control. For
guest-of-the-bride lehengas that get worn 2-3 times, a stitched lehenga from a mid-tier
boutique saves time and total cost.
Q. How long does a bridal lehenga take from fabric to delivery?
Realistic Delhi timeline: 6 to 10 weeks for a plain 12-kali. 10 to 16 weeks for a heavy
hand-work 18-kali bridal piece. Add 2 weeks buffer to whatever the karigar promises.
Wedding season (October-February) karigars are overbooked, book 4 months out.
Ready to see the cloth?
Visit Lehenga Fabric Collection at
https://parasgalleryfabrics.com/collections/lehenga. For wholesale rates and bulk
enquiries, WhatsApp +91 96544 40244 or email
[email protected]. Delhi NCR same-day pickup. Rest of India 3–5
working days. International bulk shipping active.
Shop No. 06, Pushpa Central Market, Lajpat Nagar II, New Delhi 110024
About this guide
Compiled by Sneh, 12 years at the Paras Gallery counter in Central Market Lajpat Nagar. Cloth
we ship across India. Retail by the metre, wholesale by the thaan. The rate ranges here are
Delhi counter prices for the current buying season. For fresh mill batches or drop dates,
WhatsApp works faster than email.
parasgalleryfabrics.com  ·  WhatsApp +91 96544 40244  ·  [email protected] Page 5