The Nath: Styles, Sizes, and How to Choose Yours

Of all the pieces a bride wears, the nath is the one that changes a face the most. It sits at the centre of everything, it moves when you move, and it is impossible to ignore in photographs. It is also the piece brides tend to feel most uncertain about, usually because they have only ever seen naths on other people.

The range is wider than most people realise

At one end there is the small ring or stud — barely more than a suggestion, easy to wear, easy to forget you have on. At the other end is the large hoop, wide enough to curve past the cheek, usually supported by a chain that hooks into the hair to carry the weight. Between those two extremes sits nearly everything.

• Ring naths — a simple circle, sometimes plain, sometimes set with small stones or pearls.
• Chain-supported hoops — the classic bridal silhouette, where a chain takes the weight off the nostril.
• Studded naths — a fixed stud rather than a hoop, for a much lighter look.
• Clip and press-on styles — no piercing required, which matters more than you would think.

You do not need a piercing

This is worth saying plainly, because it stops people before they even start looking. Clip-on and press-on naths exist, they are common, and a well-fitted one is not obviously different from a pierced one in a photograph. If you have never been pierced and do not want to be, you have not ruled yourself out of wearing a nath.

If you are considering a piercing specifically for the wedding, do it months in advance, not weeks. A fresh piercing is sore, it can swell, and it is not something you want to be managing on the day.

Matching the nath to the face and the outfit

A large hoop suits a fuller bridal look — heavy lehenga, substantial maang tikka, layered haars. Against a simpler outfit it can look unbalanced, as though it wandered in from a different wedding. A smaller ring or stud does the opposite: it holds up beautifully next to a restrained outfit and can get lost against a very heavy one.

The other consideration is the maang tikka. Both pieces sit on the face, both draw the eye, and if both are large and busy they will fight. Usually one leads and the other supports. Decide which before you buy either.

Weight and the long day

A large nath pulls. The chain exists precisely because of this, and a properly hooked chain makes a genuine difference over several hours. When you try one on, leave it on for longer than feels necessary — walk around, turn your head, talk. A nath that is comfortable for thirty seconds in front of a mirror is not the same as one that is comfortable at hour six.

Come and try

Chura, nath, jhumkis and haars are all pieces that reward being seen in person — the weight, the drape, the way the stones catch the light. You are welcome to come try things on at either of our boutiques: Langford in Victoria, BC (250-710-4013) or Langley, BC (778-903-7979). Call ahead if you would like us to set pieces aside for you.