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Gen Z Is Making Bindis & Bangles Cool Again

From nostalgia to now, Indian accessories find fresh relevance

Avanti Dalal-Mehta

Avanti Dalal-Mehta

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For a long time, bindis and bangles sat in a complicated place. They were deeply familiar, woven into childhood memories, family rituals, and cultural expectations, yet rarely framed as a choice. For many millennials, these accessories came loaded with instruction. When to wear them. How to wear them. What they signified. Somewhere along the way, they became less about personal expression and more about obligation.

Gen Z is changing that relationship entirely. Instead of rejecting tradition outright or following it unquestioningly, they are reframing it. Bindis and bangles are no longer markers of conformity. They are tools of self-styling, mood, and identity. This generation is choosing cultural symbols on their own terms, remixing them into everyday fashion, global aesthetics, and personal narratives. That freedom is exactly what makes the current bindi fashion trend and the renewed interest in trending bangles feel genuinely cool again.

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TL;DR

  • Gen Z is reclaiming bindis and bangles as tools of self-expression, shifting them from obligation to intentional style choices.

  • Nostalgia is being reinterpreted, with traditional accessories remixed into everyday, global fashion without rigid rules.

  • This movement reflects a broader identity shift-heritage is no longer prescribed but personal, worn fluidly and intuitively on one's own terms.

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Avanti Dalal-Mehta

Avanti Dalal-Mehta

Sr. Copywriter, BB Team

Avanti Dalal-Mehta is a beauty editor with over 10 years of experience crafting compelling content across the beauty, health, and wellness space. In past roles and in her current work, she specialises in storytelling across mediums-from editorial features to UX copy and brand strategy. Her work has appeared in Vogue, The Nod, and The Established. When she's not writing about skin or strategy, she's probably trying a new face mask or lifting weights. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Instagram.

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