Glass bangles were always around and clinking, from valaikappu and weddings to kovil thiruvizhas and festivals. Usually bought in colourful bunches, they were, until two decades ago, something women across age groups wore regularly. But somewhere along the way, the shift towards modern clothing and jewellery — delicate chains, sleek bracelets, and minimal, lightweight pieces suited for daily, western wear — drove young women away from adorning themselves with kannadi valayal.
Just as we thought they were going out of style, a sudden upsurge in the demand for glass bangles surfaced. This time in varied styles, colours, and designs, standing out starkly from the traditional ones.
Pritha, a homemaker from Tiruchy, says, “There were only two options available about 25 years ago; either plain glass bangles or ones with a gold-coloured design.” The latter she refers to is the old designs that predominantly came in green, red, blue, yellow, pink, and maroon colours with a gold overlay spaced equidistantly, sometimes with small carvings atop the gold.
Today, there is more variety. Bangles come in a wider range of colours, from softer pastels to bright, multi-coloured combinations, along with styles like chamki and stone work becoming more common. From crystal-finished pieces to raindrop and jelly bangles, and even with tiny ghungroos and textured finishes, the classic accessory is being reimagined.
Walk into Chennai’s bangle retail and they are hard to miss. Women move from one stack to another, holding them up against their outfits, trying to see what fits best. Some pause at specific colours, others at the sound they make when they touch. For many, it’s also about what they’ve seen online — saved reels, colour combinations, or styles they’ve come across. One look at Instagram and you’ll see close-up shots of coloured glass, the slight clink, and even unboxing-style videos, bringing out the bangles’ true visual appeal.
Shopkeepers too, specifically attribute the rise in the demand over the last couple years to social media, adding that it has now contributed to bangles becoming an obsession. Rafiq, owner of Gani Bangles in Pondy Bazaar, notes, “The sales have tripled over the last few months and we’ve even opened an additional store in the same complex.” Preetha Chinnusamy, founder of Senkadai, a brand from Erode, says, “We noticed the spike around mid-2024, when crystal-finished glass bangles were rediscovered. The transparent finish and gloss really drew people in.” She notes that the finish is only achieved because bangles are, till date, handmade by artisans.
Rafiq’s father, Gani, explains that bangles are largely sourced by Chennai’s shopkeepers from places like Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh and parts of Delhi. Stone-studded bangles, meanwhile, are sourced from Jaipur. “Once samples are finalised, it takes about 15 days for the bangles to be made,” he informs, adding that he has received bulk shipments in lorries, with orders containing as many as 15,000 boxes, with each box containing a dozen bangles.
The highly skilled manual labour takes place in small-scale industries in various pockets of the country, where artisans — both men and women — work closely with fire, glass, and chemicals for deriving the colours, Gani says. The process involves melting sand/silica at high temperatures, where artisans colour the glass, spin it into coils, cut them into rings, join ends using flames, and later apply additional decorations based on specific design requirements. The process becomes a little more tedious for pastel colours, as these artisans will have to dilute the colouring agents and arrive at the right ratio of metal oxides to mix with the glass, in order to attain the trendy jingle that people adore.
Restyled for today
Esaki Muthu at Pandian Bangles in T Nagar, believes that the growing trend has changed how youngsters are styling glass bangles. “As time keeps changing, fashion is evolving too. People now want to match their different outfits with bangles.”
Nimisha, a college student, sums up, “There’s no right way to style bangles now.” Aninditha, another college student from Coimbatore, describes how she recently styled an Indo-Western outfit, which she believes brought out her personality. “I was wearing a white collared shirt and a white short skirt with Indian mirror work. I styled it with a zipped oversized black leather jacket and black boots. Since the jacket and boots had silver metal, I paired it with chunky silver bangles, along with red lac bangles. To add some depth, I also added dull gold bangles with a lot of silver rings,” she details.
Many are still warming up to the idea of wearing bangles. “I don’t wear a dozen. Just two or three on one hand, and a watch on the other. It depends on what I’m wearing,” says a young woman in the city. Sindhu, a city-based college student, confesses, “I kept seeing them on reels, especially those ghungroo ones. At first I thought it was just for photos, but I tried wearing a few with my kurtas and it actually looked nice.”
For those who have always loved wearing bangles, this new wave has thrilled them. Gouri from Kerala, shares, “I’ve always loved glass bangles, or kuppi valakal (in Malayalam). I used to wear my mother’s bangles even with my school uniform. That’s how much I liked them. Now that they’re becoming a trend again, it feels nice to see them everywhere, especially in desired colours.”
Radhika, a civil engineer, has been wearing and collecting glass bangles for as long as she can remember. “Earlier, wearing bangles to the office was frowned upon. Now it’s becoming more mainstream,” she opines. Happy with the comeback, these women hope that bangles never go out of trend. “We should remember that they have always been a part of our culture and wear them with contemporary styles,” says Nehal, a student from Delhi.
What’s also changing along with the changing designs is who is buying them. Women aside, shopkeepers say more men are now purchasing bangles as gifts. “We find it really cute. Men even add notes with their bangle orders, and we enjoy witnessing it,” says Preetha. She also notes that there’s an interest building around Indian craftsmanship and that more people globally are beginning to notice the intricacy of these pieces. “We also noticed it in this year’s Coachella trends as more clients wanted to embrace the idea of wearing bangles,” she adds.
This Coachella season, artistes like Lara Raj from KATSEYE were spotted wearing her signature bindi and bangles. Even a Los-Angeles-based celebrity nail artist Analysse Hernandez paired her look with silver bangles, reflecting how these styles are resonating across the world. On such global stages, bangles are seen paired with bohemian or Y2K-inspired fashion. Owing to these trends, orders from overseas are increasing, Preetha informs, as foreigners are styling these bangles for themed occasions.
Whether on a red carpet, behind corporate’s glass doors, or in the warmest comforts of home, the timeless charm that glass bangles possess makes this trend feel more like a rediscovery; as a tradition that never really left and simply waited to be noticed once again.
(Edited by Nidharshana Raju)