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For centuries, Indian men draped fabric in ways that were intuitive to them—whether as dhotis, lungis, or elaborate angavastrams—moving with grace, comfort, and an innate sense of style. Couturier Tarun Tahiliani, who designed Prateik Patil Babbar wedding look dubs it ‘a return to the roots, not just a mere trend.’ And we agree. Indian fashion has championed gender-bending styles for centuries, which unfortunately suffered a bit in the sartorial department because of colonialism’s shackles. But we’re back, and it’s now, better than ever.
Look, we all love Mark Bryan and his skirts. Big fan here. But when a white man does it, our reaction is very different as opposed to a desi paying homage to his culture. Even the advent of western tailoring has put our penchant for acing fluid garments on the back burner. Not complaining, just an observation. Shoutout to our Scottish brothers here, though!
The Breakdown
Elaborating more on Babbar’s look, Tarun Tahiliani shares, “The dhoti was not just ceremonial; it was daily wear, an effortless drape that allowed freedom of movement while exuding quiet sophistication. Our pre-draped dhoti reinvents tradition for the modern man, allowing him to embrace the fluidity of the past with the ease and functionality of today. No longer does he have to choose between heritage and relevance; instead, he wears both—seamlessly, confidently, and without inhibition- as shown by Prateik so effortlessly.”
It’s this very premise of choosing to wear what one desires, sans the label of either restrictions - it’s intuitive and slightly audacious, which is always a delight to witness. It’s imperative we mention Ranveer Singh, aka the man who revolutionised Bollywood’s fashion scene by simply sticking to his persona. His affinity for silhouettes that may seem rather unconventional is just second nature to him, not a flagrant display of reformed machoism, in my opinion.
The New Wave
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Given the perspective shift in gender and binaries, more progressive fashion firms throughout the globe have been eager to draw in a younger audience that has a more fluid perspective of gender than previous generations. The idea that gender is merely an outdated concept is being paved by Gen Z, and that seamlessly trickles down to their fashion choices.
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