The Lungi Edit: Menswear’s Most Defining Silhouette This Season

If there was one silhouette that defined menswear this year, it was the lungi. Not as a nostalgic nod. Not as a token cultural insert. But as the dominant, recurring, deliberate garment across collections. The veshti. The mundu. The wrap skirt. Rendered in silk and cotton, printed, embellished, layered under tailoring, and styled with bombers, the lungi appeared across collections with deliberate consistency. When multiple designers across aesthetics land on the same silhouette in the same season, it signals a shift in direction.

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The shift, unfortunately, did not begin in India, even though we have lungis that are so culturally rooted. When Julian Klausner presented sarongs for Dries Van Noten in the Spring/Summer 2026 menswear season in Paris, the runway signalled that the wrap was no longer relegated to resort clichés. The effect was subtle but decisive. Menswear was loosening its dependence on the trousers.

In the seasons that followed internationally, wrap forms multiplied. Draped panels appeared over shorts. Skirted layers softened suiting. Designers leaned into fluidity. The language of masculinity shifted away from rigid vertical lines toward movement and air.

In India, the response was sharper. Our lungis, veshtis, and mundus were shaped by climate, ritual, and daily life long before they were aesthetic propositions. What changed this season was not the garment itself. It was the lens through which designers chose to see it.

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Across this year's menswear showcases, the lungi was not peripheral. It anchored collections.

Vivek Karunakaran’s interpretation was anchored in clarity. Traditional veshtis appeared in Kanjeevaram silk, a textile synonymous with sarees and ceremony. The drape remained intact. The rectangle remained intact. What changed was context. Structured jackets framed the fluid base. Temple borders punctuated the hem.

“For decades, both the lungi and veshti have been seen as utilitarian garments of comfort and continuity,” he says. “Perhaps what has changed today is the perspective. We are currently in a moment where identity has become the currency.”

He breaks the shift into three forces. “Cultural pride. Climate logic. Reimagining heritage.”

On cultural pride, he is direct. “There is a renewed confidence in regional identity. South India, in particular, is no longer apologetic about its aesthetic codes. It is time we fearlessly represented who we are, where we are from, and what we are made of.”

On climate logic, the argument is practical. “If we look at tropical geographies, a lungi, mundu, or veshti is simply intelligent design. Breathable. Adaptable. Sustainable.”

And on reinvention: “When you place a veshti in a structured silhouette, pair it with a sharply cut jacket, or reinterpret it in Kanjeevaram or handwoven cotton, it stops being home wear and becomes design. It becomes powerful.”

He is clear that this is not a novelty. “It is not a trend. It is a reclamation.”

Karunakaran’s modernisation principle is exacting. “The biggest mistake one makes is to stereotype it. This beautiful rectangular piece of fabric carries history. Drape. Proportion. Movement. The ritual of tying it.”

“Respect the original grammar,” he insists. “The rectangular construction, the wrap logic, the fold. That should remain intact.”

And the boundary is firm. “Reinvention should enhance dignity, not dilute it. If it is going to lose its drape vocabulary, it definitely loses its soul.”

Abraham & Thakore approached the lungi with graphic fun. Their veshtis carried abstract motifs of everyday objects, clips, pens, and architectural forms such as Hawa Mahal. Rendered in controlled palettes of black, white, and muted gold, the wraps felt new and fresh rather than folkloric.

They introduced subtle functional shifts. Belt loops. Pockets. Crisp shirts layered over cleanly folded wraps. The lungi became an intelligent wardrobe proposition, positioned as a credible alternative to trousers rather than a dramatic flourish.

Ashish N Soni pushed the silhouette into a younger register. His lungi-like wraps leaned toward sarong proportions and were styled with relaxed shirts, layered tops, and assertive colour stories. Prints were sharper. Tones were brighter. The drape was casual without losing the essence ofcourse. The effect was urban, agile, and unapologetic.

INCA by Amit Hansraj explored dye techniques and surface ornamentation across wrap silhouettes. Bandhani references and ceremonial motifs informed the prints. The lungi carried visual drama while retaining proportion. Jewellery layered over the torso amplified the look without overwhelming the drape. (I am still thinking about the fringe bag!) 

Pawan Sachdeva introduced embellishment into the veshti format, translating it into evening wear. Surface detail added character to the wrap while the silhouette remained clean.

Rajesh Pratap Singh approached the wrap through his signature minimalism. His focus rested on cut and proportion. The drape was simple, with no prints or colours, which helped in enhancing the sharp tailoring of the bandhgalas and jackets.

Across these varied executions, the pattern is clear. Designers from divergent aesthetics arrived at the same garment simultaneously. Silk. Cotton. Temple borders. Abstract prints. Jewel tones. Monochrome. Embellished hems. Cropped jackets above fluid folds.

Karunakaran summarises the styling shift with precision. “The difference between fashion and costume is intent and restraint.”

He advises exploring colour palettes. Structure on top, fluidity below. A clean hem. A deliberate fold. Minimal leather sandals or sleek loafers.

“The veshti cannot be worn apologetically,” he says. “Confidence is the final accessory.” Accepting the garment and making it your own is the key, whether it be printed, stiff, or fluid. 

The lungi’s dominance this season signals more than a passing fascination. It reflects a broader recalibration in menswear toward identity, climate awareness, and cultural authorship. The global runway opened the door to the wrap silhouette. Indian designers stepped forward with garments that already carried lineage.

This season, the lungi was not revived. It was asserted.

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Pyjama, Sarongs & Cultural Borrowing: Trends Of Menswear SS26