Men`s Indian Fashion Guide

I get quite a few inquiries about men's fashion and thus far I haven't been able to put together a comprehensive guide that deals with all the nuances of men's Indian fashion. Yes, it is nuanced and there are a lot of factors to take into consideration when it comes to men's Desi fashion. The most important factor happens to be the occasion. Then, of course, there are the considerations of height, weight and personal preferences. One of the most important factors when it comes to wedding fashion is the colour of the bride's outfit. After all, most brides would like their groom to colour coordinate with them and of course, not to outshine them when on stage. Keeping these important factors in mind, let's get started.

Wedding Sherwani

Depending on your cultural background, the groom's wedding outfit will vary. For the purpose of this post, we're going to be looking at sherwanis. Let's take a look at a typical wedding sherwani first and then work our way up from there.

This is your typical wedding sherwani. Most wedding sherwanis are either beige or white with red and/or saffron embroidery and shawl.

So now that we've got the basics out of the way, let's move on.

This is a more elaborate wedding sherwani. It's still very traditional in terms of the cut and the colours, but the heart embroidery adds a touch of whimsy to it. This is probably not a look that all grooms can pull off, but if you have the personality and confidence to wear all this embroidery, then go for it.

Now we get to the hard part. You've decided not to go for a typical or very traditional sherwani for your wedding, or your bride has decided this for you. You want something different, something that will add style and class to your look...how do you proceed? Well, here are a few tips.

Go for a designer sherwani. While keeping the basic elements of the sharwani in tact, most designers will add their own unique touches to each piece, giving that much needed flair. Here are a few examples.

When you want something different, one thing you can do is to borrow from a different culture or in this case a different state/country. Try something like this Valima Shaadi Sherwani. It's not your run of the mill sherwani and it will add a touch of regality to your wedding look.

Reception Look

There are a lot more choices when it comes to reception wear for men. You can opt for a suit, a tux or a sherwani. If you choose to go with a sherwani, make sure it coordinates with the bride's outfit of choice in terms of style and colour. If the bride is going to be wearing a dress, then go with either a suit or tux depending on how elaborate and formal you want your look to be. If the bride opts for a saree or lengha choli, then go for a sherwani. Lets say you decide to go with a sherwani for your reception, what then?

Well, there are a lot of options available to you. Generally, reception sherwanis are more elaborate and colourful than wedding sherwanis. So, it's good to be careful not to go overboard with your look. You want to look dashing and handsome, not feminine and pretty. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

If the bride is wearing pink, yellow or another very feminine and/or bright colour, go with a white/off white sherwani embroidered in those colours instead of a full out pink or yellow one. This will help you look more masculine and well coordinated at the same time.

This is a good example of what I mean by incorporating the bride's outfit colour into your own look without going overboard. The pink embroidery is subtle and teamed with a pink scarf, will coordinate well with the brides magenta coloured outfit.

There are, of course, safe colours that you can wear. Blues, greens, browns, reds and most pastel colours can be pulled off by most men. Here are a few examples of how to do colour right.

This is a great reception sherwani because it's got the right amount of embroidery, colour and class. It's not an overpowering colour, but it will definitely get you noticed and it's as masculine as reception sherwanis get.

This is another great reception sherwani. Although there are a few colours involved in this look, it's not overpowering. The pale green sherwani is teamed with a turquoise and yellow shawl. As turquoise is such a popular colour right now for women, this is a great way to coordinate the bride's and groom's outfits without going overboard.

Contrasting colours are harder to pull off by men than it is by women. However, I think this sherwani is designed so well and the colours are masculine enough that it can be carried off well by most men.

Just remember that the key when it comes to wedding and reception sherwanis is to coordinate with the bride and at the same time look dashing and handsome yourself.

Now that we've got weddings and receptions out of the way, what about other occasions? Well, sherwanis can be worn to most Indian occasions depending on the nature and grandeur of the occasion and the suit in question. If you're a guest at a wedding or reception, try not to dress more elaborately than the groom! The safe choice for most other occasions is usually a Western tailored suit.