8 Kurta Styling Ideas To Be The Best-Dressed Guy In The Room

When the festive time rolls around, this ethnic staple receives a lot of attention – we’re talking about the irreplaceable Indian kurta for men. Whether it’s time to celebrate at a wedding function with close ones or jazz up your casual wardrobe with a dose of desi, it’s worth learning how to style kurtas to be the best-dressed man in the room.

With these kurta styling ideas up your sleeve, you are sure to look extra dashing.

Elevated Bottom Wear

With A Salwar

If you’re used to wearing a kurta with a churidar or straight pajama but want to try something different, a salwar is your next best option. Without entirely stepping out of your comfort zone, it adds instant flair to what would otherwise look like a basic outfit. We recommend one from Fabindia which is crafted using pure cotton to keep you cool and looking stylish. For the kurta, you can get a monochromatic look like Ayushmann with our find below.

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With A Patiala

If you’re looking to elevate your kurta game for a traditional dress code, pair it with a Patiala-style bottom, like Sidharth Malhotra. We recommend you go for a knee-length kurta to recreate this outfit (we found you a close match), and for the Patiala, we suggest the legacy ethnic wear brand Manyavar for guaranteed satisfaction.

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Add Layers

With A Shawl

Whether you’re preparing for a night of festivities in ‘Dilli ki sardi’ or want to simply add elegance to your regular kurta, a shawl lets you do both. For this outfit idea, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan is our muse. Taking a cue, you can wear a lightly embroidered grey kurta with a brown shawl. We recommend a silk kurta with sequins by Kraft India and a simple wool shawl by MUFFLY – both closely resembling Fawad’s.

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With A Stole

Don’t like the weight or bulk a shawl adds? Don’t worry, you can still steal the show with a stole (sorry about the tongue twister). Appropriate for an event requiring Indo-western attire, try this outfit to up your kurta styling game in the transitional season. Pair this linen kurta by Bohame – from Nykaa Fashion’s Luxe picks – with Zamour’s faux pashmina stole. The best part? This stole is reversible, so you get two designs in one.

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With A Nehru Jacket

Nobody carries a kurta quite like Bollywood’s favourite nawaab Saif Ali Khan. Take a cue from his royal look and pair a solid white kurta with an off-white or cream Nehru jacket to channel the supremacy of simplicity. Our picks include Cavallo By Linen Club’s kurta – featured under Nykaa Fashion’s Responsible Edit – and an Art Silk jacket by the legacy label Manyavar. This style would be perfect for Eid or Diwali.

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Make It Cool

With Sneakers

If you find yourself struggling to pick the right footwear for your kurta-pajama outfit, we’re here to confirm that you can just wear sneakers. Switching traditional flats for sneakers gives the outfit a more relaxed vibe and a playful twist. Plus, you can wear sneakers with other clothes, too – which is why we suggest a pair with gold accents from the Luxe label Saint G. For the kurta, go with any basic one you already have or grab this set from Sojanya (a steal deal for a set of two).

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With Boots

We love an ethnic yet edgy look, and this inspiration takes us exactly there. There’s no reason why you should not pair a printed kurta with lace-up combat boots for the ultimate rockstar boyfriend aesthetic with a desi twist. For bottom wear, go for cargo or skinny jeans. We recommend a sustainable hand-block print kurta and black ankle boots from Alberto Torresi – a bestseller.

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With Jeans

A college closet staple, a short kurta paired with jeans can never not look good. This way of styling a kurta takes minimal effort and time and looks great, too. Pair this hand-block printed short kurta from homegrown sustainable brand Javinshika with grey slim-fit jeans from Jack & Jones. This kurta styling is a good option for a day out in summer or casual days at work.

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