Best ethnic wear for men – Just 4 dots to connect…

If I were to ask you whether you possess the best ethnic wear for men and your answer is No, then I have a story that you must know…

Do you know how it feels if a man didn’t wear a tux to the ball in New York?

Well, one of my friends visited ball in New York in casual wear and his experience was as follows:

First of all, at the entry, he was looked upon as if he was an intruder.

Secondly, inside the hall, everyone looked at him as if they were pointing out that you are an odd one out.

Thirdly, post the ball, everyone he met looked down upon having broken a tradition of wearing a tux.

Though he was full of confidence while entering the ball he came out dejected cursing himself for coming without a tux.

Such is a situation when one doesn’t look a party to the crowd due to his eclectic blend of clothes.

This necessitates that you must have some ethnic wear for men to not only look like others but possess some dresses such that they look up to you when it comes to getting dressed for an occasion.

So, you see not only does it get you to look better at an occasion instead of being the clown but also it makes you steal the show with your dapper look.

Let me repeat my question, Do you possess the best ethnic wear for men?

But before you answer, I must tell you that 

Fashion you can buy, but style you possess

Iris Apfel

And so carving your unique style to suit the occasion but more importantly your personality is primal when it comes to getting dressed for the occasion. 

So, the best ethnic wear for men is common for all but differs with the personality under question.

To find the best ethnic wear for men for you, we must understand it thoroughly and gain better insights as to what comes under it and how can you flaunt your style.

So, are you ready?

Let’s start

Search for best ethnic wear for men 

To gain deeper insight into ethnic wear for men, it is equally important to know ethnic wear and not confuse it with traditional wear or occasional wear.

What is ethnic wear?

Ethnic wear refers to the ensemble that is generally representative of the fact that one wants a traditional look to suit the occasion but never overpower it by being extravagant. Simply stated, a pair of clothing to suit the occasion having a trendy look yet maintaining the classic appeal to meet the code of the occasion.

Ethnic wear Vs Traditional wear 

As compared to ethnic wear which is a blend of culture and contemporary trends bringing out the uniqueness in you with elegance, traditional wear generally adheres to the pattern or legacy of the traditions to look following the ancestors of the region guiding the tradition.

An example of traditional wear would be 

• Jama 
• Barabandi 

Jama was a royal attire in the Mughal era but later with modifications, it became an Angrakha and was commonly adopted with modifications in the Maratha region of India.

Hence, when the occasion demands that everyone conforms to the traditional norms and wears Jama, it is counted as traditional wear but when to suit the occasion without worrying about the traditional norms, it qualifies for Ethnic wear for men.

Ethnic wear Vs Occasional wear 

This refers to the biggest confusion and misconception as what is worn as per the occasion is in reality occasional wear but if it doesn’t possess the touch of traditions, it doesn’t necessarily be counted as ethnic wear.

So, any piece of clothing that is worn occasionally can be counted as Occasional wear but not every piece of it is ethnic wear.

Whereas every piece of ethnic wear is occasional wear as it is worn occasionally.  

What is ethnic wear for men?

Every ensemble for men that reflects a touch of traditions and comes out appropriately meeting the code of the occasion, such that style of the man resembles his personality at its best, would qualify for ethnic wear for men.

Depending upon the occasion and role of the man under question, there could be several options available to the man to suit the need of the hour.

Before we get into the details of the ethnic wear for men, let’s understand the composition of the same.

What comes under ethnic wear for men?

Like every ensemble has several elements to it, so is the case of ethnic wear which combines the elements such as 

• Top 
• Bottom
• Over the top
• Accessories 
• Footwear

The exclusivity of every element in the ensemble is completely dependant upon the importance of the occasion in the life of a man and the stature of the occasion in reality.

Speaking of which, a simple kurta pajama for men would suit an occasion of Haldi as a groomsman but wouldn’t qualify as the right choice while in baarat.

Types of Ethnic Wear for men

To have a better understanding of the ethnic wear for men, understanding the evolution giving rise to the several categories becomes important. 

Hence, the basic classification that would cover all ethnic wear for men would be:

• Indian ethnic wear for men 
• Casual ethnic wear for men 
• Designer ethnic wear for men 
• Latest ethnic wear for men

Let’s understand each one in detail:

Indian ethnic wear for men 

This covers the ensemble that necessarily has a touch of Indian traditions without any modifications to it making it apt for the traditional function.

The staple of Indian ethnic wear would be 

Dhoti and kurta

Some other similar options would be

• Kurta Pajama
• Shirt and Mundu
• Pathani

All the above options are the staples applicable to the different parts of India.

But if the occasion holds more importance and demands a more exclusive one, then the attire would be

• Sherwani with churidaar
• Bandhgala
• Sherwani with Afghani

Casual ethnic wear for men

Where the occasion demands to look good but experimentation is permissible and you can play with the design of the ensemble and colours, casual ethnic becomes the choice.

Some of the silhouettes that are casual are

• Kurta with jeans
• Asymmetric kurta
• Printed Short Kurta

Designer ethnic wear for men

With the advent of the design institutes and the influence of the west, the designers started to curate ensembles that combine the traditional with the casual silhouettes with the trends of the modern era to bring in a fusion look.

The ensemble created out of fusion brings out an eccentric look of the man and makes him look classy.

These ensembles would include

• Indowestern with dhoti pants
• Indowestern with balloon pants
• Indowestern with Afghani 

On the lighter side, the ensemble would have

• Flared/Cowl Kurta
• Kurta with asymmetric Sadri
• Bandhgala paired with printed Kurta
• Long jacket

When it comes to formal functions, several experiments have been made with the formal attire to make it look occasional and give it a flair of traditions.

Some of them would be:

• Printed Nehru jacket
• Bold Colour Safari 
• Printed blazer
• Chikankari Kurta
• Threadwork Bandhgala 

But all these might not necessarily qualify for the latest fashion in town as some just turn out to be a fad and get forgotten with time.

Latest ethnic wear for men

The ones in trend and contemporary that meet the style quotient of the occasion and enhance the personality of the wearer, come out as the latest ethnic wear for men.

Some of the ensembles that are in trend are:

• Achkan
• Chikankari sherwani
• Zari embellished Sherwani
• Threadwork Barabandi
• Indowestern with pleated kurta 

On the lighter side of the occasion, some would be:

• Threadwork Nehru jacket
• Open long jacket
• Dual-tone Pathani
• Traditional print kurta 
• Neck-work Kurta with Patiala salwar

That was a brief about all the ensembles that turn out to be traditional yet elegant and sometimes a fusion of the classics with trends in town.

But none of them would be complete without the accessories or the footwear. 

Not only do the accessories and the footwear for men have an ethnic category to them, but there could also be several pair-ups which though casual turn out classy in contemporary times.

Before having a deep insight into it, it’s appropriate to understand each attire exclusively and in totality.

To understand each one, let’s classify them based on the man under question along with the occasion, the man wants to get dressed for.

Groomsmen Attire

The attire would consist of a traditional one but not a heavy one with surface ornamentation or embellishments until the man in question is a prospective groom.

Let’s understand each one as per the occasions under question

Engagement dress for men in India

The attire would be subtle to make a mark but easy to carry. It would be a perfect ensemble to look classy yet trendy.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude by answering some of the most common questions: