The sarong is here to stay

Dries Van Noten spring/summer 2026 menswear

Spotlight

Matthew McConaughey wore a black sarong with a black T-shirt in 2010 to an event. It stood out. It started conversations. Beckham did it in 1998. He was mocked, then copied. Dries Van Noten’s spring 2026 menswear show featured sarongs over trousers, not unlike Beckham’s. Fashion moves in cycles. Men are finally breaking out of the mould, leaning into looser shapes, more drape and more play.

Balenciaga – Houndstooth wool-blend wrap skirt, ₹2,15,140

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Tom Ford – Silk satin wrap skirt, ₹1,43,360

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Functional in heat. Unisex in intent. Sometimes a stylish extra layer. Sometimes, a nod to cultural and traditional fabrics like gamcha and madras checks. The shift from tradition to runway has been effortless.

Instagram.com/padaniiii

Instagram.com/padaniiii

Padani, a Sri Lankan model and stylist in Paris, became a constant on my Instagram feed because of how she wears sarongs almost exclusively. Originally from Jaffna, she moved to France in her 20s and started draping lungis and sarongs, twisted high or folded low, depending on the weather. Often paired with deadstock tailoring or vintage Comme des Garçons. This was her way of incorporating her culture and making me visually challenge mine.

ImliDana – Kiran skirt, ₹21,800

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At home, for a while, it was still seen as traditional, which often just means overlooked. But newer brands have surely been challenging that. Anamika Khanna brought the dhoti to couture. Antar-Agni expanded the draped options for men. Imli Dana began with wrap skirts made from patches of checked fabrics, a lungi collage. What started as unisex basics became part of a wider movement to rework South Asian silhouettes without flattening them. Mayaraj, a label based in New York, now makes modular mundus. Shot by Rema Chaudhary, their latest drop lands somewhere between streetwear and ceremony.

Burberry – Checked wool wrap skirt, ₹1,19,350

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Valentino – Valentino floral cotton twill sarong, ₹1,62,411

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The current resurgence is a reminder to take another look at this basic piece of cloth. Its strength is in the styling. The merit in having one in your wardrobe has now been established. Buying one is easy. You can order a veshti online faster than deciding on your takeout. Or take the older route, raid your grandfather’s wardrobe. Even a threadbare one will do. From the runway to Ramraj, it still works. That’s the point.

Also read:

A heartfelt ode to the classical dhoti and its impact on the politics of dress in India

This summer embrace Madras checks in clothing from your neighbourhood darzi

Tara Sutaria’s ivory jacket and dhoti pant set by Ritika Mirchandani took 280 hours of embroidery