The sarong is here to stay

DRIES VAN NOTEN Spring / Summer 2026 Mencues for men

Highlight

Matthew McConaughey wore a black sarong with a black t-shirt in 2010 for an event. It stands out. It started conversations. Beckham did it in 1998. He was mocked, then copied. Spring 2026 Menswear Show by Dries Van Notten presented sarongs on pants, a bit like Beckham. Fashion moves in cycles. Men finally come out of the mold, leaning in more loose forms, more draped and more play.

Balenciaga – Enveloping skirt for hunting wool mixture, 2.15 140 ₹

With the kind permission of the brand

Tom Ford – Silk satin enveloping skirt, 1.43 360 ₹

With the kind permission of the brand

Functional in heat. Unisex intention. Sometimes an elegant additional layer. Sometimes a nod to cultural and traditional fabrics such as Gamcha and Madras checks. The transition from tradition to track was effortless.

Instagram.com/padaniiii

Instagram.com/padaniiii

Padani, a Sri Lankan model and stylist in Paris, has become a constant on my Instagram flow because of the way she bears the sarongs almost exclusively. Originally from Jaffna, she moved to France in her twenties and started draped the Lungis and the Sarongs, twisted high or folded low, depending on the weather. Often associated with a dead seam or vintage like boys. It was his way of incorporating his culture and being visually distinguished mine.

Imlidana – Kiran skirt, 21,800 ₹

With the kind permission of the brand

At home, for a while, it was always considered traditional, which often means neglected. But more recent brands have surely challenged this. Anamika Khanna brought Dhoti to sewing. Antar-Agni expanded draped options for men. Imli Dana started with enveloping skirts based on checkered tissue patches, a Lungi collage. What started as unisex bases has become part of a wider movement to rework the South Asian silhouettes without flatten them. Mayaraj, a label based in New York, is now making Modular Mundus. Shot by Rema Chaudhary, their last drop lands somewhere between streetwear and ceremony.

Burberry – Checkered wool envelope skirt, 1,19,350 ₹

With the kind permission of the brand

Valentino – Valentino Floral Cotton Twill Sarong, 1.62,411 ₹

With the kind permission of the brand

Current resurgence is a reminder to take another look at this piece of basic fabric. Its strength is in style. The merit having one in your wardrobe is now established. Buying one is easy. You can order an online Veshti faster than decide your scoring. Or take the old itinerary, attacking your grandfather’s wardrobe. Even a threadbar will do the trick. From the track to Ramraj, it still works. This is the point.

Read also:

A sincere ode to the classic Dhoti and its impact on the policy of the dress in India

This summer, kiss the Madras checks in clothing in your Darzi district

The ivory jacket of Tara Sutaria and the Dhoti set pants by Ritika Mirchandani took 280 hours of embroidery