A “t-shirt and a trouser”, this is what comes to your mind when you think about men’s shopping online. Isn’t it so? Well the reason is simple. Men are not comfortable buying ethnic wears online. Yes, you read it right. But have you wondered, why? The answer is because of all the small, stupid mistakes that we all have made at some point of time and all those mistakes made us pretty reluctant towards buying the required clothing online.
Don’t worry we have a solution for you. No more mistakes and no more regrets. Just follow these simple instructions and dos and don’ts of online ethnic wear shopping for men and you’ll be more comfortable in buying the same online, than you have ever been before.
What all are the options available online?
When we talk about men’s ethnic wear, the first thing that comes to our mind is mens kurta, but hey folks, we have plenty more options for them and then there is mix and match to make you stand out of the crowd. Just check out the options and discover yourself.
Yes, you read it right. Isn’t this the most searched option in the wedding season? But you need not stick with the old boring embellished maroon sherwani anymore. Here is the list of all the sherwanis that you can try:
Classic sherwanis are the ones, which are less embellished and have more sober look. Light colours are in trend for the same. You can always look for such sherwanis online from good website such as Nihal Fashions, which caters to all your demand of classic sherwani.
This is the latest trend where often a plain mens kurta or a sherwani is accompanied by a long or a short jacket. The colour contrast does matter a lot here. Make sure that you buy light coloured jackets for dark sherwani and vice-versa. You can try any colour that suits your complexion with the classic black sherwani.
This trend has been there for quite a while now and is liked by men especially the younger generation. If you want to try something different from others, then you can experiment with the pants below the sherwanis. Well, dhoti obviously rocks the look.
Indian suits are one of the best ethnic wears in the market these days. Moreover, they go with all kind of functions from cocktail to the shaadi saga. Though they have the same cut as any other western suits, the use of Indian fabrics and royal colours give it the most sought after look.
Other ethnic wears might come and go, but this has been there and will be there for generations to come. Mens kurta is something you can buy easily at reasonable price. Moreover, the options are unlimited, (go check nihal fashions now). You can get Chinese neck, bandhgala, collared neck, v neck, round neck and what not. Even in the sleeves you have plenty of options. In fact any length of sleeve is a style in itself.
Even when it comes to length you have short, knee length, calf length and long length kurta. You also have the option of choosing from different material like brocade, cotton, embellished, hand work etc. All you need is a colour and fit that suits you and pair it with a good churidar and you are set for the day.
Don’t worry! You are not going out of here without getting the whole look. If you have a good height dhoti and salwar are meant for you. Printed salwars and dhotis with plain kurtas are the trend these days. Having said that, contrast never goes out of fashion and you can always try it. A plain white dhoti is always good to go for any function. However, if you have medium height, try not to move to these sections since it can make you look even shorter.
Whether it is long mens kurta or a sherwani, the look is never completed without a churidar. A cotton churidar complements the overall look in the best way. Moreover, it also gives the illusion of a long height. A slight variation of the same is Jodhpuri pants which also go with the look just like churidar. If you are not comfortable wearing churidar (yes it can be messy at times) don’t worry, Jodhpuri pants have got you covered.
The ethnic look is never completed without the accessories. Depending upon the function you can go ahead with buying accessories most important of which is footwear. Even when Indian Juttis go with most of the ethnic attire, formal shoes look better with Indian suits. Apart from footwears, you can shop dupatta (a stall), turban, mala (the neckpiece), kilangi and brooch to get the ethnic look.
What are the dos and don’ts of buying ethnic wears online?
Now that you know what all you are supposed to purchase, let us look at some of the mistakes that you need to avoid and get the most of your online shopping.
Buying extremely loose or tight dress only to return or alter it later is the last thing that you want to do with your shopping. The best way is to start it with your proper measurement. Know your size. Moreover, also look the kind of scale the website is using. For example for an Indian shoe size of 6, the UK size that fits you can be 39 or 40 and knowing that well before placing an order can help you save a lot of trouble later.
If you do not have anybody to help you with your body measurement, you can always use the measurement of some old kurta or sherwani that fits you well even today. However, if you are buying it for the first time, a little help from somebody never hurts though it is extremely easy to do it yourself.
Once you have taken the measurement. Write it down in a piece of paper and then start searching. Though it is not always easy or possible to find the perfect fit but the nearest fit is easily attainable and you can get a little bit alteration. Apart from that there are websites which cater to your individual demands, just select a dress upload your measurement and wait for the parcel to arrive to your door with the perfect fit dress.
You liked a dress, you add it to your cart and you pay later. But wait, isn’t there something missing? Did you read the reviews? That is exactly something you are supposed to do the movement you liked some dress. See what other customers have to say about the piece or the website in general. An actual review always helps you to get the best item.
Ethnic wears come with special instructions for washing and handling. Make sure you read it before hand and purchase the kind of material that you’ll be able to handle. While most of the cotton kurta are machine and hand washable, the sherwani’s needs to be dry cleaned. Apart from these the temperature of water, the ironing instruction, the cloth material, all should be checked just the way you check it in any general store or showroom.
Let’s just face it, one of the prime reason why you didn’t go ahead with your plan of buying the piece last time was your reluctance to pay money beforehand. However, you can be assured now with the buyer’s protection and return policy of websites. Do read it carefully before making the payment. Also make sure to check the COD (cash on delivery) option if available. Choosing the second option is always better. Moreover, knowing the buyer’s protection policy lets you to sit back and relax that at least your money is in safe hand.
It might seem tempting to you, the offer they show on sets of kurta and pajamas or sherwani and churidar, but do not be deceived by these offers. It is always better to choose them individually. Moreover, you can always do a little bit of mix and match. Look at the individual measurements rather than the sets for a better overall experience.
Apart from the expense, often time the sets are not in trend anymore, you can always choose different style yourself. More often than not a single churidar will complement both your sherwani and kurta. In case you are looking to save some money buying ethnics, this is the best thing to do. Let’s just admit this whole ethnic shopping can be a costly affair!
A simple thing like non-matching watch can destroy your whole look. Therefore, you need to be extremely cautious when it comes to accessories shopping. First thing is to start with accessory shopping once you have decided the dress be it kurta-churidar, sherwani or Indian suit. Second thing is to always match the accessories with the same.
See what kind of shoes go well with the attire you are wearing. For sherwanis it has to be Indian juttis but for Indian suits you can always rely on formal shoes.
Moreover, just like the style, colour also matters when it comes to footwear. Make sure you are wearing a jutti that compliments your sherwani and not the bottom. Same is the case with Indian suits and mens kurta. If you are not able to find anything and are extremely confused, black can be your way out.
The case is a bit different for turbans and dupatta. You can either match them or can go with any one of these accessories. If you are planning to use only turban, make sure the colour is light. A dark turban never looks good on anyone. Moreover, do not try to wear it with Indian suits.
For dupatta, depending on the length of your kurta and type of sherwanis, you can have different options. For light sherwanis, go for dark colours such as maroon, burgundy or royal blue. However, for the dark kurta and sherwani never make the mistake of purchasing matching dupatta. Remember, dupatta is there to enhance the overall look and not to destroy it. Even when you can find dupatta in most of the kurta sets available online, make sure you buy the one which matches the description and instructions above.
Men mostly have a collection of watch with metal and leather strap. While leather strap might look good with normal karats, for sherwani, band gala, dhoti and Indian suits, a metal wrist watch is way to go.
Kilangi and brooch should also be purchased after finalizing the dress and other accessories. If the dress is embellished, go for extremely simple brooch however, if the sherwani or suits is simple you can purchase a heavy brooch to get an elegant look. Kilangi looks fine only with sherwani, so do not spend extra money if you have settled for Indian suits or kurta.
Do not forget to compare prices on different website for the same style or same fabric. Though most of the looks are exclusive to each website, a little bit of research never hurts anyone. Moreover, if you are going for a particular brand in general, you can always find better deals if u search some more. As they say a little bit of saving doesn’t hurt. Does it?
Conclusion
Online shopping of ethnic wear can be a daunting task but so is normal shopping. You can save yourself from a lot of trouble, including going out and purchasing the same from some showroom where you have less options if you follow the instructions mentioned above. Happy shopping!
Kim Smith enjoys exploring the entertainment world with her thoughts and opinions on selfgrowth