Every time the festive season rolls in, it feels like there’s one sort of kurta that all the men are wearing, whether it’s for Diwali gatherings or sangeet nights. Last year it was the chikankari kurta, in classic white, black or subtle pastel tones. Before that was the military-style kurta, complete with epaulets and pocket squares. This begs the question: what’s going to be the kurta of 2025? After scouring through the latest men’s collections, we offer up the printed kurta for consideration.
The one print that has emerged the hero of the season? Florals inspired by chintz. A pattern that’s been around since at least the 16th century, chintz is usually identifiable by its repetitive painted or printed flowers, often in indigo or dark red, upon a cream fabric base. The print is heavy with history; it speaks of colonialism, of India’s role in the global textile economy, of changing tastes. Its popularity has ebbed and flowed with time—at one point it was a pattern associated with fusty grandmothers and their tea cosies. But now, as with everything in fashion, the pendulum has swung back in its favour, and menswear designers are riding the wave.
At Torani, the flowers were magnified to dramatic effect, while Arjan Dugal and Saphed stuck to the traditional form on clean, carefully tailored kurtas. Meanwhile, Siddhartha Bansal updated the colourway with his version in shades of blue.
While there were other prints that crept over the kurtas, the majority looked to nature for inspiration. At Masaba, there were bamboo stalks and flying cranes, an echo of the motifs frequently seen on Parsi gara saris. Goa-based label No Nasties embraced the charms of toile de Jouy, a design that originated in 18th century France (specifically the town of Jouy-en-Josas). The brand has given it an Indian twist by printing tigers and leopards instead of historically accurate scenes of European country life. There were more wild cats at Suket Dhir, bursts of tropical blooms at Nicobar, birds in flight at Rohit Bal, and dainty painted buds at Manan. And while No Grey Area skipped the flowers, they offered a more updated take on historical motifs with their surreal prints of floating jewellery boxes, tanpuras, and disjointed faces that depict the culture of traditional courtesans.
Scroll ahead to see these and more kurtas for your festive season wardrobe update
