The Men's Dupatta: Three Ways to Drape It with a Kurta

A dupatta on a man used to be a rare sight outside weddings. Now it is common at sangeets, receptions and Diwali evenings, and many men who try one say the same thing: it looks good, but I do not know what to do with it. It slides off, bunches up or hangs wrong.

We do not sell dupattas or stoles, so this is plain advice, not a sales pitch. Here are three ways to wear one with a kurta, which colour goes with which, and when to leave it at home.

Before you drape: the fold

A dupatta is a long rectangle, wider than you need. Fold it in half lengthwise, then in half again, until it is a band about ten inches wide. Press the fold flat with your hand. A neat fold is the difference between looking dressed and looking draped by accident.

Drape one: over one shoulder

The simplest and the most useful. Put the folded band over your left shoulder, so the front end hangs to your waist and the back end hangs a little lower. Smooth it so the edges are straight. It looks right with a plain kurta, such as the Navy Blue Solid, ₹1,950, and a cream stole. It needs a pin or a small clip at the shoulder if you are going to be dancing.

Drape two: around the neck

Place the folded band around your neck, like a scarf, with both ends hanging in front. For a more relaxed look, throw one end back over the shoulder. This works best in cool weather and in photographs, and it suits a kurta with some work, such as the Sky Blue Chikankari-Style, ₹3,499, with a plain ivory stole.

Drape three: across the chest

Put one end over your right shoulder and let the band run diagonally across your chest to the left hip. Fix it with a small pin at the shoulder and another at the hip. This is the sash look, and it is made for a sangeet or a wedding evening with a rich kurta, such as the Deep Maroon Scroll-Panel, ₹3,999, in a gold or cream band.

Which colour goes with which kurta

The stole should contrast with the kurta and sit in the same warm or cool family. Cream, ivory and gold go with navy, maroon and green. A deep maroon or wine goes with pastels and cream. A deep green goes with mustard and gold. Never match the stole to the kurta exactly, because it disappears. If the kurta has heavy embroidery, keep the stole plain. If the kurta is plain, a stole with a woven border looks right.

When to leave it at home

Skip the dupatta at a haldi, where it will be stained, at a puja, where you will be sitting on the floor, and in a crowded dance, unless it is pinned. For a daytime function or an office party, it is usually too much. For the full run of functions, see what men wear to each.

Dupatta, stole or shawl?

A dupatta is light and long, a stole is shorter, and a shawl is heavy and warm. For November and December weddings in Delhi, a shawl in a rich colour is the most practical answer. Our guide to how to accessorise a kurta shows how it all fits together.

Online sizes run 38 to 44. Both our shops also carry plus sizes up to 6XL and kurtas for boys and babies, coming online soon. For help choosing a kurta that pairs with a stole you already own, message us on WhatsApp. See also our groom's family collection.

Questions we hear at the counter

Also see: embroidered kurtas.