7 Kurta Styling Mistakes Men Make at Weddings — and How to Fix Them

7 Kurta Styling Mistakes Men Make at Weddings — Laavan Phere
The Pheras Blog · Laavan Phere
Wedding Season 2026

7 Kurta Styling Mistakes Men Make
at Weddings — and How to Fix Them

By Nikhil Bhatia · 7 min read · June 2026

Wedding season 2026 is in full swing. Most men attending these weddings will make at least three of these seven mistakes without realising it. Here's every one of them — what goes wrong, why it happens, and exactly how to fix it.

The 7 mistakes

1
Ordering the kurta the night before the function
Ordering online 1–2 days before the wedding and hoping the size is right. It almost never is — and by the time it arrives there's no time to exchange.
Order at least 7 days before the function. Try the full set the day it arrives — kurta and patiala together. If the size is off, you have time to exchange and receive the correct size before the event. This single habit prevents more wedding outfit disasters than any styling tip.
2
Getting the shoulder seam wrong
Wearing a kurta where the shoulder seam drops below the actual shoulder onto the arm — or pulls inward toward the neck. Both make the entire outfit look ill-fitting regardless of how good the fabric is.
The shoulder seam must sit exactly at the edge of your shoulder — the bony point where your arm meets your torso. This is the single most important fit point on a kurta. Everything else — chest, length, hemline — can look acceptable with minor variation. The shoulder cannot. If the shoulder doesn't fit, the kurta doesn't fit.
3
Wearing the wrong colour for the function
Wearing white or cream to a baraat, pastels to an evening sangeet, or black to a haldi. Each of these reads as either underdressed, culturally inappropriate, or simply wrong for the lighting and mood of the function.
Match the colour to the function: deep jewel tones — maroon, royal blue, plum — for baraat and sangeet. Warm bright colours — ochre, orange, green — for mehendi and festive functions. Pastels and ivory work for haldi. Avoid black at any daytime or ritual function. Avoid white at the baraat — it's traditionally the groom's colour in many communities.
4
Wearing sneakers or leather Oxfords with a kurta
Pairing an embroidered kurta patiala with white sneakers or formal leather shoes. Both look jarring — the footwear belongs to a completely different register than the outfit.
Juttis are the natural partner for a kurta patiala — they're designed for each other and the combination has centuries of visual logic behind it. If you don't own juttis, pointed leather mojaris work equally well. Kolhapuris work for more casual daytime functions. The rule is simple: Indian outfit, Indian footwear.
5
Over-accessorising on top of embroidery
Wearing a heavy chain necklace, multiple rings, a statement watch, and a thick bracelet on top of a heavily embroidered kurta. The accessories compete with the embroidery instead of completing the look.
A hand-embroidered kurta is already a statement — it doesn't need accessories to announce it. Choose one focal piece: a clean metal watch, a single kada, or a simple bracelet. A pocket square in a complementary colour adds refinement without competing. Let the embroidery do the work — your job is to not get in its way.
6
Guessing the chest measurement instead of measuring
Ordering a size based on what "feels about right" without actually measuring — then being surprised when it doesn't fit. Ethnic wear sizing is completely different from western wear sizing. A man who wears a 40-inch chest in shirts may wear a different size entirely in kurtas depending on the cut.
Measure your chest with a soft tape at its fullest point — just under your arms, tape parallel to the ground. That number in inches is your primary sizing reference. Cross-check with the brand's size chart for stomach and hip measurements. If you're between sizes, always go up — a slightly larger kurta is wearable, a too-small one is not.
7
Ironing directly on embroidery
Pressing a hot iron directly onto embroidered fabric to remove wrinkles. Direct heat flattens the thread work, dulls metallic highlights permanently, and in some cases melts zari threads. The damage is irreversible.
Always use a pressing cloth between the iron and the embroidery — a thin cotton cloth laid flat over the embroidered section. Press gently with medium heat, never high heat. Better still, hang the kurta in a steamy bathroom for 15–20 minutes — the steam relaxes wrinkles without touching the fabric. This works for most travel creases and is the safest method for any embroidered piece.
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Quick reference — all 7 fixes
1
Order 7 days ahead — always try before the function
2
Shoulder seam at the edge of the shoulder — non-negotiable
3
Match colour to the function — deep tones for evening, bright for festive
4
Indian outfit, Indian footwear — juttis or mojaris always
5
One accessory — let the embroidery speak
6
Measure your chest — never guess the size
7
Never iron directly on embroidery — use a pressing cloth or steam
✦
N
Nikhil Bhatia — Founder, Laavan Phere
Building handcrafted kurta sets for the moments that matter most — from the seven pheras to every celebration that follows.
Kurta styling mistakes Wedding outfit men 2026 Kurta patiala tips Men ethnic wear India Wedding season 2026 How to wear kurta
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