Why Are Indian Men Still Afraid Of Fashion?

Between the beard oil and the brocade, Indian men are navigating a high-stakes runway of identity.

Photo: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan at Met Gala 2025 in Sabyasachi

When it comes to men, fashion remains fenced in — a polite hobby at best, and a public risk at worst.

Indian cinema actor Shah Rukh Khan’s Met Gala 2025 debut became a lightning rod for discussions about Indian men, fashion visibility, and “getting it right.” His appearance — styled by Sabyasachi Mukherjee in a highly crafted all-black ensemble with talismanic chains, a jeweled cane, and an oversized “K”— was critiqued by Indian audiences for missing an opportunity to “wow” or align with their expectations. Fans on platforms like Reddit expressed mixed to negative opinions about the look not living up to his aura, while media outlets reflected on both the charisma and the polarised opinions.

The larger question is: How far are men really willing to step outside their fashion comfort zone?

Even one of India’s most fashion-adjacent star faced a dual narrative — being celebrated for presence but critiqued for style.

Masculinity, Mockery, and the Male Gaze

Let’s begin with the obvious: Fashion remains a risk, and culturally, Indian men are trained to avoid risk at all costs — especially in public performance of self.

Actor Ranveer Singh knows this well. Arguably India’s most visible fashion risk-taker, Singh is often lauded by the likes of Vogue — and yet, for every clap, there’s a chorus of trolls mocking him for being over the top, especially during high-profile film promotions. Be it his signature flamboyant style or the unconventional proportions, the feedback loop tends to be brutal.

What this reveals is not a fashion failure, but a cultural fault line.

According to the academic paper The Catharsis Of Male Consumption: Reimagining Masculinity In India, men, especially from upper-middle-class urban backgrounds, negotiate fashion through cautious identity projects. They use style as a tool to signal a particular kind of acceptability: muted colours, structured silhouettes, the eternal obsession with "looking sharp" but not "looking extra."

The Generational Cracks are Showing

And yet — change is coming.

The tide is turning, slowly but visibly. Gen Z are opening up to soft masculinity: they’re buying skincare, thrifting, dyeing their hair, painting their nails, and layering on jewellery — reducing the stigma around fashion and grooming habits conventionally coded as feminine. This generation does not view pastels as weak; they view constraint as cringe.

They live on Instagram, where the rules for men's fashion are in flux. But while Gen Z men might be pushing the style envelope, they remain susceptible to ridicule — online and offline. Because generational readiness doesn’t guarantee cultural permission.

The Designers Betting on a New Indian Man

Ironically enough, Indian menswear is booming — and designers have dropped the 'rules' altogether.

Homegrown brands like Almost Gods, Dhruv Kapoor, and Huemn have discarded the myth of the timid Indian male consumer — and are actively challenging the old default of “safe” staples. Their collections reflect a departure from camouflage.

Shantanu Mehra and Nikhil Mehra — long associated with a polished Indian masculinity — have been accelerating a recalibration of Indian menswear’s grammar. At India Couture Week 2025 and across related platforms, the designer duo openly framed their work as a dismantling of predictability. Their recent collections foreground a theatrical yet self-aware masculinity — one that invites risk rather than punishes it. They’re not just dressing men; they’re staging a conversation about who “the man” can be: ornate, vulnerable, hybrid, and globally fluent.

But perhaps Kartik Research’s official runway debut at the Paris Men’s Fashion Week (Spring/Summer 2026 collection, shown in mid-2025) marked the watershed. With a decolonial, craft-forward manifesto under the banner "How To Make In India," designer Kartik Kumra built a collection around indigenous maximalist, and artisanal luxury.

So, Are Indian Men Ready?

There’s measurable appetite and curiosity — especially among Gen Z and millennial men. However, fashion will remain both an opportunity and a trap until deviation is no longer seen as provocation.

The change is real — but fragile.