Legendary Lungis!!

I am glad to be writing about Lungis coz my friend apparently thinks they cant be stylish!!!! 

Huh…dear it’s not the clothes that are stylish..its you who make them look stylish!

Lungi is a traditional garment, actually a piece of cloth worn around the waist, and its not as simple and dull as it looks. It's super stylish.

So I was browsing for some ‘Lungi trends’…and found this ad!!

Do watch it!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVE6nQddnTk

Oh n if you're wondering..it's Shahid Kapoor.

Plus, lungi is not just about style but about substance too with its roomy, airy way of wearing it! It's a staple outfit in south India…and is worn in most of the festivals, traditional get together's and award functions of Tollywood! In south India you can see men of all stature – shop keepers, auto drivers, MLAs – sporting this revolutionary garment. 

The lungi has a sister in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia called ‘the sarong’. But none of these countries can match the utilitarian value of the the lungi in India. Did you know..In the Navy a man who wears a lungi is held in very high esteem – he is a real man.

The Lungi can’t evolve any further– it’s the quintessential of its category. It is a one-size-fits-all affair. The only thing that can change is the pattern and there are hundreds of them – checks, floral, curtain patterns, dots, stripes etc. A fancier version of the lungi is the “mundu” in Kerala and “Vaishti” in Tamil Nadu. This is white or cream with a gold or green and red thin border worn at births, deaths, weddings and festivals.

People think that wearing a lungi is akin to fashion disaster and are afraid of it falling off ;).

I would like to differ. What could be more fashionably elegant than the flowing silhouette of the lungi!!?? Not to mention its power to mutate. It goes with everything, be it a transparent baniyan(I would like to call it a vest though), a simple cotton shirt, a psychedelic silk shirt, a t-shirt, a multicolored ankle length kurta or even nothing at all on the top half of the body. Wear a pair of flip flops, kolhapuri chappals or sandals and you’re good to go!  Plus there isn’t any other item of clothing that can ensure proper air supply and let you show off your toned or tanned Malayali legs without reducing the machismo quotient by even a sliver! :p

The lungi is simple and down to earth, much like the Malayali wearing it. It is just a strip of cloth that you wrap around your waist and tie to secure. Many people will stitch the two ends of the lungi so one has a hoola-hoop around the waist till the ankles. 

Now, the technique of tying the lungi…here it goes..

A lungi can be worn at full mast or half mast. The full mast lungi is worn to show respect to elders, and hide the rainforest that coats a man’s legs. To go from full mast to half mast is my favorite part of the lungi trend….it’s called ‘The Flick’. If you don’t know what The Flick is, watch any South Indian movie scene where the hero is wearing a lungi. It usually occurs right before an action sequence and will most probably be in slow motion. The hero bends down slightly, flicks the bottom edge of lungi up from the ground with an expertly coordinated maneuver using the snap of the heel of the foot, catching the bottom edge just as it rises up for a second, tucks it in and proceeds to demolish the villains. The half mast lungi is far more versatile though. You can wear it and play cricket, jump on to a moving train, dance freely, climb a coconut tree and when you are being chased by a dog. ;) :p

P.S. Buy a lungi..go to your tailor and get it stitched as a nice Bermuda! And for all the girls out there...but a nice printed lungi..and get it stitched as a dress..save your pockets..doesn't it!

Hmm…so my friend..if you’re really thinking of sporting a lungi...I salute you! Here’s to the hope that it will weather all the storms and soldiers on to the next generation and the one after that coz personally speaking if my knight in shining armour ever comes to coax me, maybe after a fight, I’d want him to be wearing a lungi with a Polo tee maybe ;) !!!! Enjoy wearing lungis!! XOXO