The Bomber Kurta Hybrid Is The Coolest New Menswear Trend This Season

Kurtas work for just about any given outing - sangeet, haldi, Holi party and even Diwali card bashes. Throw it on and accessorise with sunnies and you're ready for a Bollywood themed event. The long lean silhouette crafted in vibrant hues and indigenous textiles is a winner almost always!

However, this summer sees the classic staple getting updated with an athleisure spin - the statement-making bomber kurta hybrid.

Easily a chic alternative to the tried-and-tested kurta look. It's sporty, embodies a hint of varsity cool and is also impossibly utilitarian. Moreover, you kill two birds with a stone - as you ace the athleisure trend, you're also being true to your ethnic roots.

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Payal Singhal was the first designer to craft a bomber kurta fusion piece almost a decade ago. Accented with push-up sleeves, zipper detailing and paired with jogger pants - Singhal experimented with it in an array of hues, prints and textures. Later on, designers like Kunal Anil Tanna, Siddartha Tytler, Kunal Rawal, Suket Dhir and Rishta by Arjun Saluja, among others, reinterpreted it in their own handwriting.

Stars like Varun Dhawan, Taha Shah and Armaan Malik too have sported this Indo-Western look with great gusto.

"The embroidered bomber kurta resonated with our core design philosophy of merging western silhouette with traditional design. Indian men are not traditionally experimental but this fun, playful piece garnered acceptance," shares Singhal, who points out that now there's a huge clientele of men, who would dress traditionally but are willing to push the envelope. The designer recommends this silhouette for a mehendi and a destination wedding. In fact, she is expanding her vocabulary by offering this look incorporating Banarasi weaves with chikankari work done on top.

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The preppy chic induced varsity jackets have been popular over the last five years thanks to OTT series like Succession. It's interesting to see their interpretation in the Indian context with designers artfully mixing a souvenir collar and sleeve with the long and floaty desi kurta. Designer Kunal Anil Tanna's take on this sartorial crossbreed came from his personal inclination towards comfort over vanity. "The addition of athleisure elements to contemporary Indian menswear has further motivated the fashion evolved man to not only accept change in the regular but also make it super functional! It's become a priority design detail among almost all our clients," says Tanna.

Designer Siddartha Tytler's latest collection, Asphalt Jungle, features an array of organza utility kurtas with zipper, hoodie and patch pocket detailing. In this category, this love child of a varsity souvenir and a desi pathani has been the brand's best-selling piece. "For Summer 25, we've experimented with the organza kurta for the first time with crystal details running through. Moreover, the pockets add to convenience," Tytler says. "Throw on a Hanut pendant, stack up with bangles and a watch and complete the look with a pair of sneakers or Prada sandals and you're good to go," he quips.

Think Pathan suit meets a tracksuit. Badass and sporty in equal measure. Stylist Isha Bhansali suggests investing in a piece crafted in a sheen-emitting textile like velvet. "I'd recommend opting for darker colours. If it's a sangeet then complete your look with formal shoes and if it's a poolside vibe then trainers work," she suggests.

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Also the fact that designers like Suket Dhir have experimented with it in the luscious woven silk damask textile and peppered it with rain forest prints, the ensemble is a sure-shot winner for festivities and family get-together too. Who wants to be in a humble linen suit when everyone's dressed to the nines at a friend's mehendi? One wants to be comfy yet make a statement.

Tanisha Rahimtoola Agarwal, Founder Curato (a multi-designer menswear store) observes that the response to such hybrids has been encouraging, especially among the younger, experimental crowd. "They appreciate pieces that can transition easily from day to night, ethnic to edgy. The bomber kurta fits right into that sweet spot—it’s rooted in tradition but speaks the language of the now. While some classic customers still lean towards safer silhouettes, those who keep an eye on global trends and want to stand out at weddings or festive events are embracing these styles. The key factors driving acceptance have been styling versatility, comfort, and statement value," she says.

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Instead of layering a jacket on a kurta in the sweltering heat, how about lounging around in this lightweight, breezy and breathable silhouette. Structured on top, fluid towards bottom - this East-meets-West fusion offshoot is easily the coolest way to breeze through the heat and humidity.