Quick answer: For Diwali, most men wear a cotton or silk-blend kurta with pyjama or churidar for the Lakshmi Puja, a Nehru jacket over a kurta or a plain tee for card parties and family visits, and a mandarin-collar shirt or a blazer over a tee for the office party. Wear cotton anywhere near crackers, and carry a light layer for the evenings. Diwali 2026 is on Sunday, 8 November, with Dhanteras on Friday, 6 November and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, 11 November.
Diwali is about six outfits spread over a week. There's the card party on Saturday, the office lunch, the puja where your mother has opinions, and four houses of relatives in one evening, each with a plate of mithai you can't refuse.
Most guides give you fifteen kurtas and leave you to figure out the rest. This one plans the week event by event, with looks you can repeat without anyone noticing.
Diwali 2026 dates
| Day | Date | What happens | How dressed up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhanteras | Fri, 6 Nov | Buying gold, utensils or something new; evening puja | Smart casual |
| Choti Diwali | Sat, 7 Nov | Diyas, rangoli, card parties | Party |
| Lakshmi Puja (Diwali) | Sun, 8 Nov | Evening puja, crackers, visits | Your best festive outfit |
| Govardhan Puja, Padwa | Tue, 10 Nov | Annakut, Diwali Padwa, Gujarati New Year | Festive |
| Bhai Dooj | Wed, 11 Nov | Tika and lunch with siblings | Relaxed festive |
Dates are from Hindu Festival Hub and Dharmik Life, which agree from Dhanteras to Lakshmi Puja. Some panchangs put Govardhan Puja on the 9th and Bhai Dooj on the 10th, so check yours. Card parties and office celebrations usually land on the weekend or week before.
What colours to wear on Diwali
Diwali has no fixed colour list, which makes it easier than Navratri. Gold, ivory, maroon, bottle green, navy and mustard are the classics. Jewel tones look best at night under the lights; save pastels and white for daytime events like Dhanteras shopping and Bhai Dooj lunch.
Black is great at a card party. Some families avoid it at the puja, though, so check before you wear it to one at someone else's home.
15 Diwali outfits for men
For the Lakshmi Puja
1. Silk-blend kurta with churidar
- Top: silk-blend kurta in ivory, gold or maroon
- Bottom: off-white churidar
- Shoes: mojaris
- Good for: the puja itself and the family photo
Diwali is the one night a silk-blend kurta makes sense. The puja is short and indoors, and the photos stay on the family group for years. Change before anyone lights a cracker.
2. Cotton kurta-pyjama in a jewel tone
- Top: cotton kurta in maroon, bottle green or navy
- Bottom: white pyjama
- Shoes: juttis or kolhapuris
- Good for: a long puja, sitting on the floor, cooking in the kitchen beforehand
Less dressy than silk, and much easier if you're helping with the diyas and the prasad.
3. Ivory kurta with a Nehru jacket
- Top: plain ivory or cream kurta
- Layer: Nehru jacket in brocade, velvet or a jewel tone
- Bottom: churidar or straight trousers
- Shoes: mojaris
- Good for: the puja, then straight into visits
The jacket does the dressing up. When the room fills with diyas and people, take it off and you're still in a neat kurta.
4. Dark pathani suit
- Top: pathani kurta in charcoal, navy or deep green
- Bottom: matching salwar
- Shoes: Peshawari chappals or mojaris
- Good for: men who prefer a bit of structure to a loose kurta
The collar and placket make it look sharp without any embroidery.
For card parties and Diwali nights
5. Nehru jacket over a black tee
- Base: plain black tee
- Layer: Nehru jacket in maroon, gold or bottle green
- Bottom: dark jeans or beige chinos
- Shoes: loafers or clean white sneakers
- Good for: most card parties
The look we'd pick for most card parties. It's festive enough for the photos and relaxed enough to sit on the floor with a deck of cards for four hours.
6. Bandhgala over a white tee
- Layer: bandhgala in navy, black or deep green, worn open
- Base: fitted white tee
- Bottom: tailored trousers
- Shoes: loafers
- Good for: Diwali dinners, a party at someone's farmhouse
Buttoned up, a bandhgala reads as wedding wear. Worn open over a tee, it looks like you're at a party.
7. Brocade overshirt over a plain tee
- Layer: brocade or jacquard overshirt or bomber, worn open
- Base: black or white tee
- Bottom: black jeans or trousers
- Shoes: white sneakers or Chelsea boots
- Good for: house parties, the younger crowd at the card party
Brocade works in a western shape too. Keep everything around it plain and dark so the jacket does the talking.
8. Tonal short kurta set
- Outfit: short kurta and straight trousers in the same colour (black, navy or bottle green)
- Shoes: mojaris or loafers
- Good for: card parties, Diwali dinners
One colour head to toe looks taller and more expensive than it is. Skip the black version for a puja if your family avoids it.
For the office party
9. Mandarin-collar shirt with trousers
- Top: band-collar shirt in linen or cotton, plain or with a small print
- Bottom: tailored trousers
- Shoes: loafers
- Good for: formal offices, client lunches
It barely reads as ethnic, which is the point if your office is formal.
10. Blazer over a colour tee
- Base: solid tee in bottle green, maroon or mustard
- Layer: navy or beige unstructured blazer
- Bottom: chinos
- Shoes: loafers or leather sneakers
- Good for: casual and hybrid offices, Diwali drinks after work
The colour of the tee does the festive part. Nobody has to know you're wearing a T-shirt to the office party.
For family visits and Govardhan Puja
11. Short kurta with straight jeans
- Top: hip-length cotton kurta, plain or block-printed
- Bottom: straight jeans in dark blue
- Shoes: kolhapuris or white sneakers
- Good for: four houses in one evening, in and out of the car
You'll be taking your shoes off at every door, so pick ones you can slip out of.
12. Block-print shirt with chinos
- Top: ajrakh, ikat or block-print shirt
- Bottom: beige or olive chinos
- Shoes: loafers
- Good for: Govardhan Puja, Padwa, daytime visits
The print is the Indian part, so keep the trousers and shoes plain.
For Dhanteras and Bhai Dooj
13. Linen shirt with chinos
- Top: linen shirt in white, sky blue or sage, sleeves rolled
- Bottom: chinos
- Shoes: loafers
- Good for: Dhanteras shopping
The jewellery markets on Dhanteras are packed and warm. Linen is the difference between shopping and suffering.
14. Pastel kurta with white jeans
- Top: kurta in pale pink, mint or powder blue
- Bottom: white or light-blue jeans
- Shoes: kolhapuris
- Good for: Bhai Dooj lunch, daytime Padwa
Daylight and pastels go together. Keep the white jeans away from the kheer.
15. Hindi slogan tee with jeans
- Top: a graphic or Hindi slogan tee
- Bottom: jeans
- Shoes: whatever's by the door
- Good for: Bhai Dooj at home, the lazy day after Diwali
Bhai Dooj at home is the most relaxed day of the week. A slogan tee your sister will roll her eyes at is fine, especially if she's the one who gifted it.
Crackers, smoke and cold evenings
| Get this right | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Cotton or wool near crackers | Sparks can land on you, and synthetics like polyester can melt onto skin. Change out of silk before you light anything |
| No loose stoles or dupattas while lighting crackers | A trailing end can catch a spark before you notice |
| Closed shoes | Sparklers drip, and phuljhadi wires end up on the ground |
| A light layer | North Indian evenings start to feel cool by early November. A Nehru jacket, overshirt or sweatshirt is enough |
| A spare kurta or tee in the car | Between ghee from the diyas, rangoli colour and mithai, something will get on you |
The whole week from about ten pieces
You don't need fifteen new outfits. Most of the looks above come out of this:
| Piece | Outfits it covers |
|---|---|
| One ivory or cream kurta | 1 (if silk-blend), 3 |
| One Nehru jacket in maroon or bottle green | 3, 5 |
| Three solid tees: black, white and one jewel tone | 5, 6, 7, 10 |
| Dark jeans and beige chinos | 5, 10, 11, 12, 13 |
| One block-print or mandarin-collar shirt | 9, 12 |
| Mojaris and white sneakers | Everything |
If you're buying one new thing this Diwali, make it the Nehru jacket. It works over a kurta for the puja and over a tee for the party. For more ways to use it, see our guide to indo-western outfits for men.
What we'd pick from House of ANIT
We don't make kurtas or jackets. We do make the tees that go under them, and a few things that make good Bhai Dooj gifts.
| Piece | How to wear it | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Black oversized tee | Outfit 5, under a maroon or gold Nehru jacket | ₹549 |
| Solid white oversized tee | Outfit 6, under an open bandhgala | ₹599 |
| Bottle green oversized tee | Outfit 10, under a navy blazer for the office party | ₹549 |
| Maroon oversized tee | Under a cream Nehru jacket for family visits | ₹549 |
| "Shareef Ladka" Hindi slogan tee | Outfit 15, or a Bhai Dooj gift for the brother who is anything but | ₹849 |
| "Seedha Saadha Ladka" sweatshirt | A Bhai Dooj gift for a brother in a colder city | ₹1,349 |
Prices as of 11 October 2026. More in our solid oversized tees and Hindi slogan tees.
Delivery: we print to order, which takes 2 to 5 business days, and shipping takes 2 to 4 business days to metros and up to 10 to remote areas, according to our delivery page. At those longest times, metro orders placed by 27 October arrive by 6 November, in time for Diwali, and metro orders placed by 30 October arrive in time for Bhai Dooj. Outside the metros, the longest estimates run past Diwali, so order now and treat it as a bonus if it arrives early.
Sizing: our oversized tees are cut roomy. Under a Nehru jacket or bandhgala, go one size down. On its own, or as a gift when you're not sure, take his usual size.
Mistakes to avoid this Diwali
- Silk anywhere near the crackers.
- Brand-new mojaris on the night of visits. You'll be in and out of them at every door.
- One outfit from puja to crackers. Change after the puja.
- Black to someone else's puja without checking.
- A white kurta at the mithai table.
The bottom line
Plan for the whole week. Wear a kurta for the puja, a Nehru jacket over a dark tee for card parties, a mandarin-collar shirt or a blazer over a tee for the office, and something easy for Bhai Dooj. Change out of the silk before the crackers come out. For more, see what to wear to a Diwali party, Gen-Z Diwali outfits and Diwali outfits without a kurta.
Sorting the tee under the jacket? Shop solid oversized tees →
FAQs
What should men wear on Diwali?
A cotton or silk-blend kurta with pyjama or churidar for the Lakshmi Puja, a Nehru jacket over a kurta or a plain tee for card parties and visits, and cotton anywhere near crackers.
What colour should I wear on Diwali 2026?
Diwali has no fixed colour. Gold, ivory, maroon, bottle green, navy and mustard are the classic choices. Jewel tones suit the evening; pastels suit daytime events like Bhai Dooj lunch.
When is Diwali 2026?
Lakshmi Puja is on Sunday, 8 November 2026. Dhanteras is on Friday, 6 November, and Bhai Dooj on Wednesday, 11 November, though some panchangs list it on the 10th.
What should men wear to a Diwali card party?
A Nehru jacket over a dark solid tee with dark jeans or chinos, or an open bandhgala over a white tee with trousers.
What should I wear to an office Diwali party?
A mandarin-collar shirt with trousers in a formal office. In a casual office, a blazer over a solid tee in a jewel tone, or a short kurta with dark jeans.
Can men wear black on Diwali?
Yes, especially at card parties and dinners. Some families avoid black at the puja, so check before you wear it to one at someone else's home.
What fabric is best for Diwali?
Cotton or linen for daytime events and anywhere near crackers. A silk-blend kurta is fine for a short indoor puja. Carry a light layer for cool evenings in north India.
What can I gift my brother for Bhai Dooj?
Something he'll actually wear, like a T-shirt or sweatshirt in his usual size. If you're ordering online, order about two weeks ahead to be safe.
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