Kurtas make wonderful travel clothes: comfortable on long journeys, cool in the heat, respectful for temples and dargahs, and lovely in photographs.
Pack smart
- Choose a colour palette — say indigo, white and rust — so every kurta works with every bottom.
- Three kurtas, two bottoms and one dupatta give you six looks for a long weekend.
- Roll, don’t fold: rolled cottons crease less and take less space.
Fabrics for the road
- Cotton blends and printed cottons hide creases better than solids.
- Mulmul and light cottons dry quickly after a hand wash in the hotel.
- Keep silk and heavy embroidery for the one special dinner.
By destination
- Beaches and the south in summer: short kurtas, light colours, linen and mulmul.
- Hill stations: long kurtas with a warm jacket or shawl; layers you can add and remove.
- Temples and pilgrimages: long kurtas with sleeves, a dupatta for covering your head, and footwear that slips off easily.
On the journey
An easy kurta with stretchable pants, a light stole for the cold air on flights and trains, and comfortable flats.
Read our guide to fabrics by season.
Coming up next
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Next: 11 Oct
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