Woman goes viral flaunting her lungi on the streets of London; learn more about this garment’s history

The lungi, a versatile garment consisting of a long piece of fabric wrapped around the lower waist, has a rich history and cultural importance that spans across India and beyond. 

In a video that has gone viral on social media, a woman is seen proudly wearing a lungi on the streets of London; a symbol of her cultural heritage. Valery, who has been living in the city for several years is seen wearing a white t-shirt along with a lungi. She completes the look with a pair of stylish sunglasses. 

 

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After the clip was uploaded, it quickly went viral amassing millions of views, with many commenting about how they appreciate her confidence and pride in her culture. 

The origins of lungi

The lungi is an unstitched garment worn around the waist, popular across South Asia. But its origins go back much farther than recent centuries, according to Indian handicrafts curator Jaya Jaitly. “India cannot claim to be the originator of the lungi,” she says. “I would say it was right across human civilisation as soon as they started covering themselves.”

Before stitched clothing became commonplace, cultures around the world draped lengths of fabric around their waists for comfort and modesty. “Whether it’s the Africans or the Aborigines or even the Red Indians, everybody wore these short leather sort of pieces,” Jaitly explains. As weaving developed, people transitioned to using “unstitched cloth” fashioned from grass, tree bark, and eventually yarn.

The lungi in India

While stitched garments like the pyjama arrived in India with the Mughals, the lungi remained a simple solution for informal occasions. “For comfort at home and informality, or even working in the field, they wear a draped cloth and not a stitched cloth,” Jaitly notes. “And lungi comes into that category.” 

The lungi took different forms based on region and custom. ” The men in South India wear the mundu,” says Jaitly . Others would tie a longer cloth around the waist “between their legs” creating “like a pyjama or pant.” Women typically wore the stitched sarong or other wrapped garments.

 

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The widespread popularity of the lungi in modern India may be surprising to some. As Jaitly shares, “My son-in-law Ajay Jadeja… when he went to the West Indies… was most of the time wearing a red lungi with a white kurta.” For many Indian men, wearing the lungi is simply “his comfort.”

At the same time, the lungi is not regarded as a formal or ceremonial dress in India. “If it’s a ceremony, even a wedding or a temple visit, you wouldn’t go in a lungi. You would go in a white dhoti or mund,” says Jaitly. The lungi remains solidly “home wear” for relaxing and labour for men.

Interestingly, the lungi’s simple wrapped style persists in diverse cultures today. Jaitly notes that “in Nigeria, they wear lungi, probably more the sarong style. And Meghan Markle was shown in a white shirt and a lungi” on her recent visit with Prince Harry in the country.

The story of the Madras check lungi

One interesting fact she shares is the origin of the iconic “Madras check” pattern frequently seen on lungis. In the early 1800s, a company began producing lungis whose colours bled during washing – something that became embraced as the “bleeding Madras check” rather than a flaw.

While the lungi’s use today is primarily confined to informal occasions for certain socioeconomic groups, it’s simple, unstitched design dates back to the most ancient origins of human clothing across cultures, which makes it an important part of history.

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