A groom stood in my studio last week holding up a heavy velvet sherwani he had fallen in love with on Instagram, and asked me one question: will I survive four hours in this if it rains. I told him the truth. Probably not comfortably. His wedding is in August, in Lucknow, and the humidity that month does not care how beautiful the embroidery is. That conversation is the one I have most often this time of year, and it is exactly why I wanted to talk about monsoon groom styling today.
Grooms rarely get asked about weather the way brides do. Everyone worries about the bride's hair holding up or her makeup surviving the heat, but the groom is expected to just show up looking sharp, no matter what the sky is doing. I think that is a mistake. A groom who is sweating through a heavily padded sherwani, sticking to his own jacket lining, is not going to look confident in his photos, and confidence is half of what makes a groom's look actually work.
The Aesthetic: Structure Without the Weight
The good news is that 2026 groomwear is already moving in the right direction for monsoon season. Sherwani design this year has quietly stepped away from the overly ornate, heavily layered silhouettes of a few seasons ago, in favour of cleaner lines and slimmer cuts. Velvet and brocade are still dominant for winter weddings, but for a monsoon or early autumn function, I am steering my grooms toward raw silk, silk-cotton blends, and increasingly, well-tailored linen. Khadi is having a real moment too, and I love it for exactly this reason: it breathes, it drapes with a slight texture that photographs beautifully, and it does not scream for attention the way heavy zardozi does.
The bandhgala jacket deserves a special mention here. It is having a genuine revival this year, and for good reason. A sharply tailored bandhgala in a linen-cotton blend gives a groom that same regal, put-together silhouette as a full sherwani, minus three kilos of interlining. I have been putting grooms in pastel bandhgalas, soft mint, powder blue, a warm peach, for daytime monsoon functions, and jewel-toned versions, deep plum, midnight blue, emerald, for the evening ones. Both read as fashion-forward rather than "the groom who couldn't commit to a sherwani."
The Stylist's Touch: Colour as a Weather Strategy
Colour choice is not just an aesthetic decision in monsoon season, it is a practical one. Ivory and off-white remain the most requested shade among my grooms this year, and I understand why: they photograph beautifully against grey, overcast skies in a way that jewel tones sometimes cannot, and they pair effortlessly with almost any bridal palette. But I will be honest with my clients about the tradeoff. Ivory shows every splash and every crease. If the wedding has an outdoor phera or a garden Sangeet with real monsoon risk, I often suggest a deeper, more forgiving tone for the ceremony itself, maroon, navy, a rich mustard, and save the pale, photogenic ivory for an indoor reception where the humidity is at least somewhat controlled.
Embroidery placement matters just as much as colour here. Rather than an all-over embellished chest, I am asking my embroiderers to concentrate detail along the collar, cuffs, and hem, so the garment still reads as rich and considered in photographs, but the bulk of the fabric stays light. It is the same principle I use with brides: let the craftsmanship do the talking in one place instead of everywhere.
Footwear and Accessories: Where Practicality Actually Matters Most
This is the part grooms underestimate the most. Traditional mojaris are gorgeous, but they are essentially unlined leather with very little grip, and a wet marble floor or a monsoon garden path is not the place to test that. I now default most of my monsoon grooms into a well-made juttis with a slightly firmer sole, or a closed sandal in a similar leather tone if the venue allows it. Nobody notices the difference in photographs. Everybody notices if the groom slips during the varmala.
Accessories should stay minimal too, not because monsoon demands austerity, but because humidity has a way of making anything heavy look heavier. A single statement kalgi or a simple brooch on the safa does more work than three layered accessories competing for attention in soft, diffused monsoon light. Speaking of the safa, this is a season where I actually prefer a slightly smaller, more structured turban over the oversized, elaborately draped versions. It holds its shape better when the air itself is working against you.
Coordinating With the Bride Without Losing His Own Identity
I always tell my grooms that coordinating with the bride does not mean matching her. It means the two of you should look like you belong in the same photograph, not like you raided each other's closets. If the bride is in a jewel-toned lehenga with heavy zardozi, her groom in a cleaner, lighter-fabric bandhgala in a complementary tone actually makes both of you look sharper by contrast. The goal for a monsoon wedding especially is that neither of you looks like you are fighting the weather in your clothes. That reads in photographs as effortless, and effortless is what people remember.
Here is what I want every monsoon groom to walk away with:
Choose raw silk, silk-cotton blends, khadi, or tailored linen over heavy velvet or dense brocade for outdoor or humid functions
Save all-over embellishment for one focal point (collar, cuffs, or hem) instead of the full garment
Pick ivory and pastels for indoor, photograph-heavy moments, and deeper, more forgiving tones for outdoor ceremonies
Swap traditional mojaris for a firmer-soled jutti or closed sandal on wet venue floors
Keep the safa and accessories structured and minimal rather than oversized
Coordinate with your bride in tone and formality, not in a literal matching outfit
The SGK Philosophy
I have always believed that great groom styling is not about following what the bride is doing, it is about giving a man his own creative direction, one that happens to work in conversation with hers. Monsoon season just adds one more variable to plan around, and honestly, I find it makes the styling more interesting, not less. There is real skill in making a groom look regal and unbothered while the sky has other plans.
If you are getting married in the months ahead and want a wardrobe built for how your actual wedding day will feel, not just how it will look in a mood board, I would love to talk it through with you. Come sit with me, bring your ideas, and let's build something that holds up, rain or shine.
With love and style,
Shreya Gupta Kedia
Founder, SGK Styles
