Onam 2026: A Vogue-approved guide to dressing beyond the kasavu

There is no such thing as too much gold—not in Kerala, at least. The sliver of zari at the border of a sari, the glint of precious metal on the wrist, the yellow of turmeric, the pale gleam of a Kasavu against skin—nothing is too much, especially not for Onam.

Arriving in Chingam, when the rains are not quite gone and the harvest is just beginning, Onam is the New Year for many communities in Kerala. Stretched over ten days, it is a harvest festival, a season of pookalams and feasts, of flowers arranged carefully on the ground and banana leaves spread generously across it. It is also a season for dressing up marked by the return of white and gold across the kasavu sari, the mundu and the veshti—ivory clothing with gilded yellow borders, eliciting a feeling as though sunlight has been caught and stitched into cotton.

Once an ordinary part of life in Kerala, the kasavu, unfortunately, has been increasingly relegated to ceremonial occasions—weddings, festivals, temple visits, family photographs. And Onam is when it returns in numbers.

There is something lovely about this annual return but just in case you are looking for a way to take the familiar white and gold and let it wander a little, we have curated a list of looks for you.

To make the ‘pookalam’

To be skilled in making the pookalam (the floral rangoli) is only the first step; You are up at the crack of dawn, sorting flowers, assembling colours and slowly building the design that will adorn your home. Precision and patience are required in equal measure. Comfort, naturally, is key. Why not opt for a contemporary number—like an off-shoulder top and pleated trousers in burnished, rust-gold handwoven silk tissue from New Delhi-based designer Urvashi Kaur or an easy, breezy dress from Janela, a Kerala-based a brand that turns traditional handloom textiles of the state into relaxed looks. Pair either with a set of wooden bangles and strappy gold sandals.