Purushu Arie was working as a  menswear designer for Lee Cooper in Mumbai when he happened to visit a factory in Tirupur. At a four-star hotel, frequented by international buyers, a signboard caught his eye. It read: “Do not wear a lungi in the hotel premises to avoid indecency to guests.”

Arie was shocked. After all, the lungi is an everyday garment worn across class lines. Yet, in wealthy settings its association with ordinary people seemed to override its practicality.