Position the lungi above your waist to give yourself space to roll and tie the lungi in future steps without it riding too low on your body.
When you finish, your arms will be crossed in front of you. It may feel a little awkward, but don’t worry!
Once you have practiced a bit, you should be able to do this move pretty fluidly. Don’t worry if you drop your lungi at first—just keep practicing until the movements feel more natural.
Folding the sides downward (rather than straight across your stomach) before creating the roll from the main swath gives your legs a little more space to stretch and move around comfortably. Instead of having straight sides the material should flow around you a little bit more.
Try sitting down and getting back up, too, to see how the lungi feels. If it is too tight or feels uncomfortable when you sit down, try loosening the folds a little bit.
Test out the long lungi by jumping and walking around a little bit to make sure it is secure before moving on to the next steps.
Remember to fold the lungi sides in a slight downward angle to leave that middle swath of fabric to use as a belt.
If you are wearing a very short lungi, it’s a good idea to wear something underneath.
When you are putting the fabric between your legs, don’t pull the material too tightly as this could make the “legs” of your lungi uncomfortable. Try to keep it looser. This option won’t look like a traditional pair of shorts exactly, but it will keep you cool.
Traditionally in India, men wear button-up shirts with their lungis or go shirtless. If you’re wearing a lungi in the US or a European country, this might not be as socially acceptable, but if you’re in southern Indian states, going shirtless on a hot day is normal.
Women seem to wear the lungi less often than men, but recently more and more women have been taking advantage of this fashion style.
You can also wear tennis shoes with your lungi, especially if you are going to be walking around town a lot.
Look for options that draw your eye rather than just ones you think are traditionally popular.
Laborers do often wear lungis to work as they help keep them cool.
