Are Wedding Outfits Wasted? Arjun Vaidya’s Viral Post Questions Ethnicwear Habits

Many people spend a lot of money on beautiful ethnic outfits for weddings, but how often do they wear those clothes again?
Arjun Vaidya, Co-founder of V3 Ventures and founder of Dr. Vaidya’s (acquired), has brought up this issue in a popular LinkedIn post that has sparked a lot of discussion.

“India’s ethnicwear market is already worth over ₹1.6 trillion,” he wrote. “We buy these beautiful pieces. Wear them once. Maybe twice. And then keep them back in the cupboard – never to be worn again.”

He added, “Each time I open my ethnicwear cupboard, I feel sad for the wasteland of ‘owned but unused’ clothing.”

Vaidya, who also shared a throwback photo from his own Sangeet ceremony, reflected on how people love to wear new clothes, especially for big celebrations like weddings. But he asked a powerful question: “What if we could rotate it instead?”

He was talking about the idea of renting ethnic outfits or starting subscription models where people can wear designer clothes for one or two occasions and return them, instead of buying expensive clothes they may never wear again.

“Fast fashion taught us to want ‘new’. But Gen Z is asking if ‘new’ can also mean good for the environment,” he wrote. “Can we find a balance between our love for fashion and being responsible?”


The post received several reactions, with many agreeing that the issue of expensive clothes being underused is a real problem.

Siddharth Oswal, Founder of Vacay Thrills, praised the post, saying: “Brilliantly articulated! Ethnicwear is ripe for disruption—and your Sangeet outfit might just be the MVP for a billion-dollar idea.”

Ashwin Rastogi, who works in the D2C and fashion space, gave a cultural view: “It is still considered ‘low status’ to rent outfits for marriage or important life events. I think in India it's a cultural/status/perception issue, not a business model issue.”


Neha Chawla, Founder of Mind Your Minds, highlighted the emotional side of shopping for weddings:
“Shopping for marriage is an emotion. Are we ready to rent wedding outfits? Maybe for someone else’s wedding—but not for our own.”

Brand expert Charu Chawla Lakhani said, “This is a brilliant insight—blending sustainability with tradition can unlock a whole new model in India’s ethnicwear space. The market is ready, the mindset is shifting, and the story-led model makes it deeply personal.”


Although Vaidya admitted that past attempts at clothing rental in India “have not worked,” he believes it may not be a bad idea—just one that came too early or lacked proper support.

“Maybe the infra/logistics/inventory problem hasn’t been solved? Or maybe it’s a mindset issue?” he wondered. “Will the user be intending to use it with same care without the discrimination of owned vs rented in the mind?” - TWL Bureau