Long ago in India men flaunted silks and ornaments with aplomb. They didn't hesitate to show their ornate sense of style to the world. It was the order of the day. There was nothing shameful about it. The great epics and ancient art and literature bear the testimony of the flamboyance in men's fashion. Ancient India talked about sex and its various aspects with ease. Sex was not stigmatised in any way; rather it was embraced fondly as a part of human life. There was no sense of guilt attached to ones own choices and preferences. Everything was organic and harmonious.

Then India moved into the darkest phase of medievalism when our scriptures were misconstrued miserably. The British Raj took over from there and imposed the strict sense of moral and immoral on us. They deliberately kept the ancient scripture out of the Indian education system. India's natural flair for celebrating life as it came to a pause.

Much later when once again modern man tried to cultivate fashion as a separate and serious subject then the rigid boundaries of right and wrong started to blur. Playing with fabrics and patterns and ornaments and jewellery we started challenging the gender rules once again. It's refreshing and healthy. The cocooned men are gradually attempting to express themselves ignoring the moral policing of society. But it's in a very nascent stage and needs much nurturing. There is a long way to traverse.  But there are reasons enough to celebrate the liberation. It's not about gender identity anymore, it's about being comfortable in one's own skin. Feeling comfortable is much more important than feeling proper to social norms. Isn't it?