7 Korean fashion trends taking over India in 2025–26

Korean fashion, with its blend of softness, structure, and playfulness, has become a major style influence across Indian campuses, cafes, and street markets. (Picture Credit: Pexels)

What began as a quiet fascination with K-dramas and K-pop music has now grown into a cultural current sweeping across India. For Gen Z, the Hallyu wave isn’t just entertainment but a lifestyle shift. Korean fashion, with its blend of softness, structure, and playfulness, has become a major style influence across Indian campuses, cafes, and street markets.

As K-culture continues to grow, these looks will only evolve further, inspiring a whole new era of fashion storytelling across India. Here are seven Korean fashion trends dominating Indian wardrobes in 2025–26.

1. Oversized Fits

Comfort has officially become cool, and K-fashion deserves much of the credit. Oversized hoodies, roomy sweatshirts, loose trousers, and boxy shirts are now the backbone of everyday dressing. These pieces skim the body without overwhelming it, giving that relaxed look K-dramas have made iconic. Gen Z pairs them with denim, mini bags, or chunky sneakers for an effortlessly stylish vibe that works in classrooms, airports, or casual dates.

2. Pastels and minimalism

Korean style has a calming quality with soft mint, muted lavender, butter yellow, dove grey. These pastels paired with clean silhouettes are becoming a go-to for those tired of bold prints and heavy layers. The Indian adaptation is interesting with pastel co-ords, ribbed tees with wide-leg trousers, linen shirts, and simple dresses that feel feminine without being fussy. This trend resonates deeply with India’s climate and culture, making it both practical and polished.

3. Streetwear meets high fashion

K-pop idols have made streetwear glamorous. Varsity jackets, chunky sneakers, cargo pants, bucket hats, and playful graphic tees are everywhere—from malls in Delhi to colleges in Bengaluru. This year’s twist is hybrid styling: pairing a varsity jacket with a silk skirt, or styling cargo pants with a chic blazer. It’s casual, confident, and perfect for India’s fashion-forward youth who love experimenting.

4. Gender-neutral fashion

One of the most refreshing parts of Korean fashion is its rejection of rigid gender rules. Men wear pastels and pearl accessories, women wear oversized blazers and loose jeans, and everyone mixes silhouettes freely. In India, this has resonated strongly with Gen Z, who embraces individuality over stereotypes. Neutral tailoring, unisex hoodies, co-ord sets, and relaxed fits are becoming everyday essentials.

5. Innerwear as outerwear

This quirky K-trend of boxer shorts with oversized shirts, visible waistbands, and subtle sagging has slipped into Indian street style too. Worn right, it looks youthful and cool rather than provocative. It’s often paired with oversized tees, cropped jackets, or structured blazers. Indian creators love this trend for Reels because it adds instant character to an outfit.

6. Cute meets corporate

From fitted skirts and silk blouses to tweed jackets and structured blazers, K-drama office fashion has turned workwear into a mini runway. Indian women are adopting pinstriped suits, double-breasted jackets, pastel blazers, and chic mini-bags inspired by iconic drama heroines and K-fashion CEOs. It’s polished, sharp, and subtly glamorous -- ideal for millennials and Gen Z entering corporate life.

7. Aesthetic dressing

Social media has amplified aesthetic-based fashion. The “soft girl” look with cardigans, pleated skirts, coquettes bows etc. sits alongside the “clean girl” aesthetic, defined by slick buns, simple gold jewellery, and monochrome fits. Cottagecore, with its flowy dresses and poetic simplicity, also remains popular. These micro-styles allow young Indians to express mood and identity with ease.