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Tried and tested: I wore 2 affordable kurta sets to work, one was my favourite

I bought and wore 2 affordable kurta sets to work to test their fit, comfort and style. Here’s my honest review of the one I loved and the one I didn’t.

Published on: Sep 26, 2026, 10:00:03 IST

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Tried and tested: I wore 2 affordable kurta sets to work, one was my favourite

By Samarpita Yashaswini

Samarpita Yashaswini is a Content Producer for Fashion (HT Shop Now) at Hindustan Times Digital. She has five years of experience in lifestyle writing, specialising in fashion, beauty, and trend-led commerce content. She covers everything from seasonal must-haves and wardrobe essentials to brand reviews and styling edits that make everyday dressing easier and more exciting.

She began her writing journey in 2020, but her love for fashion started long before that. Over the years, she has interned with Times Internet and Desi Martini, and worked with Pinkvilla and Schbang, building a strong foundation in digital storytelling and audience-first content. At HT Digital, she writes and creates fashion affiliate content for both the website and social media, blending trend awareness with shopping practicality. Her work sits at the intersection of style and strategy combined with equal parts aesthetic and analytics.

A self-confessed fashion enthusiast, Samarpita has a sharp eye for colours, prints, silhouettes, and textures. She notices the fall of a fabric, the mood of a palette, and the difference a good cut can make. Her expertise lies in translating trends into wearable, relatable style and helping readers shop smarter, not louder.

She studied at Delhi Public School and graduated from Miranda House, University of Delhi in 2019, where she also wrote for the college magazine. She later completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Advertising and PR from MICA, Ahmedabad.

Samarpita believes fashion content doesn’t need to be complicated or overly eloquent. It should be simple, fun, and genuinely helpful, guiding readers through daily style decisions with confidence and joy.

My honest review of the 2 kurta sets I purchased:

The green striped kurta set looked great, but the fabric was a problem

1. Women's Striped Poly Crepe Kurta & Trousers | Ethnic Kurta Sets for Women | Straight Kurta Sets & Trousers | Women's Sleeveless Kurta Sets

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The first set I ordered was a muted green striped kurta with matching trousers. The colour was probably what caught my attention first. I don't have much green in my wardrobe, and this particular dull, understated shade felt different from the colours I usually gravitate towards without being too bright or festive for work.

I also liked the overall silhouette. I tend to prefer necklines that flatter my face and draw attention to the collarbone, and I liked how this kurta framed that area. The cut felt flattering without being overly fitted, and the matching trousers made the outfit look put together without requiring much additional styling.

For the price, I thought the fit was particularly good. It looked more polished than I expected from an affordable online purchase, and I could easily imagine wearing it to a casual workday, lunch or a family gathering.

But there was one problem I didn't really anticipate from the product pictures: the fabric.

The silver stripes that form part of the design look nice from the outside, but the detailing makes the inside of the fabric feel slightly prickly against the skin. I noticed the irritation more after wearing it for several hours. It isn't something I would have necessarily picked up just by looking at the product listing, which is why actually wearing an outfit for a full day makes such a difference when you're reviewing it.

For me, the issue wasn't the fit or the appearance. I genuinely liked both. It was the way the fabric felt against my skin.

What I liked about the green set

The muted green shade feels different from my usual wardrobe.
The silhouette is flattering and easy to wear.
The matching trousers make styling simple.
It looks polished without feeling too festive.
The price is affordable.

What I didn't like

The silver striped detailing feels prickly against the skin.
The irritation becomes more noticeable when worn for several hours.
Because of that, I don't see myself reaching for it as often for a full workday.

My verdict: A good-looking, affordable set with a flattering fit, but the fabric keeps it from becoming a regular favourite for me.

The purple kurta set was the one I immediately wanted to wear again

2. ANNI Designer Women's Rayon Blend Solid Straight Kurta with Pant & Dupatta

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The second set was an ANNI kurta with matching pants and a dupatta, and this one was much more my style from the moment I tried it on.

Purple is my favourite colour, so I was already inclined to like it, but I particularly liked the shade of purple used here. It felt wearable enough for everyday dressing rather than looking like something I'd save exclusively for a festive occasion.

The biggest difference for me was how easy the entire outfit felt.

The kurta and trousers already worked together, while the dupatta completed the look without making it feel fussy. I also found the dupatta relatively easy to manage, which might sound like a small detail but makes a genuine difference when you're wearing Indian clothes to work.

I don't want a dupatta that I have to keep adjusting throughout the day or that gets in the way every time I sit at my desk. This one felt much more practical.

The outfit was also very flattering as a whole. Rather than having one standout element, the colour, fit and proportions worked together, which made it feel like something I could wear repeatedly without having to think too much about styling it.

And unlike the green set, I didn't have any issue with the fabric irritating my skin.

That ultimately made the biggest difference.

When I'm buying affordable workwear, I don't just want something that looks good for a photograph or for the first half hour after I put it on. I want to be able to sit at my desk, move around, commute and get through the day without constantly thinking about what I'm wearing.

What I liked about the purple set

The purple shade works well for everyday wear.
The overall outfit is very flattering.
The fabric feels more comfortable for a full workday.
The dupatta is easy to manage.
The kurta and pants already make a complete outfit.
It requires very little additional styling.
It's affordable enough to work as an everyday wardrobe purchase.

My verdict: This was the clear winner for me because it combined the things I actually need from workwear: comfort, a flattering fit and easy styling.

Green vs purple: which kurta set would I buy again?

After wearing both to work, the difference came down to more than just which colour I preferred.

	Green striped kurta set	Purple ANNI kurta set
Colour	Muted green, different from my wardrobe	Wearable everyday purple
Fit	Good and flattering	Very flattering
Comfort	Silver detailing felt prickly	Comfortable
Styling	Easy	Very easy
Workwear appeal	Good visually, but less comfortable	Comfortable and practical
Would I wear it again?	Occasionally	Yes, definitely

The green set wins if I'm judging purely on how different and visually interesting it is. I liked introducing that muted shade into my wardrobe, and the silhouette worked well on me.

But the purple set wins where it matters more for a work outfit: I was comfortable in it, liked how it looked and didn't feel like I had to keep adjusting anything throughout the day.

What I learned from buying affordable kurta sets online

This little experiment also reminded me that shopping for clothes online requires looking beyond the product photographs.

Fabric matters as much as the design

A fabric can look perfectly fine in a product photograph but feel very different against your skin. If a kurta has metallic stripes, embroidery, embellishments or textured detailing, I'd pay particular attention to customer reviews mentioning how it feels after wearing it.

In my case, the silver stripes were the one detail that changed my opinion of the green set.

A different colour isn't necessarily a more useful purchase

I specifically liked the green set because I didn't already own anything similar. But there's a difference between buying something because it's different and buying something you'll actually reach for regularly.

The purple set isn't necessarily the more exciting colour for me, but I can already see myself wearing it more often.

Workwear has to survive a full day

This is probably the biggest thing I took away from testing both outfits.

Something can look great when you first put it on and still become uncomfortable after several hours. For workwear, comfort isn't an extra feature. It is part of whether the outfit actually works.

A complete set can save time

One reason I keep coming back to kurta sets is that they remove some of the decision-making from getting dressed. When the kurta, pants and dupatta already work together, I don't have to spend time looking for separate pieces that match.

For weekday dressing, that convenience matters.

So, which one is my favourite?

The purple ANNI kurta set is the clear winner for me.

The green set had plenty going for it. I loved its muted colour, liked the fit and thought it looked surprisingly polished for its price. But the prickly feel from the silver detailing made it less comfortable than I'd want for a full day at work.

The purple set, on the other hand, gave me exactly what I look for in affordable everyday workwear. It was flattering, comfortable, easy to manage and required very little styling.

My biggest takeaway from trying both is simple: don't judge an affordable kurta set only by how it looks online. Think about how the fabric will feel after several hours, whether the silhouette works for you and, most importantly, whether you'll actually want to wear it again.

For me, the purple set passed that test.