Central security forces reportedly sent back two voters from a polling booth in southern Bengal’s Gaihata Assembly constituency on Wednesday because they were wearing lungis. They went back to vote in Kuchlia village after changing into trousers. Meanwhile, another kind of polling was recently conducted in Japan. When the country’s meteorological agency asked people to come up with a new term for days registering at least 40°C, kokusho-bi or ‘brutally hot day’ came on top. Last week, inspired by Japan’s Cool Biz energy-saving initiative, the Tokyo city government encouraged public servants to swap suits for shorts this summer to reduce dependence on air-conditioning. Clothing should be comfortable and climate-friendly first, less dictated by communal or traditional considerations. And lungi, veshti and dhoti are all appropriate options for our warming planet.