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Lenskart Apologises And Releases Fresh Style Guide After Dress Code Controversy

Lenskart Apologises And Releases Fresh Style Guide After Dress Code Controversy; Internet Says 'You Lost The Trust'
Lenskart has publicly rolled out a revised in-store style guide after facing backlash over an alleged internal dress code and a separate Pongal-themed campaign. The eyewear company said it wants to make its position on cultural and religious expression clear, stating that employees are welcome to wear symbols of faith and identity at work.
According to the company, the updated guidelines explicitly allow employees to wear items such as bindis, tilaks, sindoor, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada, hijab, turban and other religious or cultural symbols.
In a public statement, Lenskart said it had listened to concerns raised by customers and members of the public over the last few days.
The company said, “We have heard you. Clearly and openly. Over the past few days, our community and customers have spoken – and we have listened."
It added that Lenskart was “built in Bharat, by Indians, for Indians" and stressed that employees should never feel they have to leave behind their beliefs, traditions or identities when they come to work.
The company also apologised if any previous communication had caused hurt or made employees feel that their faith was not welcome in the workplace. It said future policies, training materials and internal communication would reflect these values more clearly.
Under the revised dress code, employees are required to wear Lenskart-issued T-shirts, plain dark blue jeans and closed shoes suitable for store operations. The guidelines also permit cultural and religious accessories such as sacred threads, bangles, kalawa, mangalsutra and kada, along with small earrings, nose pins, rings and chains where appropriate.
The document further states that religious and family-related body marks such as bindi, tilak and sindoor are allowed, while head coverings including turbans and hijabs are also permitted as long as they are neat, secure and do not interfere with work duties.
The company said it remains committed to professionalism, hygiene and fair treatment, while also offering reasonable accommodation for religion, culture, disability, pregnancy and medical needs. Employees have also been assured that they can raise concerns with HR without fear of retaliation.
The updated guidelines post gained traction online, with many social media users expressing anger and disappointment.
One user wrote, “Folks, place massive orders on their app on COD, and then reject the parcel. If you have used their WhatsApp chatbot, block and report it for spam. Hit them where it hits hardest, and don’t give a single dime of your hard earned money to those hindu hating jihadis."
“If Lenskart was built in Bharat, by Indians, for Indians. Then bindi, tilak, sindoor, kalawa, mangalsutra, kada and more should not have been excluded," said another.
“Your clown CEO said the policy was old (which was disgusting to have in the first place), just 2 days ago. His tweet started as, “I have listened to… Your tweet starts as, “we have heard you… Aisaan kar re kya be howle?" a third user wrote.
“We need a public apology @peyushbansal, You can’t dare to frame anti dharm policies in Bharat. Get lost. Leave our country at the earliest and sell your stuff in Syria and afghanistan." a fourth user said.
“The fact is not that you changed your policy; the fact is that you changed it after getting caught. YOU LOST THE TRUST," said another.
We have heard you. Clearly and openly. Over the past few days, our community and customers have spoken – and we have listened.Today, we are standardizing our In-Store Style Guide and sharing it publicly and transparently: https://t.co/lC8KlLLUZm
These guidelines explicitly and…
— lenskart (@Lenskart_com) April 18, 2026
The updated guidelines come days after Lenskart faced criticism over an alleged internal employee dress code. The controversy intensified when political commentator Shefali Vaidya claimed on X that the company allowed some religious symbols while restricting others.
Following the backlash, Peyush Bansal said the document circulating online was outdated and no longer reflected the company’s current policies.
The company then faced another round of criticism over a Pongal-themed advertisement. The backlash began after Krithika Sivaswami questioned the festive representation in the campaign. She wrote, “Who the heck eats dates for Pongal? And whats with the costume & props?"
Her post went viral online, with many users arguing that the visuals in the campaign did not accurately represent traditional Pongal celebrations.
Source: News18
Related Posts: Lenskart dress code controversy, Lenskart style guide, religious symbols at work, cultural expression policy, employee dress code India, Lenskart backlash, Peyush Bansal response
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