Hand-Embroidered Kurtis & Co-ord Sets

Four things decide whether you will actually wear an embroidered kurti once it arrives: what the finish is, why the colour is never exactly the photograph, whether it will fit you, and how to wash it without ruining the work. Here is each of them, honestly.

What “stone-washed, hand-embroidered” actually means

The fabric is dyed first. Before the garment is finished it is tumbled with abrasive media and water, which does three things at once: it softens the cloth mechanically rather than chemically, it lifts dye unevenly so the piece reads as lived-in from the first wear, and it pre-relaxes the fabric so much of the shrinking has already happened before you own it.

The embroidery is thread work applied to that washed ground. Because the thread and the cloth take the wash differently, the work sits slightly proud of the fabric — which is the look, and also the reason the care instructions below matter more than they would on a plain garment.

We do not describe these as chikankari. That is a specific GI-registered craft from Lucknow, and we have no provenance to make the claim.

Why two pieces are never exactly the same shade

Every variable in that tumble changes the outcome — how long it runs, the water temperature, the load size, how worn the abrasive media already is, and the dye lot the fabric came from. A mill can hold it within a range. Nobody can hold it to an exact match, and any brand telling you otherwise about a washed fabric is either not washing it or not telling you.

In practice: two pieces from one batch will be close. Two bought months apart may differ enough to notice if you hold them together, though rarely enough to notice worn separately. If you want two pieces to match, order them at the same time.

Getting the fit right — read this before ordering

Our embroidered range is currently made in a single size. We would rather say that here than have you discover it at delivery. Every product page publishes the garment measurements in inches, measured flat — bust, waist, length, shoulder and sleeve.

There is no enforced sizing standard in Indian womenswear, so a size letter tells you very little. The reliable method is to measure a kurti you already own and like, laid flat and smoothed out, and compare those numbers with ours. It also tells you how much room you personally prefer, which a body measurement cannot.

Not sure between two? Send us your measurements on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether it will work. We would rather answer a question than process a return.

Washing it without ruining the work

• Cold water, inside out. Hot water pulls more dye, permanently.
• Dry in shade, never in direct sun.
• Wash a new coloured piece separately the first time — standard advice for any dyed garment and cheap insurance.
• Iron on the reverse so the iron never sits directly on the thread work.