In A Beautiful Thread, Woman Shares Fabrics From Different States Of India

India is a diverse country with a plethora of people and cultures living on the same mainland. No matter where you travel in India you will come across something you have never seen whether it is people, rituals, traditions or clothes. Clothes hold a lot of significance to a culture and it’s fairly common for people to buy traditional clothes of a region.

However, the lack of education about the region force us to buy the same old clothes wallowing over how we couldn’t find a traditional outfit. But fret not, because we have amongst our midst a rescuer of sorts.

A Twitter user who goes by the handle LEDtvn highlighted a lot of different types of fabrics and textiles in a recent tweet which can help you on your next shopping spree. Honestly, we are in awe of the diversity in our country.

I am proud of being a Fashion Graduate and it’s my pleasure to write a thread on Indian Textiles (Fabrics, Prints and Embroidery). Below is the thread on some textiles. Thank you.

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

1. This one is fairly simple and highlighted at length in our history books.

KHADI – India
Khadi is a handspun, hand-woven natural fiber cloth. it is also known as khaddar
or swadeshi fabric. Fibers are spun into yarn on a spinning wheel called a charkha. It is a versatile fabric, cool in summer and warm in winter. This doesn’t require more introduction. pic.twitter.com/BUpX9Rxf7t

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

2. I love the Kanha on the fabric.

KALAMKARI-
Srikalahasti & Macchlipatnam, Andhra
Kalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile. There are two distinctive styles of kalamkari art in India – the Srikalahasti style (done with pen, purely hand work and the Machilipatnam style (block printing) pic.twitter.com/1gwGkFPOeI

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

3. One of the most popular textiles which we all want to own someday!

BANARASI SILK
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Banarsi silk saari known for gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The saari is decorated with intricate design inspired by Mughal, floral and foliate motifs, mango leaves motifs and minakari work. pic.twitter.com/IxoFMbw8yd

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

4. Lucknow me chikan khate bhi hai aur pehente bhi hai.

CHIKANKARI EMBOIDERY –
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Chikankari is an art, which results in the transformation of the plainest cotton and organdi into flowing yards of magic. Chikankari is a long running or darning stitch worked with six strands on the right side of the fabric. pic.twitter.com/dQoEtdPDBG

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

5. Beautiful!

SAMBHALPURI FABRIC –
Sambhalpur, Odisha
Sambalpuri is a traditional handwoven ikat wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. In this technique, the threads are first tie-dyed and later woven into a fabric, with the entire process taking many weeks. pic.twitter.com/XbXeKUGU87

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

6. Wow! That’s some achievement.

IKAT FABRIC –
Pochampalli, Hyderabad
This double ikat textile is known for its geometric pattern and an intentional bleed. The place pochampally has got it place in UNESCO World heritage site as a part of iconic weaving cluster of India. pic.twitter.com/2t457nfOJ2

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

7. Who doesn’t love a little zari in their lives?

CHANDERI –
Madhya Pradesh
A beautiful blend of Cotton, Silk thread and zari results to Chanderi fabric. Traditional looms are used as a primary means of production. These include Dobby & Jacquard Looms. Most Chanderis have a rich gold border and butis all over fabric. pic.twitter.com/O2FuEkKLFa

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

8. The effort of making the fabric look the same can surely be seen on it.

PAITHANI BROCADE –
Aurangabad, Maharashta
The art of weaving Paithani is 2000 years old. The fabric looks exactly same on the both sides. It is made of silk with zari on the border & made in rainbow colors. Traditional flowers and forms of birds esp peacock are used as motifs pic.twitter.com/2aOlijBNHN

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

9. Woah! That’s a long long time.

PATOLA FABRIC-
Patan, Gujarat
Patola is a double ikat woven fabric, usually made from silk. Patola means “Queen of Silks” are woven with great clarity and precision. Expensive due to their labour intensiveness, each patola sari may take from six months to one year to be made. pic.twitter.com/mdnrRFnq52

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

10. The beauty of the Pashmina is unparalleled.

PASHMINA –
Kashmir
Pashmina is made from fineness of the cream coloured goat’s wool having intricate embroidery. It takes a week to weave a single shawl. Hand embroidery is done which takes more time to make it an end product. The tedious work makes it one of the costliest fabric pic.twitter.com/8arHrmji2g

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

11. Kind of want to give all my money for this.

PHULKARI –
Punjab
Phulkari, which literally translates into 'flower work. With the simplest of tools, a needle, a silk thread and a high degree of skill the Punjabi's are able to create the most amazing flowery surface designs. Phulkari pattern revolves around a solitary stitch. pic.twitter.com/WjOveulfMO

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

12. It’s comfortable too!

BANDHNI –
Gujarat (also Rajasthan)
Dyed in tie & dye style, it is a highly skilled process. In this the fabric is tied into small points with threads and when dyed, the knotted parts remain uncoloured. Different types of tying are leheriya, mothda, ekdali, trikundi, etc pic.twitter.com/sY2CstVt5U

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

14. *Heart skips a beat*

KANJIVARAM –
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Kanjivaram is woven from pure mulberry silk with three ply, using thick zari forming unique and intricate designs in the sari. Weavers use Korvai method of weaving in which different colored yarn for body and border are interlinked. pic.twitter.com/Ujz0O69lwS

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

15. Nothing can beat Silk!

MYSORE SILK –
Mysuru, Karnataka
The saris have plain single colour base fabric of 100% mulberry silk with a narrow strip of gold zari border at both ends.The weaving process involves two types of looms – the Dobby loom and the Jacquard loom. pic.twitter.com/VHmONzTVod

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

16. A fabric with a meaning.

KINNAURI SHAWLS –
Kullu, Himanchal
Their geometrical patterns have religious meaning and the colors of the thread used for embroidery represent the elements of nature. The raw material that is used is Merino wool, local sheep wool and Pashmina wool. pic.twitter.com/y8bo2KjLGH

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

17. The simplicity speaks for itself.

JAMDANI –
West Bengal
Basically this fabric is of unbleached cotton yarn. Saris are woven using this method are called as terchha. The part of the sari which goes over the shoulder is decorated with motifs called jhalar. The glory of this fabric can be seen in Arthshashtra. pic.twitter.com/KatGDNRunt

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

18. To look at it being made is a magical experience.

MUGA SILK –
Assam
Muga silk, which is mainly produced by the Garo community of Assam, is obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm. The most significant characteristic of 'Muga silk' is its golden bright hue. pic.twitter.com/CxLQpWzuyD

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

19. I am in love with the gold border.

KASAVU –
Kerala
Kasavu is a handwoven cream colored saree with gold border. The sari also found its place in a number of beautiful paintings by Raja Ravi Varma. pic.twitter.com/GrWTPhCmGy

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

20. It’s really sad that a traditional fabric can cease to exist.

MADRAS CHECKS (plaid) –
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Madras checks are lightweight cotton fabrics with patterned texture and plaid design. The main color is red and the process is yarn dying. Due to high labour structure, the fabric is getting faded from India. pic.twitter.com/ecY2VnneAm

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

21. Queen of Fabrics and rightly so!

BHAGALPURI SILK –
Bhagalpur, Bihar
Also known as the ‘Queen of all fabrics’. The yarns are weaved with silk threads of multi colors which are reared from the Tussar cocoons. They are weaved into exotic and symbolic designs and motifs. pic.twitter.com/vzN9rS69vj

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

22. You’ll see these everywhere in Sikkim.

LEPCHA –
Sikkim
In ancient times, the Lepcha's of Sikkim were said to use yarn spun out of stinging nettle (sisnu) plant to weave clothes. Today cotton and woollen yarn are used with vegetable dyes and synthetic colours. The colors used are white, red, black, yellow and green. pic.twitter.com/zzsS51FKPa

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

23. What sorcery is this?

KOTA DORIA –
Kaithoon village, Rajasthan
Kota Doria fabric have square weave pattern which makes it one of the finest open weave fabric .The cotton, silk and zari (fine metal threads) yarns is weaving on the pit loom that produces these patterns. pic.twitter.com/unjdh81mu7

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

24. How soothing to the eyes!

AJRAKH-
Kutch Gujarat & Barmer Rajasthan
The term “Ajrak”, may be derived from “Azrak”, meaning blue in Arabic, as blue happens to be the one of the principal colours in Ajrak printing. Printing is done with natural dyes, using carved wooden blocks for pattern. pic.twitter.com/OyXstwkFVH

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

25. Amazing!

NARAYAN PETH SARI –
Solapur, Maharasthra
Narayan Peth sari is a traditional Maharashtrian sari, beautifully woven in silk with a contrasting zari border, generally with 'rudraksha' motifs. pic.twitter.com/hryo3ikJ5Q

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 26, 2018

26. It’s so pretty I’m gonna die!

KANTHA
West Bengal
Kantha is done on tussar silk with a simple running stitch along the edges. Motifs found in Kantha embroidery include many symbols that were derived from ancient art and are reflective of nature, such as the sun, the tree of life and the the universe. pic.twitter.com/3LZy0uUhp2

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 27, 2018

27. You know what to buy the next time you’re in Goa.

KUNBI FABRIC –
GOA
Kunbi is a cotton chequered sari in red and white with a sturdy weave good enough to be worn for farming. It has dobby border, which is essentially a silken flat inset. Recently, designer Wendel Rodricks promoted the fabric in a Fashion Week. pic.twitter.com/QK55MT3499

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 27, 2018

28. Breath-taking!

BAGRU PRINT –
Rajasthan
Bagru is a traditional printing technique using natural dyes and colors, prominent is the indigo dye. Motifs are transferred with wooden blocks following two styles direct and resist style. The fabric is considered as eco friendly. pic.twitter.com/n67ZY4iBlT

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 27, 2018

29. They contrast beautifully!

ILKAL SARI
Karnataka
With its origin in the Ilkal town of Karnataka, Ilkal is woven using cotton warp on the body and art silk warp for border and silk warp for pallu portion of the saree. Pallu and body is joined with kondi technique. red and white are the main colors. pic.twitter.com/e1yQ50pPrS

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 27, 2018

30. Great for a formal evening.

MANGALGIRI FABRIC
Vijaywada & Guntur, Andhra
It is a fabric in prominently cotton with zari border. Main body which is totally plain and zari border are in contrasting colours. Now many fabrics are made in checks pattern, in cotton silk, etc pic.twitter.com/w2UeAkPgMA

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 27, 2018

31. *Dreams of a waistcoat like this*

SANGNERI PRINT
Rajasthan
Sanganeri printing gained high popularity in the 16th and 17th centuries in all European countries with its Calico prints and became one of the major exports of the East India Company. Sanganer motifs are mostly floral based and intricate detailing. pic.twitter.com/9wYAf9hUMd

— this account is dead (@LEDtvn) January 27, 2018

Wasn’t it mindblowing to travel through the country in just a glance? I didn’t even know so many types of fabric existed. Let us know your favourite.