20 August, 2018

Gamcha saree

I have worn this super soft and comfortable Gamcha saree here before. Same saree in two different locations and two different balconies and two different blouses and accessories. Gamcha has become popular across runways, designers and department stores! Well, Indian Handlooms have been there and been doing that for a long time now, and what a cool, comfortable drape the gamcha check is!

Gamcha – a word often associated with towels – is a handloom textile woven in northeastern India. Thrown on the shoulder, wrapped around the head or waist, the cotton cloth with a mix of checks and stripes, mostly in red and white, it quintessentially works as a towel, a shield against the sun, even a bedsheet for most people.

Thanks to the efforts of textile revivalists the gamcha now have a chic update to an artful, contemporary saree and I love the light as a feather, fine and soft feel you can only find in handloom cotton

Within Bengal’s weaving communities, gamchhas are made on handlooms by the women of weaver families, while the men work on more meticulous traditional Bengali saree weaves.

                                    What I love about the gamcha saree
This handloom cotton isn’t like the stereotypical stiff sarees our headmistresses wore – Quite contrarily, it is cool, comfortable, soft and fine. It moulds to the shape of your body and has a sensually elegant fall and drape.

The checks and stripes and powder bright pastels give a chic, a contemporary and smart look which looks great and takes a refreshing break from the typical Indian saree motifs, designs and borders.

It’s the perfect way to channel the gingham trend while making an ethical, conscious and fashionable choice that revives and revisits Indian heritage.

This humble weave is economical and affordable for all. That’s absolutely wonderful, for something made with so much sweat, hard work, love and devotion – completely by hand!






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