How To Evaluate Quality of Hand Woven Clothes from India

Are you planning to buy hand woven fabrics in India? To ensure that the fabrics you buy are of the best quality, you need to check the grain, nap and content of the fabric.

Hand woven Indian clothes have traditionally been known for the quality of their embroidery work and prints. In the post-independence period, India’s textile industry has to an extent regained its pre-eminence. Keeping environmental factors in mind, garment manufacturers are coming up with a wide range of hand woven fabrics. But to be sure that the hand woven fabrics you select can be used over a long span of time, you will need to select apparels with great care. Here are some of the ways in which you can evaluate the quality of hand woven clothes that are produced in India: -

Check the content of the fabric

One rule of the thumb that you should follow while evaluating the quality of a handmade fabric is to check the content of the fabric that has been used to produce this type of apparel. Scrutinize the content label on the neck of the clothing so as to know about the content of the fabric.

Usually, natural fibers such as cotton and silk have a higher durability as compared to synthetic. Therefore, you need to give precedence to handmade clothes that are made from natural fibers. Clothes produced from natural fibers can retain their shape over a long span of time and can endure regular wash.

Verify the fabric’s hand

Also, make it a point to check the hand of the fabric, i.e. the way it feels on being touched. You can easily find out the difference between a fabric of a high quality and a fabric of a low quality while checking the quality of hand woven fabrics in India. You can use this procedure to check the quality of any type of hand woven apparel. Some will have a better feel and will be easier to drape and use as compared to others. You should give first preference to fabrics that are soft, smooth and lightweight.

Check the fabric grain and nap

Ideally, garments should be cut along a fabric’s grain. You can determine the quality of the grain by closely looking for the lengthiest line of the woven thread. Experienced artisans use sufficient amount of fabrics to ensure that all pattern pieces are placed on the fabric’s grain prior to cutting. This ensures a presentable, uniform look to the apparel. Also, make it a point to look for a fabric with a noticeable nap. The nap will need to be in the same direction on both legs of the salwar and at the front and back part of the top.

Make the fabric undergo a scrunch test

One of the best ways to judge the quality of a fabric is to make it undergo a scrunch test. If you find that it wrinkles, then it would be wise to avoid such apparel. On the other hand, if it doesn’t wrinkle, then you can be sure that it is of high quality.

The author is a journalist who covers life style and fashion based topics such as hand woven fabrics in India. The ideas shared in the article are personal

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