Chikankari Mul Chanderi Dress Material Ivory Blue Green

An unstitched chikankari cotton dress material from Lucknow in cool ivory embroidered in grey blue and pale mint Criss cross jaali style lattice panels run either side of the neckline placket with floral vines trailing along the sides a quieter cooler palette than the usual whites and pastels The lattice is your authenticity check In true Lucknowi jaali the artisan teases warp and weft apart with the needle to open tiny windows in the cloth no thread is ever cut so hold it to the light and the openwork glows without any backing mesh Machine versions stitch a net look pattern on top of intact fabric or fuse a separate mesh behind cutwork Look also at the reverse hand chikankari shows knots and travelling threads between motifs machine work is flat and continuous And the vines will not mirror each other perfectly hand embroidery never repeats exactly Chikankari has been Lucknow s signature craft for generations and holds a GI tag jaali bakhiya and phanda are among the named stitches that define it Each suit set passes through the hands of embroiderers washers and finishers before it is complete Have it stitched into an office ready straight set with the lattice yoke on display or a softer flared kurta for evenings The blue green threadwork pairs naturally with silver jewellery and cotton dupattas