Kota Doria Dress Material Powder Blue Floral Jaal

This cotton dress material is hand block printed in the Kaithoon cluster near Kota Rajasthan The translucent white ground is woven in the classic khat square check of cotton and silk and the top fabric is covered edge to edge in a fine floral jaal a trailing vine of powder blue stems and small rose pink blossoms printed densely across the cloth The dupatta carries the same delicate jaal with a slim blue floral border running along its length The surest handloom tell on a dense jaal like this is the reverse because each small flower is stamped by hand from a carved block the dye bleeds cleanly through to the back so the print reads almost as strongly on the underside Run a finger along the repeats and you will find the gentle honest imperfections of block work a join where one block press meets the next a motif sitting a hair off its neighbour edges that feather into the open weave A machine screen print would sit only on the face of the fabric and leave the back nearly blank with every flower razor identical Kota Doria is GI protected and famously light the cotton silk khat lets air move straight through it which is exactly why it is a hot weather favourite The faint crispness of a new piece comes from the traditional rice starch sizing and relaxes into a soft breathable drape after a wash or two It makes an easy summer kurta set for the office or a casual daytime occasion the all over powder blue jaal is gentle and feminine and the hand printed ground gives it a quiet hand made character that a printed mill fabric cannot fake