Kota Doria Dress Material Powder Blue Floral Yoke

This two piece unstitched dress material kurta top and dupatta the sheer checked cotton from Kaithoon near Kota in Rajasthan The ivory white top is set off by a tone on tone powder blue embroidered yoke of fine flowers and leaves with soft blue buti scattered down the body the matching sheer dupatta carries the powder blue colourway through an embroidered floral border The signature of a true Kota Doria is its khat the lattice of tiny squares formed by alternating finer and coarser cotton yarns across the loom Handwoven those squares are subtly uneven shifting by a fraction across the width because each is beaten in by hand a powerloom check sits flat and rigidly even on heavier often synthetic cloth Lift the fabric to the light and the open weave glows crisp from a traditional starch rather than a chemical finish and almost weightless to hold The flowers are surface thread embroidery turn the cloth over and the stitch paths and knots appear where a print would only show through flat A GI protected handloom Kota Doria has been the craft of Kaithoon s weaver families for generations of pit loom weaving It is valued for being light and see through enough for the hottest months while still draping with a clean crisp line a balance few sheer fabrics manage Tailored as a straight kurta the soft powder blue yoke against the ivory ground reads calm and refined easy for office wear daytime events and quiet celebrations the dupatta completes the set The airy cotton keeps you cool and the blue on ivory palette pairs gently with silver white or navy