The weaves
Every saree on this site is filed by the loom it came off. This is what each weave is, where it is made, and what to look for before you buy one — from us or from anyone else.
Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu
Mulberry silk with a contrast korvai border joined by hand.
Run a thumbnail along the join between border and body. A korvai Kanjivaram has a ridged interlock where two warps were joined by hand; a powerloom copy is flat. Burn-testing a loose zari thread leaves a copper-red residue if the core is real silver.
Dry clean only. Store folded in cotton or muslin — never plastic — and refold along a different line every three months so the zari does not crack along a permanent crease.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Katan silk brocaded with real zari in Mughal-era motifs.
Turn it over. A kadhua Banarasi has a clean reverse because each motif is woven as its own unit; a cutwork piece shows trimmed float threads. A genuine handloom piece also carries small irregularities in motif spacing.
Dry clean only, and keep it out of direct light — zari dulls faster than silk fades.
Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh
Silk-cotton so fine it is nearly translucent, with a glassy finish.
Hold it to the light. Real Chanderi is unusually transparent because the silk is never degummed, and it has a glassy sheen a polyester blend cannot reproduce — a blend feels slippery and warm, Chanderi feels dry and cool.
Dry clean for the first wash, then hand wash cold in shade. Iron on the reverse while slightly damp.
Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh
Reversible borders and a light, crisp fall. A summer saree.
Look at the border from both sides. A true Maheshwari bugdi border is finished on both faces in two colourways and can be worn either way out.
Dry clean, or hand wash cold in shade. Iron on the reverse.
Pochampally, Telangana
Yarn resist-dyed before it is woven, so the pattern is in the thread.
The motif edges should look slightly feathered. Ikat patterns are dyed into the yarn before weaving, so perfect alignment is impossible; a razor-sharp "ikat" is a screen print.
Hand wash separately in cold water for the first three washes — natural indigo bleeds. Dry in shade.
Nadia, West Bengal
Supplementary weft picked by hand, motif by motif, on the loom.
The motifs float on the surface with no long threads carried behind them, because each is inserted by hand. Weight is another tell: real Jamdani is startlingly light for how much pattern it carries.
Hand wash cold with no wringing. Dry flat in shade. Light starch restores the original crispness.
Bhagalpur, Bihar
Wild silk with a deep gold cast and a dry, textured hand.
Tussar has a dry, papery hand and irregular slubs along the yarn — a smooth, uniformly shiny "tussar" is mulberry silk or a blend.
Dry clean only, particularly if the pallu is hand-painted. Store rolled rather than folded through a painted panel.
Bhagalpur, Bihar
Handwoven linen in high counts — the everyday summer saree.
Handloom linen creases softly rather than sharply and shows a slightly uneven weave under raking light. Count is stated on the label — 100 and above is fine, 60 is coarse.
Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle from the third wash onwards. Line dry in shade. Steam or iron damp for a crisp fall.
Across India
Handloom cotton in high counts, washed soft before it ships.
Handloom cotton has a slightly uneven selvedge and a soft, matte surface. Mill cotton is mechanically even and often feels sized or starched when new.
Hand wash cold for the first three washes to set the dye, then machine wash gentle. Dry in shade.
Surat, Gujarat
Fluid, lightweight and forgiving — drapes closest to the body.
Georgette is made from highly twisted yarn, so it has a faint grainy surface and springs back when crushed in the fist. Polyester georgette stays creased longer and feels warm against the skin.
Dry clean recommended. Hand wash cold with a mild detergent if you prefer; never wring.
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Sheer and structured, holds a sculpted pleat.
Silk organza is crisp but not stiff, and it warms in the hand. Nylon organza feels cold, plasticky and squeaks slightly when rubbed.
Dry clean only. Store hanging, never folded — organza holds a crease.
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Matte silk with a pebbled surface and a heavy, quiet fall.
A pebbled matte surface with a heavy, straight fall. If it shines, it is not crepe.
Dry clean only. Hang to store; crepe recovers from creasing slowly.
