Before you commit

Swatches, posted free

A colour on a screen is a guess. Ask for swatches on the measurement form — there is a box for it — and hold the cloth against the rest of the outfit first.

Raw silk
Matte, holds a collar, the default for a sherwani
Silk blend
Slight sheen, lighter, better in Indian summer heat
Velvet
Winter and evening. Heavy, and photographs deep
Cotton-silk
Daytime mehendi and haldi. Breathes
Brocade
Woven pattern, usually for a dupatta rather than a whole piece
Bandhani
Tie-dyed, for dupattas, stoles and safa

How to ask

The measurement form has a swatches box, ticked by default. Tell us the colours you are working around — the lehenga, the safa, the flowers — and we will choose six to send rather than making you pick blind from a list.

Questions we get

What does a swatch cost?: Nothing, including the postage, anywhere in the world. It is cheaper for us to post you cloth than to re-cut a sherwani in a colour you did not expect.
How big are they?: Roughly four inches square — big enough to see the weave and to hold against a lehenga or a turban, too small to be useful for anything else.
How long do they take to arrive?: Two to three days in India, seven to twelve elsewhere. We post them the day after you ask.
Can I see the embroidery too?: Yes — say so and we will include a worked corner sample rather than plain cloth, so you can feel the weight of the zari.
Do I have to order afterwards?: No. Ask for swatches, decide against it, and that is the end of it. You will not be chased.