Handloom ikat cotton
Fabric & care
Handloom behaves differently from mill cloth. Here is what that means, and how to keep a piece looking like the day it arrived.
What you are wearing
Ikat, properly.
The yarn is tied off in sections, dyed, dried, untied and only then woven. The weaver aligns a pattern that already exists in the thread — which is why the edges feather, and why the motif drifts a little from one repeat to the next.
That drift is the proof it is real. A machine print would give you a hard edge and a perfect repeat, and it would sit on the surface of the cloth instead of going through it.
- 100% cotton, handwoven on Indian looms
- Yarn-dyed — colour through the thread, not printed on top
- Pre-washed before cutting, so most shrinkage is already done
- Bias-bound necklines and clean-finished inner seams
Not defects
What is normal in handloom
If you have only worn mill fabric, some of this will look like a mistake. It is not.
Slubs in the weave
Small thick spots where the hand-spun yarn varies. They soften with washing and never come undone.
Feathered pattern edges
The signature of ikat. The dye bleeds a little where the yarn was tied — that blur is the whole craft.
Slight colour shifts
Between one run and the next, and sometimes across a single garment. Dye lots are mixed by hand.
Colour in the first wash
Natural dyes settle. Expect a little colour in the water the first time — wash it separately and it stops.
How to wash it
The first wash
Cold water, on its own, no other clothes. Handloom dyes settle in the first wash and you do not want them settling onto something white.
Every wash after
Machine wash cold on a gentle cycle, or hand wash. Turn it inside out first — that protects the face of the weave from abrasion in the drum.
Detergent
Mild detergent only. No bleach, no oxygen brighteners, no long soaking. Anything harsh enough to lift a stain is harsh enough to lift the dye.
Drying
Dry in the shade, inside out. Direct sun is what actually flattens handloom colour — far more than washing does. Do not tumble dry.
Ironing
Warm iron on the reverse, while very slightly damp. Steam is kinder to cotton than a dry press. Never iron directly over a lace-up cord or a tassel.
Storing
Fold rather than hang for long periods — cotton on a thin hanger will eventually mark at the shoulders. Keep it dry and away from direct light.
Looked after, this outlasts three fast-fashion tops.
Cotton softens with every wash. Handloom cotton softens and keeps its structure — which is the entire argument for buying fewer, better things.