Cannoli-Cream Pure Wool Long Jacket from Kashmir with Aari-Hand Embroidered Giant Flowers
Dry clean recommended. Store with natural cedar or neem leaves. Avoid direct sunlight and moisture.
Description
There are flowers that bloom only under a needle. This long jacket is worked in the Aari tradition of Kashmir, where artisans use a hooked awl to pull silk thread through wool in continuous chain stitches, building petals of extraordinary scale and dimension. The ground fabric is pure wool, soft and substantial, in a shade that recalls the ivory interior of a cannoli shell: creamy, warm, and quietly luminous. Giant blooms travel across the surface with the unhurried confidence of a craft that has been practised in the Kashmir Valley for centuries, each motif demanding hours of focused, silent work. The result sits between garment and heirloom, between wearing and keeping. Pair it over a fine cotton kurta in ivory or pale blush for a gathering that asks for grace without ceremony. It carries equal conviction draped over tailored trousers on a winter evening when the occasion calls for something that cannot be replicated by any machine, anywhere.
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Behind this piece
Aari embroidery takes its name from the hooked needle that Kashmiri craftsmen have wielded for centuries, coaxing thread into bloom across wool and pashmina with a precision that no machine can replicate. Here, that tradition is given generous scale: giant flowers rendered in hand-stitched detail across a ground of cannoli-cream pure wool, warm as a winter afternoon in the Valley. The motifs draw from the same floral vocabulary that once adorned royal shawls for Mughal courts, translated now into a long jacket that carries that lineage quietly, without announcement.
How to style
Wear this jacket over a slim ivory or wheat-toned kurta in chanderi or cotton silk, with straight-cut trousers in the same palette, for a literary festival or winter gallery opening. For a wedding guest look, layer it over a deep burgundy or forest-green anarkali and finish with jadau or polki earrings. On quieter days, pair it with dark indigo jeans, a fine merino turtleneck, and tan leather kolhapuris. The cream ground accommodates both restraint and richness equally, making it a reliable anchor across occasions.
Fabric & care
Pure wool breathes and holds warmth, but demands gentleness in return. Dry-clean this jacket after extended wear rather than washing at home, as water and agitation can cause the fibres to felt and the Aari embroidery to distort. If airing is needed between wears, hang it briefly in cool, indirect light and never in direct sun. Store folded, not on a hanger, wrapped in a soft muslin cloth inside a breathable bag. Keep cedar blocks nearby to deter moths. Handled with patience, this jacket will hold its structure and lustre for many winters.
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