Long Jacket from Kashmir with Intricate Aari Embroidered Paisley Vine
Dry clean recommended. Store with natural cedar or neem leaves. Avoid direct sunlight and moisture.
Description
Some garments do not simply clothe; they carry an entire valley within their seams. This long jacket is worked in the Aari tradition of Kashmir, a craft in which a fine hooked needle pulls silk thread through fabric with a precision that takes years, often decades, to master. The motif here is the paisley vine, that ancient teardrop form called boteh, rendered in interlacing tendrils across a ground of pure wool. Kashmiri wool carries warmth without weight, and in the colourways of Cannoli Cream and Jet Black, the embroidery reads with particular clarity, the pale ground lending the vine an almost luminous quality, while the black offers depth and quiet drama. This is a piece suited to festive gatherings, winter weddings, or any occasion that calls for considered dressing rather than mere decoration. The jacket falls long, making it as much a statement layer as a garment in its own right. Wear it over a silk kurta in ivory or ivory-adjacent tones, or layer it above straight-cut trousers in deep charcoal for an evening that needs no further embellishment.
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Behind this piece
Aari embroidery takes its name from the hooked needle, the aari, that craftsmen in the Kashmir Valley have wielded for centuries. Worked entirely by hand across pure wool, each paisley vine on this jacket follows a tradition rooted in the old ateliers of Srinagar, where the boteh motif travelled inward from Persian courts and became distinctly Kashmiri in temperament. The vine form, continuous and unhurried, demands months of concentrated labour. On cream or black wool, the embroidery does not merely decorate the surface; it rewrites it, stitch by deliberate stitch.
How to style
Wear the cannoli cream jacket over a silk ivory kurta with wide-leg ivory palazzos for a winter festive lunch; finish with kundan studs and ivory mojris. For the jet black, layer it over a fine black turtleneck and tailored cigarette trousers for an evening gallery opening, anchored by oxidised silver earrings. A third reading: pair either colourway with a simple cotton kurta and straight churidaar for a winter wedding ceremony, letting the embroidery hold the occasion without any further embellishment. Block-heeled kolhapuris ground both looks beautifully.
Fabric & care
Pure Kashmiri wool is resilient but rewards careful handling. Dry-clean is the preferred method to preserve the dimensional Aari threadwork. If hand-washing at home, use cool water below 30 degrees Celsius with a mild wool-specific detergent; never wring or twist the fabric. Lay flat on a clean towel to dry away from direct sunlight, which fades wool slowly but irreversibly. Store folded, never hung, wrapped in a cotton muslin cloth. Place dried neem leaves or cedar blocks nearby to discourage moths. With this care, the jacket will outlast many seasons.
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