Printed Vintage Summer Short Kaftan from Jodhpur
Dry clean only. Store folded in a soft muslin pouch away from direct sunlight to keep the sheen alive.
Description
Jodhpur has always known how to dress the heat with grace. This short kaftan draws from the city's long tradition of block-print artisanship, where motifs travel from carved wooden blocks onto fabric with the ease of a practiced hand. The art silk carries a gentle luminosity that flatters each colourway, whether the blush warmth of Aurora Pink, the earthy depth of Tobacco Brown, or the spirited layering of Multicolor. Paisley, that most travelled of patterns, finds a natural home here, echoing Rajasthan's centuries-old vocabulary of curvilinear ornament. Lightweight and fluid, the silhouette is designed for summer afternoons when comfort and intention must coexist without compromise. Wear it over slim cotton trousers for a relaxed daytime gathering, or let it stand alone as a dress with flat kolhapuri sandals and a single silver bangle. The kaftan moves best when left largely unadorned, allowing the print to carry its own quiet conversation.
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Behind this piece
Jodhpur has long been a city of bold visual instincts, where Rajasthani craft traditions meet a surprisingly cosmopolitan sensibility. This kaftan draws on that inheritance: the vintage print vocabulary borrows from the block-printing ateliers that have operated along the city's blue-walled lanes for generations, translating traditional motifs into a silhouette built for heat and ease. Art silk, a woven fabric that carries the luminosity of natural silk without its fragility, allows the printed colours, Aurora Pink, Tobacco Brown, Salsa and the others, to sit with genuine depth against the cloth.
How to style
Wear the Aurora Pink or White Onyx over wide-leg ivory palazzo trousers for a sun-terrace lunch, finishing with kolhapuri flats and oxidised silver jhumkas. The Paisley Purple reads beautifully as a beach cover-up layered over a swimsuit, paired with wooden beaded earrings and tan leather sandals. For a relaxed evening gathering, choose Tobacco Brown or Multicolor, knot a thin cotton dupatta loosely at the hip, slip on block-heeled mojaris, and let a single statement polki bangle carry the jewellery. Each colourway suits the kaftan's unstructured ease differently.
Fabric & care
Art silk is sensitive to heat and prolonged moisture. Hand wash in cool water with a mild, pH-neutral detergent, keeping agitation gentle and brief. Never wring; instead, press the fabric softly between two clean towels to remove excess water. Dry flat in shade, away from direct sunlight, which can shift printed pigments over time. Iron on a low, synthetic setting with a pressing cloth between the iron and the surface. Store folded loosely in a breathable cotton bag, not a plastic cover, to prevent the fibres from yellowing or losing their characteristic sheen.
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