Purple and Beige Printed Short Kaftan with Dori at Waist
Dry clean only. Store folded in a soft muslin pouch away from direct sunlight to keep the sheen alive.
Description
There is a particular ease that only a kaftan knows, the kind that settles around the body like a quiet exhale. This short kaftan is cut from art silk, a fabric that borrows the luminous drape of pure silk and translates it into something wonderfully approachable. The print arranges itself in a interplay of deep purple and warm beige, drawing on the flat-block and screen-printing traditions that have long dressed the subcontinent in pattern and story. A dori at the waist offers the gentlest suggestion of shape, allowing the silhouette to remain fluid without ever becoming shapeless. Art silk in this weight responds beautifully to movement, catching light as the wearer walks and settling softly at rest. It is the kind of piece that belongs equally to a slow afternoon at home and to a relaxed gathering where comfort is worn with intention. Pair it with flat kolhapuris in tan leather and a single oxidised pendant for a look that feels considered without effort. In the evenings, a fine cotton dupatta in ivory will bring the whole composition together with the most understated grace.
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Behind this piece
The kaftan as a silhouette carries centuries of meaning across South Asian and Central Asian courts, where draped, ungirdled garments signalled ease and authority in equal measure. This piece reinterprets that lineage in art silk, a fabric whose luminous surface catches light the way hand-woven mulberry silk once did in Benares ateliers. The dori at the waist is a distinctly Indian flourish, recalling the knotted closures of traditional angarkhas. Block-printed in purple and warm beige, the surface pattern speaks to the vocabulary of Rajasthani hand-printing, where negative space is treated as deliberately as the motif itself.
How to style
For a terrace evening or a curated house gathering, wear this kaftan with wide-leg ivory palazzo trousers and flat kolhapuri chappals in tan leather. If the occasion calls for more structure, layer a slim fitted churidar beneath and cinch the dori snugly, then add oxidised silver jhumkas for quiet contrast. For a weekend brunch, pair it over straight cropped jeans, leave the dori loose, and finish with block-printed canvas juttis in mustard or rust. A beaded potli clutch in antique gold completes each of these three readings without competing with the print.
Fabric & care
Art silk is a cellulose-based fibre, typically viscose, that mimics the drape of pure silk but requires its own considered handling. Hand-wash in cool water using a mild, pH-neutral detergent; never wring or twist the fabric. Rinse thoroughly in a single change of clean water. Roll the kaftan gently in a dry cotton towel to absorb excess moisture, then hang in open shade. Press on a low-heat setting with a pressing cloth between iron and fabric. Store folded in a breathable muslin bag, away from direct sunlight, to preserve both colour saturation and the fabric's characteristic sheen.
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