In the ever-evolving fashion industry, one ensemble that never has gone out of style and never will do so is a kurta set. This is by far the most comfortable way to look beautiful and stand out on any occasion.
Kurta sets are the ideal year-round companions in terms of wardrobe basics; no wonder kurtas of different lengths with pants, salwars, patialas, shararas, leggings, churidars and palazzos are the most commonly worn outfits for women in Indian metropolitans.
From the daily grind to neighbourly visits, brunch meetings, shopping trips with friends, dinner parties, birthday celebrations and wedding ceremonies – kurta sets for women make for versatile wear and they elevate your look every time. When choosing a kurta with its corresponding bottoms and dupatta, odhani, or stole, the sky’s the limit.
Embroidered Kurtas for Women
Some of the most charming varieties of kurtas are those embroidered with fine motifs and patterns. It doesn’t matter if your kurta is made of not-so-soft linen, delicate organzas, glistening silks and satins, airy cottons, chic chiffons, comfortable cambrics, or even wool, the needle covers all.
Embroidered kurtas give the wearer an aura of refined sartorial taste. Light threadwork makes you stand out in your regular haunts such as the workplace or community events, while heavy embellishment makes you look like a dream during celebratory occasions like grand weddings.
Some Indian Embroideries
In the beautiful cultural mix that is India, you find a bouquet of craft skills, techniques and stunning details in the realm of hand-embellished clothing.
Chikankari from Lucknow can be traced a few hundred years to the courts of royalty. Original chikan work features paisleys and floral vines embroidered along block-printed blueprints. These are achieved with complex stitching techniques like “tepchi”, “bakhiya”, “khatau”, etc.
The Bengali kantha is more folk in nature; it consists of the simple running stitch creating animated forms – birds, trees, fish – on an upcycled patchwork of cloth.
In Punjab’s Phulkari, silken thread creates dense patterns embroidered through a comprehensive set of traditional stitches, especially the darning stitch. Some motifs are geometric, and some are inspired by flowers and leaves. A bride’s trousseau is incomplete without Phulkari.
The threadwork of Kutch, Gujarat, originated in nomadic traditions and has come down generations adorning the coarse cotton fabric characteristic of the area. Embroidered forms complement applique and mirror-work. Kutchi embroidery does not just decorate clothing, but also accessories like bags and shoes.
In Kasuti embroidery of Karnataka, stitches such as the traditional “negi”, “menthi” create gorgeous geometric forms on cotton. This craft was born in the royal Mysore court a few hundred years ago.
Zardozi and gota patti originated during the Mughal era as crafts that used metallic beads, sequins and delicate wires for a regal, shimmering look. These techniques were once accomplished with precious metals and the embroidered cloth was used on special, ceremonial occasions.
Designer Kurta Sets
On India’s premiere e-Commerce portals for luxury fashion, such as Tata CLiQ Luxury, Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop, Ajio Luxe, etc., you’ll find designer kurtas and complete kurta sets featuring the types of hand-embroidered work described above. You’ll also find exquisite hand-block prints, resist-dyed patterns, traditional weaves, and intricate machine embroidered patterns often interspersed with shimmering sequin work.
