Winters bring all kinds of possibilities, when it comes to dressing up, for all genders and ages. Women are especially keen about all the fabrics and silhouettes available for bundling up in the cool days and nights. There are all sorts of fabrics available like khaddar, linen, marina, pashmina etc. Linen amongst all these is the most worn fabric, for casual wear, because of its soft, soothing feel. Ladies prefer to wear linen while at home or in comfortable settings as it provides lots of comfort and is easy to carry. It offers bold colours and prints, but it becomes wrinkled easily so it may not be the most presentable in formal settings.
Khaddar on the other hand is more for formal attire as it looks more classier and stays in shape, it stays wrinkle free for longer times so it looks presentable when in a formal gathering. It is made on hand looms, called khaddis, hence the name khaddar. It has a very rustic feel to it. It offers more muted colours and amazing designs. Because of the coarseness of the fabric, the printing on khaddar is a little more muted overall as compared to smooth and fluent printing on the linen fabric. You can find thousands of khaddar dresses in women clothing stores online. Or you can buy directly from the retail stores.
History of khaddar
Khaddar goes as far back as 6 AD. Its roots are embedded in Bengali culture, later adapted from Indian and Pakistani cultures. Hand spun on handlooms; this fabric is made with finest natural cotton strands, it sometimes also includes silk or wool strands, all spun into a yarn. The discoverers from China and Marco Polo mentioned seeing this fine fabric in 6th and 12th century, they explain it to be so fine as it was a spider’s web
History of linen
Evidence of linen cloth can be found some 30,000 years ago. It is made of flax fibres. Around 36,000 years ago, in a cave in Europe, pieces of dyed flax fibres were discovered. That gives the earliest evidence of linen fabric.
Modern fashion
Brands these days have adapted khaddar as their main product line because it looks more formal. Where linen has its at home, comfort, and soothing vibe, khaddar doesn’t fail to impress the gathering, it stands out in its own way and makes one look graceful.
Khaddar dresses
Khaddar dresses are available at a cheaper rate; therefore it is widely available and more widely used these days. The cut and stitching are clean and graceful. Khaddar doesn’t leave room for much of a drape and flow. It is a rather bulky fabric thus providing more warmth and protection from harsh weather. It is made of cotton strands; thus, it is stronger as cotton strands are less likely to break. Therefore, the production is easier and cheaper. Khaddar is also a little coarse to touch. Khaddar shalwar kameez, rouser shirts are some khaddar dresses, as they complement the grace of khaddar fabric.
Linen dresses
Linen dresses on the other hand are more flowy and they wrap better around the body. That soft and light fabric gives warmth along with comfort. Linen fabric is difficult to make as flax fibres break easily during production, hence it is a bit costlier. Linen dresses tend to have a shorter life span and they tend to wrinkle. Thus, it cannot be used in much formal attire as wrinkles don’t look presentable. Linen dresses in women clothing store come in both stitched and unstitched structures. Linen can be used for frocks or maxis or skirts as it is a more flowy fabric. It looks beautiful in such dresses.Â
Conclusion
The debate on fabrics can go on and on and on. Both have their own pros and cons. Some may swear by linen, whereas others may swear by khaddar. But what matters the most is the comfort of the customer. The retail market is dealing with sophisticated and graceful khaddar fabric more because maybe that is the demand of the public, but you may never fail to find piles and piles of linen in a pathan market, with pops of colors and vibrant prints. A personal insight: my heart lies in those piles of beautiful linen because for me comfort can always trump every other attribute!
