Literally means 'good' or 'okay' but it’s the Swiss Army knife of Indian conversation. Depending on the tone, it can mean 'I understand,' 'That’s great,' 'Really?' or 'I’m listening.' If you know your Geordie, it’s not dissimilar to 'Howay.'

When we don’t use natural plant dyes, we use high-quality synthetic dyes that are free from harmful Azo compounds. Safer for skin and much kinder to the water systems in Jaipur.

Sanganer’s more rustic cousin. Bagru printing usually features bold, geometric patterns on indigo or Seyali (black/ochre) backgrounds using natural resists.

Means 'Brother' and is kind of the equivalent of 'mate' in the UK, but with much more familial warmth. Being referred to as “bhai” gives you a fuzzy feeling inside rather than the impression they've forgotten your name.

This isn’t dyed brown; it grows that way. A naturally pigmented, indigenous variety of cotton that comes out of the ground in earthy tan and cinnamon shades. By using Brown Cotton, we eliminate the dyeing process entirely.

The same motif, two sizes. A buta is the larger version of the classic teardrop-shaped floral that appears in paisleys and classic Indian textile design. A buti is its smaller cousin, scattered across the fabric as a repeating pattern. You'll mainly see buti throughout the Doon range, but we'll hit you with a powerful buta down the line, do not fear!

The traditional wooden spinning wheel used to make Khadi yarn. It's a rhythmic, manual process that requires immense skill to ensure the yarn is consistent but still retains the 'human touch'. If you've ever seen pictures of Gandhi at home, he was often found spinning a charkha.

More than just tea. It’s the fuel of India. I found myself in the garage the other day with a chai in hand thinking of it as 'human petrol'. Sweet (and we mean REALLY sweet), milky, spicy, gingery, the ultimate chin-wag companion.

A proper chat over a cup of chai. The official currency of our business meetings in Jaipur. No corporate briefings, just chin-wags.

A plain-woven cotton fabric printed with bold floral or botanical designs. Originally from India, the word comes from the Hindi chint, meaning "spotted cloth." Made it to Europe in the 17th century and never quite left. You'll notice a pink chintz-esque design in our Summer 2026 cotton shirt collection.

Our mailers and tags are made from plant-based materials. Once you’ve unpacked your new favourite shirt, you can put the packaging in the compost heap. Soil to Shoulder, then back to the soil.

A mud-resist printing technique from Rajasthan. A paste made from clay, gum and wheat chaff is applied to fabric before dyeing, protecting those areas from the dye. The result: a soft, earthy pattern with a slightly rough texture. A slower process than block printing, but worth every minute.

The filler blocks. Once the Gud and Rekh outlines are set, the Datta blocks breathe colour into the design. There can be as many Datta blocks as there are colours in the pattern. Each, a unique block hand-carved for an individual shade.

The background block, often applied first. It lays the negative space of the pattern and contains the Naksh registration marks that keep everything aligned across metres of cloth.

The heart of Jaipur craftsmanship. A design is carved into a teak wood block, dipped in dye, and stamped onto the fabric by hand. The tiny, beautiful variations in where the block lands create what we call the “Human Signature.”

A weaving machine operated entirely by a person’s hands and feet, without electricity. A handloom weaver can usually produce about 4 to 5 metres of fabric a day.

The marathon runner of natural fibres. Requires very little water, captures more CO2 than most trees, and is significantly stronger than industrial cotton. Starts crisp and linen-like but gets softer and more characterful with every wash.

“Weaving with a plan.” Unlike printing, where the pattern goes on top of the fabric, Ikat patterns are created by tie-dyeing the yarn before it is woven. The hazy edges are the hallmark of a genuine Ikat.

Literally "net" or "lattice." A repeating geometric pattern that covers the whole fabric like a net, often used as a background layer in block printing. The structure behind the flowers.

A uniquely Indian concept; the art of frugal innovation, or finding a clever, grassroots fix for a problem. When a machine breaks or a resource is scarce, jugaad is what gets the job done.

Native to the Kutch region of Gujarat. Purely rain-fed, grows organically without pesticides. A slightly rugged, “toothy” texture that gives any kala garment beautiful structure.

Raw cotton. The “Soil” part of “Soil to Shoulder.”

The Hindi word for the loom itself, typically a handloom. Hindi’s a little bit older than electricity.

Often called the “Fabric of Freedom.” Refers to fabric that is both hand-spun and hand-woven. The yarn retains its natural strength and breathability because it’s never been stressed by a high-speed machine.

Our upcoming range of matching sets for the next generation. Father/Son, Uncle/Nephew (shoutout to Uncle Stink-pants). All sizes of lads and dads in the same threads. Magic.

Tiny notches carved into the corners of the Gud or Rekh blocks acting as guides for the next strike. Not a block in its own right, but the detail that makes everything else work, aligning each successive strike to keep the pattern seamless. The unsung hero of block print.

The traditional greeting, accompanied with a small bow and hands pressed together.

A dye derived from the Indigofera tinctoria plant. An “alive” dye that ages like a good pair of jeans, developing a unique patina over time.

The outline block. It can come first, it can follow the Gud. What isn't in doubt is that this is the most intricate of the three, carved with fine lines to define every leaf, petal and geometric border.

A style of block printing native to Sanganer, famous for its delicate floral motifs, fine lines, and vibrant colours on white or off-white backgrounds.

Peace or calm. There’s a bit of shanti woven into every hand-loomed shirt.

Yarn or thread. The building block of everything we make.

The Hindi terms for Warp and Weft. Tana is the longitudinal thread; Bana is the horizontal one that dances back and forth.

Pronounced teek-hay. It means "It’s alright" or "All good". Another one of the very few hindi words I've learnt to use with applomb. I love a cheeky "thik hai" when agreeing with someone on something.

In Hinduism, the Trimurti is the three in one of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (creator, preserver and transformer). So, we thought it an appropriate collective name for the block types (Gud, Rekh and Datta) that together make a complete block print pattern. Three types. Potentially many blocks. One pattern.

The two sets of threads that make up any fabric. The Warp runs vertically (long-ways) on the loom, while the Weft is the thread that the weaver passes back and forth horizontally.

Threads dyed in vats before the fabric was woven. Results in deeper, more “lived-in” colour saturation and high colourfastness.