Caring for your blouse
Hand work lasts decades — if you treat it like hand work.
A stitched blouse will outlive a glued one many times over, but zari, zardozi wire and stone settings still have their rules. These fifteen points are the same card we pack with every order — most of them cost nothing and take seconds.
Cleaning
Water is the enemy of zari and zardozi — everything here follows from that.
- 01
Dry-clean only. Never machine wash, never soak, never hand-wash. Water dulls zari, tarnishes zardozi wire and can rust the metal in kundan settings.
- 02
Tell your dry-cleaner it is hand embroidery with metal work and stones, and ask for gentle solvent cleaning with the work protected. Avoid cleaners who press the piece flat under a machine.
- 03
For a small mark, dab — do not rub — with a dry white cloth, and take it to the cleaner rather than treating it at home.
- 04
Iron only from the reverse, on low heat, with a cotton cloth between the iron and the fabric.
- 05
Never iron over stones, kundan or 3-D motifs at all. Press the plain areas around them.
Storing
Most damage we repair happened in a cupboard, not at a function.
- 06
Turn the blouse inside out before storing, so the work faces inward.
- 07
Wrap in muslin, unbleached cotton or butter paper. Never store in plastic or polythene — trapped moisture tarnishes metal and spots silk.
- 08
Store heavy bridal blouses flat, not on a hanger; the weight of a full-jaal blouse pulls the shoulders out of shape within months. Medium and regular work can hang on a padded hanger.
- 09
Keep it away from damp, direct sunlight and naphthalene balls in direct contact. Use a dry neem leaf or a cloth-wrapped silica sachet.
Wearing
Three habits that keep the work bright through a full wedding season.
- 10
Spray perfume and deodorant before you dress, and let it dry. Alcohol discolours zari and loosens stone foil backs.
- 11
Wear a cotton underarm shield for long functions — sweat is the single biggest cause of tarnished zardozi.
- 12
Take jewellery, watches and bangles off carefully; a clasp catching a chain stitch can pull a whole run loose.
If something goes wrong
A loose stone is normal life for hand work — here is what to do, and not do.
- 13
If a stone comes off, keep it and bring both to us. Never re-glue it yourself — fabric glue stains permanently and cannot be reversed.
- 14
Air the blouse for a few hours after a function before putting it away, and re-air it once every 4–6 months in storage.
- 15
Expect a little settling. Hand-worked pieces relax slightly with wear; a stray thread should be snipped flush, never pulled.
A loose stone is re-fixed free, for six months.
Even well-made hand work can lose a stone to a hard knock or a pulled thread. Keep the stone, bring both back to the studio within six months of delivery, and we stitch it back at no charge. After six months we repair at a nominal charge — and either way, never re-glue it yourself: fabric glue stains permanently and cannot be reversed.
Returns & alterations policy →Still wondering about something?
The questions everyone asks, answered straight.
Dry-cleaning, timelines, cancellations, whether the stones will come off — the ten questions we hear most, with the honest answers.