Noor-e-Banaras Lichi Silk Violet Brocade Weaving Suit (T+B+D)

What exactly do I get in the set?

Three unstitched pieces: the top, measuring 2.5 to 3.0 metres; the bottom, 2.4 to 2.5 metres; and the dupatta, 2.4 to 2.5 metres. Together they weigh about 500 gm. There's no ready-made garment, so plan a visit to your tailor well before you want to wear it.

The dupatta is covered in gold flowers. How do I keep the look balanced?

Let the dupatta be the star. The top carries spaced gold leaf butis, so it stays calmer, while the dupatta has the dense gold floral jaal. Keep jewellery small and skip a heavy necklace that would compete with it, and drape the dupatta so the jaal shows across one shoulder.

What is the floral jaal like?

The dupatta is woven with a gold floral jaal, a connected trellis of flowers spread across the piece, and it ends in a patterned gold zari border finished with tassels. The gold catches the light against the magenta-violet ground, which makes the dupatta the dressiest part of the set.

How is brocade different from embroidery?

Embroidery is stitched onto finished fabric with a needle. Brocade is woven into the cloth itself, using extra threads that form the pattern as the fabric is made. So the design on the Noor-e-Banaras suit is part of the fabric, with a slightly raised feel, rather than sitting on top of it.

Is the bottom fabric enough for palazzos?

The bottom piece is 2.4 to 2.5 metres. That usually covers straight pants or a slim palazzo for most sizes, but a very wide, flowing palazzo can need more, so check with your tailor before cutting. Straight pants also keep the focus on the gold leaf butis and the jaal dupatta.