How do the pink and yellow work together?
The lehariya stripes come out in a warm yellow-gold against a vivid pink ground. The two warm colours glow together instead of contrasting sharply, so the saree looks festive without any heavy work. A narrow gold edge with tiny tassels runs along the saree and picks up the yellow.
Will the stripes look busy once draped?
Not much. The stripes are fine and evenly paced, so in the pleats they fold into a soft texture rather than a loud pattern, and across the pallu they show as clean diagonals. Keep the blouse and jewellery simple and let the stripes do the work.
Is the blouse separate or attached?
The blouse comes attached to the saree, cut from the same length of fabric. The total length, blouse included, is 6.3 to 6.4 metres. Ask your tailor to measure before cutting, so the blouse portion comes off cleanly and the rest of the saree is left whole.
Will my saree match what I see online exactly?
Very close, but not identical. Lehariya is tied and dyed by hand, so the stripe spacing, the depth of pink and the tone of the yellow vary a little from piece to piece, and screens shift colour too. The design and colour family stay the same, with your saree carrying its own small differences.
Who made it?
It is handcrafted at the Indiehaat unit in Kota, Rajasthan, under master artisan Haq Nawaz. Kota is the home of Doria weaving, and the tie-dyeing on this saree is done by hand, which is where its slightly irregular stripes come from.
How do I store it?
Keep it in its own bag in a dry place, away from damp. Every so often take it out, change the folds and let it air somewhere free of moisture. Clean it by dry cleaning only, and if it ever gets damp, dry it in the shade.