What is the print on this shirt?
Tiny cream florals are scattered all over a brick-red cotton base, stamped by hand with carved wooden blocks. The motif is small and evenly spread, so from a distance it reads almost like a texture, and up close you see the individual flowers.
What size is it, and what sleeve?
This shirt is in size 44 with full sleeves. Wear the sleeves down and buttoned for a neater look, or roll them to the elbow for a relaxed feel on warm afternoons.
Where is it printed?
It comes from Jaipur, printed in the hand block tradition practised by the Chippa printers of a village in Rajasthan, who prepare the cloth and print it using natural colours and their own time-tested methods.
Is it a shirt for work or for weekends?
Office wear first: it looks smart tucked into chinos or trousers on a regular workday. It is equally easy as an everyday shirt with jeans, and the cotton keeps it comfortable on summer travel.
Will the colour bleed in the wash?
Block prints made with natural colours should be washed with care. Dry cleaning is preferred; if you wash at home, use a gentle hand wash with a mild detergent, always on its own, and dry it in the shade.
Why does the print look slightly uneven in places?
Each flower is stamped by hand, block by block, so you may notice small shifts in alignment or depth of colour. These minor irregularities are the signature of hand block printing, not a flaw, and they make each shirt a little different.