A design that runs upward, not outward

The vines on this top are arranged as columns rather than scattered across the cloth. Tall flowering stems rise from the hem to the shoulder on both sides of the front, each carrying tulips and lotus blooms in yellow, lilac and soft pink along its length. Running between them is a twin band of small blossoms in orange and yellow, framing the V neckline and continuing all the way down the centre.

Vertical layouts do something specific on a garment: they draw the eye up and down rather than across, which is more flattering than an all-over scatter. The sleeves carry the same climbing stems with a worked border at each cuff, and the back is kept quiet — one flower motif at the centre and nothing else.

What you are getting

• Jaali work laid out as climbing vertical stems.
• Tulip and lotus blooms in yellow, lilac and pink.
• Twin embroidered band down the centre front.
• Worked sleeves with an embroidered border at each cuff.
• Single flower motif at the centre back.
• Summer Cool fabric — light and breathable.
• V neckline, straight cut with side slits.
• Dispatched directly from Kashmir with a GST invoice.

How to wear it

Light fabric, gentle handling

Summer Cool washes easily, which is one of its advantages — but the embroidery is what needs the care, not the cloth. Use cold water and a mild detergent, and keep the handling gentle: do not wring, and do not brush the embroidered areas, where chain stitch pulls loose first.

Wash it separately the first couple of times. A pink this strong can release a little dye early on, and it will find the pale threadwork. Dry in shade and inside out, and iron on the reverse at a low setting with the plate off the vines.