Scarves are a versatile accessory that add distinctive style to any wardrobe. Scarves woven by hand with natural threads such as cotton, silk and wool are of superior quality and last for years, preserving their beauty and elegance.

Handwoven textiles are distinctive in look and feel. The textures and colors that can be created through hand-knitting simply cannot be reproduced on machine-woven fabrics. This gives handwoven scarves their unique beauty and elegance, with rich, vibrant colors on soft, luxurious fabrics. Handloom scarves are easy to identify from machine woven scarves, as the fabric will vary slightly and the ends will be delicately hand-embroidered. Additionally, finer threads can be hand-woven, resulting in sheer fabrics and sequined or beaded designs that are woven into the sheer fabric. The art of hand weaving is very complex and requires great skill and knowledge of the craft.

Other examples of handmade scarves include hand block printing, hand tie dyeing, and hand embroidery. In hand block printing, elaborately carved wooden blocks are used to stamp the design onto cotton or silk fabric, resulting in beautiful prints that cannot be duplicated by machines. Hand dyeing, also known as bandhini, involves tying small knots in elaborate designs throughout the fabric. The fabric is then dyed in multiple shades and the design is displayed once the knots are untied. Since the knots are very small, the fabric has a beautiful textural effect even after washing.

Hand embroidery is done in a wide variety of styles, and in India each region has its own unique embroidery techniques. In western India, small hand-cut mirrors are embroidered on the fabric, along with the aari style of embroidery, which is distinctive to this region. In North India, like Kashmir, women perform fine single-thread embroidery using embroidery rings with very delicate and elaborate designs. Embroidery in this region is done in fine wool, such as pashmina and cashmere. In eastern India, the embroidery known as “kantha” is made by women in the villages of the region, adorning their clothes, quilts and tablecloths with complete stories depicting legends and village life. The kantha style of embroidery is often referred to as needle painting, as the lines are very smooth and flowing, like a painting. Since the embroidery is very dense and elaborate, a single Kantha embroidery stole can take a woman 3 months.

You can find a wide range of silk, cotton and wool scarves from India through online stores. Many online stores offer silk scarves for women and they come in a variety of styles and colors.