Olive Green Katan Silk Suit, White Vine & Paisley | Kairi

Olive green under a white vine-and-paisley print, chevrons at the hem.

Why this piece

• Genuinely hand block printed with hand-carved wooden blocks in Bhagalpur
• The top is printed densely and the dupatta more openly, so they layer well
• Opaque and unlined, stitchable up to 4XL with customised length

Vines and chevrons

A white vine winds through medium-scale paisley across an olive green ground, with yellow and terracotta warming the print where it opens up. The top length is printed densely; the dupatta is left more open, so wearing them together does not overwhelm.

At the hem, a solid horizontal band carries a repeating chevron, which gives a plain straight kurta a defined edge with no work from your tailor.

Wearing it

Olive with white is the most wearable version of a bold print - it holds up in an office, at a festive lunch and at a day function. Terracotta or wooden jewellery picks up the accents; gold works too. Have the chevron band placed at the hem rather than cut across.

Vine-and-paisley work in two scales, printed by hand on silk, is unusual at this price - the combination is normally found on cotton or on much costlier woven sets.

The set

• Top: 2.5 m, 44 to 45 inches wide
• Bottom: 2.5 m, 44 to 45 inches wide
• Dupatta: 2.5 m, 35 to 36 inches wide
• Fabric: Katan silk, hand block printed with hand-carved wooden blocks
• Lining: not required, the fabric is opaque; add one only to elevate the look
• Stitching: up to 4XL for straight kurta sets, with length customised for larger sizes
• Weight: 600 to 650 g for top, bottom and dupatta together
• Care: dry clean the first time, then a gentle cold hand wash
• Dispatch: dispatched the next working day, even though every metre is printed by hand
• Collection: Kairi

The vine does not join perfectly from one repeat to the next. That break is where one block ended and the next began, by hand.