Most folks working with apparel think they already know “Indian fabrics.” Cotton, denim, voile, poplin… the usual list. But, when we dig a bit deeper, India has way more woven textiles tucked away in small clusters and handloom towns. Some are old as anything, some almost forgotten, and honestly many sourcing teams don’t even look at them because nobody tells them they exist.
Check out our Digital Fabric Swatch here
Since we at Dinesh Exports are always around mills, looms, yarn guys, and random weavers who still work magic with their hands, we picked a few rare woven fabrics that deserve more attention. They are Indian, they are unique, and they kinda get ignored in most buying seasons.
1. Gamcha Cloth (Not just a “towel fabric”)
A lot of people think Gamcha is only that red check towel used by workers in North India. But it’s actually a woven fabric style with super breathable cotton yarns and thin check patterns that now show up in shirts, streetwear and summer collections.
Gamchas are handwoven in West Bengal, UP, Bihar. Light weight, airy, and kinda nostalgic if you ask me.
2. Ilkal Weave
This one is from Karnataka and mostly used in sarees, but the weaving technique can be shifted into apparel fabrics too. The body and pallu are woven separately and joined using a special technique called “tope teni.”
Nice texture, solid feel, and crazy durability. Surprsingly, many menswear brands miss it completely even though it can work for shirts and jackets.
3. Mashru Fabric (Silk + Cotton Hybrid from Gujarat)
Mashru literally means “permitted” in Arabic, because it was meant for communities who could not wear pure silk. So the weavers made a fabric with silk warp and cotton weft. Looks shiny outside, comfy inside.
For apparel brands looking at festive or fusion categories, mashru weaves feel almost luxurious but the cotton inside makes it practical.
4. Chettinad Cotton
This one’s from Tamil Nadu, and most people outside the South don’t even hear about it. The fabric is known for bold stripes, earthy shades, and a slightly crisp hand feel. Works nicely for shirts, skirts, casualwear collections.
Some export brands used it quietly, but it’s still underrated.
5. Khes Weave from Punjab
Soft, reversible, and traditionally used for blankets. But the patterning and weight can be adjusted for jackets, overshirts, winter shackets. Most people ignore Khes thinking it’s too ethnic, but actually the pattern fits modern styling pretty well.
6. Pochampally Double Ikat (Technically everyone “knows” Ikat, but not this one)
Double ikat from Telangana is rare because both warp and weft are resist-dyed before weaving. Means control needs to be insane. The final look is sharper, cleaner, and more detailed than regular ikat.
Expensive, yes, but extremely high-value for high-end brands.
Why These Fabrics Matter for Merchandisers & Sourcing Teams
If you work in buying or PD, you already know how collections end up looking the same everywhere. Same poplin, same rayon, same cotton viscose blend. Adding even one of these weaves gives your line something to talk about in the buyer meeting.
Also:
- Many of these clusters are government-supported
- The supply chain is traceable
- You can do small quantities
- Artisans get real work
- Your brand gets a story that your competitors don’t have
As long as we use them right (and test shrinkage, colorfastness, etc), these fabrics fit into commercial collections.
Before You Source Them
Here’s a few things you wanna watch out for:
- Color variation, since many are handwoven
- Slight width differences
- Lead time is longer
- Some patterns cannot scale up very quickly
- Test for wash since yarn dyeing is different in small clusters
This isn’t a downside. Just call it the “human touch” that factory fabrics don’t have. If you are looking for a reliable woven fabric manufacturer, please contact us.