At Tilfi, we consciously choose to work with only natural fibres and all our fabrics are handwoven in Banaras and its surrounding areas.
All-natural fabrics give our products the lasting quality and luxury that have been characteristic of fine Banarasi weaving for centuries. Our garments are thus softer, more breathable and durable than their synthetic counterparts.
Unfamiliar to many, Banaras' repertoire as a textile centre spans a whole gamut of fabrics, beyond the classical katan silk that it is associated with.
Our weavers specialize in a variety of fabrics and fibres. We welcome you to explore the breadth of their mastery through our expertise - from soft katan to lustrous satin, from crisp kora to airy cottons, from shimmering tissues and earthy tussars...
Katan silk is the fine, soft and delicately lustrous kind of silk that has made Banarasi renowned the world over. Katan silk fabrics are made using the finest quality of Mulberry Silk in both the warp and the weft, woven in a plain weave.
A variation of Katan Silk fabric is Silk by Georgette (aka Silk Georgette or Summer Silk). This is also a pure silk fabric, which is obtained by using twisted silk yarns in the warp or the weft. The resultant silk fabric is thinner and lighter in weight than katan, making it suitable for wearing even in the hotter months of the year (hence, the name summer silk).
Satin Silk is a fabric produced when pure Silk yarns are woven in the "Satin weave". The resulting fabric typically has a glossy surface and a dull back. It has a very lustrous appearance and tends to be softer, but more slippery as compared to Katan Silk.
Satin is essentially a warp-faced fabric. Because of the density of the threads, the colour is more concentrated and eye-popping.
The term "Khaddi'' in Khaddi Georgette simply refers to handwoven. Georgette fabrics woven on a handloom are colloquially referred to as Khaddi Georgettes (or even Chiffon Georgettes).
Georgette is a fabric woven using pure silk yarns which have a higher twist. The resulting fabric is lighter, drapes more freely and is slightly crinkly in texture.
Kora Silk
Kora Silk (or Banarasi Organza) is a light, sheer fabric made using silk yarns which have not been degummed. This results in a fabric that is lightweight, fluffy and crisp. It is also cooler and more airy than other kinds of silk, since degumming increases the net density of the yarn.
Kora Silk Net
Kora Net fabric is produced when undegummed pure silk yarns are woven in the net style. In Net fabric, weft yarns and warps are bound together or looped at their junctions of intersection, which in turn produces an outcome of large spaces between the woven yarns of the fabric.
Tussar Silk, also known by its Sanskrit name 'Kosa Silk’, is a kind of silk produces by worms that breed on local trees, not mulberry trees. The fabric has a rich, raw texture and a natural deep gold colour. It is also a cooler, more breathable fabric.
A beautiful blend of two pure yarns, Tussar Georgette is woven using tussar silk yarns in the warp and high-twist silk yarns in the weft. The resulting fabric has the textured appearance of Tussar and the easy drape of Georgette.
“A craft product, when well designed and produced by a good craftsman, is not merely useful, but also has such elements as balance, proportion and harmony.”
- Aristotle
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