fabric shopping in new delhi

Please join me in welcoming Asmita to the blog. She blogs at Elephant in the Study. Today she is taking us fabric shopping in India!

When you try to shop for fabric in a country that isn’t your own, you’ll find that sewing terms aren’t easily translated. To help you out, we created the Sewing Translator, which many of you have contributed to and use. We hope it will be useful to you as well in your travels. Sewing Translator is now available in 14 different languages, and if you have an iPhone or iPad you can download it to use the native iOS app off-line as well. We hope you’ll make good use of it! You can find Sewing Translator in the Apple app store, and it’s free.

Fabric shopping in New Delhi

Welcome to Delhi, today’s fabric shopping destination!

Delhi (or New Delhi specifically) is the home to the National Institute of Fashion Technology, so it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that there would be not one but several fabric shops in Delhi. But they are not the easiest to find, and Delhi is incredibly spread out—which always makes finding the good ones a little bit hard. I am a relative new comer to Delhi (this is only my fifth year in the city), and initially the task of finding fabric shops seemed too daunting especially with a young child and baby in tow. But thankfully the itch to stitch got the better of me, and now I have quite a few favorite ones. Here are a few that I would love to share with you!

So let’s start with Central Market, Lajpat Nagar. Delhi, as it is today, is a conglomeration of centuries-old villages surrounded by urban development. Localities are both a mix of commercial complexes and residential areas. Central Market is one of the largest markets in the residential-commercial area known as Lajpat Nagar. It is known for its clothing shops, especially woolens, but in my recent forays into the market, I found a quiet lane in which there were some nice shops selling fabric.

One such shop is Suryansh Fab (E-33, Central Market). They have two shops next to each other, and the one that I like is on the right.

New Delhi fabric shopping

The place is tiny, not more than that about 200 square meters, but it stocks all kinds of fabric. To tell you the truth, I rarely shop here, as much as I come in just to look! (The salespeople are most obliging and don’t seem to mind.) Their embroidered silk duponi is gorgeous, and I am told that a lot of fashion designers and customers looking for wedding finery drop by.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

Sort of diagonally opposite to Suryansh Fab, if you look on the right with your back against it, you will see The Prakaash Collection (E-24, Central Market), which deals with all kinds of laces, ribbons, buttons, trims–you name it!

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

Like with most other shops in this market and others that I discuss below, this shop caters to wholesale buyers. Well, I for sure have never seen floor-to-ceiling stocks of pompom ribbons. Of late, I have frequented this shop often with my daughter who loves coming here and choosing buttons for her clothes.

New Delhi fabric shopping

Next up, and our final destination in Lajpat Nagar is Ffab Creattions (Veer Savarkar Marg, i.e main road leading to Central Market). Again, I discovered this shop only about six months ago, but since I need to come to Lajpat Nagar often for my daughter’s ballet lessons, this is the place that I end up frequenting the most these days. This shop features a nice collection of stripes and checks in cotton (my favorite), as well as handloom cotton in lovely colors, and printed voile.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

Their collection in each type of fabric is not large, but it is ever changing which means that even if you go frequently, as I tend to, you’ll always find new prints. Their fancy fabrics are nice too, especially chanderi, raw silk and my current favorite mashru silk.

New Delhi fabric shopping

Moreover, they also have a small collection of sarees in silk and handloom cotton, and these can always be used as fabric.

How to get to the Lajpat Nagar shops: Lajpat Nagar metro station falls on the Voilet line. At the metro station take the exit which says Central Market. Upon descending the stairs (this particular station is above ground), you will be at the opening of busy looking street. After walking down the street for a few minutes, keep your eye on the right. Ffab Creattions will be on the right hand side of the street, opposite Café Coffee Day. If you keep walking ahead and pass a few more blocks, you will see a Wildcraft shop on your left. The turn on your left, right after Wildcraft leads is a not so narrow but quiet alley with fabric shops on both sides of the road. There is a kind of park/green patch in the middle of this lane. Suryansh Fab is on the right; Prakaash Collection is on the left.

–XX–

Next up is Shankar Market, a quaint and a relatively quiet market which lies in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi and right on the outskirts of Connought place (CP).

New Delhi fabric shopping

A covered market which essentially runs in one straight line with covered side lanes, Shankar Market houses multiple stores selling fabric.

New Delhi fabric shopping

I remember originally landing here because everyone told me that this was the market to come for fabric shopping, but I also remember that back then I had ended up feeling pretty disappointed. Most of the shops here have the same old prints and the shops smell dusty and old. In the last few years a new shop has opened up which might make the trip to this market worth the time.

Gamthi which is in block 3 of Shankar Market is that shop.

New Delhi fabric shopping

A small, boutique style shop, Gamthi sells almost exclusively vegetable dyed, block printed fabric produced using traditional methods.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

The owner prides himself on sourcing fabric from all over India and is pretty knowledgeable about different kinds of printing and dyeing techniques. They have a minuscule collection, but what they do have is beautiful. So if you are in CP, a trip here will definitely be worth it. I particularly love the kalamkari prints (both block and hand painted), the ajrakh prints (on silk and cotton) as well as their ikat.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

After leaving Shankar Market if you head back towards the outer circle of CP, there is yet another shop here which is my favorite, and I have often scoured it for simple basic cotton. This is the well-known Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan which sells khadi—handspun natural fiber cotton cloth. Of course, you can also find woolens and silk, but I have never bought those here and cannot speak of the quality. The khadi cotton, however, is fantastic and comes in an array of colors. They have a few prints but the plain ones are better and varied in texture. A word of warning though: what they sell is heavily starched, and may not seem like such a great buy at first. That and the sales people who aren’t the most willing or helpful. But I hope you don’t get put off by either of those things; after the second wash you will have in hand the softest cotton with the loveliest drape and will regret not having bought more! (Unfortunately, I have no photos to offer here because they wouldn’t allow any.) Besides fabric, its also a great place to buy all manner of handmade soap, lotions and assorted grocery items.

How to get to CP shops: Connaught place is basically two gigantic concentric circles, which are referred to as the inner and outer circles. Anybody and everybody will tell you how to get to CP. At the center of it, underground, is the Rajiv Chowk metro station. It’s the central point from where all metro lines radiate. After getting off here, head to exit/gate 3. Walk towards the outer circle. Shankar market is opposite block ‘M.’ Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan is located in the outer circle, in the Regal Cinema building.

–XX–

And now finally to our last destination for today: Nehru Place, an enormous market place with shop after shop selling electronic and IT related hardware of any kind that you can imagine. The real stuff and the very good fake versions of it abound here, and I am told that this is the place you head to if you are a tech geek. Apparently, this was at one point in the 80s the biggest electronic market of Asia comparable to Akihabara in Tokyo. It is sadly no longer the hub that it once was, and the bad architecture (think dreary looking buildings which needed a coat of paint about twenty years ago), combined with general chaos and mess do not make it a market that one may want to visit, unless of course with a very specific purpose in mind. This purpose is fabric shopping, for at the far end of the market, after you have crossed all the street vendors and electronic shops, there is a large courtyard that opens up and is almost wholly comprised of fabric shops. There is both the high end and not so high end stuff here, with everything between the two, and so for any serious fabric seeker, Nehru Place is a must.

The two big shops here are H.P. Singh and Tessuti Fabrics. First, Let’s talk about H.P. Singh. I like H.P. Singh for the sheer variety of what you can get, and I still remember on my very first visit –just the sheer excitement of seeing fabrics that I didn’t even know existed (for example jute fabric and sweater knits!).

New Delhi fabric shopping

They have three large floors of everything that you might need, and so if there is only one place you can visit, the vote goes to H.P.Singh hands down.

New Delhi fabric shopping

The prices of the regular cotton stuff (printed kalamkari, other cotton fabric) can vary substantially from place to place, and I have found sometimes that what I can find a little cheaply elsewhere (Lajpat Nagar) tends to be slightly costlier here, perhaps by about 10-15%. But I would still come here because the variety that you get in terms of quality and quantity is not available elsewhere.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

Indeed, you can end up spending all your money and time in H.P.Singh and not go anywhere else! My current favorite are linen knits and their section of cotton linens which are not cheap but drool-worthy nonetheless.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

Also, worth mentioning is on their third floor (what I think of as the fancy fabrics floor) are the kantha quilts, again not cheap but worth at least a look.

New Delhi fabric shopping

It is also one of the few shops which sells online, but prices online tend to be higher than in the store, and the collection seems smaller. You can check it out here.

Tessuti Fabrics which is right next to H.P. Singh is another shop full of all things nice. What I like the most here is the wide array of knits. The large basement floor is almost entirely devoted to a dazzling array, and the names like oscar knit, buttersilk knit, banana knit and omega knit make the trip totally worth it.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

While most of these I would be a bit terrified of sewing with right now, I do love their great collection of cotton jersey knit in psychedelic colors. Of all the fabrics I bought home on this shopping trip, N loves these fabrics the most and I can’t wait to make simple t-shirts out of them. Besides knits they also carry the usual cotton, chiffon silk fabrics, but I was most taken by their schiffli embroidered cottons with beautiful patterns (more on “schiffli” later).

New Delhi fabric shopping

The salespeople here are also incredibly helpful in guiding you through the range of stuff they have, and I was happy that the woman who assisted me was very knowledgeable about what knits would work better in winter as apposed to summer, what the fabric composition was—all new and fascinating stuff for me.

Right in the line of the two giants Tessuti Fabrics and H.P.Singh, are two smaller shops Jyoti Exports and Gaurav Exports.

New Delhi fabric shopping

Both shops are perfect if you want to pick up some kiddie prints as well as checks. I was surprised to find that they have something akin to double gauze (called double cloth here). The quality was not great, but I was assured by both that this is a relatively new fabric and this summer they will get tons more of it in different prints.

New Delhi fabric shopping

And, now more about Schiffli embroidered lace and fabric: This refers to a machine embroidery technique from Switzerland that made its way to India possibly sometime in late 19th century. (You can read more about Schiffli here.) There are a couple of shops in Nehru place dedicated to this stuff, and I have to warn you the stuff is gorgeous. First up, is my favorite shop, Hemla.

New Delhi fabric shopping

Apparently one of the older ones of the lot, this small shop is dedicated entirely to lace and embroidered fabric. Fabric is only either white or beige, but can be dyed. The manager however informed me that they only do wholesale dyeing work, so for anything less that 200 meters one has to head to another area called Govindpuri.

New Delhi fabric shopping

Schiffli embroidery is border embroidery, so you will find fabric where either both borders are embroidered on only one, and the most common use is making pants. But of course, the sky is the limit, and on this trip I got a meter of it to make pillow cases for us.

Right above Hemla is a relatively newer shop called Modi Schiffli Embroidery Mills.

New Delhi fabric shopping

This has more of the same, but you can find fabric other than white with schiffli embroidery on it, as well as some beautifully embroidered mesh fabric.

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

New Delhi fabric shopping

Right across from the aforementioned shop, if you look across the other side of the pavilion there is another shop on the first floor called Shivam Shubham Laces, Lace Fabrics, and Embroidery Patches. This has some more lovely schiffli embroidered fabric, but also an enormous collection of embroidered yokes, sleeve patches, ribbons and other trim trivia.

New Delhi fabric shopping

And now for the last shop of the day to get some everyday fabric, and currently my favorite kind of fabric – knits. Sahni Fabs has several shops in the market, but my favorite one is the one which is slightly apart from all the above mentioned shops and in a very non-inviting looking basement.

New Delhi fabric shopping

Given the amount of leggings and t-shirts my daughter needs, this might be currently the shop I frequent the most. It doesn’t have the fancy stuff of Tessuti both in terms of types and prints, but the variety of colors in cotton jersey, interlock, double knit that they carry is amazing. The knits section of the shop always looks like a bit of a mess, but again the sales people are immensely helpful at pulling out stuff and explaining what is good for what and a trip here is always instructive.

New Delhi fabric shopping

They also carry fabric for making swimwear and leotards, something that I found out on my last trip and I am contemplating whether I should attempt making one this year. And finally, I should mention they also carry stretchable denim, something that I could not find in any of the other shops.

How to get to Nehru Place shops: Nehru Place Metro station also lies on the Violet line. It is a huge station, so when you get out take the exit leading to the market.

New Delhi fabric shopping

You should see several large buildings such as Eros Commercial Centre. What we are looking for is the Inox Movie Theatre. Entrance to the market is right next to it.

New Delhi fabric shopping

Right at the entrance you will see ugly two-four storied buildings on both sides of a huge open pavilion. This is where the tech shops are. The pavilion itself is also crowded with street vendors selling mobile covers and other tech related wares. Walk through here and where this ends make a left, and again keep walking. Over here the street vendors are no longer selling tech stuff but ready made clothes. At the very end of this walk, make a right. The shops we are looking for are at in the last building on the right hand side after the final right turn.

New Delhi fabric shopping

–XX–

There are two other places worth mentioning that are not in the above mentioned markets. For, vegetable dyed, traditional prints I also like going to Kilol in the N block market of Greated Kailash II (GK2). Kilol primarily sells ready made clothes as well as cushions, bed sheets etc. In their N- block shop they also have a very small section selling fabrics by the meter. If you happen to be in this area the fabric is definitely worth checking out. The quality of cotton is excellent and you will find many traditional designs with a modern twist. (Besides Kilol, the market is also a nice, if some what of a pricey place with some lovely shops, especially a wonderful bookshop and café.) A word of note: Kilol has several shops in other markets across the city; however, I have found out that only the N block market shop sells fabric by the meter.) Apologies again for no photos; the shop didn’t allow photos.

The other place is Dastkar. Dastkar is a NGO set up in the 1980s which exclusively supports small artisans and communities of craftspeople from across the country. At Andheria Mod, there is a permanent space where artisans display their wares at regular intervals. Each exhibition is for about two to three weeks, and each time you can find different artists displaying their wares; it is of course not all fabric, but pottery, handmade items, and several other things, not to mention yummy food. But in my several trips there, I have found that there are always also a few stalls selling fabric and it almost always lovely and never disappoints. It’s also one of the few places where you get fabric from other parts of the country sold directly by its producers with no middlemen. I have no photos to offer, because there was no exhibition at the time I was writing this, but they do have a Facebook page, and a website where you can find see their calendar of events. In short, don’t miss a visit to Dastkar if it is on!

How to get to Kilol and Dastkar: The GK 2 Market where Kilol is located is between Lajpat Nagar and Nehru place markets. The easiest way to get there would be to take a Uber or auto from either of these metro stations. The best way to get to Dastkar, it to get off at the Chhatarpur metro station (yellow line), and take an auto to Andheria Mod.

And now, lastly, a word on pricing: I found the cottons to be priced anywhere around 250 INR per meter and above. Linen is usually not below 700 INR. The fancier fabrics (silk, georgettes, chiffon) is also above 700 or so. The basic cotton jersey knits are around 350; while everything else is above 500 INR. The bigger shops follow a “fixed price” policy, while in the smaller shops you are free to ask if they will giver a better rate; basically everything depends on your bargaining skills. Naturally dyed block printed fabric on the whole tends to be pricier than commercially printed one. In Dastkar, it is usually understood that one doesn’t bargain because the money goes directly to the artisans.

Most shops timings are 11am – 8pm. Lajpat Nagar markets will be closed on Mondays, Nehru place and CP on Sundays. Kilol is open on all days.

That brings us to the end of our Delhi fabric shopping trip. Of course, these are not all of what Delhi offers in terms of fabric shops. There are still some of the older markets like Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk in old Delhi, but this forms the build of what there is. I hope you visit enjoy shopping here as much as I do!



 

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47 Comments

  1. Wow, what a great guide Asmita, thanks!. Delhi looks like one of those cities where a tourist would never accidentally find the fabric shops without a handy local to help out. I love those vegetable dyed, block printed cottons. Absolutely you can make N leotards and swimmers, I’ll hold your virtual hand if, on the very slim chance I ever make it to Delhi, you’ll take me fabric shopping! Deal? 🙂

    1. I am absolutely making this deal with you Shelly 🙂 I do hope you come; it will be so much fun shopping with you!

      1. Toral Patel

        Hi Asmita! I love this post! I am an NRI living in New York and will be in Delhi Feb 5-8 for some fabric shopping (mostly blankets and fabric for pillows). Any chance you are free to join me for a shopping trip? Hope to hear from you! Toral Patel (@toralrecall on instagram)

  2. Whoa, I’ve been trying to get to India for several years now, and this is one of the reasons why. How amazing! Thanks for a great post, Asmita.

    1. I wouldn’t have started sewing for my daughter had it not been for your patterns, so its a big honour for me to be featured here. Thank you! I really do hope you get to come; it will be wonderful to take you around.

  3. Thank you Asmita for the most helpful and detailed post on Fabric Shopping in Delhi (my hometown). Massachusetts has been my home now for almost 20 years but I still peruse fabrics whenever I visit family. One other spot you might consider adding is Delhi Haat. I always go there to buy directly from the craftsmen. Thanks again!

    1. Ah, then you probably know all the old shops in Chandni chowk and Karol bagh as well 🙂 Thanks for mentioning Delhi Haat–the only reason why I didn’t mention it is that of late I have come to prefer Dastkaar which runs on similar principals. My slight problem with Delhi Haat is that too much bargaining is involved and the quality of fabric doesn’t always match up to the price that gets paid. Still, its a good place to go especially with sharp bargaining skills (sadly lacking in that department I am afraid). And, its more central than Dastkaar, hence more accessible. Thanks you for the suggestion.

      1. Oh yeah, all those childhood memories of my mom dragging me to Chandni Chowk for fabric ( I didn’t sew then so they were boring to me at the time) for fabric. Now I stick to Nehru Place and Lajpat Nagar. I was not aware of Dastkar and it sounds amazing. I will definitely check it out when I visit next year. And yes, I agree on too much bargaining in Delhi Haat. My least favorite part of that place. But I still like how colorful and festive it always is.

  4. WOW! I can’t imagine anything more joyful than shopping for fabric in India – the home of the best cottons and silks in the world (in my opinion). I shop here (Victoria, BC, Canada) at an Indian woman’s shop – she imports directly from India and has the nicest silks and cottons! But to go to India and shop right in these shops would be…heaven 🙂

    1. Thank you Kathleen. I am glad you enjoy fabric from this part of the world so much.

  5. Nilima

    Thank you from faraway Melbourne (Australia) Asmita, this brings back memories… Delhi has changed so much! I can remember a Delhi where there were very few cars in Connaught Place. We used to walk to Shanker Market for second-hand books (used to be a veritable treasure trove) and undergarments (I did my first sewing lessons in a little class room above the shops in Shanker market. We walked to Sapru House during school holidays to watch children’s films, to dePaul’s on Janpath for cold coffee, browsing Salimbhai’s little round bookstore for bargains, to Nirulas for their famous hot chocolate fudge, to India Gate to go boating – yes boating at India Gate! I bought my first silk sarees at Khadi Gramudyog in Connaught Place – still have one or two from all those years ago. Not easy to get the same quality any more. Those were the days! Thanks for the great tips on current Delhi fabric shops. Wonder if FabIndia is also still around, and do the State Emporiums on Baba Kharak Singh Marg with the wonderful fabric and handicrafts still exist? What about the Cottage Emporium on Janpath?

    1. Nilima, I loved reading your comment. The Delhi you speak of sounds wonderful. And boating at India Gate?! Wow, I really had no idea. Shanker Market now seems to not have any more second hand bookstalls–at least I did not come across any. And Nirula’s has kind of faded away. Yes, FabIndia does exist still. They now sell not only readymade clothes but also furniture and a whole range of groceries as well. The emporiums are there too, but not all of them carry the good quality stuff that I hear they did in the old days. And, I have never been to Cottage Emporium of Janpath. Am going to have check that one out!
      Thank you again for this lovely trip down memory lane.

  6. Rhythm

    Asmita, thank you for this guide! It’s gold! I know what I am doing next time I visit my parents in Delhi! I v been wanting to go to HP Singh forever!

    1. Yes, you should Rhythm. It’s truly fantastic.

  7. Richa

    I’m not much into sewing but I do love fabric and I loved this piece Asmita. Perhaps we should ask you if you are free for a guided walk of Nehru Place on a Saturday.. it could be so much fun!

    1. I agree – that would be fun, and I am definitely up for it. Thanks Richa!

  8. Wow! Thank you for this amazing guide. If I make it to Delhi in the next few years, I may just have to ask for a personal guided tour! The lace and schiffli fabric looks so beautiful.

    1. Of course, I would be delighted Gayatri! In exchange for a guided trip in Singapore. 🙂

      1. Any time! A good excuse to unearth more places here for fabric and textiles!

  9. What a great guide! I’m hoping to get out there next spring/summer to visit my cousins in New Delhi, so I may have to make a side trip (or three…).

    1. You must Shanti–it’s one thing to do when the temperatures are soaring. Stay inside and shop for fabric 🙂

  10. Kerstin

    A good friend of mine brought back several meters of gorgeous fabrics (mostly cotton shirting) from India when she visited her family in Chennai this summer. I just cut into the first one for Easter dresses planned for my girls. I love all the saturated colors and opulent textures. This was a fun read! Thank you!

    1. I would love to see what you make Kerstin. Thanks for your comment.

  11. Lily

    This is such a great reference for me. I’ve been heading to Delhi for the most part because that my partner is there but the things you can find in Delhi is amazing!

    I was wondering if you could provide me with lanes or outlets that does stitching as well?

    1. I agree with you Lily. Like I said in my post I am also relatively knew to Delhi and what you can find here is pretty amazing, and that’s not just fabric.
      I wish I could help you out with the tailors, but unfortunately I have not found any reliable ones. It could also be because I haven’t looked too hard. Gamthi (Shankar Market) has an in-house tailor, but they, like many of the other shops, require you to buy the fabric from them as well. I am told that Shankar market has many tailors in general so you could try out a few. From what I do know, the basic charges are around 700 INR for kurta pyjama. But that’s just the start and as I am sure you know, things go upwards very quickly.
      Good luck with finding one!

  12. Radhika

    Oh Asmita… thats a lovely virtual trip to the fabric shops. I am very much awaiting a Delhi trip thats being postponed for ages and your post will be my fabric guide. I will be sure stocking on some knits as they are quite hard to find in Chennai.

  13. I know….when I first moved here it took me a while to find decent quality knits as well. You should come Radhika. We could go together!

  14. Jessica

    Such a lovely post! I feel as though I have come with you to all these places. Many thanks.

    1. I am so happy to hear that you felt that way Jessica. Thank you!

  15. Adish

    Quite informative…nice research Asmita. But one thing if you could tell,do these places offer fabric for menswear?

    1. So sorry for this late reply. Lajpat Nagar in the small alley (by Wildfcraft that I mention above) would be a good place to start.

  16. Kathy

    Thankyou for your thorough details, Asmita! I will be visiting Delhi and the Punjab in late January 2019, for 3 weeks. I hope to find some time to fabric shop and your information should help make this possible. I may have to buy an extra suitcase there to bring home my purchases .

    1. So sorry for the late response Kathy! I hope you did come to Delhi and find some nice stuff 🙂

  17. Joanna

    Just returned from a wonderful three week trip to North India-Gujarat and Rajasthan and saw many gorgeous Indian fabrics and learned about the rich tradition of textiles and embroidery in India. I picked up some ready made items and had some items stitched in India. Now that I’m retired, I would like to visit north India again, including north Delhi, and would love to meet you for advice and guidance on fabric shopping in India, India is my birthplace, and I love these homecomings to my childhood home after many years.

    1. Sorry Joanna, I am only checking these comments now. Gujarat and Rajasthan are a treasure trove for fabrics–I am sure you found some good stuff. If you come to Delhi, yes, sure it would be lovely to meet and walk around in the fabric shops. Let me know!

  18. Venessa

    Thanks so much for your very informative post. Heading to Delhi soon and hope i can find a rickshaw driver who will take me to a few places! (And not the big shops with the commission)..

    1. Thank you Venessa. I am checking the comments on this blog post after a long time–hope you came and found some good stuff.

  19. Sarvi

    Incredible post, Asmita! Thank you so much for the fantastic detail in describing which shops specialize in which fabrics. I am especially interested in the block prints and have a friend visiting (but I don’t think she’s planning to get closer than Jaipur) — maybe this post will convince her to make a trip to Delhi as well 🙂

    1. Thanks so much Sarvi. In my opinion–if she is coming to Jaipur, you probably will get plenty, and perhaps a trip to Delhi is not necessary! The block prints of Rajasthan are fabulous–I hope your friend had fun shopping and you got some fabrics in return 🙂

  20. Rima Fernandes

    A very informative guide to fabric shopping in Delhi.. A wonderful virtual shopping spree.. would love to know more about block prints and handloom fabrics. Is Delhi a better place than Jaipur for such fabric.. Passionate about Indian handloom textiles and the history behind it.

    1. Thank you Rima for your comment, and sorry for this delayed reply. Delhi and Jaipur have a very different fabric scene so it depends on what you are looking for (this is however true for pretty much most states of India, as you perhaps already know). Delhi will have block prints etc. which Rajasthan is known for, what not the same variety and I find the quality problematic, unless you are going to Dastkaar. For handloom there is Khadi gramudyog–but again you might find some of the same in Jaipur too. Depending on what you like (and if the answer is block prints) Jaipur might be enough.

  21. N T

    I want to buy 100% pure wool sweaters . Please do you have any suggestions where I can buy quaility product and do not have to bargain. I do not want any acrylic mixed.

    1. I am sorry NT, I really don’t know. Khadi gramudyog comes to mind, and that is the place I would start. You wouldn’t need to bargain. Just maybe keep in mind that winter is the best time to look for the stuff, at other times you will get “winter” fabric but that is all old and poorly stored stock.

  22. Artis Fletcher

    I’m looking for a fabric that is white with a blue pinstripe for man’s suits

    1. You can try both the shops in Nehru Place and and Lajpat Nagar, espcially in the small alley that I mention above.

  23. SShaw

    I am amazed (and jealous) of the breadth of choices available in this city. I felt like a kid in a candy store just reading this! What a lucky sewer the author is to live in Delhi!

    1. Yes, the choices are amazing and wonderful! The one thing that I still find missing is good quality cotton jersey fabric. But that doesn’t take away anything from these beautiful choices on offer!

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