Think of Lucknow and the two things that come to mind are Chikankari and the scrumptious cuisine especially the Kebabs and the Biryani. Known as the city of Nawabs, Lucknow is situated along the banks of the Gomti River and is famous for its unique culture, music, art, and poetry. Visitors from all across the country visit this metropolitan for experiencing its beauty, sophistication, and architecture. Book your Delhi to Lucknow flight to experience the magic of this beautiful city and get some beautiful chikankari clothes for your wardrobe.
Chikankari Shopping Guide
A visit to Lucknow is incomplete without some chikankari shopping. Chikan is a traditional embroidery style used to decorate textiles of all sizes and shapes. Before you visit the local chikan market in chowk, Lucknow you need to get acquainted with the different types of products and clothes available here.
Before you start shopping you need to know that these things about the art of chikankari:
- This delicate and artfully done hand embroidery is done on a variety of textile fabrics like cotton, muslin, silk, chiffon, georgette, organza, and net.
- Originally available as a white-on-white embroidery, chikankari is now done with coloured ad silk threads to keep pace with the changing fashion trends.
- This beautiful embroidery work is also available with additional embellishments like Mukaish, Kamdani, sequins, Badla, and even bead and mirror work to create clothes with a rich look.
- The chikankari work is done on light fabrics like cotton, semi-georgette, pure georgette, crepe, chiffon, and silk to create beautiful kurtas for both men and women.
- A variety of styles are available and include patterns and effects created with the use of different types of stitches and threads of varying thickness. Some common types of chikankari work that you will find include the Tepchi, Bakhiya, or shadow work and the hool embroidery.
Tips for Buying Chikankari
Here are some tips to help you choose from a wide variety of chikankari styles and products and shop for yourself and your loved ones:
- Types of Material- You have the choice of buying unstitched material or getting ready-made pieces of kurta pieces, kurta sets, palazzo pants, bottoms, skirts, sarees, and dupattas.
- Colour Combinations– While white on white chikankari kurtas are classic, pastel-colored clothes are in high demand too. Artisans and designers are also experimenting and offering a variety of colour combinations like white thread on white pieces, white thread on coloured fabrics, coloured thread on white fabric, and coloured thread on coloured fabric. Choose the combination that you like.
- Pricing– Lucknavi chikan products are available in all kinds of price ranges- starting from a few hundred rupees to lakhs. The price of a chikankari product is determined by the quality of the base fabric, the finesse of the embroidery, the types and the number of stitches used, and the extent, or the spread of the embroidery over the product. The use of other crafts like mukaish or gota work or beadwork not only enhances the beauty of the product but also raises the cost.
Keep these tips in mind while shopping for beautiful chikankari products for your family and friends before you head back home via Lucknow to Delhi flights