Khut: Hand stitches, motifs and more

Designers Urmila Shukla and Farhana Hamid Atti opened "Khut" in 2017 with the idea to bring back traditional handloom into contemporary fashion. The beauty in Khut's hand stitches lies in their 'less is more' approach. Their patchworks on skirts, saris, and blouses are light-weight, colourful, and utterly comfortable.

It has been six months since Khut's outlet started its journey inside the 27 Number restaurant in Dhanmondi 27. And within this short period of time, the brand has made a name for itself among those who like breathable, cotton outfits.

Khut makes amazing designs on recycled clothes, especially with those which are rejected for wrong prints from factories. 

The simple embroideries look equally beautiful on soft pastel shades as well as on bright colours. The playful patchworks and embroideries are inspired by the Bengali traditional "kantha" stitches.

Some of their brightly-hued blouses and saris have motifs stitched on them. Particularly noteworthy are the stitches – they are simple yet appealing.

It was the hand stitches that inspired the owners to name their brand "Khut". The philosophy behind the name is that nothing is perfect, and you cannot make a second copy of a hand stitch. Therefore, real beauty lies in imperfections.

The saris come in shades of pistachio green, floral pink, dove grey, indigo, sunflower yellow, and many more colours that are ideal for any  weather.

Sometimes, a sari will remind you of a female character from a Bengali classic, or a watercolour painting. Sometimes, a skirt or a top will remind you of a hand stitched quilt that your grandmother lovingly made for you. Each piece at Khut is made with utmost care and the attention to details is remarkable.

A black sari is sometimes paired up with a bold border, where as a light pink sari has only one-liner stitches at the borders. 

An all-white sari can also be found here, which has red and orange peaking from its borders. The free ends of some saris are kept simple with no extra designs. But there are also saris which have patchworks all over them.

Quirky harem pants with cotton tops are available at the shop, along with flared skirts, kantha stitch scarves, and capes of a mélange of colours.

The sleeveless blouses come with sleeves that can be sewed on later.

It is the owners' desires to make their designs homely and warm, yet with hints of elegance and boldness in them. Both Shukla and Atti use atypical Bengali weaves. Loyal customers swear by Khut's designs, be that for their earthy hues or tie-dyes featured on materials like cotton and half-silk. The shop also has block-printed outfits and customised dupattas with patchworks.

Khut products are available online and can be ordered from their page. Not only for women, there are clothing options for children and men as well. Vibrant coloured handmade neck pieces are also sold here for those who like to doll up in traditional fashion, but with a boho vibe.

Usually, local brands are expensive and some items by Khut might come off as pricey, but on an average, the price range is reasonable. One good news for plus sized customers, this place has a range of dress sizes.