About
About
At plains, we are inspired by the plurality and ease of Indian handloom textiles. Inspired from a personal need to make clothes with fabrics collected from various travels, to the many times when we wondered how a garment can fit into our ideas of distinct, plains is born from a realization that clothes and handloom were central to feeling like ourselves.
Plains is for someone who values comfort in fashion. They are independent, indifferent, playful, and curious, making each garment their own. Grounded in roomy and boxy fits, clothes at plains reflect an interplay, of colour and form, of pattern and texture, of utility and beauty, ultimately built to be relaxed and lived in.
By partnering and working with weavers, non-profits, and craftspeople who not only commit to fair trade practices but safeguard age-old weaving techniques that assure longevity, we hope to be at the intersection of old and new.
Plains is a personal journey and an exploration whose simplicity and ambiguity, we hope, will resonate with those who find us.
Sustainability
Sustainability
We recognize and honor the importance of fair labour practices and are aware of the impact we can have as makers and consumers. We aim and hope to be deliberate about what we put out into the world. We have been conscious of our efforts to direct our resources towards sustainability by working with non profits who share our vision and commitment to slow and responsible making, employ cleaner production methods, work with natural fibers and pay fairly to skilled artisans.
We keep our operations lean and local, working with craftspeople with humble set ups, keeping the community close, which also allows us to have an oversight into the little details of our working methods. Our made to order model forces us to minimise wastage, making only what is required.
There’s no quick road to sustainability, and while we are just getting started, we will continue to invest our resources and attention in better materials and means of production as they become accessible to us.
Fabric Care
Fabric Care
Irregularities and unevenness in texture or colour is considered as part of a hand loomed garment’s character and should be embraced as uniqueness of the product. Due to traditional hand dyeing and weaving techniques, no two handwoven products will be exactly the same. Some darker colors are prone to bleeding in the first few washes. Please follow the care instructions tag that comes with the garment.
Below are some generalized instructions based on fabric type.
Cotton
To help retain their colour and quality, wash your cotton garments less frequently. To provide them with the best care, we recommend that you hand wash them with gentle soap in cold water, and line dry. Often, simply air drying in shade will also do. However, If you have to use a washing machine, use the gentle mode and wash with similar colors. Skip the dryer. Some fabrics may be a mix of light and dark colors. In case of such, simply air drying them to remove odor and dry cleaning only occasionally when necessary will help retain their colour and their shape. No matter the method, always air dry or line dry your cotton garments inside out, in the shade and away from harsh sunlight.
Silk
Silk garments are best retained when occasionally dry cleaned. If the care label suggests or allows for hand washing, we recommend you only use cold water for a quick rinse, lasting no longer than five minutes as hot water can scorch and damage silk fibers, ultimately shrinking and altering the fabric texture. A cleaner and trusted everyday alternative is to just air dry them. And as always, no matter the method, when air drying or line drying your silk garments always drying them inside out, in the shade away from harsh sunlight helps retain their colors.
Linen
Linen is easy to care for and can sustain a lot of wear and tear, only becoming softer each time. Unless very fine, most linen is suitable for a machine wash at a gentle cycle of cold water, hung flat or line dried to retain shape and prevent strong creases. Small creases, however, add to the appeal of the fabric, lending the garment a relaxed and comfortable look. Although avoidable, dry clean linen only sparingly if the fabric is very fine or incase of a more structured or tailored fit to retain shape.
Indigo Dyed
Fabrics dyed with Indigo, a very strong natural plant dye, are prone to slight bleeding unlike those that are chemically dyed. Wash your indigo garments only occasionally to retain their bright hue. The colour rub will last for about 2 to 3 washes. When washing in a machine, wash separately with a mild detergent on a gentle cold water setting. If the machine is loaded in full, it can sometimes lead to discolored creases on the fabric. Leaving enough space for the water to move freely inside the machine through the fabric will help avoid this. If possible, skip the dryer. Preferably simply air drying inside out after each wear or line drying it flat, hung inside out when washed, away from harsh sunlight should help retain the longevity of the garment for years to come.