Jessica, Minneapolis Store Associate, on Mehera Shaw Clothing

June 23, 2009

As a woman in her now mid-twenties, I’ve come to the point in my style life where I realize that my wardrobe is not quite professional and just on the edge of being “grown up.”
This is not especially surprising. I graduated from college only two years ago and my career has taken me from being an elementary school teacher in Japan (no place for silks and suits) to being a freelance writer and illustrator (where I can work in pajama pants and a t-shirt) to an Associate at the Mehera Shaw boutique in Minneapolis. Only now, working in the Fashion sector, is my wardrobe becoming more polished. I absolutely give the credit for this to Shari Keller’s designs for Mehera Shaw. All aspects of our clothing – the cuts, the colors, the prints, and the production ethics- inspire me immensely. I feel polished but feminine and entirely my own in my clothes from our store. More than anything, when I wear Mehera Shaw, I feel more confident and classically individual.

My personal style has come a long way since I first discovered pleated miniskirts and Doc Martens in high school, but it’s obvious that there have been two constants in my clothing history: COLOR and PRINT. My biggest style influences have always been the 1960s (with Mod London’s use of color and simple cuts to make bold statements) and the 1920s (with an increasingly internationally-inspired silhouettes and motifs and the dedication to artisan details and techniques). Mehera Shaw fits me perfectly since it takes aspects of both of these eras and incorporates them into a modern, polished look; the clothes are bright, colorful, unique, and incredibly well-made. When I look around our store, I find my favorite mod day dress re-imagined as a red paisley print shift, a prohibition-era gamine look embodied in turquoise cropped topstitched trousers, and the modern tunic as a reminder of the inspiration I draw from traditional world costume.

Like many, I’m also increasingly committed to Fair Trade practices and a have a strong preference for buying handmade goods. As a consumer, I want to send my money to the artists and artisans themselves, and I feel positive about buying at Mehera Shaw since I know that it will be fairly supporting everyone involved at our studio in Jaipur. When making a purchase at our store, I’m also supporting the farmers in India who provide the organic cotton and silk used to make our fabrics. Finally, as a former Asian Art major and all around “art geek,” I’m thrilled to be able to purchase contemporary versions of the centuries-old Indian artistic tradition of woodblock printed clothing.

Mehera Shaw has absolutely contributed to me ever-changing sense of style. I really am inspired by being surrounded by such beautiful, fun, and joyful clothing all day, and am always looking forward to what’s next for us!


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Fit/Sizing/Care

FIT

Our styles are meant to give room to breath and move.  We use fine tailoring coupled with a relaxed, comfortable fit.

We use a fit guide for each of our styles to provide more information about the fit that was intended.

Slim Fit: a close fit to the body. Regular Fit: a comfortable, relaxed fit with room around the body. Generous Fit: a very loose fit (such as in our oversized blouses) with lots of room around the body for ease of movement.

SIZING

h4XS/ 36

h4S/ 38

h4M/40

h4L/ 42

h4XL/44

h4chest

h435.5 inches/ 90 cm

h437.5 inches/95 cm

h439.5 inches/ 100 cm

h441.5 inches/ 105 cm

h444.5 inches. 113 cm

h44cm extra from body

h4waist

h426 inches/ 66 cm

h428 inches/ 71 cm

h430 inches/ 76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h435 inches/ 89 cm

h4fitted

h4low waist

h428 inches/71 cm

h430 inches/76 cm

h432 inches/ 81 cm

h434 inches/ 86 cm

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h4fitted

h4hip

h437 inches/ 94 cm

h439 inches/ 99 cm

h441 inches/ 104 cm

h443 inches/ 109 cm

h446 inches/ 1

h44cm extra from body

WASHCARE

All garments have been washed several times during the printing/dyeing and manufacturing process.  

CARE for 100% cotton

We recommend cold water machine wash (up to 30 degrees celsius) with a bio detergent and either tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade for all of our 100% cotton garments/homewares (except for quilts).  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.  

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Cold water wash and low heat drying or line drying in the shade will increase the life of the garment, prolong the vibrancy of the colors and reduce energy use. Shrinkage on all cottons is minimal, approximately 3%.

Garments/homewares are dyed or printed using AZO free, low-impact, pigment or reactive dyes unless otherwise noted.  These dyes are color-fast, but care should still be taken to wash with like colors to retain the vibrancy of the colors.

CARE for 100% cotton quilts

For quilts with cotton fill, we recommend spot or light surface cleaning only with a damp cloth and mild detergent.  Eco-friendly dry cleaning is also recommended. 

CARE for herbal/vegetable dye items

Vegetable dyes are not colorfast and are specifically marked in the product description.  We strongly recommend that all vegetable dye products be washed once before use in a cold water wash with minimal detergent.  Wash separately. Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  Iron on reverse side.  Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Please keep in mind that indigo dye does continually fade over time.  This is the nature of true indigo dye and is not a defect, but rather a sign of the 'living' nature of the dye.

CARE for silk and cotton/silk

For our silk and cotton silk garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.

Dry cleaning using an eco-friendly service is also recommended.

CARE for linen and cotton/linen

For our linen and cotton linen garments/homewares, we also recommend gentle cycle machine wash cold water (up to 30 degrees celsius) or delicate hand washing to increase the life of the garment and reduce the environmental footprint from energy use, detergents and water wastage.  

Tumble dry on low heat or line dry in shade.  

Iron on reverse side of garment following fabric settings.

Do not use bleach or stain remover.