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CELEBRATE HOLI, THE DAY OF COLORS

March 21, 2016

CELEBRATE HOLI, THE DAY OF COLORS

The Vernal Equinox marks the beginning and the end of the Hindu year, the start of spring, and the gathering of the harvest.  This year, that day falls on March 20th.  This also marks the start of the days of Holi, including the famous “Day of Colors”, which falls this year on March 23rd evening into March 24th.

 

The Festival of Holi is so ancient that no one can say when it began.  But, famously, Lord Krishna “played color” with his beloved Radha in the forest of Vrindavan.  Depending on whose dates you go by, that could take us back as much as four thousand years.

 

Holi is one of India’s most important, and most loved, celebrations.  It is a celebration of reconciliation, friendship, and peace.

 

And those colors that are famously strewn about on that day? What are the colors about?

 

The colors, we could say, are simply a celebration of Joy.

 

And there will be a lot of Joy in Jaipur on the 24th, with kids and younger people running through the streets pelting each other with colored powder, spraying each other with colored water, laughing and shouting.  And adults, greeting each other affectionately, daubing the faces of friends and relatives, and then sharing special snacks and sweets.

 

The front grassy space at Mehera Shaw will be festooned with color, as every member of our staff, commences with a preliminary, genteel daubing and greeting, before advancing to the hilarity of pelting and plastering, accompanied by the kind of laughter that requires great gasps of air.

 

Mehera Shaw has always had a deep connection to color, and Holi makes us aware, again, that human beings intrinsically seem to have a deep thirst for color. 

 

In earlier times, color was largely reserved for the wealthy, in both apparel and decor.  As a family advanced upward from poverty, one of the first, and most obvious, outward signs was the donning of color.

 

In every culture we know of, until maybe very recently, color has been sought and prized.

 

And it is often against the bleaker landscapes, as though for balance and relief, that we find the 

most colorful garb, the brightest prints.

 

The deeper the thirst the greater the expression.

 

Western travelers to India often have the experience of becoming so attuned to the intensity of color here, to the joyousness of it, that they don’t want to give it up; they want to bring it home with them.

 

Mehera Shaw has always been consciously about color, and we have always believed in this connection between color and joy.

 

People need both.

 

And Holi brings them both together.

--from the desk of Mark Keller

 




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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.