Updates - Our Jaipur Manufacturing Center

May 12, 2021

Updates  - Our Jaipur Manufacturing Center

As many of you know, India is in another covid-19 crisis.  This wave  is bigger and more threatening that the last on all levels.  After a year of struggle and quarantines, people are tired, scared, worried.  Supply chains are disrupted in every sector: food, manufacturing, medicines.  India’s economic base has been severely affected with domestic orders  disappearing, export orders cancelled and a labor force that has largely returned to their native villages, afraid for their survival and knowing there is no work for them in the cities.  Yes, it is a bleak picture.

What I also know is that we survived this past year. Our manufacturing team became more resourceful, more resilient. We became more organised in handling manufacturing orders, in planning ahead, buying in bulk whenever possible, improving our communication systems, focusing our energies on priority work.  We pulled together as a team to benefit everyone.  This teamwork has had incredibly positive effects.  The shared trust and solidarity amongst our staff is higher.  We have been able to help members in the greatest need with micro loans.  By March 2021, we were able to pay full bonuses to all our staff—a huge accomplishment after recovering from nearly two months of supporting our staff in April and May of 2020 with no income. 

Now Jaipur are in full lockdown again until the end of May.  It is a strict lockdown which means access to food and medicine is limited to a few hours per day.  No other shops are open or supplies available.  There is no public transportation.  Our company has received an exemption which allows our manufacturing to remain partially open with very restricted staff and working hours.  We are staying open for many reasons.  We have not had any issues with covid-19 infections amongst our manufacturing staff. Staying open provides meaningful, dignified work to our employees.  It is a way to focus their mental energy into something constructive—assurance that they are working to support their families and their futures.  It gives everyone hope, and it ensures our sources of income will be less disrupted.  Our staff is actively working to take care of their families and ensure our long term survival.  Yet again, we have found ways to be more resourceful, more resilient. 

We are also deeply grateful that we work with like minded clients who are equally as committed to the principles of fair trade. What I mean by this is that our clients recognise this is a global situation that requires empathy, adjustments, hand in hand solutions which can only be found through equitable working relationships.  Our clients normally pay advances which help us maintain on time salary payments.  They are understanding of delays and work with us to find alternatives in fabric sourcing, packaging, timings of shipments.  We in turn, offer as much practical information as possible to help them meet demands as well. We update them about the situation to the best of our ability and reassure everyone of our commitment to completing orders as we are able to.  They in turn are able to update their end customers.  In a world where we like to think everything is available for overnight delivery, the struggle we and all other manufacturers in India are facing is a humanising moment for us all.  Everyone in the fair trade supply chain is ideally working together, to find long term solutions which will sustain us all. We believe wholeheartedly we will not only get through this if we work together, but we will have improved our supply chains, our product, and created more equitable working relationships in the process.




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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.