The fastest way to spot a real Dhakai Jamdani

The Dhakai Jamdani has all the grandeur of a Benarasi with a lighter, airier feel. The soft pastels shades, with its floral buttis or a wide ornate border, can always be relied on to create a regal daytime look. With a well-chosen blowse, it needs almost no styling.

But as demand climbs before the festival, so do the lookalikes. Here's how to make sure the saree you bring home is the real thing.

Jamdani's magic lies in its weave. A weaver builds each motif into the cloth by hand, thread by thread, using an extra weft.

So, turn the saree over. On a machine-made piece, you'll often find short, clipped thread ends behind the motifs, the mark of a shortcut. On a handwoven piece, the back looks remarkably like the front. The motifs are visible, and the threads look continuous and tidy, with a slightly textured feel where the design is woven in. Some buyers say a real Jamdani is so similar on both sides that it's hard to say at a glance which one is the right side.

Fine handwork is never perfectly uniform. Weavers place threads by eye, so tiny variations in spacing are a good sign. Machines produce flawless, identical repeats.

The base of a genuine Dhakai Jamdani is fine, soft cotton muslin. It should feel light and breathable, slightly sheer, and a little translucent when held up to a window. If it feels stiff, rough or heavy, or has an unnatural glossy sheen, be suspicious. Imitations often rely on synthetic yarns, and machine-woven versions tend to be heavier and coarser.

A saree that takes days or even weeks to weave will never be cheap. If the price seems too good to be true, ask yourself what corner was cut.

Jamdani weaving has been part of Bengal's story for centuries, and UNESCO inscribed it on its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2013. Buying a real one keeps that tradition alive and supports the hands that make it. Worn well, it's a piece of heritage draped around you.

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