There’s something so special about finding a piece of clothing that looks and feels like it was made for you. It hugs your body in all the right places, and flows freely. It almost feels liberating to naturally fit into an item of clothing. And while readymade clothes don't always cut it, and tailored clothes are too much work, we're happy to find a brand that has mastered it — Cowrie Collective.
Cowrie is a bespoke clothing brand that has contemporary silhouettes, celebrating traditionally-crafted textiles, while patronising the craftspeople that make these garments at the heart of their business. In their journey so far, they’ve run a fully customised clothing brand that functioned on a made-to-order basis. Taking that experience of knowing what women want from their clothing, Gaurie, the Founder, along with her sisters Devika and Namaah, has decided to share their gift with a wider number of people. Cowrie Collective officially has a website where they take orders and have scaled up their operations (much to my delight – a proud owner of four dresses from the brand).
My personal experience with Cowrie dresses has been nothing short of wonderful. The prints are beautiful, the fabric quality is supreme and lasts you ages, and the fitting is elevated. As someone who has heavier breasts but a smaller waist, finding clothing that fits well has always been an issue. Cowrie’s unique design cinches and ruches the clothes in just the right places, so that the clothes fall beautifully on your body.
As excited as I was for the operations to expand, I did have my reservations about the standardised sizing. Here’s what the founders had to say about the decision. ‘Other brands usually work with pre-existing size charts. Ours has been developed through our experience designing custom garments for a diverse range of Indian body types. Additionally, most of our garments feature rushing, elastication, or tie up straps/belts, to ensure garments can easily be sized up or down, as per the wearer’s comfort. We’re very excited to see how people react to this change and we’re looking to our existing customer base to share any valuable feedback they have for us,’ says Gaurie.
But that’s not all. If you’re not satisfied with the sizing options Cowrie provides, you can always choose to get them customised. ‘If you’re unable to find your size, or if you’re craving something off the menu, we will still be taking on custom orders from time to time! Custom-making dresses is a time, cost, and labour intensive activity, but we know the joy that custom clothing sparks joy. So, to ensure we’re able to still service custom orders with our small team, whilst also fairly compensating them for their time, we will take on a limited number of custom projects each month. We have a custom tab on our website, where you can leave your details and we will get back to you within the 10 working days.’
It’s the season of treating yourself (no matter what time of the year you’re reading this). If you’re in the market for a dress that will literally fix your day for the most part, don’t think twice and go for a Cowrie! It’s an angelic community to be a part of!
Price: INR 3,500 onwards
Material: Cotton
Instagram: Cowrie Collective
