Khaddar, Karandi, Marina: What Winter Is Made Of

Winter collections arrive with three words on every label: khaddar, karandi, marina. Most of us have worn all three. Few of us could say which is which with our eyes closed.

Here is the short answer. Khaddar is the everyday one: textured, warm and easy. Karandi is a little heavier, holds its shape and carries embroidery well. Marina is the softest and the warmest, and the one for evenings. The rest of this page is the longer answer.

Khaddar: the one you will wear most

Khaddar is a plain weave. One thread over, one thread under, in a thicker yarn than lawn. That thicker yarn is the whole point. It traps a little air, and air is what keeps you warm.

You can see the weave if you look closely. The surface is matte and slightly textured, never slippery. It softens every time it is washed, so a khaddar suit in its second winter feels better than in its first.

How it feels: dry, soft and breathable. Warm without being heavy.

When to wear it: the school run, the office, lunch, a winter afternoon at home. It is the fabric for days with more than one thing in them.

Most of our Winter '26 collection is khaddar: ten of the seventeen stitched sets and six of the seven unstitched suits. The Moss Khaddar Set is a printed short kurta with a farshi shalwar. The Thread Bloom Khaddar Set is a floral short kurta with a shalwar.

Karandi: the one that holds its shape

Karandi is a step up in weight. The yarn is uneven by design, so the cloth has small slubs you can feel under your fingers. That texture gives it body. A karandi kurta hangs straight and stays where you put it.

That same body is why embroidery sits so well on it. The cloth does not pucker under the thread. Every karandi set in our collection is embroidered, and that is not a coincidence.

How it feels: textured and substantial, with a dry hand. Warmer than khaddar.

When to wear it: a formal lunch, a dinner, a dholki. Days when you want to look finished without wearing anything heavy.

The Ivory Rouge Karandi Set has cutwork and embroidered motifs on the front and sleeves. The Slate Karandi Set is a long grey kameez with cross-stitch embroidery on the sleeves.

Marina: the soft one, for cold evenings

Marina is the smoothest of the three. Where khaddar and karandi feel dry and textured, marina feels soft, almost brushed. It drapes close to the body and it is the warmest of the three.

It also takes colour deeply. Black looks blacker in marina. Plum looks richer. That is why it suits the evening.

How it feels: soft, smooth and warm.

When to wear it: December and January nights, weddings, anything outdoors after dark.

We made two this season. The Plum Orchid Marina Set is stitched, with floral embroidery and wide-hem pants. Obsidian is an unstitched three-piece in jet black with an embroidered kameez.

Khaddar, karandi or marina: which one to choose

• You want one winter outfit you will wear every week: khaddar.
• You feel the cold less, or you live in Karachi: khaddar.
• You have a season of lunches and dholkis ahead: karandi.
• You like a kurta that keeps a clean line: karandi.
• You feel the cold most, or you live in Lahore or Islamabad: marina for the evening, khaddar for the day.
• You are dressing for a winter wedding: marina.

If you are still unsure, start with khaddar. It is the hardest one to get wrong.

Stitched or unstitched

The stitched sets are two pieces, a top and a bottom, in a relaxed fit. Sizes run from XS to L. They arrive ready to wear.

The unstitched suits give you the cloth and leave the cut to your tailor. A three-piece has 3 metres for the shirt, 2.5 metres for the trouser and a 2.5 metre shawl. The shawl is the same fabric as the suit, so it is warm, not only decorative.

A few things worth knowing before you order

• Texture is not a flaw. The slubs in karandi and the visible weave in khaddar are how the cloth is meant to look.
• All three soften with wear. Khaddar changes the most.
• Layer by fabric, not by thickness. A khaddar set with a shawl is often warmer than one heavy layer.
• Read the label on the piece. Embroidered and printed pieces can ask for different care.

The collection

Every piece named here is in the Winter '26 Collection. You can also go straight to the co-ord sets or to unstitched.

Some days, getting dressed should be the easy part. Knowing your fabric helps.

loomé. From Nishat. Since 1990.