This is a men's half-sleeve khadi shirt made from unbleached, pure cotton khadi, handspun and handwoven in Karnataka. The fabric is pre-washed and destarched, which means it arrives soft and ready to wear. It breathes well through warm days and washes without fuss. The collar and placket carry no thick fusing or buckram, so the shirt stays light and moves with you rather than against you. This is everyday khadi, made to be worn often.
Details: Two-piece soft collar. Half sleeves with single-fold cuffs. Shaped hem. Front patch pocket. Back yoke with a centre box pleat. Non-corrosive metal buttons. Blue bartack reinforcement at all stress points. Cut and sewn in our Bengaluru studio.
Intent: In Karnataka, a Mestri is a master mason. Not just someone who lays bricks, but someone who understands where a wall will be tested. The corner where two loads meet. The joint that takes the most pull. A good Mestri reinforces these points quietly, before anyone thinks to worry about them.
This shirt borrows that logic. The blue bartacks placed at the pocket corners and sleeve seams are not ornamental. They are structural decisions, small stitches that keep the cloth from giving way exactly where it is most likely to. The patch pocket is a working pocket, deep enough to be useful. The back pleat gives you room to move without the shirt pulling. Mestri is not a style. It is a standard of work that does not explain itself.
Weight: 350 grams/shirt
Colour: Kora
Care: Hand wash in cold water with mild/no detergent and dry in the shade.